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| From a photo shoot at the Hot Skates rink with the cast of Whip It. |
Just a few months before my eighteenth birthday, my
friends and I went to see the movie WhipIt. At the theater, we met a few girls from the South Jersey Derby Girlsleague and I discovered that I could start skating with them as soon as I
turned 18. I was ecstatic! I was frenzied! I was overjoyed! And then my mom
said “no.”
Something about the fast paced, full contact world of roller
derby drew me in right away. For me, being a derby girl was a dream I thought I
would never accomplish; there was no way I could be as badass as the women
portrayed by Ellen Page, Drew Barrymore and the like. It was just too cool to be
true.
Fast forward to this summer. I have been training with the
South Jersey Derby Girls Training Wheels program for a little over a month now
and I couldn’t be happier with it. If you’re looking for a way to stay in
shape, meet amazing people, and have a damn good time, roller derby may be
right for you.
There are, of course, some things you should consider before
starting roller derby. Skating, especially for derby, is a SERIOUS work out. I
have never been more exhausted (or more sweaty) than I am at the end of a hard
practice. You’ll also spend a lot of time in training before you can actually
compete. Learning the basics is vital before you can get on the track, and any
league you join will make sure you’re competent before putting you in a game
situation. Most importantly, derby is a dangerous sport. You will get hit, you
will fall down, and you may very well get hurt.
Still think you’d like to give derby a try? As Kristen Wiig
says in Whip It, "Well, put some skates on. Be your own hero."
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