FOCO GIRLS GONE DERBY BRINGS YOU THE HEROES VS. VILLAINS SEASON CLOSER BOUT
Saturday, Nov. 5, at Rollerland Skate Center, 324 S. Link Lane, Fort Collins
Doors open at 7 p.m., bout begins at 7:30

With the Villains out to prove bad girls have more fun, and the Heroes ready to roll to the rescue, FoCo Girls Gone Derby’s season closer is guaranteed to be an epic battle of good versus evil. FoCo’s skaters were recently drafted for next season, and home teams have been scrambled and reassembled. Attend this 2011 season finale bout Saturday, Nov. 5, to find out whether your favorite skaters are using their powers for good or if they have joined the dark side.

For a dose of derby every day, purchase FoCo’s 2012 pin-up calendar, available for $10 at the bout. The calendar features 12 skaters chosen by fans through a Facebook poll, along with lots of great action shots and candid photos from the 2011 season.

A portion of the proceeds from this bout will go to the Fort Collins Bike Co-op, an organization that promotes bicycle riding and safety, and refurbishes bikes for those who can’t afford them.

Tickets are $10 presale and $15 at the door. Students and members of the military receive a reduced rate of $10 with a valid ID. Ages 12 and under are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased through the Rollerland Skate Center ticket booth, from any FoCo derby girl or online at www.brownpapertickets.com. Purchases also can be processed by phone at 800-838-3006.

Umm...OUCH!

This blog is for all the new recruits out there working their behinds off in practice...so pay close attention recruits! This stuff is HARD!

All through my practices of Basic Skating, Derby Skills, and League Practice I thought I was in pretty good shape. No, I couldn't run a marathon, but I exercised and kept myself healthy. My first scrimmage with the league was a total SLAP in my face! These ladies make it look so easy during bouts!

I had no idea how tired I would be after jamming for 2 minutes! My legs felt like half melted jello, my chest was on fire because I was breathing so hard, and I could barely see around the track! That last bit about seeing is my own fault due to my blindness and phobia about touching my eyes with contacts, but still!

After my first or second jam I was wrecked! Slamma Jamma said I should let all the recruits know just how difficult these scrimmages and bouts can be. So recruits, here's my advice to you. TRAIN HARD!!

Use the practices you have now and push yourself to move past your comfortable limits. (safely, of course) If you're not feeling challenged enough, ask the trainers that night to mix in some sprints in between skills to get your heart and body working!

If you can complete your skills under stress during recruit practices, then when it's time for your first scrimmage.....you'll be ready to kick some derby tail!!

That's my little Skank!

I couldn't be happier, more excited, or proud!

Let me explain. During my first practice as a new recruit I made a really good friend. You may have seen her this past Saturday at our Annual Black & Blue Ball, The Original Skankster. This was her Derby debut and I was so very proud of her! She worked her little butt off and she rocked her first bout! It was her goal to make it through the ranks and bout before the season ended. I'm pretty sure she only missed 1 or 2 practices since we started in March! That's pretty impressive! If you could have seen my face during her first jam....I was like a proud mama watching her baby walk for the first time. I swear to you...my eyes were welling up a little bit! So happy for my little Skank!

I'm also super pumped for finally making it to Thursday night scrimmages! This is my last step to debuting in my first bout after I get my bearings and hopefully show all the ladies, coaches, and team captains that I'll be an asset on the track! That makes it sound like I have to prove myself to everyone, that's not entirely true. I have to prove myself to only me...and I'm the harshest judge! The ladies and coaches only want me, and the rest of the recruits, to succeed on the track and they do everything in their power to help me reach my goal. And my goal is to skate in the November 5th bout!

Hopefully I'll reach that goal before the end of the 2011 season. If not, then you can bet you'll see me in 2012!

