San Diego Roller Derby vs. OC Rollergirls - Our First Bout of Our 2010 Season!

The lights shined, the girls looked amazing in their new skirts, designed by team member IcePax,undeniable buzz of excitement in the air of Skateworld. San Diego Roller Derby (SDRD) was about to skate in our very first home bout ever! With none of the team members having any experience in running a bout, the preceding months were filled with hard work, research, and late nights to assure that bout production ran smoothly. The hard work was about to show itself off in front of a packed house of almost 700 spectators - which we were determined to turn into SDRD fans. The SDRD Starlettes welcomed the Orange County Rollergirls (OCRG) to our “house” for our debut home game and were filled with a sense of pride and a healthy dose of nerves.

Our training since our last bout against the Derby of Bakersfield in November has been nothing less than intense. Our coach B-Stang has been amazing, we would be nowhere with out him. Our practices focused on endurance and fundamental skating skills. "A strong skater makes a good derby player", we are told time and time again. Practicing strategies, knowing the game, and learning the rules thoroughly were part of our plan to play a clean game. Knowing that OCRG was going to be our toughest challenge to date, staying focused in our practice was our goal. We knew our task ahead was going to be no walk in the park, these were experienced, well trained skaters were were preparing ourselves to go up against.

The adrenaline was flowing through our veins, and the tension was high, as SDRD knew that we had a long battle ahead of us on Saturday evening of January 23^rd of 2010. As the jammers flew off of the line OCRG proved to be a match for our defense and held our jammers in the pack and kept them from scoring for the first couple of jams. Power blockers Lady Diesel and Rumble Pie soon came out swinging and paved the road for the Starlette jammers to put some hard earned points on the board. “Diesel is like a force to be reckoned with”, an OCRG girl was overheard saying later that night at the after party.

SDRD jammers, Wonder Whoop’em and Dorothy Dangerous as a testament to their strong fundamental trainers, were quick on their feet, avoiding numerous blocks from OCRG’s own heavy hitters and maneuvering through the tough pack. Robyn Urpride and Wicked Angel, both played their first games as Starlettes and made their new team members proud. Flown in from Ohio was SDRD’s very own Holley Car Brader who played her usual heavy hitter and jammer without a hitch. As this was her last game with SDRD Holley will be sorely missed by her teammates but not so much by the opposing teams. Also on the line-up was Icepax with her fancy-footed jamming skills and Juno Escareme as a great blocker/ jammer combo. Blockers like St. Val Massacre show that we have some heavy hitters of our own and are not going down with out a fight. OCRG lived up to the high expectations that we had for their team. They kept the pack fast and our endurance that we have been working so hard on was put to the test. We were thankful for the hours we spent sweating in the rink with high endurance in mind. OCRG held the lead with SDRD fighting hard to close the gap within 9 points more than once. There was no lack of blood, sweat and heart out on the track. We gave it our all, being motivated by the cheers of our new fans was a new and fantastic experience.

When all was said and done, SDRD didn’t win our first home bout. With a final score of 56–103, we gave it our all but in the end OCRG came out on top. Our score may have been small but our hearts are big. We fought by tooth and nail, gave it our all, and learned a lot. This experience is only going to make us work harder and become stronger together. It has strengthened our determination and made us hungrier for a victory. We will continue to give our all every practice and train hard for every bout. With Coaches like B-Stang and Gary Stang on our side - and legends like John Hall in our corner - we can only get better with each passing practice.

In the end we were happy about the $350 that we earned for the International Rescue Committee, the charitable organization that we hosted at our first home bout. That combined with the amount of love and support that we recieved from our families, friends, and fans made us feel like winners even as OCRG was doing their victory lap. Thank you to all who came, cheered, screamed, and made it all worth it. This season is just getting started - you haven't seen anything yet! Get your signs ready, rest your voices, and get set to come see us take on the Inland Empire Derby Diva on our home turf, Skateworld, San Diego on Febuary 27th 2010. Now you can get your tickets online by using the "But Tickets" link on the right. No more waiting in line on bout day! SDRD members can also sell you some tickets, or pick them up at Skateworld during normal business hours. See you at Skateworld!

San Diego Roller Derby- Helping to Make a Difference, One Bout at a Time

"It's easy to make a buck. It's tougher to make a difference." - Tom Brokaw

Since our league is composed of some tough chicks, it is our goal to make a difference. San Diego Roller Derby is a non-profit organization and is looking forward to serving our community this upcoming season. We are excited to choose a variety of local charitable organizations to support at each home bout. It is our responsibility and our pleasure to give back to our community. Our skaters all gain so much from the experience of playing derby the only way we can think to make it more fulfilling is to help improve the lives of others while tearing it up on skates.

