The beginning...

I am 37 years old and a year ago (April 1st) I moved back Lancaster, Pa after living in NYC for 11 years.  YES!!!!! I survived the first year!  That in its self has been an adventure!  That is a story for another time...

January of this year ('14) I decided I needed an activity that got me moving and being healthy and as I had been a hermit and finding it hard to reconnect with people I grew up with here.  Least I forget my happy hour meetup group I started to meet new people WHOM I LOVE!  They get me the socializing and drinking I much needed but not the activity I needed.  So I started looking for volleyball groups and the like but found nothing that I didn't have to start up a team myself.  In doing a search for sports groups in Lancaster I came across the Dutchland Rollers website... WAIT, WHAT Lancaster has a Roller Derby group!  Why yes they did!!!!

Now my love of roller derby and a desire to tryout of a roller derby team did not start right there and then.  Several years ago a girlfriend, AMY K. and I wanted to do just this when I lived in NYC. Dont ask me how or why we came up with doing it. However, sadly our work schedules at the time DIDN'T lend itself to having time to get inshape let alone LEARN to skate and tryout.  Even though we did buy skates and go to several open skates, and took our skates to the theatre thinking between shows we could skate a little in the alley in front of our theatre but that NEVER came to be. 

So now back to February/March 2014,   I saw they had just had tryouts in January so I thought perfect that gives me about 10 months to get in shape and try out.  I emailed Dutchland about volunteering and I thought what better way to get to know people and get an inside track.  Josie Cuervo was the first person I spoke with from the team and she was wonderful!  Very welcoming and asked what I could do and what I wanted to do with the group.  I told her that I haven't skated in years but I was happy to help out in anyway I could.  She got me in touch with Head NSO (non-skate official) Mariah Scary, who was also WONDERFUL!  I went to their first home bout (Season opener) that same day and I was at the next Wednesday practice which started me on my roller derby journey!

I am now 2 practices away from become a league member, April 23rd can't come fast enough!

I have also since learned they have a second round of tryout in July which has moved up my personal goal for trying out!

So this starts my Roller Derby Tryout Journey!