In the beginning of seventh grade I tried out for a sport that I didn't know existed still. It was and is called Roller derby. I knew nothing about it but that it was about skating and hitting or something like that. My Friend Chloe introduced me to it and I was forever hooked.


On the day of the tryouts I was really nervous. I thought that they would pick from the greatest skaters thee and I knew I didn't stand a chance because I fell down every time I tried to pick up my feet and I just plain sucked. My friend Moon (Chloe) lent me her gear for the tryouts and helped me put in all on because I didn't know anything about gear. There were the kneepads, the elbow pads (I put those to high), and The wrist guards that I put on backwards like a wrist brace I had seen on TV, the helmet, and the skates. I had no clue how to put the skated on and had a lot of trouble putting them so Moon had me put my skate clade foot on the ground to tighten the laces really tight and pulled the Velcro strap over and secured it down.


At the tryouts we went over the basics and I found that most everyone was horrible at it just like me. I met my skating mentors, Jesus and Stinger and they helped us with some of the drills and how to do some of the stops. I found that I was really good at Plow Stops because I was severely pigeon toed and made more chatter than most girls, which was not a lot.


After the tryouts, my dad and I went over to the skate shop in oaks park roller rink but everything there was WAY too expensive. My dad decided to get a pair he saw on craigslist and I went to go try them on. My first pair of skates were crappy but they were mine and I loved them to bits, literally. About 7 months later the soles were separated from the fronts and I could feel them jiggle when I crossed over.


I had been on the seedlings for 5 months and I was supposed to be on the seedlings for 6. I had accomplished most skills in skating but like many seedlings from that tryout we were not ready for the big Rosebuds and Teams. The practice that I graduated onto the Rosebuds was especially hard and the next practice that I would go to would be for the Riveters and Rainbow bites. I really had wanted to be on the rainbow bites but in the end I was put onto the Riveters with one of my best friends Clarice.


I was kind of upset at first to be put on the riveters because I had really wanted to be put on the bites but in the end it was the best thing that had ever happened to me. All of my teammates were actually all of my sisters and I love them all. They are the most spirited, hopeful welcoming team out there and I am proud to be a riveter. Stinger was also on the Riveters and she guided me through the drills that I didn't know how to do. On my first day as an actual riveter I was late. When I came to that practice and got my gear on, the couch, Honey called me over and talked to me. “ Hey what’s your name?” She asked, “ My Names Helena!” I said, “ Oh cool I hope you get to be on the Riveters!” She said and told me to go skate. After the warm up, we scrimmaged and I did the scrimmage with the bites. Jesus is on the bites and she helped me through the scrimmage. I even got to jam once but I was horrible at it and didn't know what to do. All The same that practice was really exciting for me. At the end my friend Clarice called me over to the Riveters side of the track and I was welcomed into my new family, the Riveters.


Now as you should now, my derby name is Moaning Murder but everyone calls me Murder. To get a derby name you have to go through a bunch of databases to make sure no one else has the name or there will be a big quarrel between the teams and no one ever likes that. I had been reading Harry Potter as usual when I came across my favorite character, Moaning Myrtle. She has always been my favorite and most annoying of all of the ghosts and everyone just loves being killed by a basilisk right? So Moaning Murder I became. I also had help from my dad and my teammates all helped me decide on the perfect name for me.


I was so nervous during my first bout. I thought I would do something really stupid and embarrassed myself badly. During the bout we had a lot of outside meditation that seemed to calm everyone’s nervous and had a lot of scenery picturing. We told ourselves to envision our team winning but if we didn't it wouldn't be a big deal. At that Bout I didn't get to play a lot, actually I only went in for two jams, which was normal for newbies but I got to see how my teammates played and how to play the game in general because in seedlings they just taught you the basics of skating and roller derby and that wasn't nearly enough to being ready for the big stuff. Even though I didn't get to play, my lovely team still won and that was really great and wonderful!


After the bout when I was laying in my bed reading harry potter again, I thought to myself, “ I really like this sport, its fun, exciting and I have wonderful derby sisters. I could never leave.” and I knew that I wouldn't be leaving Roller derby for a long time.


PRESENT DAY:
“AND MOANING MURDER MAKES HER INITIAL PASS AND JAMS AROUND THE TRACK BUT THE TIMES UP! THE RIVETERS HAVE WON BY 60 POINTS TO UNDEAD MAKING THEM IN FIRST PLACE ALONG SIDE THE BITES IN SECOND, UNDEAD IN THIRD AND DEATH SCAR IN LAST PLACE!” that was my first Jam in a bout. I jammed in the last minute and it was fabulous. After the bout each team announced their MVP awards. My Team the Riveters picked Bad Advice to be our MVP. We announced it to the crowd. “ OUR MVP WILL BE GOING TO BAD ADVICE” Tempest said into the mike Then we squished her into a big sweaty group hug. It was Undead’s turn to announce their MVP “ OUR MVP WILL BE GOING TO MURDER” “ Hey that’s me” I said in my head. I was stunned. I was the most valuable player at that bout and that was the best bout so far in my whole life. We had won, I got to jam the last jam, I got a lot of playing time and most of all I got the MVP award!
This bout Happened: 11/16/13