C-bear tells us all about their journey through Skate Skills 101 through to our inters group and the fun they have had along the way. If you want to sign up for Skate Skills 101 (our new skaters programme where we take you from beginning strides to your first game of roller derby) then email [email protected] and they will give you all the information you need.
Here’s what C-Bear had to say:
I started learning to skate around two years ago after I watched a friend of mine play her first roller derby game. I had no idea what was going on but it looked like fun! So I bought some awful cheap roller skates and joined the skate skills programme. Like many people I had fallen out of love with physical activity as a teenager and I therefore assumed sport was not for me. How wrong I was! It took me 3 or 4 times to get through skate skills and graduate to intermediate level. Other people passed first time, others took longer. What I love about roller derby is the emphasis on trying your best and supporting your team. I was reassured that my progression would be at a different pace from other people’s and that was okay, I would be welcome anyway. This ethos was something I’d never felt in any other sport before and is what kept me coming back even when I was not feeling great. I kept going and made it to intermediate and it was such a great sense of achievement which everyone shared with me.
The recent InARRGuration game for new skaters was a wonderful experience, we “the vipARRGs” played against skaters known as the “Black and Deck-hers”. We gathered in the changing room with Hex and Fury, our awesome bench coach and line up manager, who gave us some good motivational and reassuring chats. Hex told us about a tactic called “catch a haggis” and drew us a hilarious and informative diagram of what a haggis looked like. Fury then lead us in an off skates warm up which started out with us throwing a ball around and made us all very glad that roller derby does not involve anything to do with a ball! The game began and we were working really well as a team, communicating well and putting into action some of the tactics we’d discussed. We were doing so well and were ahead by the end of the first half. Unfortunately we began to lose our advantage, but Hex and Fury helped us keep our cool. Well maybe I didn’t keep my cool. I really went for it and fouled out about ten minutes before the end of the game. Oops! At least I didn’t miss too much though and I actually managed to enjoy jamming! By the end, the Black and Deck-hers had won, but we had a wonderful time playing them. I was so chuffed to have been given the Most Valuable Player award - maybe I did know what I was doing out there after all! We returned to the changing rooms feeling badass. However I was confronted with a MASSIVE spider sitting on my skate bag, nooooooo!! So after being super brave smashing through walls on the track there I was cowering in the corner because of a spider! I will always be grateful to Stellar for rescuing me from the spider!
Roller derby has really had a positive impact on my life. I used to be the kind of person who claimed to be “allergic to exercise” but now I love it! I have never been fitter or stronger than I am now. I appreciate my body for what it’s physically able to do, rather than how it looks. The wonderful sense of community and supportive atmosphere has really boosted my self confidence, I feel like my girls have got my back!
Thank you ARRG! ♥
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