Black and Blue and Dressed to Thrill

FoCo Girls Gone Derby
cordially invites you to attend the
Sixth Annual Black and Blue Ball
Saturday, Oct. 8
Rollerland Skate Center, 324 S. Link Lane, Fort Collins
Doors open at 7 p.m., bout begins at 7:30


Time to break out the taffeta and sequins. FoCo Girls Gone Derby, Northern Colorado’s original roller derby league, is throwing its sixth annual Black and Blue Ball at Rollerland Skate Center on Saturday, Oct. 8.

FoCo’s skaters will be dressed to dazzle as home team Chanel Cartel, in black evening gowns, faces off against home team rivals the Deathrow Dolls, decked out in their finest blue formalwear. This is no choreographed dance, however. Roller derby is a serious sport played according to rules determined by the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association.

The annual Black and Blue Ball is a chance for skaters to get glamorous, while still playing the rough-and-tumble sport they love. Appropriate attire takes on a different meaning in roller derby, and fans are encouraged to get involved in the pageantry by voting for the skaters they feel are the ugliest-dressed, hottest-dressed and an overall Belle of the Ball. Voting is unlimited at $1 per vote. Ballots must be cast by the end of halftime, with the winners announced during the second half. Prizes will be awarded, and winners will be available for photos with fans following the bout.

A portion of the proceeds from this bout will go to the Fort Collins Bike Co-op, an organization that promotes bicycle riding and safety, and refurbishes bikes for those who can’t afford them.

Tickets are $10 presale and $15 at the door. Reduced rate of $10 with a valid student or military ID. Ages 12 and under are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased through the Rollerland Skate Center ticket booth, from any FoCo derby girl or online at www.brownpapertickets.com or www.focogirlsgonederby.com. Purchases also can be processed by phone at 800-838-3006.

Who We Are

Typical statement made after someone discovers I'm part of the FoCo Girls Gone Derby League..."No Way!?!", "You're joking!", "You don't look like you play derby!" My inner response to that is "What does a derby player look like?"

The fact is there is no typical player. We're all different personalities, sizes, and shapes. We all hold different talents on the track whether it be speed, blocking, hitting, or juking. Our commonalities are that we love derby, are all productive members of our community, and we lead the same lives as everyone outside of derby.

Some players are in retail, marketing, counselors, business leaders, students, and medical professionals. Most are also wives and mothers following their dreams. We work hard during our days and we work just as hard during our practices.

I wonder what picture of a derby player the average person holds in their head? Are we only women that wear fishnets, short skirts with tattoos and piercings, and a neon colored mohawk? If that's the preconception, then we need to get those people into a bout to see for themselves that all the participants of FCGGD are valuable members of society despite our pension for fishnets. Most likely you've already run into one of our skaters, refs, or non-skating officials during your normal day to day errands.

We might be serving you in a restaurant, helping you make your business more successful, or creating the art that is hanging in your living room. In my case, I just may be giving you that flu shot this year!

FoCo Punchy Brewsters vs. Cheyenne Capidolls

Fresh from their win in Pueblo on Aug. 26, FoCo’s Punchy Brewsters are ready for the next challenge. The team may be FoCo’s newest, but its skaters have tasted victory and are hungry for more. FoCo Girls Gone Derby’s second travel team, the Punchy Brewsters, take on their neighbors to the North, the Cheyenne Capidolls, Saturday, Sept. 10, at Rollerland. Doors open at 7 p.m.; bout begins at 7:30.

FoCoGGD also is proud to celebrate league founder Jerica “Urrk’n Jerk’n” Martin, who has been selected to compete on Team USA for the Roller Derby World Cup! Martin skates with Denver’s Rocky Mountain Roller Girls and is a national champion from last year’s ultimate derby competition. The tournament will be held Dec. 1-4 in Toronto and is the first of its kind. Seven skaters from Colorado were chosen – more than from any other state – proving once again that Colorado is home to some of the best derby players in the world.

A portion of the proceeds from this bout will go to the Fort Collins Bike Co-op, an organization that promotes bicycle riding and safety, and refurbishes bikes for those who can’t afford them.

