February Featured Skater: Lemon Drop Her

Name: Lemon DropHer

Number: 818

Travel Team: Brawlers

Home Team: Bettys

Years skating: 2

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She’s a ball of sunshine who isn’t afraid to unleash a sour punch out on the track! Get to know February’s skater of the month: Lemon DropHer!

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You were nominated by Shreddy Krueger, who wants to know: What is the thing that you’re most proud of since you started fresh meat until now? What are you proud of achieving?

Okay! That’s a lot. I started off with fresh meat barely knowing—I mean, I knew how to skate, but that’s about all I knew how to do. Now I know how to do all these things, so I guess I’m most proud that I stuck with it, honestly, because when it got really hard, there were a lot of times where it was just like, I don’t want to do this, you know? And I kind of got discouraged, but I stuck with it, and now I can do all these things that I never thought I could do.

During the new people’s fresh meat, I was able to do a slide and glide for the first time, and I’m really proud of that? Because I had been struggling with that for so long. Doing transitions is another one that I’m really proud of because it took me such a long time for that to click in my head, for it to be like, “Oh, okay, this makes sense, I can do this.”

I think I’m just most proud of sticking with it and all the different things that I’ve been able to do and learn. I’m excited to continue to learn and get better, you know. Because it’s, you know, always improving. There is no, “you’re done.” There’s always more stuff you can learn.

Absolutely! Well, what brought you to roller derby in the first place?

Triple D actually. I was approached back in, what, 2015, something crazy, when I lived in Wisconsin, and they were like, “You should do roller derby!” And I said, “I’m going to college and working full time, I do not have time for derby.” Then I moved here, and I was getting my oil changed, and Triple D was at his shop, and he asked, “What are you doing today?” I was like, “I just moved here, I don’t have plans, I don’t know anyone.” He said, “Well, if you don’t have plans, you should go to roller derby. They have a bout tonight.” And I said, “Oh, I’ve always wanted to do roller derby, but it was either the wrong time, and also I feel like I’m too small.” He actually mentioned you, he was like, “There’s smalls on the team and she’s shorter than you, so if she can do it, you can do it!” And I said, “Oh, okay, so let’s go check it out!”

I went, and he found me in the crowd and was like, “Hey, come here, I want you to meet all the skaters.” I remember I met Psych [Wazowski], and I met Trauma [Queen], and they were really—everyone was so nice and accepting, and they weren’t at all judgey or ew, you know? Everyone was just super nice. Then I went to the afterparty and everyone again was so nice and accepting. Psych was like, “Are you going to do it?” And I said, “I want to.” She gave me the information for fresh meat, and that’s kind of how I found you guys: through word of mouth from Triple D, and then I went and I was like, “Wow, this is really cool.” And everyone said, “You can do this too!” And I was like, “Me?” And I did! And I’m glad I did.

And we’re glad you did! What brought you to Knoxville in the first place?

We (my boyfriend and I) he transferred with his job. He works for a timeshare company, so we could have moved anywhere, but we went here to visit, and we really fell in love with the mountains, and the fact that y’all still have seasons (because we can’t live without snow, being from up north). But yeah, it was just so beautiful here, and we really liked the Knoxville area—there’s a lot to do and it reminded us a lot of Madison, Wisconsin, because it’s also a college town. It’s very—I want to say very liberal, but I mean yeah, it’s very liberal, and it has a lot of different groups and things, a lot of cool stuff, and so we’re like, “Oh, we could live here.” And then we did! He went and transferred with his job, and we ended up here. It’s really a cool area.

How did you decide on your skater name and number?

I went through a bunch of different ones, and I was talking to (before I joined) Guacarole, and she was saying, “Well, what do you like?” And I was like, “I like this, I like this, I like lemons because my cat’s name is Lemon and I just like lemons.” And she was like, “What about like, Lemon…Drop?” I said, “That’s good, I like that.”

I was thinking about it (I had a couple other ones in mind too) and then during fresh meat, I want to say it was Slam who came up to me and asked, “Hey, do you have a derby name yet?” I said, “I was thinking Lemon Drop maybe?” And she was like, “Lemon Drop Her, then it sounds like a derby name.” And I was like, “Okay!” And I played around with it, and imagined in my head: “And number blah-blah: Lemon DropHer!” And I’m like, that’s good, yeah, I like that. So I ended up going with it. And I have no regrets because I love being Lemon.

My number is my boyfriend’s birthday, August 18. Because he’s been really supportive of me just being like, hey, I’m going to do roller derby. And he’s like, okay! Because my dad, when he found out I was going to do roller derby, was like, “Honey, you got hit in the face one time when you were a kid playing soccer and you quit. You’re going to go and skate and hit people? That doesn’t sound like you.” And I was like, “I’m going to do it!” And I did. And Jack, my boyfriend, he never had that moment of, are you sure you can do this? He’s just been really like, okay, sure.

