Thursday, May 28, 2009

New Home Teams!!

I'm happy to announce the brand new home teams (listed in alphabetical order) for The Long Island Roller Rebels' 2009 season!! So if you have a favorite roller girl, be sure to check the list below and find out which team you should be routing for! We're looking forward to bringing some great action to the track and we can't wait for all of you to see it!!
The Ladies of Laceration
Baby Bop YO Face
Brawlette
D-Ball
Etta Jams
Eve L. Taco
Fresh Blood Jill McB
J-Bone
Muscles Marinara
Smurfetish
Tail Gunner Flo
Violet KnockOut

The Rolling Thundercats
C-Roll
Celtic Thunder
Chest Blockwell
Cyanide Kisses
Doc Block
Freudy N. Slip
Mean Frostine
Raven Madd
Serial Mom
Terrorpin

The Wicked Wheelers
Amaretto Sourpuss
Anita Cookie
Captain Morgan
Carnage Electra
Fresh Blood Christine
Fresh Blood Cory
Fresh Blood Jennie
Greasy DeeCee
MadDonna
Ninja Starr
Red SnapHer

The Strength of a Heart

Yet another Roller Rebel proves their strength! Yesterday one of our announcers Pete Bune, underwent a heart procedure that I am happy to announce went well. Please include Pete in your thoughts and prayers so that his recovery goes as quickly and as smoothly as possible!! Pete, we are all routing for you and wish you a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! GET WELL SOON!!
Below is a message from The Rebels' other announcer Jake:
My best friend and co-announcer, Pete Bune is in the hospital for an arrhythmia that has been generally making his life miserable over the past 18 months. This is the 2nd time he's been hospitalized in the last 9 days and he is currently awaiting a quite common, but nevertheless, quite scary procedure to repair/remove/laser the damaged/extraneous/vestigial Heart tissue that has caused his heart rate to reach a high of 213 beats per minute. For a little perspective, the average human heart rate at rest is somewhere around 68 beats per minute. In addition, today (May 27th) the day of his surgery is also his freakin' 32nd BIRTHDAY!!! He's been in good spirits and I've been in to visit him, but he's also gearing up for the aforementioned procedure, in which they need to induce the condition where his heart beats out of his chest, meaning he has to be AWAKE the entire time.

If there's any sort of higher power you guys pray to, please put in a good word with him/her/it for our announcer and my heterosexual life-mate. He's going to undergo the procedure around 1PM and I'm pretty much going to be a nervous wreck until I hear he's okay afterwards. You ladies are the best and I appreciate anything you can do, say, or think positively in his direction. Much love to you all and I'll be making with the updates as they become available.
Jake Steel

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Roller Rebels and Remembrance



As you may have heard me mention, several times, we have become friends with a great bunch of people who are all part of a sensational motorcycle club called The Long Island Road Runners MC. They have come to support us at several fundraisers and we can always count on seeing them in the stands at our bouts. We have formed a friendship with this club that we hope continues on forever! This past Monday, The Roller Rebels were invited by the Road Runners to a very important event. Not only that, but I was honored to be provided with a full write up about the day, complete with photos, by The RR's very own Scorpion! Thank you Scorpion for taking the time out to write this wonderful article. With my hectic schedule, it's very much appreciated!!

On Memorial Day, Monday May 25th, RoadRunners MC made our 2nd annual ride to The Veteran's Place in Yaphank. The Veteran's Place provides assistance to Vet's who are considered MIA - Missing In America. As a group we try to honor the idea that

A Veteran, whether active duty, retired, National Guard or Reserve - is someone who at one point in his or her life wrote a blank check made payable to the United States of America, for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'