Tickets are $10 presale and $15 at the door. Students and members of the military receive a reduced rate of $10 with a valid ID. Ages 12 and under are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased through the Rollerland Skate Center ticket booth, from any FoCo derby girl or online at www.brownpapertickets.com or www.focogirlsgonederby.com. Purchases also can be processed by phone at 800-838-3006.

The Best

The trait that I think makes FCGGD great is that they don't hold the typical "try-outs". They believe that if you have the drive and the desire to play derby then you should play! It doesn't matter if you've never placed your foot in a skate or aren't the typical athletic body type. Big, tall, green, or small there is a place for you in derby! To begin you just simply attend one of the regularly scheduled information sessions at RollerLand. In that session you're given information about how practices are run, average time commitments, the financial cost of derby, and how FCGGD benefits our community. From there, you'll have some time to think about joining and then come back for the fabulous, but always necessary paperwork session! (WhooHoo!) Then, after that meeting you'll be ready for your first practice (which you can read about in a previous blog).

Like I said before, the only requirement for FCGGD is that you have the passion for derby. All new recruits go through the same steps of training so it doesn't matter if you've never skated, haven't skated since the 2nd grade, or think you have the wrong body type (Boloney!). Basic skating skills will be your first 4 weeks of training. If you need more training with skating than you get more! There's no pressure except the pressure that comes from yourself.

Bottom line: there is no reason for you to be sitting there reading this blog when you could be skating with FoCo Girls Gone Derby!

Derbyholic

Have you ever been to a roller derby bout and you can envision yourself skating as either a ref or a tough derby lady? Or have you just recently joined a league, and with only one or two practices under your belt, you're already salivating to get back on the track?...Then I have some urgent news for you!

I'm not a doctor, but I am a nurse and I have your diagnosis. Sorry, but it's deep and it's terminal....you are an ADDICT! Trust me, only another addict can recognize it in others and it's true, all signs point to total addiction. Case in point, I recently had surgery and ended up pouting in front of the surgeon and convincing her that one week off from skating would be plenty of time for healing instead of the two weeks she was recommending. She conceded to my vicious rhetoric with strict warnings, of course, but I won! What's a little bleeding for skating with some of the coolest ladies I know?!

Now, with that said, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't have surgery or an injury and skate against medical advice. Seriously, we nurses are the worst role models when it comes to our own health. But my diagnosis still stands for you and you'll be better for it!

So, if you are already a member of a league, you will have days when it feels like your legs and feet will just not cooperate, but then you'll have a beautiful hit or an awesome booty block and your addiction's voracious appetite will be fed. Now, if you haven't joined a league yet, particularly FoCo Girls Gone Derby (what are you waiting for?), and you have been diagnosed by yours truly as a Derbyholic, then I had better see your little addicted face at our next recruitment meeting!

The First

In honor of the new recruits that started derby practice last night here’s my recollection of my first practice and maybe some of the newbies will agree.

First, I ate too much at dinner before practice. Mistake. Second I felt like my whole body was shaking! I was so nervous to lace up my skates! What if I totally sucked?! What if I wasn’t in good enough shape? God, please don’t let me fall! And what’s the first thing I did once I hit the track? Yep, I fell. Right on my butt. The embarrassing thing about that was that I wasn’t even moving! I was just standing there! And flip! There go my feet over my head. It wasn’t pretty, but I got a round of applause for the first fall of the night, got up, and shook it off.

Next were static exercises. Um…..ouch! Mimicking skating movements while static on the carpet really gets those leg muscles burning! Little do you know how important those muscles will be later as you advance through practices. Then come the dreaded toe stop exercises! Jumping jacks, running man, high knees! All on a one square inch piece of rubber attached to my toes! After that we finally got on the track to skate! We did right foot push, scissors, snow plows. My feet were numb the entire time because I had laced my skates too tight. At the end of practice I had Elvis legs. You know, where you take a step and your leg does a little shake and your knee feels like it will just buckle. The next day I was sore, but super psyched that I had finally started and couldn’t wait until the next practice! To this day I am still sore after every practice and my mantra during practices is if my lower back isn’t on fire, I’m not in good skater position!