I also like the way the number looks. It’s very symmetrical, like you can flip it and it’s the same either way, and I like that. Yeah, so that’s where I got that from. And my cat’s name is Lemon, so there’s two Lemons now!

It is always funny hearing you talk about Lemon, but it’s your cat who you’re talking about.

The other Lemon, like the Lemon cat. Sometimes I pick her up, and be like, “Lemon Drop Her!” and I’ll drop her on the ground, and she’ll look at me like why? I mean, she’s a cat, so she lands on her feet, and she’s fine, but she just looks at me like, “Rude!” She’s a good girl.

How would you describe your derby playing style? 

Ohhhhh, that’s a good question, I don’t even know! Chaotic, I don’t know! I mean, I’m trying to get better at track awareness because I have ADHD, so I feel like my brain is always trying to take in all the information at once, so I’ve been trying to use that to my advantage and pay attention to what’s all going around me. But then sometimes it can be the opposite, it can be kind of hard, because then I’m trying so hard to pay attention to everything around me that I forget that the jammer exists, and then they go right past me, and I’m like, “Dammit!” So I don’t know, I guess, what do you mean by derby playing style? Is that like what position or—?

It can literally be anything at all. I think chaotic is a good way to describe it because especially as blockers, you know, we kind of have to be everywhere at any given time.

Yeah, right, it’s like okay you need to block, but also here comes our jammer, and here comes their jammer, and it’s just ahhhh! Yeah, it’s a lot all at once, and I’m trying to get better at honing in and just paying attention a little better but also being aware. It’s kind of like a chaotic little mess in my brain, in the best possible way.

Well your brain is connecting with my brain because I was literally going to ask if you had any goals for the season! Is there anything else that you have that you want to try to get on the track this year?

Yeah, I really really want to learn how to crab this year, because I cannot crab to save my life! My hips just do not want to go out, they want to go in. I can pigeon [step] for days, but then you ask me to crab, and my body’s like, “I don’t know what I’m doing.” I want to learn how to crab, I want to get better track awareness, and I think I want to—I like being a blocker, but I do want to try to pivot more often and become more aware of the fact that I’m wearing the pivot [panty], because I think a lot of times I’ll be like, “Oh sure, I’ll pivot,” and then the jammer’s stuck, and I’m just like, “Huh? Oh that’s me, right, okay, I have to do something.” I guess that kind of goes with track awareness.

I feel like I’m kind of learning the rules better, but I also just want to get better at understanding strategy I guess. When we did Naughty or Nice, I was really struggling and I was jamming, and I called it because I was so tired, and then the coach said, “I get that, but the other jammer was stuck, and we were trying to tire them out, and then I was going to tell you to call it when they get tired and that way you could have gotten the points if you could get by.” And I was like, “I didn’t even think about that as an option, you know?” Because I don’t really think about strategy, I’m just kind of in the moment, what to do, but I kind of want to learn more about strategies, that way I can actually plan things like that instead of being, you know, in the moment.

I also want to communicate better as a blocker. Trauma recommended that I just talk the whole time, and I’m going to try that this season, the whole time I’m blocking just be talking so that I can get used to communicating more on the track, not being afraid to communicate.

If you had a theme song that we would all hear whenever you do something awesome on the track, what would you want it to be?

I listen to a lot of lemon themed songs. [laughs] There’s “Lemonade” by Gucci Mane. That’s a good one because it says, “call that pack the lemon drop,” and that’s literally my name. I always listen to that before a bout or before practice because it makes me feel pumped up, so I feel like that would be a good one. Or “Lemon” by N.E.R.D. and Rihanna, that’s another good one too. But yeah, probably one of those two.

Do you have any other pre-game rituals that you like to do on bout day?

I always get an energy drink because I know it’s going to be a long day.You know I usually do track maintenance, so I have to be there a little early, so I get some food, get a big thing of water, get an energy drink, and then go. I usually do my makeup before I get there just because I’m afraid that if things get chaotic I won’t have time to, and I like doing my makeup for derby. I think it’s a fun way to get ready. I feel like Lemon is kind of like my altar ego, and I need to get in the headspace of being Lemon, and so I have to get my makeup ready to be Lemon, and all this different stuff, so I feel like that’s one of my rituals: get in the head space, listen to the songs, put on the makeup, get the Red Bull, and then go and get that track maintained.

What have been some of your favorite derby moments off the track?

Maybe because it’s the most recent thing that happened, but Naughty or Nice was really really fun, and it’s really fun to play against my teammates because we’re all so used to each other’s playing style, that we forget that we’re on separate teams. So I was jamming one time and I think Trauma was like, “Oh, Lemon!” and she let me by, and then she realized, “Wait, Lemon’s not on my team.” Then next time I came around, she hit me real good and she was like, “I’m sorry!” And I said, “No, it’s great, I love it!” I love when people hit me, you know? They don’t feel like I’m this fragile little thing that, you know, because I don’t know if you had this experience because we’re short, I think people think of us as small and fragile and don’t hurt them. Derby’s the only real time where people are like, “You’re not fragile!” and will actually hit me, and I appreciate that because yeah, I’m not! Just because I’m five foot nothing doesn’t mean I can’t take a hit, you know? But yeah, Naughty or Nice was a really great time because we all got to see each other during the off season and it was nice to play with my teammates but also play against my teammates. 

