The first bout to start the 2013 season was an away bout against our sister league’s B team, El Paso Roller Derby’s Pistol Whip-Hers. This was also my first bout since being elected Co-Captain of the Santas. After spending the last few weeks worrying about my teammates and strategy it was good to finally have some play time! As I had been telling other league members for the past couple weeks: “We just need to hit others who are not our team mates!”
The Santas are made up of a group of very hard working ladies. Some of us like me, are only in our first full season of derby. We are constantly working to improve and grow in this sport. Having only played two games with the Santas last season, there were times when I could feel that the lack of playtime together was still apparent in our game play. Those previous two games had resulted in losses, but as any athlete knows it’s not the wins that make you better, but the losses that help you improve. For me I have experienced many such losses in other sports before derby, and while it is not fun to lose I try not to take a loss as a personal failure and see where improvements can be made and what was done well that we can take forward into our next bout.
As with every first game of the season, you want to bring home the win. It was obvious how nervous the whole team was to play that day. For me the main thing I wanted to see happen was for us improve our ability to work together as a unit. Communication and reaction to each other’s verbal and non verbal cues were something that we needed serious work on.
And then, somehow as if by magic, during the second half things just slid into place. We just started clicking! There’s no other way I can think to put it. And while we did not win, the final score was 212-45 in favor of The Pistol Whip-Hers, we fought hard together! The experience we came away with from this bout will be essential in driving us on to greater and better things as the season continues.
– Capt. Howdy #333
The Santas are made up of a group of very hard working ladies. Some of us like me, are only in our first full season of derby. We are constantly working to improve and grow in this sport. Having only played two games with the Santas last season, there were times when I could feel that the lack of playtime together was still apparent in our game play. Those previous two games had resulted in losses, but as any athlete knows it’s not the wins that make you better, but the losses that help you improve. For me I have experienced many such losses in other sports before derby, and while it is not fun to lose I try not to take a loss as a personal failure and see where improvements can be made and what was done well that we can take forward into our next bout.
As with every first game of the season, you want to bring home the win. It was obvious how nervous the whole team was to play that day. For me the main thing I wanted to see happen was for us improve our ability to work together as a unit. Communication and reaction to each other’s verbal and non verbal cues were something that we needed serious work on.
And then, somehow as if by magic, during the second half things just slid into place. We just started clicking! There’s no other way I can think to put it. And while we did not win, the final score was 212-45 in favor of The Pistol Whip-Hers, we fought hard together! The experience we came away with from this bout will be essential in driving us on to greater and better things as the season continues.
– Capt. Howdy #333