RoadRunners MC and friends delivered much needed donations of canned goods, clothing and toiletries to the Veterans, along with grateful appreciation for their service to our country. We worked hard to remind these men that they have NOT been forgotten.The club delivered a custom made charcoal grill as well as a new gas grill (assist by Brawlette) to the Vet's and provided a great BBQ lunch. Knowing we could count on them to do their part, we invited the Long Island Roller Rebels to share this day and as usual the girls did not disappoint. Handling a lot of the meet and greet chores, taking pics with the Vet's, talking with them and listening to their stories, they made a lasting impression on the men. To quote one very enthusiastic Veteran, "All the girls are wonderful, but that Sleeping Booty is something else. Not only is she beautiful, but what a personality!" In addition to Booty, Chest Blockwell, Serial Mom, Anita Cookie, Smurfetish and FB Olivia (who is herself an Army Veteran) all represented the Roller Rebels in fine fashion, helped make a group of once forgotten men feel a little more appreciated and proved once again to be great friends. RoadRunners MC would like thank all the Rebels for their support and friendship. For more pics of our visit with the Vet's go to http://www.roadrunnersmc.org/vets.htm For more info on what the Veterans' Place does and how you can help, visit http://www.scuv.org/ or see any RoadRunner MC member at a Long Island Roller Rebels bout.

Special thanks to FB Olivia for her service to our country.

Scorpion, RRMC


Thank you again to Scorpion and the rest of the Road Runners! See you all again soon.....
xo
Etta

Monday, May 25, 2009

Show What You Know

It's that time again! The newest crew of Fresh Bloods will be taking their physical skills test tomorrow! So I just wanted to take a minute and wish all of you the very best of luck!! All of us veterans are rooting for you!!

Once the skills test is over, the coaching committee will gather for a most anticipated meeting. We will endure the difficult yet exciting task of separating skaters into groups that will form the teams of The Long Island Roller Rebels; The Ladies of Laceration, The Wicked Wheelers and The Rolling Thundercats. It has been quite a while since the three teams have been in effect so this is something we are all really looking forward to. Can't wait to be able to fill the rest of you in on the details.

Stay tuned............

xo
Etta

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Committed

With our season opener now over, it's back to practice and back to our agendas. The Roller Rebels have several committees which were formed to help keep the league organized. We have a fantastic group of new skaters who have taken over the recruitment committee and they are doing a phenomenal job bringing in Fresh Bloods and helping them out with paper work, while also answering all of their questions. And so, there are some more girls who will be taking the next skills test which will be happening at the end of this month! Such an exciting time when you're new but really it's also exciting for us veterans. We love to watch how our girls progress and it makes us happy to know that once they pass their tests, they will soon be bouting along side us! If you are interested in becoming a Long Island Roller Rebel, please email our head of recruitment Violet KnockOut at Violetknockout@longislandrollerrebels.com for more information. We are always looking for new players and no experience is necessary. Our coaches will teach you all you need to know about how the game of derby is played.

In addition, the rest of the committees will be working hard to bring you some fun fundraising events, new things in the press and new merchandise. They will also be forming teams, planning new strategies and so much more!

Stay tuned...........

xo
Etta

Monday, May 18, 2009

Smile for the Camera......

....or in this case, whip, hit or skate. Check out some of the many fantastic images captured by the talented Josh Casuccio. Responsible for the league's charismatic profile pictures and many other action shots, Josh somehow always manages to work some incredible magic on the other side of the lens that makes his photos come to life.

All Images Copyright Josh Casuccio














Face the Facts

I'm back with a fact:

Did you know that roller derby was played at the old Madison Square Garden with top billing and regularly sold the Garden out? Usually drawing the attention of Hollywood elites and upper class socialites.

Pretty interesting huh?!?

I'll be back next month dishing out more derby history!

Muscles Marinara

Sunday, May 17, 2009

A Sell Out

Last night at Skate Safe America, we experienced a season opener we will never forget. All members of the league, new and old, arrived early to set up the track, fill the water coolers, put the merch in place, prep the beer kegs and situate all of the FREE food from our wonderful sponsor (thanks to our ref Astra Zombie) Chipotle. The sensational Two Man Advantage, the band who played the first ever Roller Rebels' bout, was back again to start the night off right. Their music put the crowd in the right state of mind for the fall down fun that derby is all about. Shortly following, The Pink and Black teams had their introductions and then it was on to a most exceptional rendition of The National Anthem. Sung with precision and passion by our very own Violet KnockOut, and interpreted in American Sign Language by Muscles Marinara, it was a performance to be remembered.