I just love hanging out with people outside of just practice and stuff too. The Bettys got together over the break; we went bowling and that was so much fun because we’re so—some of us are so competitive on the track, but then when we’re off the track and we’re playing bowling, a lot of us are just like, whatever, it’s fine. Except for Rattle. Rattle’s pretty competitive, even with bowling! But that was fun, those were some good times that we had off the track that were just good team bonding.

How do you like to spend your free time?

I like to read. When we were snowed in this weekend, I read a lot. I like to take my dog to the dog park. I have a Basset Hound puppy, he’s like a year old and has a lot of energy, so we have to go to the dog park and go for walks a lot so he doesn’t destroy my apartment [laughs]. Other than that, me and Jack are big Packers fans, so during the season, we go to a local Packers bar and we’ll watch the game and cheer on our team.

And that’s about it really. I’m kind of a homebody as I’ve gotten older; I like being home. Derby is my extracurricular activity, and all my other stuff is—I just want to go home and read. Maybe play some soft video games like Animal Crossing and things that I can just relax. Stardew Valley’s a good one. But yeah, not much of a hard core gamer, I just want to build my silly little town and hang out with my silly little creatures and relax, I don’t want to kill anybody in a video game. Or I just want to read and escape to somewhere else that isn’t my own reality.

What advice do you have for our skaters who just graduated from our Fresh Meat Boot Camp?

Honestly my best advice would be to just show up, keep showing up, and don’t give up. Because like I said, the very first practice with everybody was really intimidating because we’re wearing our yellow vests and everyone knows that we’re the new people, and I feel like everyone knows each other and it can be kind of intimidating, but just stay with it because everyone really wants you to be there, and we all want you to succeed.

So don’t give up and just keep counting all of your little successes. Even if it’s a small thing to you, be like, “Hey, I did that! And that’s really cool!” Because then you’ll build momentum and you’ll want to accomplish more and more, and you’ll see your growth at the end of the season, you’ll be like, “Holy cow, I did that thing! I went from this to that, look at that!” And that’s really cool, to be able to look at your progress and see how far you’ve come. So just don’t give up, keep at it, show up, and don’t get discouraged. And talk to the vets if you have questions because they are all very nice and want to help!

Who would you like to nominate for next month, and what do you want to ask them?

Wheels of Justice. Have you done competitive sports other than roller derby? How are they similar or different? Do you have a favorite?

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Thanks for a fun conversation Lemon! Readers, your Hard Knox Roller Derby skaters have started practicing once again, and that’s not just All Stars and Brawlers—team Chaos is our newest and most enthusiastic bunch! Keep an eye out for them on social media, and encourage them to keep up with this chaotic and fun sport. Until next time, be like Lemon, and stick with something even when it’s hard.

-smalls-

September Featured Skater: Shreddy Krueger

Name: Shreddy Krueger

Number: 666

Travel Team: Brawlers

Home Team: Moonshine Moxies

Years skating: 1

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They block, pivot, and jam—and all in their first year, too! Get to know September’s skater of the month: Shreddy Krueger!

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You were nominated by Mobile Crisis, who knows that you’ve done other sports, so she wants to know: why derby? Why now?

I used to compete in amateur boxing for about six years, and so I’ve always really liked contact sports. I also did kickboxing and jiu jitsu. I actually wanted to join derby back in 2020, but then a lot of life stuff happened and I just wasn’t able to. And then I was just like, “I’m gonna try it out,” and now I love it.

Do you notice any sort of skills from those previous boxing, kickboxing [that] help you in derby?

Yes, I think some help me and some don’t help me. The biggest transition for me has been from using my arms to not using my arms. In boxing, you have to have your arms up at all times, and you stand very straight up in boxing. And derby is the opposite. So learning to jam: I have to keep my arms in and not get any forearms, and then I should not be standing up straight.

So that’s been challenging, but the things that have crossed over that are good is just the overall strength, and my shoulders, so that really helps, and then my endurance. I think I’m able to have good endurance from my boxing training. But it’s a completely different sport. I’ve had to unlearn everything that I know and relearn. And now I have wheels on!

How would you describe your skating background pre-derby?

I rollerbladed a lot when I was younger. We had a skating rink—I grew up in a really small town, where they didn’t have a lot to do, so you either went to Walmart, or you went skating or bowling. Those were the three things. And so I had always rollerbladed, for years and years, and then when I went to join derby, they were like, “You can’t do rollerblades, you have to have quads.” So then I started skating at skating rinks like two or three months before fresh meat started, just so I made sure I could skate standing up. So more of a rollerblading background than skating. And then with wheels, [I did] skateboarding as well. But yeah, quads have been a change.

