Oh, hey there! I didn't see you under this huge pile of data entry I've been doing. I'm happy to announce that, with the help of several people, the new website is ready for visitors. In the future, this blog will point there, but after a month or so it will just be left as an artifact of the web. Perhaps some day it will belong in a museum?
SouthCentralDerbyNews.Com is your new home for news and information about Roller Derby in the South Central. I've still got a bit of work to do, but there is much you can do to help! Poke around and tell me what breaks, what works, what you hate, and what you love.
The main thing I will need your help on is our new Schedule page. As you can see on the left hand side we will have a continuously updated database of all past games, and upcoming games in our region. If you are a team representative and want to send me all that information for your team it would be greatly appreciated. Otherwise it will be a slow going process to get us up to speed. Also, if you see any errors please let me know and we'll correct them. Don't worry about being nit-picky, it needs to be right.
My plan is that this can be used as a resource to see what teams have played which, the scores, and when it happened. This will contain any teams, not just WFTDA or Apprentice teams. Teams outside the South Central will be poorly represented here, as they will really just be shown as opponents to South Central teams. I still need your help in alerting me to teams I might not know about. I'm sure there are lots in our region, and I want to make sure they are properly represented.
Ok, that's all for now, we'll have your score wrap up coming along soon, and a whole bunch of new cool stuff down the line soon! You can expect rankings within a week or so, more game write-ups, and hopefully material from contributors as well! Later this year I am hoping to have our streaming bout system up and working.
Oh yeah, one last thing. This new webpage costs a little money. Not a lot, but I'm going to be testing some Google ads in the coming weeks and make sure they aren't too intrusive. If people are being bothered by them, or if something inappropriate comes up please, please let me know. Also, if you want to advertise, feel free to contact me as well. Ok, enjoy the new site!
SouthCentralDerbyNews.Com
Contact me: King James
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
6/18 - 6/19: Games to watch
Things are starting to heat up, and there are just two more weeks left in Quarter 2 for those teams in WFTDA. The next batch of rankings to come out determines who goes to Regionals, and who hits the track to get ready for their next season. For everyone else, it is just another week of derby action. My own rankings will come around the week of June 27, when all the Q2 action is completed. Anyway, this weekend is going to have a lot of really well matched teams playing each other!
Note: I'm pretty sure I am missing quite a few interleague games going on this weekend, and I apologize. Lots of planning is going into the new designs, and I had to cut something this week. Good luck to you!
Nashville's Music City All Stars (3SC/16FTS) vs. Chicago Outfit All Stars (9NC/25FTS/22DNN)
Prediction: Well, this is obviously the top game in the South Central to watch. After Nashville's run of great performances, taking down Jet City (7W/35FTS), Memphis (11SC/69FTS), and Hard Knox (12SC/58FTS) with ease, they are predicted to take home the win here. Chicago is no slouch, having stayed near the top of the pack since they first appeared on the WFTDA scene. Their recent conquests include South Central top 10s like No Coast (6SC/31FTS) and Omaha (8SC/52FTS). While there isn't any direct comparisons available, Nashville seems to be the stronger team here. I expect a hard fought victory for the South Central.
Nashville 150 - Chicago Outfit 110
Nashville's Music City Brawl Stars (Nashville B-team) vs. Chicago Outfit's Shade Brigade (Chicago B-team)
Prediction: Both high powered teams with solid B-teams that could take on many full WFTDA teams. The Brawl Stars looked really strong at Honky Tonk Stomp 2011, and I will give them the advantage here, especially after Shade Brigade's slightly less stellar performance at Brewhaha. To their credit, they played some slightly harder teams, and this should be a good match.
Brawl Stars 160 - Shade Brigade 90
Hard Knox All Stars (12SC/58FTS) vs. Big Easy All Stars (18SC/66FTS)
Prediction: Big Easy has languished in the lower positions of the South Central for a long time, but has recently been making a bit of a name for themselves. They most recently took down newcomer Jacksonville (-SC/59FTS) in a surprising upset, and played a close game to Bleeding Heartland (13NC/49FTS). Hard Knox, on the other hand, was a regular top 10 team, and has seen a lot of pressure from loses to newer lower ranked teams like Jacksonville and Gold Coast (11SC/63FTS) push them a bit lower. While there is an easy triangulation between Hard Knox, Jacksonville, and Big Easy, I am still not quite convinced it will play out that way here. Watch for Big Easy to give a great performance, but Hard Knox regroup from a series of tough games for the win.