For our season opener, and 1st home bout, we are proud to host The International Rescue Committee (IRC). Founded in 1933, the IRC is a global leader in emergency relief, rehabilitation, protection of human rights, post-conflict development, resettlement services and advocacy for those uprooted or affected by violent conflict and oppression. The IRC provides opportunities for refugees to thrive in America. Members of the organization will be at our bout on January 23rd to spread the word about all of their efforts to assist the people who take refuge here in San Diego. As the IRC does so much world wide as well as with our local refugee families this is a unique opportunity to help locally and globally at the same time. The IRC is such an amazing organization, please help us welcome them with open arms and offer them all that we can. Take the time to check out their local programs, donate and learn about the volunteer opportunities. We will be having a 50/50 raffle drawing to earn funds for their Family Education Department.

So… Who are refugees? A refugee is a person who is forced to leave their country and cannot return because of a legitimate fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, politics and social group. The IRC provides opportunities for refugees to thrive in America. Each year, thousands of refugees are invited by the U.S. government to seek safety and freedom. Forced to flee conflict or persecution, many have survived for years against incredible odds. They step off the plane with next to nothing but their dignity, hope and determination. This year, IRC anticipates helping 1,200 refugees to rebuild their lives in San Diego. IRC offers comprehensive services for refugees to assist in the acculturation process: citizenship and immigration, community health and food security, employment, economic development, family education, financial literacy, microenterprise, and youth programs. IRC San Diego’s Family Education Department, including the First Things First family learning center and Families Connect home visiting program, need your help. Whereas funding has been cut in half over the past two years, enrollment in both programs has more than doubled. These education programs are essential to families who are considered the most at-risk, many of which spent ten to 25 years in a refugee camp. At First Things First, refugee parents from Bhutan, Burma (Myanmar), Burundi, Congo, Somalia, Sudan, and the Ukraine attend English-as-a-Second-Language classes while their children prepare for kindergarten in the preschool. For many parents, this is their very first opportunity to learn to read and write in any language; in fact, about 1/3 of the adults begin by learning how to hold a pencil and write their name. Through Families Connect, a home visiting program established as an enhancement to First Things First, refugee families are matched with volunteer tutors who visit once a week and provide additional English language practice.

There are many ways for you to help! Please consider making an investment in our refugee families and their futures by making a donation today. We also have a variety of volunteer opportunities available. For more information, please visit www.theIRC.org or email them at Lisa.Bahr@theIRC.org

So, on January 23rd come out watch some awesome derby, support the IRC, cheer us on and buy a ton of raffle tickets for an incredible cause!

Tears of Joy... Thoughts from Holley Car Brader and Lady Diesel

Holley Car Brader: Sadly, my time with San Diego Roller Derby is coming to an end as my husband and I will be moving back to Ohio next week. I am sad to have to leave my teammates so soon, especially with our much anticipated season opener January 23 only a few weeks away.

Lady Diesel: When Holley announced to the team that her and her husband where going to be moving away, being that I am the team captain, looked at the upcoming home schedule, and decided there was no way I wanted to lose one of our strongest players. She helped us get to where we are today and we need Holley when we go up against the ladies of the OC Rollergirls.

Holley Car Brader: My time with San Diego Roller Derby started on a Tuesday night when a couple of the ladies came over to me during an Adult Night skate session at Skateworld. They took a chance on me and this past year, skating with the team, has been unforgettable. During this year our team has grown to be a group of dedicated, close-knit sisters. Skating with these girls has become such an important part of my life. Every woman on this team has helped shape me into the skater that I am today.

Lady Diesel: There she was, skating with a friend, when we so rudely interrupted and invited her to the next practice. Little did any of us know what an asset she was going to be to our league. Holley’s passion and dedication to learning the sport has been a positive influence to the team.

Holley Car Brader: During this year’s holiday gift exchange was a heartfelt look back at how our team has flourished. I was brought to tears by the gift in my stocking from these ladies... a plane ticket back to San Diego so that I can play in our first home bout! I am truly blessed to have such a classy group of ladies in my life.
Lady Diesel:I think the letter read something like this…. “Pack your bags; we cannot imagine playing our first home game without you.”

Saturday, January 23, 2010 roller derby will be back in action at Skateworld! This is the debut home season for San Diego Roller Derby’s Starlettes and we are excited to play in front of our fans, friends, and family. Playing our 2009 season on the road was a true test to our dedication and hard-work. With the support of our coaches, Skateworld, husbands, and significant others, we have trained hard, driven all over Southern California, broken some bones, shed some tears, worn snuggies during pre-game time, taken oxygen at half-time, survived being ejected from a bout, played with and against the lovely ladies of Disaster City, and even lost some money in Las Vegas. Even with all the memories from the 2009 season, nothing will compare to playing at our home rink, in front of our fans.

Come watch YOUR Starlettes take on the Psycho Ex-Girlfriends of the OC Rollergirls. January 23, 2010, doors open at 5:00PM and the action starts at 5:30PM. Want to get your tickets in advance? Stop by Skateworld and you can purchase them there Mon-Fri 10 am-5 pm, or weekends during their open skating sessions. You can also get 'em from any SDRD member - just ask us! We hope you will join us on the 23rd - and don't forget about the "After Party"! We'll be headin' over to Victor's Cocktail Lounge for some food & drinks after the bout! We hope to see you there!