So you’ve kind of already touched on your derby playing style, but do you have anything else that you would add to it, or a signature move that you try to do?

I joke sometimes with Bush and say I like to get “angy” and just like power my way through like a bulldozer. Something I really try to do (a technique I got from boxing) is just to stare forward and not let my eyes telegraph where I’m going to go. And then when I’m jamming I really like to do sneaky passes. I like to tell my pivot: just watch me because if I do a pass, it’s most likely going to be sneaky, so that people can’t see it. But I would say my style is working on being more jukey, but I’m definitely a power through kind of person, so just going, just pushing.

You have really dabbled in all three of the different positions, as a blocker, and a pivot, and a jammer. Which one is your favorite to play?

I’m really enjoying jamming. It was funny because when I started, I was like, “I’m never going to be a jammer, I’m going to be a blocker.” Right, because I knew I was strong, I knew I had some of that skill. When I joined derby, getting hit was not a fear of mine because I got punched in the face all the time, so I really was not afraid of being hit. But then I jumped into pivot, and I really like that too, just kind of being the SOS person, like I need help. And I’m really enjoying jamming because I really like to have goals, and I like to push myself to my full potential, and I’m just really enjoying jamming right now, so I’m hoping to keep getting better at that.

How would you describe this rookie year you’ve had?

It’s been kind of a whirlwind. I have had a lot of personal stuff going in my life, so I’ve dedicated 110% to derby. I think since the beginning, I’ve only missed two practices, including fresh meat. It’s really just kept me sane. It’s kind of like my therapy. But when I first started, I was like, “There’s no way that I’m gonna be able to do this.” I was practicing transitions and toe stops in my house, and I was like, “I’m not gonna get this, I’m gonna fail.” But then I just started to put in the work, and I’m a big believer of what you put in is what you get out of it.

It’s definitely been empowering, it’s been cool to learn things and [have] things seeming really hard, and then all of a sudden you’re like, “Woah, I just did that?” I think last game I spun, I was jamming and I did a twirl and I was like, what? So sometimes you don’t even realize you’re doing things and it just happens. I don’t know if I answered the question, sorry.

Not only did you answer my question, you kind of read my mind, because I was literally in the moment thinking—do you have any of those turning moments, like where you realized you could do something that you previously couldn’t? Because that’s definitely a really cool one, I know what you’re talking about when you spun last time, that was cool. So do you remember an early one or the first one that you had?

That was definitely a big one because I remember looking over at Slam and being like [stunned] and she was like, “Go! Go! Go!” Because I was so shocked that I did it! But I think probably when we were in West Virginia [against Chemical Valley Rollergirls], on that fun trip, I had probably my biggest hit that I’ve ever had. I was blocking and I hit somebody really hard. I came back and they were like, “Yeah! That’s awesome!” So that was cool. Like actually, effectively hitting somebody. Because you can touch people, but then when you hit them and they—oh, I hit a jammer out, and I was like, “Did I just do that?” So there’s definitely been those moments. But I would say the last game with the spinning was definitely—I even came back [to the bench] and Bush was like, “I saw you do that spin!” And I was like, “I don’t even know how I did that! It just happened.”

When it comes to bouts, do you prefer our home bouts or traveling for away bouts?

I used to prefer away bouts because I was still (well I’m still a baby, but I was baby baby), and I was like, “Well at least if I mess up, I’m not going to know anybody except for my team.” But now I really enjoy the home games. It kind of pumps me up to have people there that I know and that support me. So I enjoy both, honestly. I don’t think I have a preference, one over the other. Maybe for convenience home games, just because I’ve got a kiddo, but yeah, it’s also fun to travel to new places. Nice to bond and get to know your people, and just have a good time.

Do you have any pre-bout rituals that you like to do?

Oh man, I don’t know if it’s a ritual, but I do not eat because I’m so nervous, like that my stomach’s gonna get upset. I usually just have a coffee and maybe an applesauce or something. But as far as pre-bout goes, I'm an early person. I’m always early everywhere, so I try to be early to things. This year since I’ve been on the bench staff, I think that helps me because I kind of watch what the All-Stars are doing before the Brawlers go on, so I guess that might be my pre-bout, just cheering on the All-Stars and watching you all and getting tips from just watching and seeing what you guys are doing. And it helps distract my brain also from being really nervous because I’m so focused on helping you all that I’m like, “Oh yeah, I have a game!”

What have been some of your favorite achievements on the track?

I guess as far as skills go: when I first was able to do a turn around toe stop, I was ecstatic. And then the 45 [degree angle] to the line, that was a big deal to me, to get those, because I really struggled with turning around when I first started. Now I just do it like, “Oh, cool, I just turned around!”