Hard Knox 160 - Big Easy 125
Hard Knox Brawlers (Knoxville's B-team) vs. Big Easy's Crescent Wenches (Big Easy Home Team)
Prediction: Another solid set of B-teams. While the Crescent Wenches aren't really a B-team, it is my understanding that they are a home team. That said, I'm not sure if some people are playing in both games or not and if this would really be consider a true B-team matchup. Either way it should be good, and I'm going to side with Knoxville again.
Brawlers 130 - Crescent Wenches 110
Dixie Derby Girls All Stars (19SC/85FTS) vs. Derby City (17NC/74FTS)
Prediction: There isn't a lot of comparison points between these two teams. They share similar placement in rankings in their respective regions, and both have been struggling for wins. While Dixie is a long time participating member league in WFTDA, their only win this year comes a 26 point victory over Alamo City (23SC/88FTS). Derby City is relatively new, but has made a bit of a splash with their decent loss 54 point loss to Bleeding Heartland (13NC/49FTS) this year. While I really want the South Central to win, this is going to be a close one. In the end Derby City is likely to walk away much happier.
Dixie 110 - Derby City 130
Dixie's Rocket City Rollers (Dixie B-team) vs. Tragic City's Plan-B (Tragic City B-team)
Prediction: This is a bit of a warm up for when Dixie and Tragic City play a proper All Star game later this year. Tragic City was one of my top rated Apprentice leagues in the South Central, and I imagine their B-team is similarly strong. This is also a rematch from last year where Plan-B emerged the victor by a 2 to 1 margin. I am expecting a good game, but for Tragic City to prevail similarly to last year.
Rocket City Rollers 60 - Plan-B 120
Memphis's Hustlin' Rollers (11SC/69FTS) vs. Jacksonville (-SC/59FTS)
Prediction: This game could make for some odd triangulation. I'm not going to go into the details, but believe me when I say it would make for a complicated flow chart between Memphis (11SC/69FTS), Knoxville (12SC/58FTS) , Tallahassee (14SC/56FTS), Gold Coast (13SC/63FTS), Big Easy (18SC/66FTS), and Jacksonville (-SC/59FTS), as to who is the higher ranked. The 10-15 spots are complicated right now. While both teams have been on surprising downturns lately, Jacksonville seems to be favored by the robots at Flat Track Stats. I think it is going to be a close one, and Memphis's home field advantage will pull through for them.
Memphis 160 - Jacksonville 120
No Coast (6SC/31FTS) vs. Northwest Arkansas (16SC/76FTS)
Prediction: No Coast is very good, Northwest Arkansas, not quite as competitive. I don't think there is any doubt as to who is going to win this one. No Coast has beaten Dallas (10SC/65FTS) when they were still highly regarded last year; whereas, Northwest Arkansas recently lost to them by almost 150 points. There isn't much else to say regarding who is going to win here, so I'll wrap it up with the score prediction.
No Coast 250 - Northwest Arkansas 50
Ft. Myers Derby Girls (Florida) vs. Atlanta's Rumble B's (Atlanta B-team)
Prediction: Ft. Myers should be riding high after a solid win over Tampa's Bruise Crew, and seem to be eyeing better and better teams. I'm not sure if they have WFTDA aspirations or not, but they are turning out to be a solid addition to the many great teams in Florida. Atlanta's Rumble B's are nothing but serious, they lost by just about 10 points to Gold Coast (13SC/63FTS), and played a respectable 100 point loss against Apprentice power house Columbia Quad Squad. A win here would place Ft. Myers prospects rather high for if they ever decide to join WFTDA, somewhere in the mid teens of rankings. Either way it should be close, and I don't feel comfortable picking either team to win. But I guess I have to!
Ft. Myers 135 - Rumble B's 130
Dallas (10SC/65FTS) vs. Pueblo (-W/-FTS)
Prediction: Dallas has begun their upswing, and is taking on new WFTDA member Pueblo. I can't find any information about Pueblo's recent bout scores, so I will have to give the advantage to the size and experience of Dallas.
Dallas wins
Tri-County (Florida) vs. Gainesville (Florida)
Prediction: Tri-County is a team I can't find much on, so we'll talk about Gainesville here. Gainesville plays lots of local teams and almost always wins, including against Gold Coast and Tampa's B-teams. Given that I will side with them. This pains me as a Seminole to side with Gainesville, I must admit.
Gainesville wins
Bradentucky Nuclear Bombshells (Florida) vs. Sarasota (Florida)
Prediction: Same as above, Sarasota is hard to find information on, and I don't see any score results for Bradentucky despite an otherwise informative webpage.
Note: I'm pretty sure I am missing quite a few interleague games going on this weekend, and I apologize. Lots of planning is going into the new designs, and I had to cut something this week. Good luck to you!
