tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51901983049831964872012-02-12T10:22:33.310-06:00I play roller derby and I blog roller derby. I try to gear my posts towards an audience who wants to learn more about the sport of modern roller derby.Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.comBlogger601100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-87352006740504791092012-02-02T22:31:00.000-06:002012-02-02T22:31:55.597-06:00

Two sleeps before bouting, and all through derbyhaus, rank smelling gear could kill a small mouse. The WFTDA patches were sewn on the jerseys with care, with hopes that the rankings would give them their share. Cats laid on boutfits, strewn all over my bed, while visions of lead jams played out in my head. From Animal's room you could hear a tap-tap as she pretended to sleep while playing the

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-8418063258460465672012-01-14T16:00:00.000-06:002012-01-14T16:00:54.257-06:00

If the world is really going to end this year, I predict I would die happy after a great year of derby. 2012 is making out to be a fantastic season and I can't wait to really get things started. We are just rounding out an exciting schedule and to make it even better, we found out Tuesday that we FINALLY graduated to the WFTDA big leagues. It was quite the surprise since it was mid-quarter and we

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-1145962623910646542012-01-06T16:52:00.002-06:002012-01-30T18:38:05.018-06:00

I totally made this up, as seen by my MSpaint illustration. Now that you have mentally prepared yourself for roller derby, it’s time to strap skates on, right? Not quite. To tap into the full potential of your body when you work out, you should keep a cyclical process in mind: Rev, Run, Recover. Rev Your EnginesBefore exercise, it is best to warm up to help prevent injury and to prime the

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-21115045088113007742011-12-13T16:47:00.005-06:002012-01-06T16:55:22.683-06:00

Roller derby is unique in that most people have to start from scratch when they join, having no knowledge of the sport or much skill at roller skating in general. It can be a daunting task for anyone to get involved with, but there is some training you can begin before you ever step foot at a practice. It’s a type of training that often goes overlooked and is very underestimated. It requires

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-83105485257931497472011-11-26T17:50:00.002-06:002012-01-06T16:54:40.167-06:00

Me as a newb. Foreward When recruitment comes around, I always start thinking about what it takes to be a derby girl. Most outsiders think we're all former speed skaters, violent, super tough, or "big scary dykes"... There is no one type of person that makes up roller derby; it is a very diverse crowd to get involved with. We are gay, straight, tough, sensitive, experienced and not; there's no

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-76147495640101265432011-10-06T21:36:00.000-05:002011-10-06T21:36:00.302-05:00

A year ago, slow derby was on the rise and the shouting match between the ‘slow derby sucks’ and the ‘it’s just strategy’ crowds began. SDS proponents think derby should be all fast all the time and don’t like any clockwise or slow, stepping action. The pro-strategy group think it is all just part of the game. I’m torn between whether a majority of the strategists really feel that way, or just

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-11701496466755840152011-09-21T00:43:00.002-05:002011-09-21T10:40:36.483-05:00

Blah. Blah. Blah. That's what most of my posts have been. Whining about what I DON'T have and what I WANT but not about what I should do to get there. Well, yesterday I applied to two jobs and went to Cedar Valley to run a jammer practice for the Brawlers. Today I picked up 5 extra hours at the shop and went for a run. Minus the Wendy's I had last night, I have been getting back on the good food

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-11563592911548872082011-09-08T19:35:00.000-05:002011-09-08T19:35:32.913-05:00

Bench coachin. Yeah, no one else recognizes me without face paint either... Photo by KORfan Fall means a new school year in Iowa City. Doesn’t matter if you’re not actually in school, the whole city revolves around the University. Living in a college town is interesting, and is why I think roller derby teams prosper in them. There is an abundance of more diverse and open minded people who are

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-62680873542020548082011-08-30T12:35:00.003-05:002011-08-31T11:51:01.991-05:00

This next blog is by request. All refs are dumb, blind, liars and biased, right? In sports, the players get all the glory and refs get all the ridicule. Athletes train to learn the rules and perfect their skill in order to play a fair and safe game, and the refs are there to help ensure that that happens. Roller derby is of course, a unique sport. (how many times can I say that?) The

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-27791662800544438632011-08-21T16:36:00.001-05:002011-08-31T11:50:09.014-05:00