Then the real action started! Music by DJ Joe Jack set the mood while, the Pink and Black teams battled it out. It was a close and steady game for the most part. Pink racked up way too many penalties (Etta Jams - guilty as charged), losing a few players to ejection, but we still held strong and played hard. There were many rookies bouting for the first time on both teams and I can say with confidence that they proved how well they have learned their skills. In the end, The Black team won. Go BLACK!! Sure pink wanted to win, but we had so much fun playing against our teammates, that we were just happy to be out there on the track with them.

Of course our bouts wouldn't be the same without hearing all of the fun facts and watching all of the antics from our fantastic announcers Jake and Pete, as they call out the play by plays. We also greatly appreciate the help from all of our coaches (Captain Morgan, Mr. Madd, Ruby Redrum and Raven Madd) refs, volunteers, EMTS, stats people, photographers, videographers, etc.

The Roller Rebels would like to thank everyone for coming. Fans are what make our bouts a success! With over 950 spectators there last night, we sold out the venue to all of you wonderful viewers, many of whom also spent some of your hard earned money on our merchandise. For those of you who came to watch us play for the first time, we hope that the action of last night's bout brings you back for our next home game on July 11th. For our loyal, returning fans, thanks for continuing to follow us once again.

Any fans who would like to submit pictures that they took at the bout, to be displayed on the blog, I would LOVE to feature them! You can email them to me at ettajams@yahoo.com

Hope you all had as much fun as we all did!!

xo
Etta Jams

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

The Big 3

I hate when I read a blog and the writer starts off the post with, "Sorry I haven't been around, but...." Yet, here I find myself maybe not typing those words, but definitely feeling them. When you like something, you want it to be accessible and you don't want to hear excuses as to why it's not there. The last thing I want is to be kept from writing my posts. Not like anyone is holding me hostage or anything, but you get what I'm saying. As my loyal readers know, The Rebel Yell is like a child to me and well, right now I'm hoping The Yell and you, my readers, don't harbor any feelings of neglect. Sometimes, unwanted and unexpected things pop up in life and setting priorities becomes a task almost too difficult to deal with. I'm pretty sure that you have all felt this way at one time or another. I unfortunately have many unanswered emails, unreturned phone calls and unannounced Roller Rebel news (maybe even some that I don't know about) and so many other things on my "to do" list waiting to be completed. So for those of you who have been waiting for a reply, an update, or a call, thank you for being patient. I'm doing the very best that I can to catch up with all of you, and will continue to try and do so.

So in the few minutes I have to write at the moment, I will give you a brief summary of 3 fantastic things!

1- The Rebels were victorious last Saturday, when they bouted against the Green Mountain Derby Dames! We're all SUPER excited about winning!!

2- Today, we were featured in the Explore Long Island section of Newsday, both in print and on the web, complete with video and photos.

3- This Saturday, May 16th, we will play our first home bout of the season!! Click here for tickets and info.

I am working hard to get back into the swing of things over here at the blog, and just wanted to thank everyone for bearing with me. I would like to say I'll be back tomorrow, which I may, but I don't know for sure. So until next time, keep rolling.

xoxo
Etta

Friday, May 1, 2009

Honorary Roller Rebel of the Month

Hey Roller Guys and Gals. Celtic Thunder here bringing you another addition of Men in Derby .

So, many of us are getting ready for the start of the season with many things to look forward to such as ECE and RollerCon 2009. Hope to see you all there! But before we jump ahead in anticipation, let’s look at what’s exciting coming up. On May 2nd, the New York Shock Exchange will be battling it out with the Dirty Dozen at the Enfield Dek Hockey Park in Enfield, CT.


And trust me…if it involves boys…I will be there ready to dish out all the derby gossip…on the rink of course!