Nashville's Music City All Stars (3SC/16FTS) vs. Chicago Outfit All Stars (9NC/25FTS/22DNN)
Prediction: Well, this is obviously the top game in the South Central to watch. After Nashville's run of great performances, taking down Jet City (7W/35FTS), Memphis (11SC/69FTS), and Hard Knox (12SC/58FTS) with ease, they are predicted to take home the win here. Chicago is no slouch, having stayed near the top of the pack since they first appeared on the WFTDA scene. Their recent conquests include South Central top 10s like No Coast (6SC/31FTS) and Omaha (8SC/52FTS). While there isn't any direct comparisons available, Nashville seems to be the stronger team here. I expect a hard fought victory for the South Central.
Nashville 150 - Chicago Outfit 110
Nashville's Music City Brawl Stars (Nashville B-team) vs. Chicago Outfit's Shade Brigade (Chicago B-team)
Prediction: Both high powered teams with solid B-teams that could take on many full WFTDA teams. The Brawl Stars looked really strong at Honky Tonk Stomp 2011, and I will give them the advantage here, especially after Shade Brigade's slightly less stellar performance at Brewhaha. To their credit, they played some slightly harder teams, and this should be a good match.
Brawl Stars 160 - Shade Brigade 90
Hard Knox All Stars (12SC/58FTS) vs. Big Easy All Stars (18SC/66FTS)
Prediction: Big Easy has languished in the lower positions of the South Central for a long time, but has recently been making a bit of a name for themselves. They most recently took down newcomer Jacksonville (-SC/59FTS) in a surprising upset, and played a close game to Bleeding Heartland (13NC/49FTS). Hard Knox, on the other hand, was a regular top 10 team, and has seen a lot of pressure from loses to newer lower ranked teams like Jacksonville and Gold Coast (11SC/63FTS) push them a bit lower. While there is an easy triangulation between Hard Knox, Jacksonville, and Big Easy, I am still not quite convinced it will play out that way here. Watch for Big Easy to give a great performance, but Hard Knox regroup from a series of tough games for the win.
Hard Knox 160 - Big Easy 125
Hard Knox Brawlers (Knoxville's B-team) vs. Big Easy's Crescent Wenches (Big Easy Home Team)
Prediction: Another solid set of B-teams. While the Crescent Wenches aren't really a B-team, it is my understanding that they are a home team. That said, I'm not sure if some people are playing in both games or not and if this would really be consider a true B-team matchup. Either way it should be good, and I'm going to side with Knoxville again.
Brawlers 130 - Crescent Wenches 110
Dixie Derby Girls All Stars (19SC/85FTS) vs. Derby City (17NC/74FTS)
Prediction: There isn't a lot of comparison points between these two teams. They share similar placement in rankings in their respective regions, and both have been struggling for wins. While Dixie is a long time participating member league in WFTDA, their only win this year comes a 26 point victory over Alamo City (23SC/88FTS). Derby City is relatively new, but has made a bit of a splash with their decent loss 54 point loss to Bleeding Heartland (13NC/49FTS) this year. While I really want the South Central to win, this is going to be a close one. In the end Derby City is likely to walk away much happier.
Dixie 110 - Derby City 130
Dixie's Rocket City Rollers (Dixie B-team) vs. Tragic City's Plan-B (Tragic City B-team)
Prediction: This is a bit of a warm up for when Dixie and Tragic City play a proper All Star game later this year. Tragic City was one of my top rated Apprentice leagues in the South Central, and I imagine their B-team is similarly strong. This is also a rematch from last year where Plan-B emerged the victor by a 2 to 1 margin. I am expecting a good game, but for Tragic City to prevail similarly to last year.
Rocket City Rollers 60 - Plan-B 120
Memphis's Hustlin' Rollers (11SC/69FTS) vs. Jacksonville (-SC/59FTS)
Prediction: This game could make for some odd triangulation. I'm not going to go into the details, but believe me when I say it would make for a complicated flow chart between Memphis (11SC/69FTS), Knoxville (12SC/58FTS) , Tallahassee (14SC/56FTS), Gold Coast (13SC/63FTS), Big Easy (18SC/66FTS), and Jacksonville (-SC/59FTS), as to who is the higher ranked. The 10-15 spots are complicated right now. While both teams have been on surprising downturns lately, Jacksonville seems to be favored by the robots at Flat Track Stats. I think it is going to be a close one, and Memphis's home field advantage will pull through for them.
Memphis 160 - Jacksonville 120
No Coast (6SC/31FTS) vs. Northwest Arkansas (16SC/76FTS)
Prediction: No Coast is very good, Northwest Arkansas, not quite as competitive. I don't think there is any doubt as to who is going to win this one. No Coast has beaten Dallas (10SC/65FTS) when they were still highly regarded last year; whereas, Northwest Arkansas recently lost to them by almost 150 points. There isn't much else to say regarding who is going to win here, so I'll wrap it up with the score prediction.