And then I’m just really excited that I got to jam this season! It’s kind of a big deal for me that I was able to, you know, kind of get into that because I know it is a more skilled position, it is one that takes a little bit longer just to kind of get the feel for it. I guess I’m just proud of trying all the positions and being willing to kind of go wherever.

You’ve organized our league’s volunteer opportunities this season. What have been some of your favorite moments from those outings?

Oh those have been fun! Yeah, I really liked our last one at Horse Haven. It was a lot of manual work, but nobody complained, everybody was really happy to do it. We made lots of jokes, and it was just really nice. I think I would say that for everything—everybody that has showed up has been willing to help, and even when things are chaotic, they’ve been patient with me trying to organize things. Everybody has a good attitude that comes, and so that’s always really nice because I feel like your energy and your attitude really affect other people, especially in those kind of events. I enjoy planning, I enjoy scheduling things, so it’s fun for me to do it. But I think probably out of all of them, I think Horse Haven was probably my favorite.

What is your go-to karaoke song?

Oh gosh, I love karaoke! I would say “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” by Céline Dion. That’s probably my go-to, which is funny because people would not think that with me. I would say that one, or “Like a Prayer” by Madonna. Probably more Céline Dion though. I like really theatrical karaoke songs because then I don’t have to be serious, so it makes me a little bit less nervous, but I really love singing (you know, you’ve karaoked with me in the car). I think definitely Céline Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me.” It’s a very dramatic song. It goes on forever though!

Oh it does! But it’s well worth it, it’s a lot of fun!

Yeah, I’m like, “Just wait—there’s more!”

How else do you like to spend your free time?

Between me and my boys: [husband] Tony just started playing rugby, and [son] Bentley plays baseball, so we’re all very sportsy. We try to support each other in all three of those. And we have a lot of animals that I enjoy spending time with. Then on the weekends, we try to just go do stuff with Bentley. Just like some bonding, ask him what he wants to do. Sometimes we go to the zoo, sometimes we’ll just go do an activity, and then some weekends we just stay at home, work on the house. Tony and I are kind of homebodies, Bentley not so much, so we have to balance it out. Singing, I love to sing, I love music. I like crafts, like making stuff.

What is the story behind your skater name and number?

I love everything horror, surprise surprise! Halloween is every day for me. I’ve loved spooky stuff since I was little. I actually watched Friday the 13th on repeat with my mamaw when I was like ten, so my mamaw really liked scary movies too. And then my dad always dressed up every Halloween as Jason Voorhees no matter what my costume was, he was always Jason from the time like kindergarten until I didn’t trick or treat any more. So Jason is actually my favorite, but I didn’t want my derby name to be Jason [laughs]. I couldn’t think of anything that went with that, but I have a top five, and Freddy [Krueger]’s in my top five. I really like Northern slang, like “I’m gonna shred,” so I really liked the name “Shreddy.”

And then my number has been a funny journey because we’re in the South. Some people are not a fan of my number, but it’s kind of an inside joke with my brothers and I, and also it just kind of fits the theme, obviously because, you know, Freddy Krueger and it just kind of goes with it. But my brothers and I, all three of our favorite number is six, and so when we were younger, we were always like, “Six-six-six!” You know, because it was like, there’s three of us, and it’s our favorite number, and then it goes with my theme as well. It’s got some history to it. And then we used, in our basement, we used to take a permanent marker [laughs] and write it on our wall to freak our mom out! Because we were like, “It’s just our favorite number!” And we always just thought it was funny that people got so upset over a number.

So my brothers and I, all three of us have a dark sense of humor, but yeah, I love everything spooky. Also really like ghosts. Every night I watch a horror movie, like a new one, it’s how I wind down my night. It just seemed appropriate to have the horror name. And I wear scratches every game because I like that, I really like to get into character because I love Halloween. Like I said, every day is Halloween for me!

What advice do you have for people who might want to play roller derby?

I would say try it and don’t—one of the things that I really like that we say in derby is that, “I can’t do this yet.” We always say, “yet” instead of, “I can’t do it.” That’s really helped me mentally because derby is a really mental game. It’s easy to get imposter syndrome and just be like, “I can’t do this, this is too hard.” Especially as an adult learning a new sport, you’re like, “Woah, what?” So I would say just try it, give yourself a chance, and what you put into it is what you get out of it.

I also say that derby is like a really safe environment, and people are really encouraging. The martial arts world is not really the same. You have to work really hard for things and there, people aren’t as kind. I would say that’s been a big adjustment for me and derby in a good way. You guys are really nice to me, and I’m like, “But I was in the box six times?” And they’re like, “It’s okay!” And I’m like, “What?” It is an accepting community too, so no matter what your ability is, no matter what your anything is—it’s open to everybody, and that’s a really big deal too. So I think it’s good all around.

Who would you like to nominate for next month, and what do you want to ask them?

Lemon DropHer. What is the thing that she’s most proud of since she started fresh meat until now? Because I feel like she’s done amazing. She’s really—from seeing her from day one until now, I’m just so proud of her. I guess what is her thing that she is most proud of herself for achieving? Because I have definitely seen a lot!

