Reflecting on My Night as a Rollergirl

By Joe Murray

I was putting on roller blades for the first time since fifth grade except, this wasn’t an elementary school skating party. I was lacing up the skates, putting on the pads and preparing myself to step on the rink with the Garden State Rollergirls.

How did I get myself into this unlikely position?

Well, a few weeks before this ‘Punchy Brewster’, a skater, and ‘Thrillhouse’, a league referee, appeared on From the Stands and I happened to suggest that I would welcome an invite to experience a practice. When I got the call a week later that this was actually going to happen, I was both excited…and a little nervous. The whole car ride there I was trying to psych myself up and pretend that I could actually roller skate; and I was not going to make a fool of myself. After a few wrong turns, we stumbled upon the rink. After trudging through warm-ups, it was finally time to put the skates on. Then, it was time to really start the practice.

To my surprise, I only fell three times, although I was being consistently lapped by a rollergirl every time I went around the rink. Finally it was time for me to do some hitting drills, which was arguably the part I was most worried about. To my dismay, it did not matter how much football I played in my life or how athletic I was, I had no chance when it came to the hitting.
I was knocked into the cement walls as well as the unforgiving wood floors, luckily not breaking any bones. This went on for a good half hour, and by the end, I felt like I was hit by a train.

To say I was glad that the practice was over is an understatement; if it had gone on any longer I feel as though I would have just collapsed. When I was finally able to take my skates off and relax, I realized just how tough a practice it was. While it was definitely a great experience taking part in a roller derby practice, I can safely say that I am going to retire from the sport.

* Check out the videos of Joe's trip to Branch Brook Park right here under the WSOU Sports Video Link List!


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