No Coast 250 - Northwest Arkansas 50
Ft. Myers Derby Girls (Florida) vs. Atlanta's Rumble B's (Atlanta B-team)
Prediction: Ft. Myers should be riding high after a solid win over Tampa's Bruise Crew, and seem to be eyeing better and better teams. I'm not sure if they have WFTDA aspirations or not, but they are turning out to be a solid addition to the many great teams in Florida. Atlanta's Rumble B's are nothing but serious, they lost by just about 10 points to Gold Coast (13SC/63FTS), and played a respectable 100 point loss against Apprentice power house Columbia Quad Squad. A win here would place Ft. Myers prospects rather high for if they ever decide to join WFTDA, somewhere in the mid teens of rankings. Either way it should be close, and I don't feel comfortable picking either team to win. But I guess I have to!
Ft. Myers 135 - Rumble B's 130
Dallas (10SC/65FTS) vs. Pueblo (-W/-FTS)
Prediction: Dallas has begun their upswing, and is taking on new WFTDA member Pueblo. I can't find any information about Pueblo's recent bout scores, so I will have to give the advantage to the size and experience of Dallas.
Dallas wins
Tri-County (Florida) vs. Gainesville (Florida)
Prediction: Tri-County is a team I can't find much on, so we'll talk about Gainesville here. Gainesville plays lots of local teams and almost always wins, including against Gold Coast and Tampa's B-teams. Given that I will side with them. This pains me as a Seminole to side with Gainesville, I must admit.
Gainesville wins
Bradentucky Nuclear Bombshells (Florida) vs. Sarasota (Florida)
Prediction: Same as above, Sarasota is hard to find information on, and I don't see any score results for Bradentucky despite an otherwise informative webpage.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Does (city) size matter?
A lot of things go into making a great Roller Derby team. Knowledge, experience, practice, hard work, and talented people. But how do you attract all the people you need to create the Derby team of your dreams? It can be difficult to find all the myriad of skills and hard workers. One of the easiest ways to ensure that you have access to all of the skill sets you need is to be in an area that has access to lots of different people. In other words, be in a large city.
Here is a quick break down of teams by WFTDA rank, and the population of the metro area the team is located in (in thousands)
This is pretty clear. The larger your city, the more likely it is you have been a long standing WFTDA member league. Therefore, city size is still the controlling factor here, as it ties directly into the age of your league.
Here is a quick break down of teams by WFTDA rank, and the population of the metro area the team is located in (in thousands)
- Kansas City - 1,991
- Texas - 1,716
- Nashville - 1,671
- Houston - 6,108
- Atlanta - 5,269
- No Coast - 302
- Tampa - 2,783
- Omaha - 865
- Green Country - 937
- Dallas - 6,372
- Memphis - 1,316
- Hard Knox - 698
- Gold Coast - 5,565
- Tallahassee - 367
- Duke City - 887
- Northwest Ark - 472
- Oklahoma V. - 1,253
- Big Easy - 1,167
- Dixie - 417
- ICT - 623
- Assassination - 6,372
- West Texas - 285
- Alamo City - 2,142
- Spindletop - 389
If you graph it out it is hard to get any information out of it simply because there are a few cities that are so large they make it difficult to see any trends. But if you average it in groupings you will see something interesting.
Ranking by average City Population
- Average of rank #1 through #5: 3,351
- Average of rank #6 through #10: 2,252
- Average of rank #11 through #15: 1,767
- Average of rank #16 through #20: 786
- Average of rank #21 through #24: 1,962
The last grouping is thrown off by Assassination City, which happens to be in Dallas, so Dallas is double listed here. But you can see a solid trend. The larger your team's city, the higher likely hood there is of you being a highly ranked team. There are likely many contributing factors, but are all tied to city size.
The first contributing factor is the age of your league. However, we can prove that the larger a city is, the older the team is, simply because the more people you have the more likely someone is to have founded a league. If you sort the teams by population, and then average the amount of time they have been WFTDA member leagues, you get this.
Average city population by age in WFTDA
- Highest 5 Populations: 5 Years
- 2nd Highest 5 Populations: 5 Years
- 3rd Highest 5 Populations: 4.6 Years
- 4th Highest 5 Populations: 4 Years
- 5th Highest 5 Populations: 3.6 Years
While I can't find all the information on when a league first started practicing, I can find information on how long they have been in WFTDA.
Age by WFTDA ranking.