Last Saturday was the MIR re-match. The time had come to seek vengeance on last year’s heartbreak. I had to prove to myself that I was better than last year and that we had really gotten somewhere as a team. Warming up, I felt a little shaky. Eating the right balance of food can be tricky bout day, and my stomach was a little uncertain. Also MIR is one of the only other teams that we’ve

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-45121351710094150262011-07-26T12:44:00.004-05:002011-08-31T11:57:00.736-05:00

I. am. in. Vegas. To be honest, Vegas itself is pretty underwhelming. I’ve never really had the urge to come here because it’s expensive and gambling has never made much sense to me. (and the tunnel people!) But I’m not here to gamble or go to a fancy show, I am here for ROLLERCON.  I’ve been nothing but excited the whole way here… the whole.. 27 hour way here. (Yes, we drove from IOWA CITY.)

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-72598083758471132172011-07-04T05:46:00.002-05:002011-08-31T12:19:16.864-05:00

In an ideal world I would be playing as much roller derby as possible, traveling and creating video. Some sort of unlimited funds would be necessary to buy all the video equipment, software, and resources I need, alongside unlimited time for the editing process. Those same funds would pay for travel expenses to attend every tournament, bootcamp and championship as well as living. I am far from

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-26998431429327589032011-06-19T15:39:00.001-05:002011-08-31T11:53:59.347-05:00

I got a little cocky. Maybe bouting four weekends in a row wore me out. Or maybe I just got out of shape. Whatever it was, our bout against the Minnesota Rollergirls was not my finest. All week I went through panicky fits of confidence and anxiety. I tried to reassure myself to just play roller derby like I normally do, and everything will be fine. I had seen them play on DNN, I had felt their

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-75205679767615653492011-06-10T10:46:00.003-05:002011-08-31T11:55:51.175-05:00

Get to wear the green patch this weekend! Hopefully it'll be pink soon. As a three year old league, and a current WFTDA Apprentice member, we are seen as a young team. We’re not quite old enough to play with the big girls, but it is evident that we can hold our own with some teams that have experience behind them. In March we squeaked out a win against one of Madison’s home teams, the

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-64785496852790897072011-06-02T21:17:00.002-05:002011-08-31T11:56:41.361-05:00

Next to Funsize, I feel giant. Cathy Kovach Photography Going into the tenth jam of Saturday night, we had only scored four points. Sioux City had pushed their lead to 41 and I was getting frustrated. I knew we were a better team than this. Our walls were getting broken up and our jammers were not getting lead. At the rate of this point increase we were going to get annihilated. GLADi8HER

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-18139240116398263112011-05-24T17:32:00.001-05:002011-08-31T11:57:38.641-05:00

A roller derby season can be different for everyone. Most WFTDA leagues begin in late winter, pick up heavily in the spring and summer preparing for the WFTDA regionals and championship in the fall. Some leagues have home teams that play earlier in the year allowing more time for their All-star teams to play in the spring and summer, or have the one team that plays home and away and must schedule

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-18237317414769210262011-04-21T12:23:00.001-05:002011-08-31T11:58:25.407-05:00

This season has been a bit harder to wrap my mind around because we’ve been playing more teams we’ve never played before. Sometimes it’s the anticipation that gets you, or familiarity that gets you through. Coming up against the Eastern Iowa Outlaws last weekend was a bit weird because I had played against some of them as Cedar Rapids Rollergirls and skated with some of them during our open

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-46191240211821828042011-04-14T14:08:00.004-05:002011-08-31T11:58:53.693-05:00

Going into Saturday’s bout I wasn’t nervous. I wasn’t confident either. In fact I hadn’t really thought much about the bout all week, nor had much feeling about it either way. That made me nervous. After our month of March madness I went through a fit of uncertainty and doubt but felt I had overcome it. The bout on April 9th    against the Kansas City Roller Warriors Plan B Team was going to be a

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-10782308199142354562011-04-06T11:06:00.001-05:002011-08-31T12:00:29.555-05:00

With unlimited funds and time, I would try to make every bout possible, and watch as much derby as I could, but I can't. It's nice to have extra eyes in the derby world, so here's another bout recap by Dave Schrader. He would be the one front and center trackside, behind a camera. I believe he's been to every one of our bouts since early last season, and makes it to many others. Someone should

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-64920069471013774232011-03-31T14:00:00.004-05:002011-08-31T12:02:00.712-05:00

