April Featured Skater: November Pain

Name: November Pain

Number: 10

Travel Team: Brawlers

Home Team: Moonshine Moxies

Years skating: 2

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She always has a smile on her face, and her fierce playing brought the pain to all of her opponents! Get to know April’s Skater of the Month: November Pain!

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You were nominated by Wheels of Justice, who wants to know: What is the thing that has most surprised you about being involved in roller derby?

The thing that surprised me the most about roller derby is how friendly and supporting every single person on the team is—everyone! I’m really surprised at that. A group of people like that (especially mostly girls) you would think there would be little cat fights and other things, but for me, maybe I’m just oblivious, but I truly love every single one on the team, and I feel like they love me too!

We do! Well, what brought you to roller derby in the first place?

I was on Facebook, and I think an ad popped up or something, because I didn’t know we had a team. I hadn’t skated in like thirty years, so I told my husband then because I was like, “I’m going to do this,” and he was like, “Uh, you’re crazy, you’re gonna die, you’re gonna break something,” and I was like, “I’m gonna do it!” So I did!

So you skated as a kid. Did you do any sort of sports as well, or what was your sort of pre-sport background like?

I did track, I ran track in high school, and I played softball growing up, but that was just rec league. But as far as high school, I did track. I never skated professionally or anything. I just skated in church. My church had a skating rink, like a gym where you could skate, and I was there every day. I grew up in that church, every day I was there. That’s where I skated.

Where was home for you? Are you local to Knoxville?

Lenoir City, TN.

So you just kind of jumped into your skating experience then with us. How would you describe your first year?

My first year was more than I ever even imagined! I truly didn’t expect to get on the team my first year, much less play in real bouts. I just literally had never even been to a bout until I played in my first one in Charleston. That was the first live bout I had ever seen, so that was really fun.

How did you decide on your skater name and number?

Well, Shreddy’s husband actually helped me because we were talking and I’m really into music, I love music. I asked Shreddy what my name should be, and she said try to pick something that is about you, something you like, your hobby. So I thought: really the only thing I like is music, and so he had a couple of suggestions, and I was gonna go with Motley Cruel because I’m a big 80s fan, and so I thought that’s cool, so I was gonna do Motley Cruel. But then I was in the shower and listening to my music while I took my shower, and “November Rain” came on, which is my favorite song, and then it just hit me. I was like, “Oh, November Pain, that’s what I’m gonna be.” That’s my favorite song. And my birthday’s in November, so I was like okay, that works.

My son actually came up with my number because of a pain level of ten (one to ten): I’m a pain level of ten. He came up with that, and I was like, okay! That’ll work!

Has he or any other family members come to the bouts?

Yes, my husband and son have come to probably all of them, my mother, my step-dad, my brother, my sister, a cousin’s come.

What do they think about it?

They love it. My mother’s probably my biggest fan, my biggest supporter, you’ve probably seen her post things on Facebook. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about, but she loves it. She’s a good big supporter.

We appreciate the enthusiasm! How would you describe your derby playing style?

Hmm, derby playing style…right now, it’s just kind of not as hard as I want it to be [laughs]. I think my style, honestly I don’t even know, I don’t know how to answer that one to be honest. I feel like I can hit harder, but I feel like I’m working up to that, hitting harder. I feel like I’m hitting harder much more this season than last season. Last season I was really just working on skating and not falling.

It sounds like that might be one of your goals for this season then; do you have any other goals for this season?

Yes, definitely. Hit harder, hit out, I want to get the jammer out (the jammer and the blockers of course), to not break any bones obviously [laughs], to be a team player, and help the team and not harm the team in the jam. Last year I felt like, and I’m obviously on the B team, so we’re all pretty new, or mostly new to me anyway, I felt like I was hurting the team sometimes out there, you know? This year I want to be helping the team.

Well I mean, like you said, it’s part of being on the B team: we’re learning how to do things. And you definitely have helped the team! What are some of your favorite achievements that you have had on the track?

On the track…I know I’ve got one person, have hit one person out (don’t remember where or when) but I do remember doing that one time, and that was really cool, I felt really good about that. I just can’t think, it all goes by so fast! I don’t even remember what I did or didn’t do!

Do you prefer home bouts or traveling for away bouts?

Well I prefer the home ones because that way my family can come. I like traveling, but I prefer the home bouts because there’s more people, I feel like, and you know, there’s no place like home!

Do you have any pre-game rituals that help get you in the right mindset for a bout?

The only thing that I do pre-game every game and in fact every practice is take two ibuprofen [laughs]. That and I’ll drink, especially before a bout, I’ll drink an electrolyte drink. But nothing really pre-game rituals, no, I’m not too much into that. Just the day before, drinking lots of water.

How do you find a balance between roller derby and real life?

That’s hard! That’s really hard because roller derby is a lot. I’m thankful and grateful that I actually started at my age, older, when my son is in his twenties, because now I don’t have to take care of him. So now all I pretty much have to do is work, and you know, I have my house, my family to take care of, but I don’t have a little child I have to follow around and chase to games and stuff like that. So it’s easy. I’m busy, I’m busy every day all day pretty much, but I love it. I’d rather stay busy. Because before I started derby, I’d gotten in a rut, I would just be at home. Derby has really helped me a lot as far as my mental health. Helps a lot.

How do people in everyday life react when they find out that you play roller derby?

Most people are pretty shocked. Yeah, most people are like, “What, are you crazy?” They always ask me if I hit people, if I get hurt. But for the most part, people love it. Most people are like, “Wow, that’s so cool, I didn’t even know Knoxville had a team!”