Chanel Cartel vs DeathRow Dolls

If you were anywhere else other than Rollerland last night you missed an awesome bout! The Deathrow Dolls faced Chanel Cartel and it was a scrapping fight for points with Chanel Cartel ultimately besting the Dolls. A scary moment during the last five minutes of the bout occurred when Rox Yorr Soxov took a tumble and found herself at the bottom of a pile of skaters. The bout stopped, the spectators were silent, and all skaters created a wall around Rox allowing her privacy with the coaches and EMT. As an emergency RN, it was extremely difficult for me to stay on the sidelines and not go help Rox and the EMT. And in truth, if Rox hadn’t gotten up within the countdown in my head, I would have hit the track running. But, in true athletic form, Rox stood up under her own power and skated off the track to applause and relieved sighs. Rox even took the victory lap with the teams, although with a slight limp.

This is just one bit of proof that these women are in fact true athletes. They subject themselves to the pain of bruises, sprains, concussions, and broken bones for the love of Roller Derby. Speaking of the love of roller derby, the bout rookies definitely had their cherries popped last night. The veteran ladies certainly had their fun with the (excuse the term) debutants. To their credit, with each hit and fall, those ladies got back up on their skates and pushed harder to get through that pack or stop that jammer. My congratulations to you debutants! You all should be proud of yourselves!

If you missed this bout, no worries! Come see our next bout on September 10^th!

Extra! Extra!

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Newbie!

Hello Fervent FCGGD Readers! You don’t know me……yet! My name is Cassius Foul Play, but most just call me Cash, and I am a new recruit. For those that are younger than me, Google Cassius Clay and my name will make a lot more sense. (It’s weird to me that Google is both a noun and a verb.) I attended the information session to join FCGGD in March, 2011 and once I made the decision to commit to the time, effort, and bruises I was excited, but had just one problem. I had no idea how my future as a new recruit would look! I was terrified on my first real practice!

So, for all the ladies out there pondering your future in derby or you’ve already joined and are a new recruit as well…..this blog is for you! My plan is to chronicle my experiences through the ranks of derby and hopefully give an insight into the mysteries of FCGGD!

Stay tuned for recollections of The First Practice…dundunduuun

“If you aren’t going all the way, why go at all?” ~ Joe Namath

No equipment necessary for the informational meeting.

FoCo Girls Gone Derby
Roller Derby Bout

Deathrow Dolls vs. Chanel Cartel

Saturday, Aug. 13

Rollerland, 324 S. Link Lane, Fort Collins

Doors open at 7 p.m., bout begins at 7:30

FoCo Girls Gone Derby’s home teams, the Deathrow Dolls and Chanel Cartel, have added some new skaters to their ranks and will face off Saturday, Aug. 13, at Rollerland. These ladies are your friends, your neighbors and your co-workers who happen to lace up old-school roller skates and knock each other down for fun. This is an authentic athletic competition, and there will be a winner. Will it be the inmates on skates in their orange jumpsuits or the gold hot pants-wearing Chanel Cartel that triumphs in the battle over home turf? Come to the bout to find out!

A portion of the proceeds from this bout will go to WomenGive, a partnership between United Way of Larimer County and the Women's Foundation of Colorado that seeks to empower women and girls and help women in Larimer County achieve economic self-sufficiency.

Tickets are $10 presale and $15 at the door. Students and members of the military receive a reduced rate of $10 with a valid ID. Ages 12 and under are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased through the Rollerland Skate Center ticket booth, from any FoCo derby girl or online at www.brownpapertickets.com. Purchases also can be processed by phone at 800-838-3006.

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FoCo “Roll” Reversal: Refs vs. Skaters

ROLLER DERBY BOUT

Saturday, June 11

Rollerland Skate Center, 324 S. Link Lane, Fort Collins

Doors open at 7 p.m., bout begins at 7:30

FoCo Girls Gone Derby skaters will have the opportunity to knock down the ones who usually call their penalties, and derby referees will see what it’s like to skate between the lines in FoCo’s first-ever refs and skaters mix-it-up bout.