Wow, March was a long month. Our season opener feels like ages ago, and now we’re gearing up for our next home bout on April 9th. We played a familiar foe, tough competition and a proclaimed rival. We dominated, struggled and overcame. Looking towards this next bout against the Kansas Roller Warriors: Plan B team, I feel weary and uncertain. Episode 1, 2 and 3. Before Back in Black, we

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-59321714680831471762011-03-23T15:01:00.002-05:002011-08-31T12:02:15.066-05:00

Some of my fancy footwork from the March 12th bout against the Quad City Rollers... -L4D

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-36508553368130850552011-03-21T13:30:00.003-05:002011-08-31T12:02:44.868-05:00

Taking the jam line I looked at the scoreboard; 141 to 123. It’s our lead, with a minute and some change left on the clock. Breathe. Ok, I can do this. All I have to do is jam hard, get lead, waste some time and call it off. We’ve got a comfy lead, and with Bat R, Opehlia, Zom B and Fanny in the pack, this should be a piece of cake. Tweet. Tweet. Tweet. I come around turn 1, turn 2; enter the

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-45940472093418914532011-03-18T13:52:00.002-05:002011-08-31T12:03:30.543-05:00

Jr High track - "chicken legs," not CRZY LEGS. So they say hard work pays off. Practice makes perfect. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. You can do anything you put your mind to… They all kind of sound like bullshit phrases that hang on a wall in a high school gym teacher’s office. At that age, I hated school but did love to play sports. I was the girl who sweated in gym class

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-71895355362375802802011-03-16T00:05:00.001-05:002011-08-31T12:03:46.333-05:00

Deadwards vs Gotcha The Back in Black bout saw the return of the Old Capitol City Roller Girls to the Marriott to begin their third season with their first bout against some familiar opponents in the Quad City Rollers. The track and bench arrangement had changed from last year with the first straightaway and benches along the outside wall. Scoreboard projection was one the wall behind turn 1

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-57250360887088588412011-03-09T12:13:00.002-06:002011-08-31T12:04:12.939-05:00

Bat R Up, Bitchin' Heat, Hot ta-Molly, and Swiss MisFit talk to Yale Cohn. This week a few girls from the team went on Talking With... Yale Cohn, a show on our local Public Acess TV channel. Bat R Up, a vet since nearly the beginning talks about how important this year is with our WFTDA Apprentice and sits across from Yale as to not scare him too much. Saturday will be Swiss MisFit's first

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-30163975800207876442011-03-08T22:53:00.001-06:002011-08-31T12:06:23.604-05:00

Derby has been consuming so much of my life lately I’m not sure there’s a non-derby bone left in my body. The team is my full time, non-paying job. The fresh meat are my children, the vets are my needy girlfriends; it’s an interesting family. If I’m not busy worrying about my PR committee, I’m going to a board meeting, a roster meeting, or sitting down to create practices with Animal. I’m making

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-34000546517876474032011-02-23T10:32:00.001-06:002011-08-31T12:06:57.333-05:00

Last week I spent some time with family  in Florida, which I was afraid was going to completely ruin all the progress I had built in the previous weeks with the Roller Derby Workout Challenge. I have to say I'm mostly proud of myself. I still splurged on fried seafood and boozey cocktails, but alsol made the effort to workout and not overeat. Now that I'm home I've kinda got knocked off my own

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-80163485301510504832011-01-29T13:43:00.001-06:002011-08-31T12:09:06.285-05:00

New year, new season. It has been two years this month since I strapped on my very own skates and joined the Old Capitol City Roller Girls. It still hurts. This time around Animal Mother and myself are coaching the fresh meat and it has been a lot of fun. I never saw myself as a coach kind of person but I’m getting used to all the yelling and planning. Coming up with goals and a series of drills

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-84251261101988521432011-01-25T13:59:00.001-06:002011-08-31T12:09:45.196-05:00

Killer Baker works it out during some Yeller core. 1) What about those push ups?Well, for the past year we have made everyone on the team do real pushups. No girly pushups in derby! I feel myself getting a lot stronger now, and like I'm actually doing a real push up! hah. Its not just painful, I feel strong.  2) Time yourself doing a plank for as long as you possibly can and post your time

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-36120851721169292082011-01-18T15:47:00.001-06:002011-08-31T12:10:21.650-05:00

