I haven't been on my skates for approx 3 months but decided (foolishly) to try out for the Rose City Rollers Fresh Meat program anyway. This is the training program for Rose City, like a farm team. The only way to get recruited onto a real bouting team is to get onto fresh meat. Since they recently re-vamped the try out process making it waaaaayyyy harder to make the team, I figured I better show up and experience the try out in order to be ready for real the next time.
It was a grueling first hour of solid pace line with weaving drills, I was having a hard time keeping up and Minnie (Van Mayhem) my fave Wreckers coach asked me to step inside the track (with the kindergarten babies) until I could join the line again. Ouch! But I was slower, to be fair. The judges had been picking girls off the track the whole first hour, so I felt good that I was still around after that first hour, I made it to the top 15!
Then, Draggin Lady (very gently) asked me to leave the track, *sting* I was so bummed, my goal was to survive the whole try out. But, when you aren't on skates for 3 months and try out for the 5th ranked derby program in the world, you really should not expect to finish.
I stayed and watched the others kick butt and finish the try out and I have to say, it was totally fun to cheer them on (since I have a pro cheer background was pretty easy)! I was stoked for the girls who made the team, no real surprises there, they are all amazing!
I kept my gear on since my regular Wreckers team practice was right after the try outs and I clearly needed the extra practice, when a miracle happened. Honey Hellfire, my favorite jammer who was was also judging the try out, came up to me and told me I needed to come back and try out again. She said I had *fire*, made my whole year! Honey didn't make FM her first time either, and now she is one of the greatest players in the league. *Inspiration* that's what I needed, just a little glimmer of hope to keep rollin'!