Refs will take to the track instead of laying down the law. Skaters will be forced to skate both with and against the sport’s authority figures. However, just because some brave refs have turned players for this bout, that doesn’t mean the rules have been tossed out. This bout will be officiated the same as any other. But with the “zebras” (as derby refs are called) in on the action, it will be entertaining to see which group commits the most penalties – the skaters or the refs!

A portion of the proceeds from this bout will go to WomenGive, a partnership between United Way of Larimer County and the Women's Foundation of Colorado that seeks to empower women and girls and help women in Larimer County achieve economic self-sufficiency.

Tickets are $10 presale and $15 at the door. Students and members of the military receive a reduced rate of $10 with a valid ID. Ages 12 and under are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased through the Rollerland Skate Center ticket booth, from any FoCo derby girl or online at www.brownpapertickets.com or www.focogirlsgonederby.com. Purchases also can be processed by phone at 800-838-3006.

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FoCo Punchy Brewsters vs. High City Derby Divas

ROLLER DERBY BOUT

Saturday, May 14

Rollerland Skate Center, 324 S. Link Lane, Fort Collins

Doors open at 7 p.m., bout begins at 7:30

FoCo Girls Gone Derby team the Punchy Brewsters will take on the High City Derby Divas on Saturday, May 14, at Rollerland. Come show support for your hometown skaters as these sassy lasses roll against the visiting team from Aurora.

Named for the city’s passion for brewing beer, FoCo Girls Gone Derby, Northern Colorado’s original roller derby league, fields two travel teams: the MicroBruisers and Punchy Brewsters. FoCo’s MicroBruisers bouted and beat the Durango Roller Girls on April 9. Now the Punchies are ready to take their turn on the track.

A portion of the proceeds from this bout will go to WomenGive, a partnership between United Way of Larimer County and the Women's Foundation of Colorado that seeks to empower women and girls and help women in Larimer County achieve economic self-sufficiency. Visit http://www.uwaylc.org/womengive.html for details.

Tickets are $10 presale and $15 at the door. Students and members of the military receive a reduced rate of $10 with a valid ID. Ages 12 and under are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased through the Rollerland Skate Center ticket booth, from any FoCo derby girl or online at www.brownpapertickets.com or www.focogirlsgonederby.com.

April 9th Bout Recap: Foco Micro Bruisers vs. Durango Roller Girl Derailers

Feeling refreshed from a week of training after the Dust Devil Tournament in Tucson, Arizona, the FoCo Micro Bruisers were itching for more action. FoCo played three bouts in the tournament against: Bellingham Roller Betties (Bellingham, WA), Santa Cruz Derby Girls (Santa Cruz, CA), and Assassination City (Dallas, TX). They came away from the experience with new skills and geared up to take on the Durango Roller Girls' travel team, the Derailers. Eager to see what new tricks were up the Micro Bruisers' wrist guards, a packed house witnessed the girls play one of their cleanest, highest scoring bouts ever against another league. FoCo only received 36 minor penalties and 13 majors for the duration of the bout (nearly half the penalties called on Durango), with Slamma Jamma, Chocolate MILFshake and Princess of Wails the bout's cleanest players. With a tighter defense than ever, FoCo had nearly a 60 point lead by the end of the first half, with the score sitting: FoCo-89; Durango-30. After rockin' out to DB and the Catastrophe and taking some photo ops with their fans, they came back for an even stronger second half! FoCo shut out the Derailers for the first 10 jams, while scoring a cool 61 points. Jam six had been a power jam for Misty Skull Krippler, the bout's highest scoring jammer. Durango wasn't without some tricks, themselves. In the 16th jam of the second half, they 'passed the star', which is to say Reckless Rhonda, their third highest scoring jammer, passed her star helmet cover to Kim Jen Illin', the Derailer pivot for that jam, making Kim the jammer in the process. The subterfuge wasn't enough to throw FoCo off, as they followed that jam by taking advantage of another power jam; Aimee ArmaLite (third highest scoring jammer of the evening) scoring another 15 points. Rounding off the top scoring jammers of the game was Rox Yorr Soxov, the second highest scorer and one of the highest called for penalties (watch out girls). Determined to live up to her name, she scored a whopping 53 points for FoCo. The final score stood: Micro Bruisers- 208 to Derailers- 46, a massive victory, leaving fans and skaters alike excited for the next home bout. Don't miss out on next month's action as the FoCo Punchy Brewsters take on the High City Derby Divas, May 14th at Rollerland Skate Center. I'll see you there! Your Humble Announcer, ~Evil I. McVillain

