Banging Through The Airwaves

Tonight on the radio, be sure to catch our very own Jenny Bangs! and Mr. Bangs as they talk to DJ Finn Miller about what it means to be a part of the Rebels!

Tune your radios in to WUSB, 90.1 FM - "Finn's Revolution" with DJ Finn Miller.  Show time is 7PM - 9PM, and Mr. and Mrs. Bangs! will be on after 7:30PM

Milk & Honey

With so many malls here on Long Island, you know it can sometimes be a challenge to find clothing that's unique.  Well my friends, the challenge is now over!  Milk & Honey, a little shop with a lot of style, sells clothing, shoes and accessories that won't leave you dressed like everyone else.

The Milk & Honey shop in  Rockville Centre has been in business for almost three years and they've recently added a new location in Huntington (selling men's and women's attire).  Best of all, they fully support The Long Island Roller Rebels and have blogged about us today! 

Visit their website or swing by one of their locations and score yourself some one-of-a-kind outfits!

Photos Courtesy Milk & Honey

Congratulations......

.....to all of the Fresh Bloods who passed the skills test.....

Anne Marie

Becca

Danielle

Denise

Farah

Kelly

Laurie

Lisa Marie

Mandy

Marcie

Talia

Trinity

To those who didn't pass, please don't be discouraged, we'll see you at the next skills test.



Double Feature

Today we're proud to be featured in two Long Island Herald Newspapers.  Check out The Sisterhood of the Traveling Packs and A Fierce Competitor.

We're so happy to have coverage from our local papers and send out thanks to reporters Lee Landor and Tom Steinert and to the LI Herald for their informative and interesting articles.

Finally, thank you to our fellow Rebel, Menoclaws for getting us in front of the public eye!

Good Luck Fresh Bloods!

Last year we recruited our Fresh Bloods for the 2011 season and since that late night in November, they have been working hard, determined to become bouting skaters for The Long Island Roller Rebels.

Tomorrow night, they will be taking their physical skills test and we will soon know who your new skaters will be!  Us Coaches and Veterans are on the edge of our seats with excitement and we can't wait to introduce our new teammates to all of you.

Good luck ladies, we're all rooting for you!

A New Addition To The Rebel Yell Family

It’s a boy . . . it’s a girl . . . it’s a . . . claws??

Hello, all! My name is Menoclaws, and I’m a member of the Roller Rebels’ NSO and Support Staffs. I’m waaay over to the right in the photo below.

Photo Copyright Manish Gosalia

Thanks to the lovely Ettator-in-Chief, I can now add “blogging” to my bucket list! I’m looking forward to being a part of The Rebel Yell, and also hearing what you, the fans, have to say.

My love of Roller Derby began with a televised game featuring the New York Chiefs, a team that was then part of the International Roller Derby League. I don’t remember the exact details, but what I do vividly recall is that undeniable gut feeling that someday, somehow, this thrilling, spectacular sport just had to be a part of my life.


If I had to describe my Derby Journey with one word, it would be “unpredictable”, because there have been some aspects of it that I never would have imagined . . . or chosen, for that matter. Quite often, the very people or situations I need in my life seem to find me, rather than the other way around. Can that really be true where Derby is concerned? In my case, the answer is a resounding “Hell, YES!”

I’ll elaborate more on this in my next post . . . ‘bye for now!

Making a Contribution

I frequently invite other members of the Long Island Roller Rebels to write for The Rebel Yell and I've had a few contributors along the way who have created informative posts to share with all of you.  I love the idea of having different features and points of view on the blog because after all, we are a league made up of many different personalities.

I'm happy to announce that there is a new Rebel on board with me.  Tomorrow the newest writer will feature her first post, so stay tuned!

Change Is Good

Sorry for the silence around here, but I'm back to let you know what's going on in the world of the Roller Rebels.

There has been a lot of change around here; A new Board of Directors (congrats to all of you who have been appointed), new skaters, new teams and of course a brand new season schedule. 

If you have been following the league for the last two seasons, you will know that the league consisted of three home teams, The Wicked Wheelers, The Rolling Thundercats and The Ladies of Laceration and our All Star Travel Team.  This year we're doing things a little differently.  We now have two teams.  The Long Island Roller Rebels All-Stars and The Rockabetty Bruisers.  The All Star team consists of our elite players, while The Rockabetty Bruisers consists of newbies with some Veterans (some vets chose not to try out for the All-Star team) mixed in. 

Many people are afraid of change, but I assure you, our bouts will be just as exciting and have just as much action!  In addition, you will have the pleasure of seeing a lot of our new girls skating for the first time!

So get your lawn chairs ready for rink side action and take a peek at the 2011 Season Schedule.

25 Random Facts

This year we had the most amazing turnout at recruitment night.  We did our best to choose skilled girls who also showed determination and focus.  I think we did a great job narrowing down our search for the 2011 season players. 

Today I'd like to introduce you to a very passionate and determined Fresh Blood, Marie.  Not only is she dedicated to learning this sport, but she also leads a pretty interesting life.  Read below to find out more about her.

1. I moved to Brooklyn from New Orleans a little over a year ago.

2. I am originally from Bay Shore.

3. I am an anti-racist social worker.

4. I lived in New Orleans for four years post Katrina and helped to start a free, anti-racist health clinic in Algiers, LA.

5. I am a birth doula.


6. I have 6 brothers and sisters.


7. I try to take a cross country road trip once every year and a half to two years. I always know when I need them, and my life always changes afterward.


8. I have lived all over the United States.


9. I love to camp and this summer camped the west coast, including Yosemite and all over the most beautiful state of UTAH!

10. I've  worked at a camp for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer and Questioning youth in Seattle, Washington every summer for the past five years; for two weeks.

11. I am vegan.


12. My sister Gina Marie and I are 20 years apart…..EXACTLY. We share a Scorpio birthday!

13. I don’t go anywhere without my i Pod.


14. I was recently published in a radical birth journal.


15. I have had my locks for over 10 years.

16. I live alone and I prefer it that way.

17. I hardly ever have a pair of socks that match.

18. I only take baths.


19. A claw foot bath tub was a non-negotiable when choosing an apartment in Brooklyn.

20. I have NEVER played a team sport.


21. I want to throw up before practice EVERY time and get SUPER nervous.


22. I am positive that my mind and my fear hold me back in derby.


23. I meditate weekly.


24. I believe in positive energy and exchange and that you can attract anything you want, any experience or adventure and you get back what you put in from life.


25. Roller derby is changing me and my life in a way that I never expected and is HANDS DOWN the most important and challenging thing I have ever done in my life! It is making me face myself in a way that I have never done before.

Remembering 2010

Happy New Year everyone!  I hope all of you enjoyed your holidays and new year's celebrations.

At the start of a new year, I always like to reflect back on the year prior.  So I asked my fellow Rebels what the best part of 2010 was for them in relation to roller derby.  Here are their responses: 

Anna Tramp - One of my favortie memories was the Wilkes Barre bout....we brought 8 skaters, won and played - amazing like a team. Rebels Boom!

Captain Morgan - I would have to say waking up in Rochester to a room full of Roller Rebels playing guitar and air drums and singing at 11am when we only arrived at 4am.

Carnage Electra -
- Hardcory putting her skates back on. 

- The Holiday Party

- Selling out the first bout of the season.  
- Lehigh Valley taping mattresses to the walls before the bout, and then throwing a truly rocking after party, complete with the Buzzards.
- Driving to Ohio in the middle of the night, sleeping super hard for four hours in Columbus, and then bringing Ruby Redrum back in time for the championships
- The amazing gorgeous rink at Ithaca, and the smoke gun thing that guy had that blew smoke rings
- The Rochester after party. And booking it to Rochester in like six hours thanks to CRoll.
- The maple syrup drinking contest by Jeff and Gomes at the pancake breakfast.

Whiskey Lullabye - Winning at Albany, first win of our season, there is a picture of Violet on her knees after skating over and the whole cheering with our arms open to hug her...it was an amazing moment

Hard Cory - I had so many good memories from this season.
- Pancake Breakfast

- St Patrick's Day Parade, our holiday party for sure. 

- Winning at Albany, after their whole crowd booed us. 

- Winning at Rochester by 1 point, and then partying with one of the most hospitable and amazing groups of girls after. Not to mention the giant Penis Outdoors. (that was Mother's day and it was snowing). 
- The first time we experienced the Ladies intro! 
- The first time the Wheelers debuted their creepy intro! 
- Beating Jersey Shore at ECE. But more importantly, hearing how afraid of us they were beforehand. 
- The ECE pool party. 
- Making Shadowpuppets on the Projector with C-Roll at Hudson Valley. 
- Making our Hudson Valley Horror Movie
 
C-Roll -
- The ladies winning there first ever bout was pretty awesome.  That was a great game!  
- The Thunder Cats undefeated season was very magical! 
- Empire state show down was awesome with all the New York girls and boys playing. 
- ECE -  beating Jersey at ECE. -  that was for Captain. 
- Just great girls in general, best season ever and a better one coming I can feel it.
- Murderheart and Hardcory's derby wedding was up there too.  
 
J-Bone - 2010 was amazingggggg... I have so many great memories...
- Beating Albany was super satisfying...wow they skated dirty! And I'll never forget Violet double kneefalling into us at the win!  We learned that sometimes...it takes a whole team to hold down one teammate...hehehe 
- Van Awesome to Rochester, Buffalo and back ( I still have the quote book!)...and all the hotel shanadagans. 
- Eating the OheeeyOOO moon with the lovely Doc Block and Jimmy Road Rage. 
- LADIES FIRST WIN EVER!!!!!!! LADIES MAKING IT TO THE CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!! 
- An awesome group of Fresh Bloods that just became Veterans!!! 
- Meeting ref's from all over the East while hosting WFTDA's first ever Ref clinic. 
- Coming within 4 points of beating the Gotham Wall Street Traitors...therefore giving LIRR a bigger name in the derby world!  Wow...we have come so far in one year it actually brings tears to my eyes! I love all of you ladies!

Jimmy Rage -
- Getting Empire Skate assembled, polished and spit-shined within record time. What was it, less than 2 months from the first meeting to the first whistle of the tournament?

- Speaking of, the big giant officials and captain's meeting of ESS. Me, a ref whom had nary a season under his belt and even less as a League Head Referee, was telling people whom can out-official me 10 ways to Kwanzaa how things are gonna be run for the tournament. And there was no serious discrepancies! That was... surreal, especially with me decked out in NYSE gear and not ref gear. It's not everyday when the Tournament Head Ref is also playing in a bout of said tournament.


- LIRR being chosen for the FIRST-EVER WFTDA East Region Officials Clinic.

- Earning the name Jimmy Road Rage. Unintentionally making a van full of derby girls scream for their life is hilariously morbid.


- 12/4, the men's bout. Us dude skaters are very used to tiny crowds or derby fans that really don't care about us (or worse). We were expecting very little fanfare. But when we heard LIRR skaters go batshit insane during the skater intros, we all collectively had our hearts melt from the love. Thanks, ladies. We love you just as much :)

Roxie Heartless -
- Everything about Rochester... everything! (ok, not the snow, but everything else)

- Being told that Violet and Kisses couldn't skate unless they put more clothes on in Lehigh Valley and then Kisses throwing her skirt at me from the track mid-bout freaking out because it was too constricting and she was having a skirt related panic attack (not kidding :) 
- The league pitching in to bring Ruby back from Ohio to coach the championship.

Missy Nigma -
- Becoming Missy Nigma 
-Playing in every intra-league bout this season
-ECE
-All the injured girls getting back on skates
-Zombie Wheelers
-When Hardcory made the cone explode at practice!

Fresh Blood Kelly - My first ever Rebel road trip at Rochester (even the part where I locked D-Ball's sandwich in the car and she had to break in through the passenger window using a coat hanger!!)

Serial Mom - I have a lot of great memories. If I had to say one it would have to be the final win of the Thunder Cats for The champ bout.

Etta Jams -
- My engagement
- The many times I announced with Jake
- Our amazing turnout at tryouts. 
- Two derby babies being born; Anita Cookie's little girl Josephine aka Cookie Crumb and Psycho Billy and Astra Zombie's little boy, Taylor.

Thanks to all of my readers for continuing to follow our blog.  Wishing you a wonderful 2011!