Skater of the Month: Our Amazing Board of Directors

“None of us is as smart as all of us.” – Ken Blanchard (American Writer)

Rocky Mountain Rollergirls organization has survived as a league for over 10 years due largely to skaters willingness to take charge and do the work that needs to be done. Through committee work and volunteerism, we keep this wonderful league operating. This month we want to pay special tribute to several ladies on our 2018 Board of Directors. Together they have worked hard to keep Rocky Mountain Rollergirls functioning as a league. These ladies work hard for RMRG daily. Even after their day-jobs have concluded, their work for RMRG continues.

Every year Rocky Mountain Rollergirls participate in Committee Head and Board of Directors elections. The Committee Head will serve one term each election. The Board of Directors will serve two year terms after elected, and divide up the responsibilities of leadership for the RMRG Committees.

Listing our 2018 BoD Members and the Committees they oversee…in no particular order.

BoD Member French Kiss of Death (“Frenchie”) serves as oversight for Finance, Evaluation, and Street Team Committees. Ms. Frenchie has helped keep Rocky on track financially and also bring in new RMRG fans.

A. Finance Committee members make sure our bills get paid. In order to do that job, the committee tracks dues coming in and (nicely) contacts skaters who have not paid dues on time. They also track the money coming in from bouts and fundraisers.

B. Eval Committee members give feedback to those looking to join the RMRG A and B travel teams.

C. Street Team Committee works diligently to help get the word out and promote our bouts. The league works to advertise our bouts on our website and social media, while street team helps stimulate excitement for our bouts by hanging up posters and handing out game flyers. This committee helps create new fans through constant outreach.

BoD Member Harper Bizarre (“Harper”) serves as oversight PR/Marketing and League Relations Committees. Ms. Harper not only serves as the BoD oversight for PR/Marketing committee, but she also creates art associated with our bouts.

A. PR/Marketing Committee works to populate our website and social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) with fun and amazing content. Members of the PR/Marketing committee also coordinate ticket giveaways and merch giveaways.

B. League Relations Committee members work to help resolve issues that arise in our league. These committee members are approachable and empathetic, and try to use their creative minds to create an atmosphere of respect for individual skaters.

BoD Member Angry Topaz serves as oversight New Recruitment and Development (NeRD Committee), Training Committee, and Rollerpunks. As a leader for these committees, Ms. Topaz helps oversee the strategies and implementation that continues to help foster growth of our many skaters.

A. NeRD Committee members help incoming skaters as ambassadors for the levels 1-4 skaters. This committee helps evaluate new to RMRG transfer and newbie skaters to a assigned level, and helps skaters navigate the process of becoming a League Member and growing in talent.

B. Training Committee members train levels 1-5 during RMRG practices. The committee head helps to establish monthly goals and schedule the trainers for the appropriate practice day. Newbie trainers help the newer skaters grow in basic skating skills, and the league trainers work on training league strategies.

C. Rollerpunks is the 12 – 18 years old roller derby league. The rollerpunks maintain a separate season schedule than Rocky Mountain Rollergirls. Ms. Topaz created and maintained a training schedule. She also helps keep the lines of communication open between RMRG and our youth league.

BoD Member Betty Slayer One serves as oversight for Bout Production, Gaming, and Merch Committees. The committees Ms. Slayer oversees help create the wonderful top-notch experience for our fans during our bouts.

A. Bout Production Committee works hard to make our bouts run smoothly. The committee members coordinate concierge services, “Ask Me Women” (help answer questions during games), set-up and tear-down of bout materials.

B. Gaming Committee focuses on the recruitment and scheduling of referees that help keep skaters safe and performing within the WFTDA rule set.

C. Merch Committee responsibilities include ordering product and budgeting, while also tracking money taken in through cash/check payments, PayPal, and Square.

BoD Member SB serves as oversight for Interleague and HR Committees. Also, SB serves as oversight of RMRG’s Besterns Tournament. During this time on the BoD, SB became well versed on WFTDA requirements.
A. Interleague Relations works with other teams to create a balanced bout schedule for RMRG’s A and B travel teams.

B. HR Committee members duties include attendance tracking, volunteer tracking, handling WFTDA insurance, game roster checks.

BoD Member Motorbutt serves as oversight for Warehouse Committee and Home Team Captains. Ms. Motor has been diligently working to help make our new practice facility beautiful.

A. Warehouse Committee members have their hands full this year. Committee members and Motorbutt coordinated help to move our equipment out of storage, clean our new practice space, cleaning of our sport court and laying down the track, etc.

B. Home Team Captains are elected each year by their own home team members. The Captains not only serve as a communication officer for their team during games, but also help teammates stay on track to fulfill their attendance and league volunteer requirements.

BoD Member Betty Vedder serves as oversight for Partnership and Events/Fundraising. Continued focus on healthy finances for a league is key, and Ms. Betty in the short time she joined the BoD has helped keep Rocky on track financially.