ROLLER DERBY SHOWDOWN

FoCo Micro Bruisers vs. Durango Roller Girls

Saturday, April 9

Rollerland Skate Center, 324 S. Link Lane, Fort Collins

Doors open at 7 p.m., bout begins at 7:30

FoCo Girls Gone Derby’s travel team the Micro Bruisers return from the Dust Devil Tournament in Tucson on April 2-3 just in time to face off against the Durango Roller Girls on FoCo’s home turf. Come show your support for your hometown badasses on roller skates on Saturday, April 9, at Rollerland.

You may have seen FoCo’s home teams, the Deathrow Dolls and Chanel Cartel, skate at Rollerland, but this is the Micro Bruisers’ first home bout against another league this season. The Micro Bruisers is FoCo’s team of skaters culled from the home teams who tried out and were selected to skate competitively in order to earn a WFTDA ranking for the league. WFTDA – the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association – is the sport’s international governing body.

Twelve leagues from throughout the Western region will compete in Tucson, Ariz., April 2-3, with FoCo’s Micro Bruisers kicking off their tournament run against the Bellingham Roller Betties. Visit www.dustdeviltournament.com for more information.

A portion of the proceeds from this bout will go to Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program. Visit www.fortcollinshabitat.org/index.php?pr=Women_Build for details.

Tickets are $10 presale and $15 at the door. Students and members of the military receive a reduced rate of $10 with a valid ID. Ages 12 and under are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased through the Rollerland Skate Center ticket booth, from any FoCo derby girl or online at www.brownpapertickets.com or www.focogirlsgonederby.com.

Bout Recap: Saturday, February 26th, FoCo MicroBruisers vs. Slaughterhouse Prime Cuts

Last Saturday's bout was difficult for everyone. All in attendance were in mourning, not only for Andrew "Andy Capp" Hodge, a Slaughterhouse Referee, NSO, and man who put smiles on the faces and warmth in the hearts of all he met, but also for the father of one of the skaters who recently passed away. That night's bout was dedicated to these men who are greatly missed.

Perhaps because of the high running emotion, it was a particularly dirty game on both sides. Back-blocking, forearms and cutting were the most common penalties committed by both teams. Slaughterhouse with a whopping 57 minors and 29 majors, along with FoCo's 54 minors and 21 majors kept the penalty boxes full and the fans looking to see the new line-ups with every jam.

The pandemonium made it difficult to tell what exactly happened to our strategy, but by the end of the first half we knew one thing-- it wasn't working. Misty Skull-Krippler, our player who jammed the most in this bout and a jammer we're used to seeing high scores from, only managed 3 points in the first half. Aimee Armalite, the game's big scorer for FoCo, managed 24, but it just wasn't enough as we came to half time with the score standing: Slaughterhouse, 69 to FoCo, 40.

FoCo is famous for playing harder in the second half, sometimes making a comeback, so I looked forward to the next period. It was a mixture of hope and heartbreak, as FoCo cleaned up their game, committing less than half the penalties as in the first half (in spite of Slaughterhouse stepping up their penalties) and began serious scoring. Chocolate Milfshake, Raven Luna C (one of our new girls in her first bout), and Rox Yorr Soxov put on the gas. FoCo scored more points than Slaughterhouse in the second half and it looked like we were not only going to catch up, but overtake them.