The point of a challenge is that its supposed to be challenging, right? I think I like to give myself too many excuses and I need to just suck it up and do it! I suppose this is a consistent theme in my life, whether its doing that workout instead of napping, or applying for jobs I don't think I'm qualified for; I won't get results unless I try. Meal and workout plans by day. Last week when

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-3682732423116074182011-01-11T16:20:00.001-06:002011-08-31T12:15:38.449-05:00

If anyone has followed my blog long enough, my very first entry was recapping a mixer I participated in last year put on by the Quad City Rollers, and last Saturday they put it on again for the third year in a row. For those who don’t know, a mixer is hosted by a team (QCR) who invites skaters from multiple leagues (Old Capitol City Roller Girls, Des Moines Derby Dames, Eastern Iowa Outlaws,

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-61450234974590405682011-01-10T00:59:00.002-06:002011-08-31T12:16:29.307-05:00

So not only have the Angel City Derby Girls from LA created a workout video, they also have the Roller Derby Workout Challenge! They consulted experts and came up with an 8 week plan complete with workouts and meals that will whip girls into shape. From trying many diets and reading lots of articles about food, I have a basic understanding of what it takes to eat healthy, I'm just too lazy to do

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-49844256456525030812010-12-26T13:48:00.001-06:002011-08-31T12:17:39.737-05:00

1 of 12 portraits I drew of my college roommate for a class at the U of I. ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ is a question posed to children probably every year after they start their educational career. The answers go through phases of reality. First are the imaginative princesses and cowboys, then the lofty presidents or rock stars and finally the more obtainable veterinarians,

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-64789318324260287902010-12-06T22:57:00.005-06:002011-08-31T12:18:53.878-05:00

When I tell people I play roller derby I often get a range of confused reactions. There’s the “Really?? You get to elbow girls and stuff?” or the “Wow, that’s so cool! Do people get hurt a lot?” and you can’t forget the blank stare “What’s that?” In the last year though, I’m more likely to get a “Oh! Like in Whip It?” At first I would just kind of nod my head but explain that we play flat track

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-6782788121105407652010-11-20T14:11:00.004-06:002011-08-31T12:27:54.452-05:00

Attending the 2010 WFTDA Championships in person was an overwhelming and exciting experience. Some of the best teams from around the country had gathered to battle it out. Teams whose athletes had worked tirelessly on their own time to build endurance, agility, and explosive muscular strength so they could compete, on wheels, for an hour of full contact chaos. I was thrilled to enjoy a whole

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-55316980537709579952010-11-15T12:18:00.002-06:002011-08-31T12:30:14.935-05:00

As a newly inducted apprentice league, getting a glimpse last weekend at the WFTDA Championships was inspiring to say the least. I have watched some of those same teams play on DNN boutcasts, but as their slogan goes, “it ain’t like being there!” Seeing all sorts of different teams, vendors and fans was overwhelming and exciting; so many people brought together for the love of derby. I realized

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-3139223297408465792010-11-09T10:44:00.002-06:002011-08-31T12:31:49.840-05:00

Going to the WFTDA 2010 Championship tournament was insane to say the least, and an experience well worth emptying my bank account... Here are a few of the interesting things I discovered or saw for the first time in person: Flat Track Revolution is an online store that I had seen ads for recently. They have some rad designs and one of a kind t-shirt dresses that I couldn't take my eyes off.

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-84652411236122734382010-11-04T17:39:00.003-05:002011-08-31T12:32:36.917-05:00

Ophelia Fracture and Sugar & Slice lineup. I think at the beginning of Monster’s Brawl last Saturday, we were still riding our high from beating the Cedar Rapids Rollergirls the week prior. We were entering the track with the Quad City Rollers, a team we had played four times previously, skating away with three wins, so we walked into this one pretty confident. Speaking for myself, my

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-51797358117267279002010-10-30T01:03:00.002-05:002011-08-31T12:38:36.173-05:00

Us as babies. There are some internet how-to guides and discussion forums that may answer some questions that new roller derby teams have, but there’s no mainstream precedent for derby teams to model themselves after. Growing up, everyone has some inkling of how basketball is played, or has seen a football game without really trying. All these “whatever”ball sports pervade almost every

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-59056117751844185852010-10-24T17:13:00.002-05:002011-08-31T12:20:01.792-05:00

