As a player you need to keep your head in the game so that your body can endure, to give out that burst of energy you need to make it around the track one more time. When you mentally break down, it does not matter how physically fit you are, your body breaks down along with you. If your body breaks down, your mental state can keep you in long enough to help make that one extra point, or more. Then you pray for that bench time to get your sh@t back together. Some hold out throughout the game. Some can even improve, excel. Others may crash. (Just my take on the game.)
Both games this evening were fun to watch. The second game was evenly matched in my opinion, and it did test everyone. In the end, both our SSRG teams lost. The B-team more so by getting worn out. Our A-Team perhaps by not keeping enough wheels rolling on the track (penalties). By no means am I knowledgeable enough to call all that. It is just an opinion.
I have to hand it to the ladies, again, they leave it on the track every time. They are not going to go home thinking they did not give it there all. They may think their contribution could have been better. If they did not think that, they would not improve. In the case of SSRG, they would not be the upcoming powerhouse I believe them to be, if they did not take this loss to heart. They will improve.
The two games this evening . . .
Game 1 - South Shore Derailers vs. Kokomo City of Fists
Game 2 - South Shore Wonder Women vs. Beloit Bomshells
Here are a lot of photos for you to look at, starting with the warm-up of the teams for Game 1.
Two of the band members of Don Che who entertained us prior to game start, and after the game. This Merrerville band formed the summer of 2014. Band members are Alyssa Black, Matt Paskash, John Mick, and Tony Rossi. Photos of the band are further down in the blog.
So you know, there are two 30-minute periods per game. That is a lot of time on skates and an oval flat track, trying to stay upright, block, jam, and score points.
The Band
The National Anthem was sung by 15 year old Lilly Lamberg of Bishop Noll Institute. A great voice. I hope she can do the entire season for SSRG!
Game On!
Half Time
2nd Period, Game 1
Warm-up for Game 2 . . .
Game 2 On!
Second Half - Game 2
I typically leave out photos that could be violations. My purpose is not to put any one team or any one individual down. The next three photos I am showing just so everyone knows what can go on in a bout, and why this is an emotional game, and containment of those emotions can be trialing in itself. It takes a lot to take a hit in the face from two apposing players (one right after the other), with an elbow to the rib cage after that, and then not jump on the refs for seeing and calling it. These ladies do not cry about it. They go on playing. (Have you ever seen the soccer vid on Facebook, where a female player walks away from a confrontation with a bloody face, and the men roll around the ground crying holding their ankles because they tripped over their own shoe lace . . . something like that.) All you can do as an individual is move on, and as a team to watch your teammates back.
One area I give SSRG great respect for, is calling the jam at the end of a period when they are winning. I am not sure about all this, but: Sometimes the jam clock has time left on it, at the end of the period clock. The lead jammer has the option to continue the jam until they call it off or reach the time limit for the jam. I believe it is good sportsmanship to call the jam off, if you are the lead jammer, and your team has the winning points. Tonight that did not happen. Perhaps there was more official time that what the period clock had shown. I am not sure. Lets just say I did not see any reason for the other team to continue the jam at the end of the period, however they did. I just hope they did because of the official time, and not the jam time.
In the end it is the joy of Roller Derby, and being a positive roll model for the young fans!!! I found it very pleasing to see an SSRG girl autographing for, and taking a photo with, her fans.
To find out more about SSRG:
South Shore Roller Girls (SSRG)
I will take this time to for a special thanks to the SSRG sponsors. They are:
Thank you sponsors!!!
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