- Average of rank #1 through #5: 5.4 Years
- Average of rank #6 through #10: 4.2 Years
- Average of rank #11 through #15: 3.6 Years
- Average of rank #16 through #20: 4.4 Years
- Average of rank #21 through #24: 3.8 Years
Again, we get a trend, some correlation, but no clear causation. Simply that the longer a team has been around, they better they are. In general.
Finally, there is tradition. By tradition I mean a skating tradition. Teams in the north and east have a tradition of hockey, while the Midwest has speed skating out the wazoo. The true south has little tradition of skating anywhere. While this puts them at an initial disadvantage, the teams that are present are creating the traditions, so this will be something that matters less. Also, I can't think of an easy way to convert this into numbers.
So what is throwing the numbers off? We'll look at a few cities that don't quite fit the mold.
Assassination City: Population 6.3 Million, been a WFTDA member league since 2005. Unfortunately they happen to share their city with Dallas, long time top 7 or so team. People are likely to flock to a larger higher ranked team simply so that they can benefit from their experience. They have picked up a few good skaters recently with Dallas's implosion, so look for Assassination city to conform to the numbers better.
Oklahoma Victory Dolls & Big Easy Rollergirls: Populations greater than 1 Million, and WFTDA member leagues since 2005. I'm not sure what is keeping them back right now, but both are moving up in the rankings. I expect them to fit the statistics better soon.
Gold Coast: Population 5.5 Million, been a WFTDA member league for just about a year. Gold Coast debuted at the 13 spot, but given a series of strong performances look for them to move up as time goes on.
What is my conclusion? About the same as what I said at the beginning. Having your league in a large city gives you multiple benefits. You are likely to have been founded earlier; thus, giving you a head start on experience, and you have a larger population of people to draw from to fill your skill sets. You can look at the graphs and see it isn't the most important factor in a league's placement in the rankings, but it sure doesn't seem to hurt any.
This doesn't even get into league size which I guarantee is a large factor as well. Unfortunately many leagues seem to not put that sort of information out in the open, and many leagues are quite fluid in their membership.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
What is coming down the line
Well, this blog has been up for almost a month now, and it has really taken off, approaching an average of 200 visitors a day. While this isn't huge yet, it is steadily growing in popularity. I have lots of big ideas, and the fact that so many people seem interested in them is really motivating me to work on this more. As a result I'm starting to run into some of the limitations of the Blogger setup. Within the next month I will likely migrate all of the content here to a true standalone webpage. This will allow me the freedom I need to really customize the work here and expand on what I have. So, what to look forward to in the short term?
- Database of all teams in the South Central, schedules, and scored from the past
- More coverage of games with write ups
- A more journalistic approach, as opposed to blog-like and opinion based
And the slightly more long term...
- More writers and contributors of video and photos
- Live streaming of bouts
I'm not looking to duplicate the work being done by others already, just to provide coverage for the multitude of worthy teams that fly under many people's radar. I want to make sure each team in the South Central gets their time to be in the sun. Alright, things may slow down a touch on the content side here because of the other work being done, but keep checking back for lots of new stuff. I'm really excited about the team we're putting together to improve your experience here! See you soon!
Contact me: King James
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
June's Featured League & Skater
Today we have a new feature: The Featured League, and Skater of the month. For the purposes of my own sanity they will come from the same League. When I started this blog I didn't think I would have many readers, so I asked my local league, the Tallahassee Rollergirls to have the honors of the first League and Skater. Well, we've come a long way in a short time and already have leagues lined up through August. If you are a league or skater who wants to be highlighted here, then please shoot me an email and we can set something up; however, I can't say it will be exactly first come, first serve. I will likely try to honor it, but spice things up for geographical variety. So, without further delay, June's Featured League and Skater of the Month!
June's Featured League: Tallahassee Rollergirls
Web Page: TallyRG.com
Where are you located?: Tallahassee, Florida.
Give us a brief league history: Our league was founded in 2006, and our first full season of derby happened in 2007. We became a member of WFTDA in 2009, and are currently ranked 14th in the South Central Region.
How large is your league now?: Our league currently has around 27 dedicated skaters on two teams: Our All-Star team is Capital Punishment, and the Jailbreak Betties for our up and coming players. We are also very fortunate to have one of the best referee, NSO and volunteer crews out there.
Who is your biggest rival league?: Our biggest rival league would have to be fellow WFTDA member, Jacksonville Roller Girls. For the past two seasons our bouts against Jacksonville have always been the most intense and challenging of the season. It is usually a back and forth fight all the way until the end.
Who is your idol league?: Our idol league would have to the Atlanta Roller Girls. They are an amazing group of ladies who play hard but with a lot of class, and are very supportive. A few months ago Alassin Sane and Rebel Yellow came down to run a workshop for us that was amazing.