There was a good chance we would have won the game, if it wasn't for a few key mishaps, not just affecting scoring ability, but overall morale. LA's Finest, also playing her first bout, played a penalty heavy game from start to finish and was expelled in the 5th jam of the second half for too many trips to the box. Adding insult and injury, Rox Yorr Soxov, who was scoring big in the last half, was taken out of the game in the 11th jam due to injury by what looked like a barely legal hit. Mary Poppin' Caps was also sent out for injury in the second to last jam of the bout.

Final score sat Slaughterhouse at 143 to FoCo's 119. Victory or defeat, the first bout of the season is always an exciting one. In victory we celebrate our hard work that got us there and in defeat we learn what we need to do better. I'm excited to see what new strategies lay ahead and our new girls in our first home bout on March 12th and hope to see you all there!

Your Humble Announcer,
~Evil I. McVillain

GAME ON!

FoCo Girls Gone Derby’s Season Opener

Roller Derby bout, Saturday, March 12

Rollerland Skate Center, 324 S. Link Lane, Fort Collins

Doors open at 7 p.m., bout begins at 7:30

FoCo Girls Gone Derby’s home teams Chanel Cartel and Deathrow Dolls are ready to roll for the 2011 season. Brand-spankin’-new skaters, who have been training hard since last season and have earned their uniforms, will join their teams on the track for the first time on Saturday, March 12.

The league has improved literally by leaps and bounds over the past several months, with skaters practicing through the one-month “off-season” instead of taking a break. The 2011 season promises more strategy and athleticism along with the familiar thrills and spills that home crowds look forward to watching.

FoCo’s travel team, the Micro Bruisers, has begun its season and is heading to Pueblo March 19 and to the Dust Devil Tournament in Tucson April 1-3.

A portion of the proceeds from March 12’s season opener bout will go to Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program. Visit www.fortcollinshabitat.org/index.php?pr=Women_Build for details.

Tickets are $10 presale and $15 at the door. Students/military receive a reduced rate of $10 with a valid ID. Ages 12 and under are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased through the Rollerland Skate Center ticket booth, from any FoCo derby girl or online at www.brownpapertickets.com or www.focogirlsgonederby.com. Purchases also can be processed by phone at 800-838-3006.

Derby Passion

I love to ask every derby girl the same question:
Why did you join derby?
Whatever random way they heard about tryouts, or where they saw their first bout, the reason is always the same, they became INFECTED with the passion to play derby! I love that we all have that in common.

Having a group of 3 strong willed women doesn't always go so smooth, nevermind a group of 30 strong willed women!

But our common passion for derby, and the chance to play overcomes most adversity. That is why I love hanging out with derby girls.

Whatever your hobby, interest, or "thing" may be, I hope you become INFECTED with a passion for it!

My first bout was nearly 2 years ago. My husband and I took our family to a bout in Greeley for Easter. I had seen Roller Derby on T.V. when I was a kid, and was pretty excited, even though I knew it was fake and choreographed back in the 80's.

I watched FoCo Girls Gone Derby vs. Slaughterhouse Derby Girls, and WHOA!!!!! This was NOT fake, these were amazing women, playing for REAL! REAL HITS! REAL FALLS! REAL BADASS WOMEN!!!



I knew right away that I wanted to try to do this, but had not skated in nearly 20 years! (I will tell you about learning to skate next time.) I wished (and still do wish ) that I had found a way to play derby 10 years ago. I told my husband that I really wanted to play, but I thought I was too old (34).

This is what I love about my husband, he walked right up to the bench manager of FoCo, and asked her what it takes to play. He also told her that I thought I was too old. She came right over to me, told me about the next recruitment, and then said "And you are perfect just the way you are, there is a place for every shape and size in derby".

What????!!! I could feel good about my appearance, fit in, hit girls, get in better shape, and have fun?

And that is exactly what I have gotten to do while playing derby!

DERBY EVERY DAY!
~Slamma