Member of the Month: Mary Contrary

by Sylvia’s Wrath

COVID-19 has roller derby players the world over are missing our sport. We want to strap on our skates, hit our friends, and high five about it afterwards. Rocky Mountain Rollergirls are no exception; we LOVE roller derby. We love the execution of a well-timed hit, the excitement of learning new strategies and skills, the exhaustion after a tough scrimmage. But for most of us in the derby community, it’s not just about skating. Roller derby is community, its family. We don’t just skate together, we work to keep our league, our family, together and functioning. And the work of running a league is no small feat. It takes the efforts of all of our members to make it happen. Everyone does what they can, contributing their time and talents to keep things going. 

This month, Rocky Mountain Rollergirls would like to acknowledge a member who has given so much of her time and talent to helping Rocky be the amazing league that it is, one who jumped right in with both feet and in a short time, has become an invaluable member, not only of the league, but of 5280 Fight Club as well. Congratulations to Mary Contrary, our April Member of the Month! 

Mary “Contrary.”  She is anything but. We are pretty sure the word “no” is not in her vocabulary. Mary joined Rocky just 6 months ago, but we already can’t imagine not having her and her partner, Crash, on our team. A transfer from Jet City, she has brought energy and an inspiring work ethic to this league, stepping up in countless ways to develop and enhance our community. Even though she had only been with us a short time, Mary took on the daunting task of heading up our New Recruit and Development (NeRD) committee, providing boot camps for brand new skaters to learn the sport, arranging recruiting events, and keeping her fellow NeRDs organized and up-to-date on schedules and opportunities to build up new members. 

On top of that heavy load, Mary also took on the challenge of organizing our 2020 Besterns tournament, (originally scheduled for May, but currently postponed, much like the rest of life). This is a ridiculous amount of work for anyone, and Mary didn’t bat an eye before offering herself as tribute. As a new member, this level of commitment is practically unheard of, yet she didn’t hesitate to volunteer. A job like this can be akin to herding cats, but Mary does it all with a positive attitude and a cheery smile on her face. 

Speaking of herding cats, did we mention she does all of these things, and STILL works full-time as a nanny? Running the recruiting committee and organizing a multi-day tournament would be enough, but this is all on top of being a caregiver to young children. AND…she also coordinated a fundraiser between Rocky Mountain Rollergirls and Girls Inc, working to provide snacks for young ladies participating in that program.At this point, you are probably exhausted just hearing about all the things that Mary does, but have you seen her skate?

From the work that Mary puts in off-skates, it’s pretty clear that she has boundless reserves of energy. Watch her on the track and you’ll know for sure. A teammate calls her a “squirrelly, skilled jammer”. She jukes, she jives, she slips by on the edges. She is one of those tiny jammers that finds the smallest opportunity and slips right by the toughest walls, leaving them walled up and wondering what happened. But she’s no one-trick pony, and you can’t be fooled by her size. When she hits the wall, you WILL feel it. She has shown off these talents with her home team, the United States Pummeling Service, and those well-rounded jamming skills have not gone unnoticed. Mary quickly joined our charter team in January of 2020 and we look forward to the day when we get to see her take the track as a Fight Club jammer in a game.

For now, we will have to settle for her virtual vibes. So, if you have a minute (and really, don’t we all right now?), give Mary a virtual high five and hug and tell her how deserving she is to be Rocky Mountain Rollergirls’ April Member of the Month!

Fight Club: Meet the Captains

by Sylvia’s Wrath

What would a player say if asked to describe roller derby in one word? For many, it would depend on the day. But that one word can tell you a lot about a skater. Are you silly or serious? Optimist or pessimist? Dreamer or pragmatist? Grizzled vet or eager newbie? 

As Rocky Mountain Rollergirls’ 5280 Fight Club gears up for another season, we asked this year’s captains, Motorbutt (#0260) and Daisey Danger (#737) to choose one word that summed up roller derby for them. Interestingly, the answers they gave not only described their feelings about the sport, but also accurately reflected the personalities of these two dedicated players.

Motorbutt (or Motor, for short)  says roller derby is “inspirational.” She started with Rocky in 2013, joining through a new skater program known as Derby Days, where veteran skaters taught basic skills to drop-in and would-be skaters. Originally hailing from Texas, she had been in Denver for just over a year when she saw a flyer at a car wash advertising the event. Motor thought this would be a great opportunity to meet some “badass women” and it didn’t take long before she was one of them. Motor quickly became an integral part of the league, and was a fixture at events, playing in the new skater “Kill Scout” bouts and helping out wherever she could.  

 When RMRG was securing our new home in the Rollerdome, she put in more hours than anyone to make sure everything worked out. She worked tirelessly, dealing with inefficient contractors, permit issues, and all the other agonizing details that come with building a viable location for skating. It was an exhausting endeavor, and her commitment through the many setbacks and adversities that had to be dealt with was nothing less than inspiring. 