Who are some of your All-Stars we should watch for?: One of our most recognized players is LaVoodoo, who is a great all-around blocker. Our jammers Stone Her, low maim and Great Wall of Gina have very different jammer styles but are all known for their playing ability, speed, and intensity. Trailer Thrash, Erin Breakabitch, The Terminatrix, Pixie Pounder, Fem Venomous and Moxie Knockout are some of veterans who are known for their hard hits and strategic play. Also watch out for some new stand-outs Jabba the Butt, Titanium Whip, and Vaginamite.
If we had to watch one upcoming game, which one should it be, and why? That would have to be the upcoming rematch bout against the Hard Knox Roller Girls on July 16th, in Knoxville, Tennessee. In our last match-up we lost by just 12 points in a great, evenly-matched bout.
What are your plans for the future?: Our plans are to keep training hard, continue to perfect our game strategy, and to always challenge ourselves. While we are one of the smaller leagues in WFTDA, our hearts and drive are through the roof. Our goal is to make 2012 the year we make it to Regionals.
June's Featured Skater: Great Wall of Gina
Name: Great Wall of Gina
Number: #4000
League & Team: Tallahassee RollerGirls, Capital Punishment
How long have you been skating and playing Roller Derby?: I have been skating and playing Roller Derby since 2006. So just over 5 years now (time seems to fly!).
What was your level of experience before you joined the team?: Pretty much non-existent. When I joined the league in 2006, the only skating experience I had was the occasional skate around the local roller rink at friend’s birthday parties. While I was definitely not a wall-hugger, I couldn’t do a crossover to save my life. Double toe-stops and backward skating absolutely petrified me.
What is your favorite position to play on the track?: I’m almost always a jammer for my team. While I do love jamming, I get a little giddy when I get the chance to block. Since it doesn't happen often, I love any position in the pack since I tend to move around a lot in the pack.
What is your favorite Roller Derby moment that you helped create?: There have been so many wonderful moments, but one of the most memorable has to be when we played the Memphis Hustlin’ Rollers earlier this season. During this bout, with the help of my amazing blockers, I was able to score 29 points in the last jam before the end of the first half which helped my team tie up the game. This was a personal best for me, and I believe a league record for most points scored in a single jam during a sanctioned WFTDA bout.
What are you most well known for on the track?: Being Asian? Just kidding! I think I’m known for my intensity during the game, smart plays, and consistency.
Who is your Roller Derby hero?: There are just too many people I really admire for their derby playing abilities….Snot Rocket Science, Olivia Shootin’ John, Alassin Sane, Bettie Kruger. However, my roller derby heroes have to be all the ladies who lace up their skates and push through all the sweat, blood, and tears even when they don’t think they can.
What is the one piece of advice you'd like to give to every skater?: Remember to breathe. Inevitably there are going to be times in either a game or practice that will get you so frustrated that you think that’s it, I've had it. Instead, take a second to breathe and refocus. Think about what you can do to make it work, make sure to talk with your teammates to get on the same page, and never look back.
Contact me: King James
June's Featured League: Tallahassee RollergirlsWeb Page: TallyRG.com
Where are you located?: Tallahassee, Florida.
Give us a brief league history: Our league was founded in 2006, and our first full season of derby happened in 2007. We became a member of WFTDA in 2009, and are currently ranked 14th in the South Central Region.
How large is your league now?: Our league currently has around 27 dedicated skaters on two teams: Our All-Star team is Capital Punishment, and the Jailbreak Betties for our up and coming players. We are also very fortunate to have one of the best referee, NSO and volunteer crews out there.
Who is your biggest rival league?: Our biggest rival league would have to be fellow WFTDA member, Jacksonville Roller Girls. For the past two seasons our bouts against Jacksonville have always been the most intense and challenging of the season. It is usually a back and forth fight all the way until the end.
Who is your idol league?: Our idol league would have to the Atlanta Roller Girls. They are an amazing group of ladies who play hard but with a lot of class, and are very supportive. A few months ago Alassin Sane and Rebel Yellow came down to run a workshop for us that was amazing.
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| Photo: Al Hall & Ray Rodil |
If we had to watch one upcoming game, which one should it be, and why? That would have to be the upcoming rematch bout against the Hard Knox Roller Girls on July 16th, in Knoxville, Tennessee. In our last match-up we lost by just 12 points in a great, evenly-matched bout.
What are your plans for the future?: Our plans are to keep training hard, continue to perfect our game strategy, and to always challenge ourselves. While we are one of the smaller leagues in WFTDA, our hearts and drive are through the roof. Our goal is to make 2012 the year we make it to Regionals.
