Jr. Writing Contest

Published on August 21st, 2013 | by Guest Contributor

2

Hollyhood, Photo: Hale Yeah

Junior Derby

By Hollyhood, Gotham Girls Junior Derby

When one thinks of junior derby, they might imagine a group of little nugget children in tutus and glitter. Although this may be true to some extent, it does not describe our community as a whole. The junior derby community is filled with fun loving, fan-girling, exited, bright eyed and bushy tailed young ladies that just want to skate (or become Suzy Hotrod). We look up to the adult derby players and strive to be like them one day.

When watching a junior derby game and expecting to see said nugget children, the fact that all of us junior derby players are not 8-years-old and the height of a pigmy may be shocking to some. Especially since some of us may even look like grown women (i.e. Scream Cheese of the Rose City Rosebuds), it’s always awkward when the adults “awww” us because we do have some girls born in a year with a 2 in front of it. But a majority of us are fully developed. Considering I will be going to college next year, I assumed my days of being “awww-ed” at would be over…I guess I was wrong. I’m not saying to not ogle at the little cuties, just keep in mind that some of us are old enough to drive a car.

Being in junior derby, you face many struggles the average derby girl doesn’t have to. Like missing practice to take the SAT, having to rush home after practice to do your homework (barely), going to school the day of a game and not being able to focus, having to shove your derby bag in your locker, not being able to go to the after parties, and your parents not allowing you to wear booty shorts. Ohh junior-derby-girl problems, the list goes on and on.

Some might say that “baby derby” is ruining the image of roller derby as a whole, that it’s demeaning the sport and making it look bad. My response to that is that we work really hard, and take it as seriously as the adults, we just happen to be smaller. Age has nothing to do with how you play the game, as long as you love it, and are learning as you go; you are doing roller derby justice. We are the next generation of derby, we are your little balls of clay that you can mold into amazing players that you can be proud of. We want to do it for the current players, the past players and the future players because roller derby is a special sport, and we want to keep it that way.

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  • Tina Lina

    Why would you want to become an over rated skater like Suzy Hot-rod when you can become an actual good skater like Bonnie Thunders?

    • Maggie

      I think they are both wonderful and awesome skaters. :)

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