Motor was drafted to the Red Riding Hoods in 2014 and after a stint on Contenders, where she first flexed her captain-ing muscles, earned her spot on Fight Club in 2016. Since then she has continued to push herself to be the best skater she can. Sidelined for a season by a serious concussion, she came back stronger and more focused than ever. As a blocker, it seems like she is everywhere at once. But she’s also not afraid to rock the pivot cap when needed, and has saved many a jam with her power and quick feet. As a captain, Motor rides the fine line of firm and kind, holding skaters accountable for their own growth and providing emotional support as needed. She acknowledges the difficulties of her role, working to honor the differing opinions of 20 women is no easy task, but finds gratification in making decisions that build players into better athletes and teammates. Watching Motor’s journey from Kill Scout to Fight Club captain has been amazing, and we are proud to have a homegrown skater like her as our leader, someone whose trajectory into one of Rocky’s top skaters can only be described as inspirational. 

Co-captain Daisey Danger described roller derby as “EPIC!” And her rise in the ranks has been just that. Daisey joined Rocky in 2017. She was in her third year skating with local recreational leagues the South Side Derby Dames and High City Derby Divas,  and was looking to play at a more competitive level. She dropped in on an RMRG scrimmage and was thrilled at how welcoming and fun everyone was, and she claims, “they hit so hard I wanted to be like them.” Well, I don’t know what she was doing before, but she is definitely hitting hard now! 

Daisey was quickly drafted to her home team, the Sugar Kill Gang, and after less than a year playing with Rocky made the Contenders, the B-level travel team. She played with Contenders for a short time before being moved up to Fight Club and the rest is history. This will be her third season on the charter and she shows no signs of slowing down. It has been so incredible watching Daisey become the skater that she is today. Her strength and agility make her not only a formidable blocker, but a powerful pivot that can bulldoze through opposing lines. Although she is a terrifying force, she is also extraordinarily kind, which has previously earned her the title of “sweetest Sugar” among her home team friends. 

Daisey’s kindness and patience make her a perfect choice for Fight Club captain. She seeks to listen and always offers a supportive shoulder to players, letting them vent their frustrations without judgment. Daisey loves getting to travel with her team and sharing a common goal with like-minded people. Her biggest concern in her role as captain is letting her team down, which just goes to show how considerate she is. She feels inspired when the team succeeds together. A locked down wall against a tough jammer makes her “well with pride.” Just another reason she is such a good leader. Daisey’s on track talents, combined with her patience and big heart make her an EPIC teammate and captain. And here’s to an EPIC season as well! 

Want to see our captains (and our team) in action? Join us on March 14 when Contenders and Fight Club take on FoCo Roller Derby out of Fort Collins. Follow this link for more information or to purchase tickets.


Member of the Month: Reverend Pain

by Sylvia’s Wrath

Look up the word “dynamo” in the dictionary and you just might find a picture of our March Member of the Month. Full-time mom, travel team skater, and pastor of a small Lutheran church, Reverend Pain seems to be blessed with unlimited energy. Rev, as she is known to her leaguemates, came to Rocky Mountain Rollergirls through a boot camp in 2018. Her fierce determination quickly earned her a reputation as a skater who should not be underestimated, even with her limited skating experience. 

Rev works hard. Like, REALLY hard. She is a quiet force, taking everything in and constantly looking for ways to improve herself. When she is not crushing blockers’ souls on the track, she is the one on the bench, watching senior skaters for strategies and taking notes on how to improve her own game. She requests and implements feedback immediately, which makes her a favorite among coaches and teammates. She is a true asset to her home team, the United States Pummeling Service, for more than just her great jamming skills. Not only does she earn tons of points for her team, she even supplies them with a mascot. Keep an eye out for a giant eagle at the next game and know that behind the costume is another member of Team McNitt.  

Did I mention that Rev works hard? That doesn’t just go for actual skating! She is a crucial member of the warehouse committee and helps keep our track and facilities clean and safe. In January alone, Rev volunteered more than 10 hours of her time, and that’s on top of more than 20 hours of skating practice. You might say to yourself, well, sure, that’s probably all she does. But you’d be wrong. On top of her commitment to the league, Rev manages a busy family with two sons (now THAT’S a challenge!) and leads a small congregation at a Lutheran church in nearby Castle Rock. She even found time to fit a trip to Disney into the year already!

All of Rev’s hard work seems to be paying off. As a result of her dedication and focus, she recently secured a position on Rocky’s B-team, The Contenders. This is an impressive feat for someone who has been skating for just over a year! She is quickly rising in the ranks and her determination suggests that she will only get better. Next time you see this skater hustling around the track, give her a high five and congratulate her for her truly well-earned spot as not only a Contender, but Rocky’s March Member of the Month!

We can’t wait to see what you do next, Rev!