June's Featured Skater: Great Wall of Gina
Name: Great Wall of Gina
Number: #4000
League & Team: Tallahassee RollerGirls, Capital Punishment
How long have you been skating and playing Roller Derby?: I have been skating and playing Roller Derby since 2006. So just over 5 years now (time seems to fly!).
What was your level of experience before you joined the team?: Pretty much non-existent. When I joined the league in 2006, the only skating experience I had was the occasional skate around the local roller rink at friend’s birthday parties. While I was definitely not a wall-hugger, I couldn’t do a crossover to save my life. Double toe-stops and backward skating absolutely petrified me.
What is your favorite position to play on the track?: I’m almost always a jammer for my team. While I do love jamming, I get a little giddy when I get the chance to block. Since it doesn't happen often, I love any position in the pack since I tend to move around a lot in the pack.
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| Photo: Al Hall & Ray Rodil |
What are you most well known for on the track?: Being Asian? Just kidding! I think I’m known for my intensity during the game, smart plays, and consistency.
Who is your Roller Derby hero?: There are just too many people I really admire for their derby playing abilities….Snot Rocket Science, Olivia Shootin’ John, Alassin Sane, Bettie Kruger. However, my roller derby heroes have to be all the ladies who lace up their skates and push through all the sweat, blood, and tears even when they don’t think they can.
What is the one piece of advice you'd like to give to every skater?: Remember to breathe. Inevitably there are going to be times in either a game or practice that will get you so frustrated that you think that’s it, I've had it. Instead, take a second to breathe and refocus. Think about what you can do to make it work, make sure to talk with your teammates to get on the same page, and never look back.
Contact me: King James
Monday, June 13, 2011
Prediction Accuracy: 6/11 - 6/12
Carolina All-Stars (7E/14FTS) vs. Tallahassee's Capital Punishment (14SC/56FTS)
Prediction: Carolina 200 - Tallahassee 85
Actual: Carolina 306 - Tallahassee 65
Accuracy?: Good
Analysis: Carolina has greatly improved their performance in just the last few months, and is eyeing the WFTDA Championship round this year. Whatever they have done they should keep it up. Tallahassee, despite getting beat by a significant margin, actually played slightly above Flat Track Stats expectations, which just goes to show you how good Carolina is. This doesn't change either team's ranking outlook, but it must feel good for Carolina to roll into the 300's on points. Expect big things from Carolina despite a crowded East.
Analysis: Carolina has greatly improved their performance in just the last few months, and is eyeing the WFTDA Championship round this year. Whatever they have done they should keep it up. Tallahassee, despite getting beat by a significant margin, actually played slightly above Flat Track Stats expectations, which just goes to show you how good Carolina is. This doesn't change either team's ranking outlook, but it must feel good for Carolina to roll into the 300's on points. Expect big things from Carolina despite a crowded East.
Classic City Rollergirls (Apprentice) vs. Atlanta's Sake Tuyus (Atlanta Home Team)
Prediction: Classic City 75 - Sake Tuyus 140
Actual: Classic City 45 - Sake Tuyus 210
Accuracy?: Good
Analysis: About what I predicted, just a little more extreme. The Sake Tuyus are a solid home team, so this is nothing to be too worried about for an Apprentice league like Classic City. Given that the point differential was really just below 5 to 1, I think they beat most analysts expectations. I really look forward to seeing them play more games and becoming a full member team.
Analysis: About what I predicted, just a little more extreme. The Sake Tuyus are a solid home team, so this is nothing to be too worried about for an Apprentice league like Classic City. Given that the point differential was really just below 5 to 1, I think they beat most analysts expectations. I really look forward to seeing them play more games and becoming a full member team.
Oklahoma City Roller Derby (-FTS/105FTS) vs. Kansas City Plan B (Kansas City B-team)
Prediction: Oklahoma City 45 - Kansas City Plan B - 160
Actual: Oklahoma City 53 - Kansas City Plan B - 101
Accuracy?: Good
Analysis: Oklahoma City Roller Derby is one of the newest teams, and has an uphill battle ahead of them being so close to so many other great teams. If they keep playing games like this they should improve in time. Holding Kansas City's B-team to 101 points is a sign of good defense against a team that likely has former travel team members on it, and 53 points in return is nice as well. Admittedly, it is never a good thing to lose to a B-team if you are an aspiring full WFTDA member.
Analysis: Oklahoma City Roller Derby is one of the newest teams, and has an uphill battle ahead of them being so close to so many other great teams. If they keep playing games like this they should improve in time. Holding Kansas City's B-team to 101 points is a sign of good defense against a team that likely has former travel team members on it, and 53 points in return is nice as well. Admittedly, it is never a good thing to lose to a B-team if you are an aspiring full WFTDA member.
