Name: Psych Wazowski
Number: 2319
Travel Teams: All Stars, Brawlers, & Marble City Mayhem
Home Team: Bombshell Bettys
Years skating: 2
She’d been a part of Hard Knox long before joining as a skater, and she made a big impression last year in her rookie season! Get to know March’s Skater of the Month: Psych Wazowski!
You were nominated by Pistol Whips, who wants to know what made you decide to do roller derby, and how do you feel like your first official season went?
I wanted to do derby because Sunday School Slammer brought a group of skaters to our church to do a presentation. We saw it, and my mother wanted to go see some of the games, and we never left. I just had to wait to turn eighteen to join the team.
And as far as my first official season went—not as scary as I thought it was going to be? I was just glad to finally have the experience.
Was there anything in particular that you were scared or nervous about?
Falling on my face in front of a group of people. Checked that off the list, done it.
And survived!
And survived.
Had you skated as a kid or done any other sort of sports?
I mean, the occasional field trips to Skatetown, but we didn’t do anything else after that. But no I guess “technical” sports. I did color guard, so that was about it.
Get you out of PE class, at least.
Nope! Still had to take PE credits.
Oh I thought that’s why people would do that! That and band.
Well yeah, I thought so too, but I still had three other gym classes throughout my high school career, which was very annoying.
Well in roller derby, what is your favorite position to play?
Blocker on the outside. I just feel very stable there, and I can do different things like, obviously being a blocker, but I feel like I can go up and catch skaters and be O [offense] if I need to.
How would you describe your derby playing style?
[laughs] Chaotic! I don’t know, I just try to be there for everybody. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
What are some of your favorite moments on the track?
I have a video recording that Nate got of me at the first game that I’d ever played. The jammer came up, and was trying to jump the apex, and I literally just stuck my ass out and knocked them out, so that was fun. I don’t know, just (this is going to sound super aggressive) but just effectively hitting somebody and feeling good about it. Taking ‘em down. That’s fun, but also winning MVP Blocker, that was also fun.
How do you like to spend your time off the track? What do you do in your free time?
I’m gonna sound like I’m 65 years old, but I like bowling, shuffleboard, and putting together puzzles. I like to go hiking. I also wanna make it to a BINGO night. I’ve never been, I wanna go to a BINGO night!
My church always does BINGO for Thanksgiving, and I tell you what, the old people? They win. It’s a game of chance, and yet, they do well!
I’ve seen so many videos where they’re like, oh they don’t play about their BINGO, and I’m like, it’s scary to see when elder people are very intense about something. But I’m like, I still want to go. I think it’d be fun!
How did you decide on your skater name and number?
I’m a Disney adult (not in the obsessive way, but I am a Disney adult). So it was between Psych Wazowski and obviously with that one, the number [2319] is just, you know, it’s a given. But it was either that or Violent Neauregarde.
It was a winner either way! How much crossover is there between Jade and Psych? Are they two separate people, are they the same person?
I’d say that they were the same person. Aggressive, but also super apologetic. So yeah, no I’d say they’re the same person.
What’s a piece of advice that someone has given you that has stuck with you?
You can do more than you think you can. I get in my head so much, and I don’t think I deserve to be where I’m at, but there’s a lot of people on the team who remind me that I do work hard, and I am deserving of what I’m able to do.
Do you have any goals for yourself for this season?
Less penalties? And to be more conscious of what I’m doing instead of just throwing myself around. To go out with a plan and it doesn’t always have to be, you know, necessarily hitting somebody out, but knowing what I need to do and being able to do it.
That goes along perfectly with my next question—what is your most common penalty, and what do you think that says about you as a player?
I don’t feel like I’ve gotten one specific penalty, but I guess it would probably be a combination of forearms and multiplayers. I’m just a very flaily person, so my arms are just always there. It’s kind of hard, when you’re trying to hit somebody, to not have your arms fly out.
Physics takes over.
Yeah…so I guess those two. I’ve gotten a couple directionals, but I think those are the two that I get the majority of.
What is something that roller derby has taught you about yourself?
You can do a lot more than you think you can! Pushing yourself somewhere that you never thought you’d be able to push yourself—you can push yourself. That and your feet are always gonna hurt. Doesn’t matter what insoles you put in your shoes!
Who would you like to nominate for next month, and what do you want to ask?
I think I want to go with [Endorphin] Anie. How do you feel you’ve grown as a skater, especially coming back from an injury mid-season?
Thanks for a great conversation Psych! Readers, you will be able to see her in a whole lotta derby this month with our Honky Tonk Stomp, happening March 23 & 24! See teams from all over Tennessee compete in this revived tournament that is guaranteed fun for all. Until next time, be like Psych, and believe that you can do more than you think you can.
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