How I Started Roller Derby

I guess I should start from the beginning... 

My friend at the time Deni (Delia Doom) was the one who got me into Roller Derby. She was friends with my parents at the time and she told me I should come see her play. I went in November 2009 to see her play. I watched in amazement as the girls skated around and hit each other. It was so amazing I fell in love right there. I wanted more than anything to join Junior Roller Derby. I began to talk to Deni all hours of the day trying to figure out how I could join a Junior team. At first there was none in my area so Deni said the best thing that we could do was practice. 

It was probably a good thing that I started to learn how to skate before I joined Roller Derby. I was one of the kids you see clingy onto the side walls to stay up on their skates. At Skate City I had to use the brownie rentals to skate. I was literally a train wreck out there.

It scared me the first time me and Deni met up at Skate City so she could teach me how to skate. It was a two hour session early Sunday morning. There was only a couple people there other than Deni and me. So she got all of her gear on and got out on to the floor. I did what I usually did and hung on the wall to skate around. 

One time she skated by me and said, "Domi to skate like a Roller Derby girl you have to let go off that wall."

So I gently let the wall go and started to skate around the rink. I must have fallen at least a million times but every time I got up and I would gain speed. My fear of falling was over. 

By the second hour I was skating faster than I had ever before. Deni would keep up with me easily but she would always tell me, "You were made to be a jammer."

I believe about three months later at a bout me and Deni were at we heard the announcement that changed my life. "Juniors 6-17 Come Try Out For The Pikes Peak Derby Brats. Talk to Mama Beast if you want more information"

So I did... My  mom emailed Mama Beast that night and I got the information to go to practice. I got the cheapest pads from Play It Again Sports and I ordered the Chicago Men Skates. No break in time because they just were there. If they fit they were your skate. They had HUGE toe stops at the front and a plastic plates. I don't even know what the hardness of the wheels were. 

I also had to find a name. I knew I wanted a name before I even started the Roller Derby team.... Because really think about it. The people who join Roller Derby and then take forever to find a Derby name you almost always call them by their real name. Everyone in Colorado called my mom 'Mech' instead of Flam Babe. So I knew that I wanted a derby name before I started.

I had Deni come up with my name... She gave me choices.

They were

Roundhouse Rose
Ringer Rounda Rosie
Smack Down Rose
Rosie De Rivet Her

I chose Ringer Rounda Rosie.... Yeah I know that's not my name anymore. I cut a lot of the name out.... I'll explain a different time.

I showed up to practice a couple weeks later and I knew no one. It was the middle of summer right before school was supposed to start. I know that much because I was starting 6th grade at the middle school right across from my old elementary. So my coach at the time Dirty Dish had everyone say what school they were going to be going to.

When she got around to me I said, 'Mann Middle School'. A girl in the crowd stood up and yelled happily, 'I'm going there too!'

She came over and stood next to me. She introduced herself to me as Lady Joker. We became great friends and even derby wives for a little bit.... but that is later.

So that's how I started Roller Derby.... Five Years Ago. I have been through a lot since then and this blog or whatever you want to call it is going to explain how I became the skater I am today. I will talk about tips that I find helpful too. I'm trying to teach one of my good friends how to skate better ... I'm pretty sure she won't mind me throwing some tips around