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Thanks for a phenomenal conversation Shreddy! Readers, you have one more chance to catch her and the rest of the Hard Knox team at home this Saturday, September 7, at World’s Fair Exhibition Hall. You don’t want to miss it! Until then, be like Shreddy, and tackle a new and challenging skill by remind yourself that you just can’t do it “yet.”

-smalls-

August Featured Skater: Mobile Crisis

Name: Mobile Crisis

Number: 16

Travel Team: Brawlers

Home Team: Moonshine Moxies

Years skating: 1

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She’s a fierce blocker who has officially made her debut with HKRD this season! Get to know August’s Skater of the Month: Mobile Crisis!

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You were nominated by Tough Muffin, who wants to know: how confident are you on the track versus off the track?

[laughs] I think that’s a great question! I am not a very confident person in all areas of life, and I think with being so new to derby and still trying to hone skills and figure out the game: definitely, I do not have a lot of confidence in my skills. That is something that I am hoping to continue to work on.

You’ve been involved with or adjacent to the roller derby community for quite a while. When did you first learn about the sport?

I think I went to my first bout in 2006. Like a lot of other people, I had seen derby on TV in childhood and kind of had some vague ideas of what was going on. And I can’t remember exactly how I found out about that first bout (probably flyers posted around) but me and some girlfriends went, and it seemed like that was super awesome! Couldn’t wait to get involved, but life happened, and actually did not reach out to try a fresh meat or meet any people until later (2014).

Had you skated before, or done any of that sort of stuff as a kid?

I skated as a kid. I think I might have been eleven or twelve, somewhere around there, and I told my parents that I wanted to play hockey. And so they signed me up for figure skating lessons. And that was good! I was informed it was less dangerous (and I supposed it is).

But I took ice skating lessons; I think I had a pair of roller blades. I’d go to roller skating and birthday parties, those sorts of things. Took mostly ice skating lessons, and then middle of high school actually got a job working at the ice rink, and so spent time on skates for that. But when 2014 rolled around and I did my first fresh meat, it had been years since I had consistently been on any sort of skate.

So you tried first in ‘14; this past year, you did fresh meat again. Any reason you can think of why this is the year that it stuck for you?

Uh, life! In 2014 I did a fresh meat round, and the league had some different standards at the time, so it took a little bit, and I passed the WFTDA [Women’s Flat Track Derby Association] test, where we had to do a certain number of laps in a certain amount of time, that was excellent. It was just a couple of practices in, after I had passed my sort of test, and I got pregnant with my son. And so that kind of derailed things for a little bit, and then I went to graduate school, and then life kept happening.

I came back at the beginning of 2022, and did not do a fresh meat, and two practices in, I sprained my ankle, and had to do physical therapy, and it took a few months to get back on track. I think it was April of that year, I decided that I really did need to do a fresh meat to kind of get my skills back up to speed. Did that fresh meat, and I think two practices in, sprained the other ankle. So I did yet another fresh meat in October of ‘22, and then all of 2023 I spent that year doing rec league and just sort of slowly coming to practices, trying to build confidence, and just spending more time on skates. So 2024 is the first year that I have actually dedicated to doing derby.

Whenever we tell people that we play roller derby, they tend to have questions for us. What is your favorite question or the most common question that people ask you?

Oh gosh. I don’t know that I get a lot of questions right off the bat. It’s more surprised faces, like, “Wait, what? Do you guys hit each other?” I guess that’s the biggest sort of area of questions or, “How violent is it? Do you guys still punch each other?” And then if someone remains interested, then they’ll start getting into questions about how the sport actually works and how you score points.

What is your favorite position to play and why?

Well, it’s not jamming. [laughs] I don’t know if that is because of a lack of endurance; I think it is more still not feeling super confident on skates. I think when you’re jamming, there is a lot more agility that is involved, and I still have in the back of my mind: you’re older and you can get injured, and so take it easy.

I do prefer blocking. I have a goal of eventually trying to do some pivoting, but still tend to shy away from that, simply because of the possibility of having to switch over to being a jammer. But definitely blocking, and I prefer the outside lane, and I also do like to brace. I like being able to see the action coming at me, and I like trying to figure out where to help my teammates sort of get into the best position to stop the jammer.

How would you describe your blocking style?

Hmmm, I wouldn’t! [laughs] At this moment, my style is trying to learn, figuring out what works best, what doesn’t, and doing everything that I can to adapt, to hone my skills into being a more effective blocker. Even though I’ve been around derby for so long, I feel like I really have not actually played for very long, and there’s still a lot of things that I’m figuring out about the game.

What is your most common penalty, and does that say anything about your personality or your playing style?

