Fear Of Falling And Pseudonym Badassery

So, there are two things to be known right off the bat (or jam line!).  1, you are going to fall.  you are going to fall on your ass, on you thighs, you knees, your ribs, your arms, and possibly on other skaters.  2, if you can stick it out, you get the honor of picking or being dubbed a derby name.  With a fascination of epidemics and a love of my natural red hair, I picked the name SCARlet Fever, and have been responding to that name far more often than the one my parents gave me.
Falling is a common fear among new and seasoned skaters. (Slamrock assured me of this today!)  Never forgetting that I am decked out in heavy duty TSG Force III knee and elbow pads, a helmet, mouth guard, and padded shorts, I still sometimes feel the hesitation to not push myself past my limit to avoid falling.  However, the beginners coaching staff for the Dames spend hours working on proper falls and techniques to avoid injury, although sometimes, injuries are inevitable.  (Photo taken before the purchase of padded shorts)

After learning the one knee, two knee, and four-point fall (also known as the porn star), I started working on the 180 degree one knee fall.  This fall requires the skater to be able to land safely on one knee, and spin to face the opposite direction, and is now my favorite fall.  I tend to favor certain sides for different derby exercises.  For one knee falls, I prefer to have my left knee on the ground, because my right leg is stronger for a quicker recovery.  Recovering from a fall in a timely fashion is critical for staying in the game and also avoiding injury from sprawling out on the track.  When you fall, fall small, fall tight, and pop up on your toe stops for a good push off back into the pack.

Derby Names are fun and tricky.  (click the link to the right for two evils to see some derby names!)  I still don't know the real names of at least half of the women in the league.  A derby name must be 100% original (or close) and fit your persona, either in real life or your life on the track!  With names like Death Blok, Roxy Horror, Bitchie Valens, Ninja Skwidd, or Peace Corpse, you might think that we would be playing for the WWF.  But these athletes on quad skates, know how to hip check and booty block like no ones business.  Did I mention that Roller Derby is a remarkably inclusive sport?  All shapes, sizes, colors,  occupations, and genders welcome (men can volunteer to be referees).   The Derby Dames are mothers, teachers, students, artists, and great friends who get a thrill over wrist guard tapping and knee socks.  I am SCARlet Fever (105 degrees), Emily Claire Petrie, a student, a writer, a musician, and a COMO Derby Dame!

Needing A New Crowd & Exercise Routine

Never having been a fan of hitting the gym and all that is implied with fitness facilities, I have always found myself as a hiker or swimmer. Unfortunately, as a student with a full course load and other extra curricular activities, I rarely find myself hitting the trails or the ocean for that matter. When on a phone call with my Aunt Mary, who lives in Maui, i was reminded of my favorite childhood sport; Roller Hockey and street blading. I remember skating around my dad's work with another girl who also played hockey and developing a strong bond with her. Sadly, after a few years, we lost touch and that tie was broken. I had stopped skating without realizing that it may have had to do with associating that activity with the friendship.

Columbia, Missouri has been my home for the past three years, Stephens College in particular. Stephens is a women's college that has a strong emphasis on liberal arts. As a student of Creative Writing and Music, I tend to spend my free hours locked in practice rooms and on my MacBook writing poems and essays. Three years of this, has led me to find friends, activity, and exercise outside my tight knit community, and become more extroverted.

One tipsy dance party at a venue downtown, and starting conversation with some of the Como Derby Dames in the bathroom line, was all it took to convince me that I simply had to play a brutal women's contact sport. You would have agreed too, if you had drank a couple Long Islands, and was feeling lonely. Two days later, I drove myself to practice to watch the veteran skaters at their endurance practice (which I now know is no slice of cake!) and stayed for four hours and learned falls, running toe starts, and how important McDavid's padded shorts can be for a skater with a backward falling tendency.

I FOUND MY NEW LOVE...ROLLER DERBY AND THE COMO DERBY DAMES!