Transferring to a WFTDA team, especially one in Division 2, was one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make in my derby career. This league is full of so many dedicated, hard working and talented skaters, any number of us could fill a roster of 14 on any given day.

That’s why when the roster for Garden State Rollergirls‘ Ironbound Maidens bout on March 21st came out, I was so incredibly honored to be listed among the 14 league members chosen to represent GSR at our Maidens’ Season Opener. Not only was this my first time being selected for a sanctioned bout roster, but it was my very first OPPORTUNITY to hold that honor as well.

Skating in a sanctioned bout means a lot of things to a lot of skaters, but one thing it means to all of us is… you MUST have a WFTDA patch on your jersey! For those of us whose first sanctioned game it was, we all knew we would be sewing on patches and we were all pretty nervous, so our resident professional seamstress, Anita Chainsaw graciously offered to attach our patches for us. What I don’t think she was prepared for was that many of our Charter veterans ALSO had purchased new jerseys and needed their patches sewn on as well! I felt pretty bad for Anita with the pile of jerseys, looking a little like Cinderella… but not bad enough to not snap a quick photo! Thank you, Anita, for helping out all of us sewing-challenged people not look like fools on the track.

The bout itself was, as they typically are for me, full of jamnesia… even though I only skated a few jams. That’s kind of how I like to think about derby, though. You can’t go back and change a jam that has passed, so take something useful from it, if you can, and then move forward. You won’t achieve anything by dwelling on a jam that’s past, so move on and get ready for the next one! That said, I can’t tell you too much about what happened in the game, but I do know that even though I didn’t get lead any of my 3 jams, I didn’t get grand slammed either! In reviewing the stats (shoutout to our awesome NSOs for getting these up super fast!), I went 0-4 for 2 jams, and 2-2 in a third. I DO remember that 2-2 jam and I was SO fantastically pleased with stealing those points from the opposing jammer. If I have nothing else as a vivid memory from my first WFTDA sanctioned bout, I accept that feeling of victory.

I always feel like games end much too soon, and I felt that way about this one too. Despite not winning this bout, I was incredibly proud to wear the green and black for the Ironbound Maidens and to skate against Green Mountain’s Derby Dames. I know that we’ve all learned SO much about ourselves and our team from this experience, and I can’t wait for the chance to take the track together again… but until then, I have a Brick City Bruisers game on 4/11 that you should *definitely* come out and see!! #GSR2015 #GreenMeansGo

Photo Credit to Sean Hale Photography & Quick Draw Sports Photography