Well, my husband would say my common penalty is the fact that I don’t get very many penalties! And I think that is because I’m much more reserved in my playing—instead of sort of being more aggressive and going for it, I’m still kind of waiting to see what’s happening and what’s coming. So I really have not gotten very many penalties, but I think that the most common one I have gotten is either a multiplayer or a directional. On the times when I do get really into what’s happening and I’m going to try to hit somebody out, I usually stop thinking about the rest of the rules and just get them.

What is the story behind your skater name and number?

Skater name is because of my profession. “Mobile Crisis” is the unit that you call when someone is experiencing a mental health crisis, and so if somebody is in the community and they are in need of some psychiatric care, you call Mobile Crisis. I have never actually worked for Mobile Crisis, but I do work for the organization that runs Knoxville’s mobile crisis unit, and a lot of the positions that I have had over the years are very Mobile Crisis adjacent. I’ve spent most of my career working with individuals that are experiencing mental health crises or significant mental health symptoms.

And 16 is just because that’s the only number I’ve ever had. I did not play team sports growing up, and I joined an adult co-ed soccer team with my husband 10+ years ago, and that is the number that was just randomly assigned on the jersey. So 16 seemed like a pretty good one.

What have been some of your favorite derby moments? These could be either on or off the track.

I think on the track: my favorite moments are times when I feel like I was effective, and sometimes I understand what I did that was great, sometimes I don’t understand what I did (what was great) but those moments where it’s like, “Ohhh! You were in the right place at the right time, and you did something good! You stopped somebody! You did great!” I think those moments are good.

Off the track, I don’t know. It’s a great community, so spending time with each other and getting to know each other is pretty fun.

Do you have any pre-game rituals?

Try not to think about it! [laughs] That is pretty much the biggest thing that I do, because if I think about it all day, I get pretty nervous. I don’t know that I have developed any rituals, because I think at this point I really only played in—what have we had, four or five games? Something along those lines? I think my routine is just: try to keep Saturday as normal as possible. It’s just another day, it just happens to be a day that we’re going to play a game, and if I think too much about it, then it makes me nervous, and then I think it probably negatively affects how I’m going to do. Too much in my head, I can’t think about it.

So we only have had a few, but so far, have you preferred our home bouts or traveling for away bouts?

I actually prefer the away bouts. I think part of that is because I don’t know the people that are there, you know? I don’t really know all of the people that are at our home bouts either, but just being in a different place: I’m going to walk in, I’m gonna do the game. These people don’t know me, it just feels like the pressure is a lot less when we’re away.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Yesh, what free time? [laughs] I like to read. I like to craft, make things. Before I made the decision to go into the mental health field, I thought that I was going to be an architect. I do enjoy drawing and painting and designing and those kinds of things. I like spending time with my family. My kids are very athletic, and so there’s always some sort of game or practice or something to watch, so I do enjoy that.

What does your family think about you playing roller derby? Have they been to any of the bouts yet?

My parents are season ticket holders! So I think that’s good. My family is very supportive. I think my dad is pretty excited. I did not play organized sports growing up, but my brother did, and so I think it’s kind of—my dad went to every single one of my brother’s games, and now I’ve got some games, so I think he is enjoying showing up. Definitely my mother’s goal for every bout is just to not get injured. As long as I come home without an injury, it has been a successful game, regardless of the score!

Well that’s a perfect segue, because my next question was: what is your goal for the rest of the season, since we are halfway through it?

I think my goal for the rest of the season is to just finish. Which may be a small goal, but I think it’s a huge goal. This has been a dream of mine for eighteen years. To be able to be on the team and to play, and having all these bumps in the road, and finally getting to the point where I am right now—I think my goal is just to finish, and then my goal for the next season is to come back. You know, every practice that we have, every game that we have, my skill set improves, and my understanding of what I need to be doing on the track increases, and I am really looking forward to seeing where I am three, four years down the road.

Who would you like to nominate for next month, and what do you want to ask them?

Shreddy Krueger. I guess my question is just: why derby? I know that she has been involved in other sports, different athletics. Why derby? Why now?

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Thank you for a super fun and thoughtful conversation Crisis! Readers, you don’t have much longer to catch her and the other Hard Knox skaters at home this season, so make sure you clear up your schedule! Until next time, be like Crisis, and make it a goal to just finish something important to you!

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June Featured Skater: Tough Muffin

Name: Tough Muffin

Number: 350º

Travel Team: Brawlers

Home Team: Bombshell Bettys

Years skating: 2

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She is small and mighty out on the track. Get to know June’s skater of the month: Tough Muffin!

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You were nominated by Override, who wants to know: what do you want to be when you grow up?

That’s a good question from Override. Career-wise, I don’t know, but I know that I want to be a mom, and happy!

What brought you to roller derby?

I went to my first bout in 2022. It was the Halloween one, and I went because I knew Cat [#505] from the dog park (our dogs are actually best friends), and she said it would be a good time. Then fresh meat was right after, and I just decided to go for it.

Did you have any idea what roller derby was before you went?