I’m excited today to feature a special skater that I think all roller derby players, both men and women, can benefit from watching. He’s quick on his feet and has his head in the game at all times, thinking about how to win, but most importantly, how to have fun!

I now introduce you to NYSE’s one and only Rinkworm #11!!!

What is your skater name and #?
Rinkworm #11

How did you come up with your derby name?
Well, I had ringworm (um, the totally gross bacterial infection) a couple of times as a kid and it's pretty darn annoying—I hope to be an annoyance to my opponents at the “rink” or something silly like that.

What inspired you to join men's roller derby?
I watched the ridiculous show Roller Games as a kid and knew I always wanted to play roller derby. Once I heard NY was forming a team, I bought quads.

How long have you been on the NYSE?
I played in our first bout, April 29th, 2007, against Pioneer Valley . I had no clue what I was doing...

What positions do you play and which ones do you enjoy the most? Why?
I'm mostly used as a Jammer, but I love playing Pivot most. Of course, scoring points while jamming is awesome, but you definitely get the credit that your blockers deserve. I like playing Pivot since you always have plenty of time to work with teammates in order to control the front of the pack, which is most important. I hate having points scored against me more than I love scoring points--so, that’s why I prefer playing Pivot.

I've seen you play and you are quite fast with some quick maneuvers. How did you learn to skate like that?
The Shock Exchange is littered with excellent instructors! Also, I've been fortunate to learn from some great skaters from all over the country on various aspects of the game. And, it was a while before I saw a diversity of skaters from all different backgrounds (Speed skating, Jam skating, Hockey, etc.) which are still influencing how I skate. Playing often has familiarized me with many scenarios and strategies and has helped me to find what works personally well for me.

What are your practices like? What kind of drills do you do and which are your favorite?
At the NY Shock Exchange practices, we typically do some basic things to polish our fundamentals and focus often on blocking with a partner. We always do some scrimmaging, whether it is a true “5 on 5” bout or practicing power plays/penalty killing. My personal favorites are endurance drills. All skaters should strive to be able to play at 100% from the first jam to the last jam.

What's the hardest skill you had to learn?
Actually, getting used to using my toe-stops was the hardest thing I had to learn. I never felt stable on them. Now, I couldn't imagine doing a jammer start without them.I'm also still working on a reliable and clean “hockey stop.”

Do you play sports or have played in the past where the skills you have learned there are transferable to derby? How so?
For baseball, I played shortstop and the act of "diving to catch the ball and getting up while repositioning the body" is key to quickly throw runners out. When I get hit by an opponent during a bout and go down, I try to get up in the most efficient manner It's really a matter of knowing how to shift your body weight while falling and using the momentum to your advantage. Obviously, you never “know” exactly when you are going to get hit, so you have to use that moment when you are going down to plan on where your knees and feet should ideally be for getting up. It's tough to 'teach'- I spent countless hours practicing my diving and getting back to your feet as quickly as possible to make a strong throw- I should thank my baseball coach!

From Tennis, I learned the importance of fast footwork to quickly stabilize the lower body to generate a powerful swing. Getting into your stable "derby stance" sooner from moving your feet faster obviously has its advantage. Plus, giving a teammate a standard whip has some similarity to swinging the racket except that giving a solid whip is WAY more fun!

Women's roller derby is a bit different than men's in terms of pace and techniques. Do you have any advice to share with the women's league that could help them in their endurance, speed and form?
All skaters should be regularly working on building muscles in their legs. It will make you skate faster and harder, as well as preventing injury.

Do you ever get nervous before a bout? What do you do to calm your nerves?
When I first started playing, I used to be a nervous mess for a day or so before a bout and before we would skate, I would just lie down, close my eyes and think about playing my best. But, I've been fortunate to play so often that I'm pretty comfortable with what to expect from a bout.

What do you consider to be the best part of roller derby and why?
Oh, wow, uh EVERYTHING! I had an answer about meeting awesome people while skating this insane sport, but I think everyone likes it because of that. But for me, it's seeing my parents smiling after a bout and making them proud.