Tulsa (Oklahoma) vs. Kansas City Plan B (Kansas City B-team)
Prediction: Tulsa 180 - Kansas City Plan B 120
Actual: Tulsa 93 - Kansas City Plan B 170
Accuracy?: Wrong
Analysis: Looks like Kansas City's Plan B went two for two in back to back wins. Both games look like they were solid victories, but good efforts were put up by the losing team in each case. Strong B-teams are a sign of a strong league as a whole, and I expect nothing but the best from Kansas City. Tulsa managed to put up double the points Oklahoma City did just one day previous, but also gave up almost double the points. Must have been a fast exciting game.
Analysis: Looks like Kansas City's Plan B went two for two in back to back wins. Both games look like they were solid victories, but good efforts were put up by the losing team in each case. Strong B-teams are a sign of a strong league as a whole, and I expect nothing but the best from Kansas City. Tulsa managed to put up double the points Oklahoma City did just one day previous, but also gave up almost double the points. Must have been a fast exciting game.
Big Easy Crescent Wenches (New Orleans Home Team) vs. Pearl River (Louisiana)
Prediction: Crescent Wenches win
Actual: Crescent Wenches 141 - Pearl River 118
Accuracy?: Good
Mississippi Rollergirls vs. Central Arkansas
Prediction: Central Arkansas win
Actual: Mississippi Rollergirls 204 - Central Arkansas 89
Accuracy?: Wrong
Capital City (Kansas) vs. ICT Rollergirls (20SC/78FTS)
Prediction: Capital City 120 - ICT 150
Hub City Hattiesburg Hooligans (Apprentice) vs. Emerald Coast (Florida)
Prediction: Hub City 80 - Emerald Coast 170
Prediction: Capital City 120 - ICT 150
Actual: Capital City 127 - ICT 194
Accuracy?: Good
Analysis: A solid win from ICT, exceeding my expectations on this game. Capital City is no slouch,they have taken down Kansas City's Plan B, and given how well they did this weekend you can see that ICT had a good fight on their hands. This should be a good regroup for the rest of ICT's season.
Analysis: A solid win from ICT, exceeding my expectations on this game. Capital City is no slouch,
Prediction: Hub City 80 - Emerald Coast 170
Actual: unknown
Accuracy?: unknown
Analysis: Another game without a score posted. I'm not even sure it took place at this point.
Analysis: Another game without a score posted. I'm not even sure it took place at this point.
Today's Predictions: 5/7
Overall: 27/36
Overall: 27/36
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Volunteers!
There are lots of awesome people who help make Roller Derby happen. Obviously you have your skaters, coaches, trainers, and so forth, but there are a literal army of volunteers who make everything even better. One special group of volunteers is your media folks. These are the people taking photographs and videos of your events and make you look even better than in real life. Somehow.
Most of the photographs I post on this blog come from the very talented Ray Rodil (who we'll cover more later) but today I wanted to show off the awesome work of Kevin Borke, who does videography for the Atlanta Rollergirls. He has given me permission to post these trailer type videos that he helps make, and I thought they were all awesome.
Here are two videos he did of recent WFTDA games. He has a bunch more that are of interleague games as well. You can see these, and more at Dirty South Derby Girls Youtube page.
Atlanta's Dirty South Derby Girls vs. Tampa Tantrums: April 26, 2011
Dirty South Derby Girls vs. Hard Knox Rollergirls: May 21, 2011
I love these videos! Awesome angles, editing, and kick ass music as well. The videos give anyone who is curious an immediate sense of what modern flat track Derby is really like, and has highlights for your fans and skaters as well.
If you are a photographer, artist, videographer, or whatever, please let me know and I'll try and get your stuff out to the public.
Contact me: King James
Most of the photographs I post on this blog come from the very talented Ray Rodil (who we'll cover more later) but today I wanted to show off the awesome work of Kevin Borke, who does videography for the Atlanta Rollergirls. He has given me permission to post these trailer type videos that he helps make, and I thought they were all awesome.
Here are two videos he did of recent WFTDA games. He has a bunch more that are of interleague games as well. You can see these, and more at Dirty South Derby Girls Youtube page.
Atlanta's Dirty South Derby Girls vs. Tampa Tantrums: April 26, 2011
Dirty South Derby Girls vs. Hard Knox Rollergirls: May 21, 2011
I love these videos! Awesome angles, editing, and kick ass music as well. The videos give anyone who is curious an immediate sense of what modern flat track Derby is really like, and has highlights for your fans and skaters as well.
If you are a photographer, artist, videographer, or whatever, please let me know and I'll try and get your stuff out to the public.
Contact me: King James
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