MEET YOUR SUGARBEATERS!!!
and their competition
THE BISMAN BOMBSHELLS
Now this bout last night was the most action packed, hard hitting, fast skating, on the edge of your seat bout I have ever watched. I know you might think I am biased, but I have watched derby on DNN and although team USA are fabulous as a fan being there invested in the game, takes it up like a hundred notch.I had seen some of the Bombshells skate last year and of course have been with the sugarbeaters since they were practicing in the park. Wow what a difference a year can make. I of course have seen some skaters from both teams in between but to see them to play as teams against eachother and I couldn't believe the strides these teams have made.
Ok Ok, so what makes these girls athletes? Let me tell you. First of all these women do this after real life. They are mother's wives, teachers, surgical techs, Ralphie's favorite day care provider :), the list goes on. They don't get to focus their whole life on this. Yet, they find time to practice at least 3 times a week, do training on their own, make appearances, fund raise, and scrimmage on weekends. Their training is vigorous, with endurance training that is enough to make you puke. They do on skate work outs, they scrimmage, they run, and they do plios all after a full days work. They get hit and hit hard. Do they complain? oh hell no. they take pictures and post them on facebook :) they break their teeth sweep the broken tooth off the floor and start again. Each girls must pass a series of tests to even be allowed to participate in a bout. one of those is skating 25 laps in 5 minutes. It is an exclusive club. Plus you don't get to take it at the beginning of practice you do it after you have already skated for 2 hours. I must brag, since we all know humility is not my best attribute, before I got hurt and Bettie paced me we got 25 in 4:27 :). So they must play a 60 minute game, with 2 minute jams. Sometimes the jammer is full speed the whole time. Don't tell me you can do that and not be an athlete.
I am not going to try and pretend to be able to explain the game in a blog. So you know they are athletes and athletes play a sport right. So here are the quirky things I love about derby. Even though you could see these girls intense competitive nature in between whistles or in the penalty box they are laughing it up with each other, then knocking each other out. In fact at the very end of the game, one of the girls yelled "I am so tired". oh I laughed so very hard. I would guess that 9 out of 10 trips to the box the derby girls doesn't even know why she is going. (the rules are very complex). Derby girls give back. Let me tell you they gave over $2000 to the cystic fibrous foundation in honor of a little girl that lives in Grand Forks. They made her an honorary sugar beater helmet, jersey and all. She took a victory lap as the crowd cheered from their feet. But, what touched me the most was that the bisman bombshells also brought her a huge card, and a huge teddy bear...why cause that is what a derby girl does. These girls are tough. They are strong. They are fast. They are kind. They are generous. They are funny. They are my derby sisters and I love them.
I loved playing derby. It was exhlirating, empowering, really just all encompassing. I have skated my whole life. When I saw on facebook they were starting a league in Grand Forks I was so stoked. I loved every single moment of it. My friends thought I was crazy, but what else is new. I wasn't a fan of the fishnets, but I got to play roller derby so I could work around that if I had to (luckily I never did :). We worked hard and we had fun. I remember getting in trouble for kicking the back of people's skates so they would fall. We became a family. I loved my skating days.
Bettie and me at our first public apperance
I was serious, first bout
pretty sure this was my last jam
So many people ask if I had it to do all over again would I do it the same. The answer is a surprising yes. It has been a rough year and a half, that is for sure with a tough road ahead, but a doable road. There is a reason I am on this road and only God knows that reason I am just along for the ride. Because of derby I have become part of a community that is amazing. To my AA friends it is a lot like AA, but they are not alcoholics, welllllll no I kid I kid. They are a group of women who come from all walks of life but have a common bond. They love to skate. When I got hurt not a single one of these women walked away from me. They treat me like I am still part of the team. I may not see them often, but they encourage me, and lift my spirits. I also know that these girls got my back! I have met derby girls from all over North Dakota, and they are all great. I even met a Canadian couple who showed me a different side of Canadians. I am honored to call them my derby sisters.
derby love~jumpin jules flash
If it wasn't for derby I would never have found my person. And for that I am truly thankful
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