Got plans this weekend? Cancel them and come to Henniker!

Cheer on your favorite players as they take on the Mad Knockers of Monadnock Roller Derby! It’s Saturday, 7-21 at the Lee Clement Ice Arena, 38 Grove St, Henniker, NH–right in the center of the New England College campus.

Tickets are $10 for adults, free for kids under 7.

First whistle blows at 6pm. Come root them on…and don’t forget to wear purple!

As the team’s first public appearance, the 14th is a much-anticipated game for the RDM players, who have been training three to four days a week for the past three months in preparation. Countless push ups and sprints as well as four inter-league scrimmages have molded these moms, professionals and students into powerful roller derby athletes.

For four RDM skaters, this Saturday will also mark their first public game ever. Ten others, with experience ranging from one to three seasons on other teams, will be making a proud return to the track donning the RDM uniform.

Tickets are $10 ahead or $12 at the door. Kids under 12 are only $4. Tickets can be purchased on ticketmaster.com.

If you can’t make the drive, send us your good-luck wishes here or on our Facebook team page. Otherwise, we’ll see you in Albany!

Where: Elm St in Manchester

The talented athletes and affiliates of RDM will be rolling down Elm St in the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

The parade is one of the most exciting events of the year in Manchester, with upwards of 70,000 people expected to crowd the main street.

Come meet all of our new men, women and junior skaters, who will be decked out in their best Irish pride…derby style!

Don’t miss out!

For more information on the event, check out http://www.saintpatsnh.com/

As a child, I was what you may consider “athletically handicapped”. Other than the occasional nightly neighborhood game of hide and seek or recess dodgeball, I had no real interest in competitive sporting. It wasn’t until recently that I decided it was time to step out of my athletic “shell”. The trick was in finding my perfect sport. I started by examining my strengths and weaknesses. Basketball was out of the question; I was barely able to dribble the ball. With bowling, I spent more time in the “gutter” than knocking down the pins. Pool was also an absolute “no”, as randomly hitting any ball lying in front of me doesn’t go over well with your opponent.

A few things going for me are my extraordinary endurance, passion for hobbies that are a bit “out of the ordinary”, and my determined spirit to overcome challenges. Where would I find a sporting activity that matches all of these strengths? In life, we are usually the locators. We have electronically enhanced tools designed to help us find anything from an ATM to a restaurant. With some things however, you don’t fine them. They find you. Roller derby is one of “those things”. While other more major league sports appear to come up in everyday conversations, Roller Derby appears happy to remain in the shadow, seeking out its ideal player.

The thought of joining a roller derby team had never crossed my mind. I had probably seen or heard the words Roller Derby mentioned, but it wasn’t until I noticed an advertisement seeking new recruits in a local paper that I took notice. I immediately knew that this was the special interest I had been looking for. Finally, I found the thrilling, fast-paced, atypical activity that seemed to fit me best. Within the week I had contacted the team, purchased all of my gear, and was on my way to learning cross–overs and 180s like a true derby girl.

So why would a self-confessed athletically challenged, uncoordinated hermit decide to play a sport that not only requires shifting on your own two feet, but two feet laced in roller skates?

The truth? I have no idea.

But I do know that the spirit of roller derby runs deeper than ever imagined, and I had to give it a chance. Watching from the outside it’s easy to see derby as the elbow slinging, collar-bone crushing, make-believe game, where the players are trash-talking, booty-short-clad women I remember seeing on TV as a child.

From the inside, I quickly saw that my preconceptions were completely false. The industry has revamped itself almost to no recognition of its previous life. With its strategically planned plays successfully executed by focused and skillful athletes, Roller Derby could give football a run for its money, minus the fish-net panty hose.

In the short time I have been a Roller Derby Manchester team member, I have learned much about the game’s beginnings. I am pleasantly surprised by its maturity and look forward to the continued growth of the game as a sport. It is this centered direction, professional attitude and loyalty that reassures me I made the best choice at becoming a member of Roller Derby Manchester, and the roller derby community.

So again, I hope that Roller Derby made the right choice in choosing me, ‘cause I do love wearing those booty-shorts.

See you at my first “Scrimmage”!

It’s called “Be A Jammer.” Check it out online: http://hippopress.com/read-article/be-a-jammer-

Many thanks to our friends at the Hippo Press for their awesome story!

We started off warm-ups with our famous Pain Train drill, proudly invented by yours truly and named by Hester Payne, to emphasize the muscles and flexibility needed for proper derby stance.

After an exhaustive endurance drill, we worked on basic but crucial fundamentals such as knee drops and plow stops. They’re not the most exciting drills compared to blocking and jamming, but it’s important that all RDM players are safe on the track, no matter their experience.

The new practiced facility proved to be a perfect place to call home. The floor has just the right amount of slide and control, and the bright lights are such a pleasure after the dingy, dusty warehouses in which many of us have previously trained.

We left practice tired, sore, and blissful. Oh, the deliciousness of a thorough workout!

My favorite part of this practice, other than getting back on skates myself, was seeing all the smiling faces. Most of them were familiar faces I’d known for years, but there were new ones too, who were just now experiencing the joy of a hard, honest derby workout. As a captain and trainer, these are the people who inspire me more than any famous derby skater. I already see so much potential among them, and I’m thrilled for the next practice. Let’s ROCK.

It seems in recent years the sport has become less about speed skating and more about agility and strategy–and that’s a good thing. Today’s derby requires lots of stopping, hopping and stepping. The winningest teams are the ones with the perfect “slow” game, and apparently there’s been a demand for more practical toe stops.

Congratulations, toe stop, you’ve become one of the most important pieces of gear for a derby skater.

Three weeks ago I bought a pair of Gumballs. My friends at the Bruised Boutique assured me they were ideal for derby, as well as outdoor skating. I’ve always leaned more towards the smaller stop just because that’s what I was used to–I never even considered the benefits of a larger stop.

While open-minded, I was a bit skeptical. The Gumballs really are so much bigger then what I had been used to, and as you can see in the photo, my old ones (seen on right) had been pretty beat up after just a few months of skating outdoors. I had to screw the Gumballs in all the way up, but that somehow made it easier then the constant readjustment that a fresh pair of small stops required.

I noticed a difference immediately; a certain ease in movement. They weren’t tripping me up as I assumed they would, but instead they made stopping and starting easier. I was more stable, and their natural rubber material was grippy enough for a smooth floor. I was also surprised by their light weight, presumably due to the aluminum stems.  

Notice that rather than being flat on the top, the Gumballs are slightly rounded. This design appears to help with balance and impact.

Now I’m recommending them to all my skaters. At $19.00 each, they don’t hurt the wallet, either. They are meant to outlast the smaller stop, and by the looks of it, they’ll be good for at least two seasons. Of course the true test will be how they last on pavement this summer, but I think it’s safe to assume the Gumballs will outlast my previous toe stops by a landslide.