Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Help a Derby Girl Beat Breast Cancer!

Our fearless teammate, Pirate-i-Tude, is facing her toughest foe yet – breast cancer. She’s going to need all of the help she can get to defeat this scallywag sickness, and her roller derby league, the Orlando Psycho City Derby Girls, are leading a fundraising campaign to help her pay for chemotherapy and other medical bills.

Pirate-i-Tude is a 31-year-old 7th grade teacher. She’s been playing roller derby for two and a half years and is captain of one of her roller derby league’s three home teams – the Arkham Assailants. She is tough but kind, smart and sassy, and a much-loved friend and teammate. Her derby sisters would appreciate any help you can give, because we’d sure like to keep her around.

 

St Patrick’s Day Parade

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Skater of the Month: December 2013

 

Photo Credit: Phantom Photographics

Name: Ruby Ruff-n-Tumble
Number: #5of7
Position: Blocker

1. Can you fill us in on the meaning behind your name and number?
I loved the name Ruby from the get-go. I was originally Ruby Rough-House, but someone from a league in Canada already had that name registered and would not share. I was chatting about it with my teammate, Go-Go Uscari, and she suggested  Ruby Ruff-n-Tumble. I went with it. As for my number, I am the 5th child of 7 children. I have a crazy large family and they are really important to me. So it’s really a shout out to them and all of their support.

2. You started out as a ref for the league, do you think this helped you become a better derby player?
I think knowing how to ref is invaluable. It is a tough job and during games, skaters can get feisty. I didn’t understand why skaters got so worked up until I became a skater. Being a ref is like being in a big awesome family.  I have great respect for our referees. I do believe it has made me a better skater because I have that understanding of what it is like on the other side. I would recommend learning how to ref to anyone.

3. Would you recommend that to any new girls looking into being part of the league?
Absolutely! It helps you be a better player. If you miss recruitment, or need additional time to learn your skills, being a ref only makes you a stronger, more competitive player. I was a referee for 6 months prior to going through recruitment. I had a great opportunity to learn a lot of great skills during that time.

4. You’ve been skating with this league for 2 1/2 years, what was one of your best skating memories?
My best skating memory is when I won my first MVP Blocker award.  It was my first travel game and we were playing in Gainesville.  It was epic. I literally jumped up and down! I couldn’t stop smiling. During the 2 hour car ride home I kept saying to my husband, “Hey guess what?  I won an MVP!”

5. Who can we see cheering you on from in the stands?
You will almost always see my husband and son. They have been such an incredible support for me. I really could not do this without their love and support.

6. Derby can become very time consuming. How do you balance work, family, and friends with all of the other requirements?
It is tough, but achievable. It really is about time management. I work as a Social Worker in a very demanding field. Sometimes I am on call and it is a toss up as to whether I will make it to practice. I’m also very involved with my church. I do not attend anything on Sunday mornings, so I have to plan my participation carefully. My husband and I adopted a 15 year old last year, and we had to make adjustments as a family. We are looking to adopt again, and hopefully they will like derby as much as my son! It is a balancing act, and sometimes derby does not always come first, but I do my best.

7. As a newly announced captain, what do you see as some of the positives and negatives associated with the role?
This is a tough question! One of the positives is that I get to work with an incredible group of women. I really enjoy skating with them. I also get to work with our great leadership team who has allowed us to make some changes to better accommodate the schedules of individuals who would be an asset to the travel team. It’s tough to think of negatives as I have just started in the role. I suppose as a new captain, there will be a learning curve. I hope that I can support and be there for the women on our team. Fortunately, I am not afraid to make mistakes or apologize when I am wrong, which I believe is are good qualities to have.

Happy Veterans Day

October Skater of the Month – Latina Meandina

How did you decide on your derby name and number?

I wanted to incorporate my name and I went back and forth with a lot of names that included blue (my favorite color), Lu or Lucy, my nickname, but there were already too many variations on twoevils.org. One of the parents at my school suggested Latina Medina. I turned that name in to the league, but on the deadline day I changed it to Meandina (Medina was not derby enough).  Latina for my Spanish heritage and Meandina for the mix of last name and a little fear. My number 413 represents two things: It is the order of birth months for my 3 children, youngest to oldest and it’s also the area code from my 30 year stomping grounds Springfield, MA.

What initially inspired you to play derby?

I have always loved to skate, growing up I learned to skate at the Boys and Girls club (old school metal skates that you use with your sneakers and adjust with a key on the bottom and two belt like straps to hold your feet in place) but none the less I learned very quickly.  I skated every Friday night at the Boys and Girls Club gym for .25 cents and every Sunday night $2.00 ladies night at the local skating rink. Sandra Double D mentioned the recruitment to me and I decided to check it out.  I haven’t looked back since.

Thinking back, what was one of the most intimidating things about recruitment?

The most intimidating thing was the younger recruits and the girls who had skated on teams with other leagues before. Greenbay made everyone feel comfortable and treated us all like her children. Gotta love mama GB for pushing me and not letting me quit.

Many girls/women, say they are too old to play derby.  What advice would you give to them?

Age has nothing to do with playing roller derby or any other sport. If you enjoy skating don’t let your age or people tell you not to skate because you are too old.  There were three of us at our recruitment that were over 40, that didn’t stop any of us, and all three of us are on a team.  What is that old saying? Age is just a number…….. I just want to say that my number is 47. OLD and proud, I skate it with pride.

What would we bust you listening to before practice?

Clubhouse, freestyle, bachata, and don’t sleep on the uplifting music of Z88.3.

You’ve now been playing part of a season, what is one of your best game memories?

The only thing I remember was the rush, and how much fun it was to play.  I was really nervous about playing my first game, but the Slammers were very supportive and we only lost by 7 points to Arkham in the season closer.  I say not bad for an old chick on her first game.

What does your alter ego do for fun?

My alter ego likes to relax with a good book, catch up on sleep, shop, and go to the beach.

 

On a side note I wanted to say that I was quite shocked when my name was called on the final testing day to join the ranks of some of the very strong, powerful, and hard hitting females both on and off the track that I have ever met. Orlando Psycho City Derby Girls are not just a group of women who enjoy the sport of roller derby but most of all, they are family. I am proud to be a part of this league.

OPCDG Haunted Trail Skate

MVPs – Straight Jackettes vs. Dub City

The Dub City Derby Girls took home the win against Psycho City’s Straight Jackettes (309-96). Congrats to the MVPs!

Dub City MVPs
Pivot – Elastic Ass
Blocker – Bling it On
Jammer – Dee Klairs War

Straight Jackette MVPs
Pivot – Ruby Ruff N’ Tumble
Blocker – B-Lo the Belt
Jammer – Amina Acid