Last summer we played Cedar Rapids in our second bout ever. Last night we played them again in our second to last bout of this season. Boy, have we come a long way. The last few weeks all we have talked is strategy, strategy, strategy. The Minnesota Rollergirls taught us a lot at their bootcamp, and BatR, Animal and I are trying our best to relay all that information to our fellow skaters. It

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-7475496600675193432010-09-14T10:19:00.001-05:002011-08-31T12:34:16.083-05:00

I wore this everywhere I went. What I learned from my weekend watching the North Central Regionals… -Packspeed.Packspeed.Packspeed.-GOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGO.-Drinking leads to hangovers… During the Thunda on the Tundra bouts, the teams were extremely good at controlling the pace of the pack, and to EXCESSIVE extents. This is often a productive technique mid-jam, usually by trapping a player

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-37349329877595551032010-09-08T17:17:00.003-05:002011-08-31T12:34:57.866-05:00

Anyone can essentially start a roller derby team. Nothing is officially structured until you begin your journey on becoming a WFTDA certified team. It is this ultimate goal for most teams which keeps them following the rules, training hard to improve their skills, and working hard at being a skater run, community based entity. The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) is like the NBA/NFL

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-77999206047992851772010-09-01T17:15:00.002-05:002011-08-31T12:35:49.501-05:00

Within two minutes or less, I have to decide with four other girls how to get one of them around the track as many times as possible with the fewest obstructions, while also fending off four opposing girls and impeding a fifth. The only means to achieving all these things are our bodies and a pair of roller skates. There is no stick, no ball, no tangible goal to aim for. There is only

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-38390749716749624392010-08-13T10:25:00.001-05:002011-08-31T12:36:41.793-05:00

During the summer there are many annual events occurring that draw people from all over the country, or even the world, for one similar purpose or interest. I often have to opt of such fun things since I am fresh out of college with little money to spend on traveling and festival prices, so I await eagerly for my friends to return with wonderful stories of the outside world. This summer I was

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-58758586955884195212010-07-25T13:07:00.003-05:002011-08-31T12:39:43.363-05:00

I’ve started packing in preparation for my move later this week. Another year, another move in Iowa City it seems to have become… Oh yeah. Did I mention I was staying in Iowa City this fall? I graduated in May and originally intended on moving back to Des Moines, but the more and more I thought about it, it just didn’t make sense. I had no real plan and no career waiting for me, so why not

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-90297163446032869742010-06-27T15:11:00.002-05:002011-08-31T12:40:05.906-05:00

I meant to talk about our bout vs the Mid Iowa Rollers last week before I left town, but even writing about it now still makes me upset. First of all, I just hate to lose. I’m a competitive person. I like to be the best and will get mad when I don’t do well. The week leading up to the bout, I imagined myself jamming:  breaking through walls, speeding around corners, trying to perfect a low,

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-87977455595565363442010-06-10T21:39:00.004-05:002011-08-31T12:40:42.693-05:00

Last Saturday I think we lived out our "Kill! Kill! Kill!" philosophy to its greatest extent in our Full Metal Derby bout. We took on the Stateline Derby Divas and skated away with a 303 to 69 victory. The Warrior was unfortunately out for the Divas, and it sounds like they played a handful of newbies like, Marilyn Monsoon, Sookie Smackhouse, and RBQue who all played fiercely and never quit, even

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-40494105102677473632010-06-01T19:09:00.001-05:002011-08-31T12:41:09.534-05:00

Last October when I filed into the Coralridge Mall movie theater with my fellow derby girls to check out Whip It, Drew Barrymore's directorial debut, I didn't feel too strongly about it one way or another. I think we all had to like it because our rouge sport was getting a bit of coverage on the big screen, but I instantly realized this movie was more about growing up an "alternative" teenager

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-53612202368092348472010-05-26T15:01:00.002-05:002011-08-31T12:42:19.457-05:00

No two bouts are alike. While there are basic rules and regulations that everyone (should) follow, little things can change from bout to bout, but have big affects. When we played the Des Moines Derby Dames back on April 3rd, it was in Iowa City, on our turf, and the Dames' very first bout; we had swept them 192 to 81. On May 22nd, we traveled to Des Moines to play them again. We also brought a

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-59658836454053112562010-05-04T01:51:00.003-05:002011-08-31T12:42:57.285-05:00