A. Partnership Committee actively creates and fosters relationships with sponsors/partners. The committee will help negotiate contracts and coordinate table vending for tournaments.

B. Events/Fundraising Committee coordinates special events and creates the magic of team bonding activities (ie. RMRG holiday parties and RMRG yearly prom). Committee members of Fundraising work hard to create fundraiser ideas and implement these wonderful ideas (examples: Rocky Mountain silent auction of skater painted roller skates).

BoD Member Violet A. Saultz – Amazing person. Ms. Betty Vedder took over as a Board of Director member replacing Violet A. Saultz who moved to another state during her term. We wanted to say thank you for your hard work.

Colorado Gives Day

Happy Holidays Derby Lovers!

2018 has been a big year for Rocky Mountain Rollergirls! We played a full season, rose in rankings and are on the verge of opening our shiny revamped warehouse. We can’t wait to share it with you, BUT it’s come with some unexpected costs (what home renovation doesn’t?).

Real Talk: even with all the elbow grease the skaters themselves have put into the space, we are MONTHS behind schedule on the renovation project that was required to meet city code for occupancy. With those months of waiting has come a LOT of unanticipated spending and a lot of sad players who haven’t been able to lace up their skates and attend a real practice since August.

WE NEED YOUR HELP.

Not only can you help make your local derby girls smile again, Rocky Mountain Rollergirls is a Female Owned & Operated 501c3 non-profit. That means your donations are tax deductible. Neat huh?

Even cooler? We’re now part of Colorado Gives Day. Every gift made on December 4, 2018 will be given a boost through the $1 Million incentive fund sponsored by 1stBank.

We’re asking every one of our fans to take action now by scheduling their December 4th donation to Colorado Gives. Click here and schedule your 12/4 donation today.

If you’re feeling merry this holiday season, we encourage you to donate to us. Brighten RMRG’s Holiday Season so we can get back to lighting each other up!

The Night Before Bout Day

-A Holiday Poem by Justice of the Peach

‘Twas the night before an 8AM game, and all through the house
Every skater was snoring, whoever made the tourney schedule was a louse;
Skate bags were laid by the doorway with care,
In hopes that with prep we could longer snooze, but with alarms loaded for bear
The derby girls were doubled up all snug in their beds;
While visions of jammer points danced in their heads;
And Daisey in her Mickey shirt, and I in my mask,
Had just tucked into bed, to rest for tomorrow’s task,
When out on the hotel lawn there arose such a clatter,
I rose, expecting to see my teammates coming back from the bar,
(that was usually what was the matter.)
I crawled over my bedmate, giving her body a mash
Tore open the curtains and tripped over some shoes with a crash.
The neon from the Conoco shone on the scene below,
Giving a glare bright as noon to a sight that made my amazement grow,
When what to my wondering eyes did I see,
But a miniature track and 10 tiny players coming just up to my knee,
With a little old zebra in stripes black and white,
He must be reffing this Derby elf game on this cold winter night.
More rapid than Scald Eagles the small skaters they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called penalties by name:
“Now, Forearm! now, Clockwise! now Low Block and Cutting!
On, Insub! on, Charging! on, Cut Track and Headbutting!
Oh you with the false start! To the back of the wall!
Now sprint away! sprint away! sprint away all!”
Like leaves in the wind the jammers and blockers they fly,
As wall meets with wall, everyone seemed to get almost knocked to the sky;
At half time up to the bench the fey skaters they flew
For their bags full of protein, and snacks for the jolly ref too—
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The sounds of small wheels (if I doubted my vision, then here was the proof.)
As I pulled back my head, and was turning around,
Through the peep hole the zebra elf came with a bound.
He was dressed all in stripes, from his head to his foot,
And his whistle was all tarnished from usage and toots;
A bundle of gear he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a hobo just opening his pack.
His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
Still though I tried to kick Daisy awake, because people walking though doors is scary.
He began to pull out boxes, each done up with a bow,
Apparently health conscious and in the respiratory know
The nib of a vape he held tight in his teeth,
And the mist that smelled of cinnamon, encircled his helm like a wreath;
He had on broad knee pads and a little round belly
That shook under his jersey, like a bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old ref,
And I laughed when I saw him, though I began to wonder if Daisy was deaf;
By a wink of his eye, and though my roommates slept like the dead,
He soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, and was silent as he worked,
He filled all the gear bags; with gel shots and meat that had been jerked,
And then with double finger guns, as the sound outside again rose
He gave a nod, and left my teammates and I to our repose;
He sprang to track center, and to his team gave a whistle,
And they all skated away with him behind, flapping a WFTDA rule book like a holiday missal
But I heard him exclaim, ere they went out of sight—
“Happy Bout Day to all, and to all a good night!”

-Happy Holidays from the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls-