Rocktown Rollers's Fan Box

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Exciting news!

Well hey there strangers, it's been a while, huh?

Lots of things have been going on since we talked last.  We've traveled to South Carolina and played, traveled to southern Virginia to play a Tennessee team.  We've skated in the Fourth of July parade in downtown Harrisonburg, hanging out and talking with old and new fans and are in the works of planning lots of great new things for you guys!!!

First you can catch some of your favorite derby girls around downtown on August 23rd for the Block Party in the Burg event!  We will have a table set up with all sorts of great info and things for everyone as well as ladies rolling around all over the place.  Let's have a flashback "Where's Waldo?" moment and play "Where's the Derby Girl?" that night.  Who knows, let the right derby girl know you've spotted them and come over for a chat and you could win something fun!




Next is a great opportunity to catch all day roller derby action.  On August 30th Rocktown is participating in VA is For Shovers at Augusta Expo Land in Fishersville; we will be competing both as a team and individually in bouts.  There is guaranteed to be lots of excitement and something for everyone this day so be sure to come out.


Then on September 7th the Rollers will be back in our home rink at Funky's for a fun and exciting bout against Free State Roller Derby and we have plenty of things coming your way for this one.  Some of the amazing performers from Rhinestone Productions will be there to give us an amazing half time show and Rocktown is planning to spice this all up further with an exciting 80's theme!  So get your hair teased, your leg warmers ready, your Jem face paint on and get ready for an exciting event as we finally come back home!




















P.S~ this isn't the only exciting news coming your way, so stay tuned for more exciting things to come!




*Jem picture from thesource.com
top Rocktown picture taken by Joseph Fitzgerald
parade photo by Brandy Somers
80's girl pic from gurl.com/

Friday, April 11, 2014

Behind the Scenes and Giving Thanks

On game day you see the skaters on the track and you root and cheer for your favorite Roller, but some of our favorite team mates aren't the ones that have all eights on the floor.  Rather they are the ones who help things run smoothly, get things coordinated and ensure that everyone, skaters and fans alike, have a great game day.


First, let's shout out to Slam.  She started with RTR as freshmeat and unfortunately couldn't continue on that route with us, thankfully derby is a wonderful all inclusive sport that needs people of all traits to make it work.  So, ever seen one of our posters hanging around or the cover of our programs, that's all Slam's work!  She has also coordinated jacket and jersey and shirt printing for us, and the amazing bowling shirts we had for Bowl for Kids Sake, her design!  She has gotten us on the air and in the papers and been amazing at getting our website updated, helping to keep your timline spammed with RTR posts and keeping you updated during bouts via facebook and twitter.









So thank you Slam!!  You are greatly appreciated for all that you do and just for being you!











We have been fortunate to manage to rope in spouses to help with various tasks with Rocktown.  Smarmy Stinson was kind enough to be an amazing supporter of his wife Rosie while she skated with Rocktown and agreed to come out and help announce the bouts.  Then unfortunately at the end of last season Rosie retired from skating.

On the plus side, she is still an awesome supporter of the team and agreed to come and announce with her hubby.  And this is no easy job, regardless of what anyone may think or try to tell you.  First, it's public speaking, for me that's all it would take to talk me out of it, lol.  Additionally, add in making sure that you pronounce names right, say what is happening when, keep track of who is doing what, oh and don't say something that will tip off the other team.  Yeah, there are 'rules' to this crazy announcing stuff, as if all the rest wasn't enough to stress anyone out.






















So thank you to Smarmy and Rosie for being an integral part of the Rocktown family and doing an amazing job at keeping fans informed and updated!








Another spouse who got roped in, and is now being drug in further than I think they ever thought would happen; Shok Trauma.  Shok volunteered to fill in as an EMT at one of our games and it was all downhill from there.  He became our every game go to EMT, and then this crazy thing happened at an away scrimmage.  He helped bench coach.  He called out who was going in, who was on deck and even made a few crazy calls on the fly.  And it worked, well.  Now, Shok Trauma carries the hyphenated title of Bench Coach - EMT.
                                                                                                                                         *yes, this picture will stay with you always Trauma! 





Thanks Trauma for loving Rocktown and  this sport as much as we do.                        
And for giving your time and efforts and helping keep us crazy stressed women straight on game day!
















Hoova Dayum, another spouse on the team that helps run things smoothly.  Dayum played for DC and recently retired, she has continued to be an amazing supporter of Rocktown and has guest coached practices, yelled out advice from turn 3 at games and ran the bench at game day.  Plus much more I am sure I am forgetting.

Thank you Dayum for being a pair of fresh eyes when we need it, providing feedback and thoughts that we may not have thought of and keeping us all motivated constantly!










Our awesome freshmeat work hard on practice days in order to be able to train and learn and then on bout days they go above and beyond to help us run the bouts.  Whether it is taking tickets and money at the door, running merch or helping NSO our girls are truly thrown in to learn every part of derby! Sadly, I don't have pics of them all, but here's to you Blair, Lisa, Melissa, Nikki, and Rhonda!  Thank you for everything and working so hard!


NSO's, there are many of you who show up on bout day and help track penalties, run the score board, man the penalty box and so much more.  Thank you each and everyone of you who have ever helped out!



Refs, the ones we love to hate and hate to love, but only on game day, haha.  You have a difficult job, you are expected to be practically omniscient, see all the penalties, know exactly who committed each penalty and call all of that perfectly while skating, avoiding one another AND skaters who get knocked off the track and either fall or roll right into your way.  I do not envy you this job.  I am super grateful to you for doing it though, you help keep us safe on game days and provide feedback to rules related questions at practice.  And as if that wasn't enough, you guys have become papa bears in helping coach our current freshies!



Talk about some awesome guys!  Thank you Art, Sanity, Rocktimus and ref in training Moose!























Thank you to everyone who helps make Rocktown the great family that it is!  Though you may not (all) be on the track with us, your hard work and time and effort is equally vital to the running of this sport and your work does not go unnoticed by any of us!!!!!!

Thursday, March 13, 2014

It's all coming up orange and green

Spring is nearly here, green shoots are starting to poke their heads through the ground and Rocktown is training hard and planning great things for you all.

With another great bout coming up this weekend against the Chemical Valley Roller Girls Rocktown has lined up a great half time show featuring a local Irish dance group, Carle Irish Dance Virginia.  What could be more perfect with St Patrick's Day right around the corner?!


And if you look closely, you will notice a familiar face among the ladies that will be jigging their way across the floor.  ::cough cough::Nitrous Knockside::cough cough::



And if simply having another bout so near isn't enough, we have ANOTHER great thing for everyone!  New merch items!  Make sure you swing by the merch table on Sunday to check out our new stuff.

We will also have the amazing ladies (and gents) of The Warrior Women Relay for Life team there telling you a little more about what all they do and their part in The Relay for Life and how you can help or get involved.


For any questions on how to become our half-time entertainment, be a part of RTR (we love everyone, not just skaters!) or to be listed as one of our amazing sponsors please email admin@rocktownrollers.com and we will get you connected with the right people!

See you all Sunday!

Thursday, January 23, 2014

SNOW!!!

Yeah, I know, I'm bringing up that nasty cold white stuff that everyone is talking about since there was even just a small mention of it's coming.  And while it has bumped practices and closed schools we have thankfully found ways to keep entertained.



 Kapwn played in the snow - and yes her snowman is yellow.  But don't worry, it's not really that kind of "yellow snow," being the artistic type she is she went crazy with kool-aid and colored her snow!









Allbie and her family bundled up and played in the snow.












Byte bundled up and got goofy.

















Vana and her squeeze went in search of a new pet before going sledding the second day.





Effin made a friend, and brought it home, meet Peepers!  Surely all that cute little fuzziness kept at least Effin's hands warm.















Evilynn faced two of her arch nemeses, the cold and the snow, and built a snowman with the kids, which they later ran over with the car!





Smash and Gatsby put on their coats and braved the cold for a walk.















While Rogue, a new freshmeat and native of Texas, avoided the snow at all costs and stayed indoors spinning yarn and cuddling fireside with kitty.











We hope that all of you stayed at least halfway warm and all the way safe and just remember, 
only one month until our first home bout!!

Monday, January 6, 2014

A New Year's Resolution to Stick With

Everyone seems to make resolutions to eat better, lose weight, quit smoking and all that around this time of year, and unfortunately within a month or two most all people seem to be back to the bad habits they swore off of.  

Here are my resolutions for this year: build a stronger body and run a 5k without stopping to walk.  No numbers involved in this year's resolutions, nothing that I can't accomplish without a little help.  And thankfully I have the perfect support system to help me.  I have a wonderful family that will cheer me on and a great second family in my teammates who will all too willingly crack the whip on me and work right along side of me.

So how about this year instead of swearing off things and such you make a promise to be a better you.  Make time for yourself if you normally give everything you have to someone else, don't promise to drop "X" number of pounds but promise to be healthier, make new friends or learn a new trade.

I'm lucky to have found RTR and join a group of fantastic ladies who will build you up, help you out and hold you accountable.  So why not come check out this great family of ours.  Let someone help you on your way.  Derby and skating is a great workout, gives you time away from all the normal stresses of life and family and work, and puts you with a groups of strong women from all walks of life.



*photo courtesy Rockin' City Rollergirls

And even better yet, we are still holding open enrollment for fresh meat all January so you can still come and check it out and see if it's a good fit for you, somewhere to step a little out of your normal comfort zone and push yourself to be a stronger more confident you while being in a great family.