Roller Derby - Not the Group of Misfits You May Expect

It may surprise you who the real identities behindbest things about my decision to join derby is the
some of your favorite derby personalities are.fact that I am once again apart of a team. I love
The ladies who make up the Silicon Valley Rollerthe feeling of being a part of something bigger
Girls are just like the ladies of any other derbythan myself, and when you join derby, you join
team, an eclectic mix of women from manyyour league and you join Women's All Flat Track
backgrounds and professions. SVRG is made upDerby, the reigning national regulator of the sport.
of teachers, mothers, fitness trainers, corporateIn addition to spending time with teammates at
employees and more. They are thepractice, most roller derby women are involved in
girls-next-door by day and hard-hitting derbyderby extra-curriculars like league meetings,
women by night. However one of the biggestfundraisers, craft nights, community service and
draws to this sport, which has seen a huge rebirthmore. Soon, the women of SVRG will be doing
in the past few years, isn't the draw of derbycommunity service at Happy Hallow, a park and
stardom or the guaranteed hard-hitting action. Forzoo in San Jose, California. Recently after much
many girls, one of the main reasons they joinplanning and hard work, we recently raised $1,400
roller derby is for the camaraderie of team play.at a mud wrestling fundraiser. Selling merchandise,
I know that this is especially true for me. After araffle tickets, the opportunity to see derby girls
difficult decision to move back to my hometownmud wrestling and spankings, the proceeds will go
in the Bay Area, I was really down about beingtowards our first home turf bout during Labor
away from all of my friends that I left behind inDay weekend.
New Orleans. I wanted to do something where I'dAll of these events are the result of the women
meet people, especially girls, that I would actuallyof SVRG working hard to keep the dream of
like, and after playing sports almost my entire life,derby in the Silicon Valley alive. Working together
I really missed the fun and comradery of teamto put on all these various events brings the team
play. I had toyed with the idea of joining a derbycloser. Derby women do have the desire to
team while living out in the Big Easy, but I neverknock some girls around on the rink, but what
really found the time. My moving blues weremakes a great derby team is the closeness that
swiftly alleviated when I attended my first rollercomes from all the work they do together off
derby practice with SVRG at the end of March.the rink.
Three months later, I can still say that one of the