Skills Test Blues

There are 116 people trying out for Roller Derby this year. That's more people than is currently in the league. Unfortunately this means some of you won't make it through.
As hard as it may seem at the time, it's not the end of your Roller Derby career, it's just putting it on hold for a year while you brush up on your skills to become a better, stronger and more determined Derby girl.

Because the league knows this can be a stressful evening there will be huggers on stand-by for last minute reassurances, a supportive ear, and a shoulder to cry on. They still want to show you that they love you for all the hard work you've put in over the last 3 weeks, all the after hours training you've taken on, and the determination to get back up again when you fall again, and again, and again.
If you feel like you weren't treated fairly and have something you want to raise, remember we have grievance counsellors, Lula Fortune and Cannon Wonderful, you can have a chat with.

Rumours going around at the moment say that if you don't pass the skating test you can still be a ref. Last year they were able to do this because of different testing requirements, a need in the league for refs, and some pretty determined girls who have been an asset to the black and white stripes. However this year they already have more than enough Derby Widows and rule driven guys and gals strapping on the skates to train as Refs. As Wolfe Whistle reminded everyone at training on Monday, if you didn't put your hand up to test as a Ref, you're testing as a Derby girl. There is no changing your mind because you failed.

Karmen Getme was a freshie last year who failed the skills test, however that didn't stop her. She's back trying again this year, and she's brought a year's worth of practise with her. Karmen says:

This year I didn’t qualify to be a Derby girl but I still really wanted to be involved. I was hungry for it. I hadn’t until that moment realised that I
truly wanted to be a Derby girl. So that burning desired flamed my decision that if I can’t play this season I'll come out guns a blazing next year.

Dee Injuria was one skater who refused to say no. She's spent the past year skating when she can, practising in car parks and was able to get onto Team Zebra because of last year's rules. She recalls of what she learnt after failing the skills test last year:

I was devastated when I failed last year’s skills test. I even tried to plead and negotiate my way into being a derby girl – something, by the way, they won’t let you do, no matter how much you cry and beg.
However, I know now that it wasn’t that the roller girls thought that I wasn’t good enough to be part of the league, and it wasn’t that I had lost something that I wanted so badly. I just needed extra time to learn to be comfortable on roller skates. Having the extra year’s practice has meant that I can come back to fresh meat tryouts this year, stronger and faster and more stable than before. I may not make it again – but I will get closer this time, and I’m sure my derby friends won’t love me any less for it.

The league encourages you to keep skating, keep coming along to bouts, maintain the friendships made this year at Fresh Meat, and come back in 2010.

Vader reminds everyone "keep on skating, enjoy our bouts ,cheer loud and bring it full bore next intake!"