(note: sorry to change the format of my blog, but it was really bothering me that the text was very confined so you could never fully see pictures or video. hope this works better!) So, my screening is in like four days and... I'm still not done. I'm making good progress, I think it would have been done a week ago if I didn't have other obligations like classes... sleeping... eating.. taking

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-48117552507024247202010-04-25T04:35:00.002-05:002011-08-31T12:43:41.074-05:00

Ok, decided I'm not liking the video blogging so much because it basically turns into me whining about something. I will perhaps do more of that in the future, but in a different way (video bloggin.. not whining). A week ago, some of us OCCRG girls traveled to the Quad Cities to watch them play the Paper Valley Flying Squirrels (PVRG). As an avid reader may recall, the Squirrels beat us (pretty

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-69574069132176662722010-04-15T01:03:00.001-05:002011-08-31T12:44:02.984-05:00

Oh hiiiii 1:00 am..we meet again. And I'm still in the lab. The next few weeks will be media lab all day every day that I'm not working, in class or sleeping. ...but at least it's about DERBY! Here's more of me.. sweaty, smelly me. -smellsies

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-10718766617901954972010-04-10T22:36:00.001-05:002011-08-31T12:44:21.247-05:00

So, filming is all fun and games.. but the meat of this project is EDITING. That's when you realize filming should have been less fun and you should have been more meticulous, and thoughtful about what you were filming... -L4D

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-67041248291202096432010-04-06T22:09:00.002-05:002011-08-31T12:45:24.671-05:00

Going through footage for my BFA project, I become more and more impressed with the group of girls I skate with. Our numbers are growing so large we will have to break into multiple teams under the league name of OCCRG, according to WFTDA standards, our ultimate goal. (There can only be 20 players to a team.) I'm impressed with the teams in the area in general, and the progression of roller

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-27177315422746285652010-03-28T13:24:00.003-05:002011-08-31T12:46:09.948-05:00

Bat'r had a dream. In that dream she saw a wall of red in the front, red on the line and red all over their jammer. On Friday that dream came true. We played the Quad City Rollers in Davenport, IA and it was the best game of derby we have played to date. We worked together, we built walls, and kept the penalties to a minimum. We even had two fresh meat play their first bout and they played

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-16208307687675348652010-03-15T16:39:00.002-05:002011-08-31T12:47:03.411-05:00

Bout weekend is officially over. I feel like I got hit by a truck, have tons of footage to go through, and am ready for the next one. As Fonda Cuffs said, I still kinda have a post-bout glow, and am very happy with how we did. We lost to the Flying Squirrels (from Appleton, WI) ..by like 70 points? I guess I don't even remember what the score was, but it doesn't really matter because we all

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-86815449355065256232010-03-12T01:30:00.001-06:002011-08-31T12:47:38.262-05:00

Our first home bout of the season is Saturday and I'm pretty excited... At least I think so. I've been so busy and stressed out I've barely had time to even think about Saturday. (besides planning camera angles..) We've been working hard leading up to this bout, last week we had two fundraisers, and we've been PR-ing like crazy. I just unloaded all ten pre-sale tix I've had on me, so I know I've

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-81586165490793337622010-02-23T22:40:00.002-06:002011-08-31T12:48:03.171-05:00

Life is keeping me busy. Between work, school and derby I barely have time to nap anymore(hah). School and derby are causing interesting conflicts between each other.. I'm doing my BFA project on derby, but one of my intermedia classes is during a practice... I want to skate my ass off at the one practice I do attend.. but I want to capture everything in film... I've enlisted someone to help me

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-3327774943202113422010-02-15T22:53:00.002-06:002011-08-31T12:48:26.167-05:00

March 13th is our first home bout of the season, which leaves less than four weeks to get ready for it. Practice is merely one aspect of preparation for a home bout, the production of the whole event falls on us. This is no club at school where there is extra staff that puts these events on, we are the staff and the talent. From promoting to setting up hundreds of chairs, everything gets done by

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190198304983196487.post-73188616495346863342010-01-17T16:02:00.001-06:002011-08-31T12:49:29.111-05:00

    Almost exactly a year ago I joined the Old Capitol City Roller Girls team in Iowa City, and 2009 with them was quite a year. Since then we have tripled size, went through a change of ownership, gained experience, and worked out most of the kinks of putting on a home bout. Last year was full of trial and error and I am feeling good about this new season and looking forward to really pushing

Lisa Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718759595981329878noreply@blogger.com0