Sports
Got A Scrappy, Skater Side? Roller Girls Want You!
Recruits sought; skills don't matter. (And you get a really cool "derby name.")
Tri-Valley Roller Girls is seeking new members from Pleasanton and nearby cities for its a one-year-old, female roller-derby league, which practices at an outdoor rink near the mall.
Candidate criteria is simple: women over 18, who will pay dues, but who -- surprisingly -- don't necessarily need to know how to skate.
"We can teach you how to do that stuff," said "HellZ NellZ," the team recruiter, who is also a 42-year-old mother, grandmother and real estate manager.
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But athleticism must help, somewhat. Eventually players must be able to skate 25 laps, jump, and give and take hits, she said.
Currently, Tri-Valley Roller Girls, which celebrated its in June, boasts a 25-plus membership from 18 to 50 years old, with such diverse backgrounds as office workers, financial professionals, teachers and stay-at-home moms.
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And forget "birth names." These gals skate under "derby names" -- like "Mandaryn Crush," "Chellshock," "Honey BasHer"and "Pretty 'N Pinkles."
The team practices Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings at the rink at Pleasanton's Val Vista Park, on Johnson Drive near
The league's goal, "NellZ" said, is to grow membership and visibility in the East Bay.
"Essentially, our goal is we want to host our own bouts in Pleasanton," she said.
Competitions, or "bouts," are held roughly once a month against nearby leagues. The next, and this season's first, is set July 21 in Modesto.
The Roller Girls follow rules of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association, which claims about 400 leagues worldwide.
The flat-track version of the sport, which evolved in 2001, has gained popularity as it can be played on any flat surface, such as skating rinks, basketball courts, parking lots or airplane hangars, according to the WFTDA.
Required gear includes: helmet; mouth guard; wrist guards; elbow pads; knee pads; and roller skates -- the old-school, four-wheeled kind.
Interested parties can visit the league web site at www.trivalleyrollergirls.com or email "NellZ" at TriValleyRollerGirls@yahoo.com.
And again, don't let zero skate skills hold you back.
As"NellZ" said: "We had one girl who used to hang onto the walls when she started."