I had seen Whip It, but otherwise, I didn’t know before I saw it in person. And I knew how to roller skate because I taught myself during COVID. You might not think that I knew how to skate, my first day of fresh meat, but I did!

Did you have any other COVID related things that you learned how to do, or ways that you kept yourself busy?

No, I pretty much just ate TikTok pasta and binged TV shows.

And that works too! So how would you describe your rookie year (fresh meat, first season, anything)?

Fresh meat went by really fast. It’s pretty much a blur, but I loved my first year of roller derby and the friendships that I’ve made, and I was sort of falling in love at the same time. Not to be cheesy, but it’s kind of hard to unlink the two, since I am dating one of my teammates.

We are always pro-cheese here! Well, how did you decide on your skater name and number?

My camp name was Muffin, for no particular reason, but that’s what I went by, so I knew I would respond to it. And then it was just about making it a two name deal.

Another idea I had was MG Hammer, but I don’t really like MC Hammer enough for that, but it used my initials.

My number used to be 273, which was my childhood home address, just an homage to my family, but I changed it this year to 350°, which is its own funny pun.

What is your favorite position to play?

Jammer. I like to go fast, and I guess I like being the center of attention.

Jammers do get the best photographs!

Yeah, although I’m always making the worst faces in those photos.

You had an excellent face in this last bout, when you were passing the panty that one time.

Oh yeah, I saw that. I think Kanary sent it to me and made a joke about it.

How would you describe your jamming style?

In progress. A lot of bending, and not a lot of successful pushing. I think I mix it up. Still definitely learning, but sometimes I get points!

Do you have a signature move as a jammer?

I wouldn’t say so, but I have been doing a lot of bean dipping, or doing the bean dip. And my favorite type of O [offense] is a shirt grab.

It’s always fun to watch you get really low with that [bean dip], and then just get around people.

Thanks!

If Tough Muffin had a theme song that we all hear whenever you do something awesome on the track, what would it be?

Ooh, that’s a fun one! I don’t know what speaks to me or my jamming, but something fun from the 80s, like “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” or “Karma Chameleon.”

On bout day, do you have any pre-game rituals?

My first year, I had to put my muffin on my face immediately before we went to the venue. But this year, I pretty much just try to relax so I don’t get anxious, and I walk my dog. Nothing exciting.

What are some of your favorite achievements on the track?

I guess MVP Jammer. I got that twice last year: once for our 15 minute game (as you recall, when we got rained out), but the other game was a full game, and I felt better about that one. I got Rookie of the Year, but that was at the end of the year party, so not really on the track. One time I hit somebody and everybody was like, “Woah!” That was fun. But just the once, I think.

Do you have any derby heroes?

Derby heroes…I don’t know enough about historical derby players, but within our own league—I love watching Kitty jam, and I admire my wife, Psych Wazowski, because she made All Star this year. 

There was a jammer on the Nashville team, Brannan. She played at Honky Tonk Stomp, she was amazing to watch. A total water element. She just went through every pack like a butter knife goes through butter.

Have you set any goals for yourself for this season? And if so, how are they going?

Yes: my goal is to get MVP Jammer again this year, at least once, and I would like to have a penalty-free bout. And now that we’re getting prizes for passing the panty, definitely want a prize.

Yes, I forget how many times did you pass it that first bout? I think you had three?

Yeah, I think two or three.

Let me see…[searching through my notes] yeah it was three that you had. Well speaking of penalties, what is your most common penalty, and what does that say about you as a skater?

Definitely cutting the track! And it’s because I continuously get hit out of bounds, and they run me back. This last game, I was a little reckless because I was getting frustrated, and I should have been more careful reentering behind everyone than I was, and that’s why I got a cut track, so I really only have myself to blame. I thought I could get away with it.

What is something on your bucket list?

I want to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef.

What is people’s reaction to learning that you play roller derby?

If it’s a man, honestly, they’re usually rude. He’ll be like, “Really? You play roller derby?” 

Everyone says, “Wow!” And if they want to know more, they’ll ask; otherwise, they’ll pretty quickly drop it. And I really don’t go on and on about it, unless I think somebody’s interested. But I could probably talk about roller derby all day.

What are some other things that you could talk about all day? Like how do you tend to spend your free time?

I hang out with my dog, and my girlfriend, and our friends. I love my family. I watch a lot of TV and movies, and I’ve always loved talking about those and pop culture. I’ve been doing logic puzzles to keep my mind sharp, but that’s not really worth talking about, that’s just something I do by myself.

If you could describe your derby experience in 3-5 words, or maybe a short sentence, what would you say?

How about: that escalated quickly.

Who would you like to nominate for next month, and what do you want to ask them?

Mobile Crisis. How confident are you on the track versus off the track?

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Thank you for a fun conversation, Muffin! Readers, you have two chances to catch Hard Knox at home this month: June 1 and 22. Don’t miss out on this amazing skating! And until next time, be like Tough Muffin, and just go for something new.

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