What would you say to people who might be thinking they want to play roller derby, but aren’t sure if they could do it? What advice would you give to them?

I would say if you can skate, then come watch us practice, let us know, we’ll let you watch us, let you come see if you like it. Try it! Give it a try. What do you have to lose, you know? If you don’t like playing on the team, I always tell people, you know, if you don’t like to skate and if you don’t want to play, you’re afraid of getting hurt, you can always ref. You know, we always need refs. I always tell them that.

What is your favorite question that people tend to ask you about roller derby?

I guess if I hit people! [laughs] A lot of people will say, “How did you get into it?” or “How’d you know about that?” So I’ll tell them my story, but yeah, I don’t really get a whole lot of questions. Pretty much, it’s always, “Do you hit people?”

If you could describe your derby experience in three to five words, or maybe a short sentence, what would you say?

Fun, family. I feel like that’s the derby experience: it’s fun, and they’re family. I guess that’s my experience.

Who would you like to nominate for next month, and what do you want to ask them?

The Count. What’s her favorite part of what we do? I mean, we have practice, we have bouts, we have fundraisers. What is her favorite thing she does with the derby team?

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Thanks for a great conversation Pain! Readers, your Hard Knox Brawlers are on the road this month for their first bout against Little City! Be sure to follow Hard Knox on all the social media to keep up with that bout and many more this season. Until next time, be like November Pain, and just give something new a try.

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March Featured Skater: Wheels of Justice

Name: Wheels of Justice

Number: 147

Travel Team: Brawlers

Home Team: Moonshine Moxies

Years skating: 2

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She fights for justice in her everyday life, and she fights just as hard for her team on the track! Get to know March’s skater of the month: Wheels of Justice!

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You were nominated by Lemon Drop-Her, who wants to know: Have you done competitive sports other than roller derby? How are they similar or different? Do you have a favorite?

I haven’t done team sports since college, so it’s been a long time, but in college I played rugby, which was a club sport at the time, and I also did crew (you know, rowing). Rugby is more similar to derby, and that’s why I thought it would be a good fit, but the truth is, I’ve found a lot of my rugby instincts work against me on the track. Things like directionals will come up if you follow your [rugby] instincts. But one of the best things about doing derby now is just remembering what it’s like to be on a team and to have that community and camaraderie and that common goal of being the best you can, and working together. So it’s really taken me back, not only to college, but just to the person that I used to be back then. You know, it’s like remembering who I was before I became a grown-up and became a lawyer, became a mom, and did all of that adulting. So it’s been really nice.

How did you discover roller derby here in Knoxville?

Derby has been on my horizon since I was a kid. I was a child in the 70s; watching it on TV, my dad used to yell at the TV and be like, “Yeah!” It definitely caught my attention because it was probably the only sport that my dad would yell at the TV about that involved women, because it was all football, wrestling, all these things. So it definitely caught my attention, and I did a lot of skating as a kid. We got skates in elementary school, and my sister and I used to put on these little roller skating shows. We weren’t near a rink, so we were just skating outside, and we’d invite the neighbors and do little tricks and we were completely silly and ridiculous.

So I think it’s a little bit of—it’s probably a whole lot of nostalgia that kind of kept derby on my radar, but I also loved sports for women and women being empowered to be strong and the best that they can be. I’m very into promoting that, as a woman, as a mom. And so I can’t remember—I definitely discovered derby here before COVID, and I was on Kilty [Konscience]’s list, but COVID happened, and I got so consumed with that and everything. I didn’t really think derby was possible, and so it wasn’t until last year that I felt like I had the space in my life, and I also felt, frankly, like time was running out, the window’s gonna close soon if I don’t jump at this. So I finally signed up—I guess it was 2023.

What was an early victory you had in learning roller derby, either maybe something from fresh meat or from your first year?

There were a couple times where I hit the jammer out of bounds, and that felt like a huge victory. You know, sometimes working in a pack is a little foreign to me from—I mean, you do it in rugby, but for whatever reason, it’s been a little easier for me to catch a jammer on my own and drive them out. Other skills are so much harder to learn, for some reason, but I’ve done that a couple of times in a bout, and that’s felt like a huge victory, like, “Oh! I can get this sport!”

What are some of your favorite things about blocking?

I do really love the whole pack thing: learning from people, playing with more experienced players, like you [smalls] who are giving me instruction on the track, like, “Fall back,” “Hold on,” “Okay, go forward.” All the things, and you see how all those strategies play out. I do really like being part of a pack and feeling like, in all of the chaos, we’re trying to create some order, you know? But it’s really fun. I feel like there’s still a lot for me to learn, so there’s probably more I could add to that down the road, but for right now, being a blocker is still somewhat of a mystery.

Do you think you want to stay as a blocker, or do you have aspirations of being either a pivot or a jammer?

You know, I definitely want to be open to doing different things. So one of my goals for this year was to try to brace more, and just have that kind of track awareness and communication skills, and I’ve thought about being a pivot more and jamming. It seems like there’s a lot of interest in jamming, so I don’t know that I want to kind of be competing with people for that, but I definitely am open and would be open to trying it more.

You had mentioned directionals earlier when it comes with rugby. Is that your most common penalty, or do you think you have another one? And do you think that has anything to say about your derby personality or your derby playing style?

Okay, I don’t think it’s my most common one because I’ve gotten better about that. There’s been some multi-players. I feel like I’ve gotten some unfairly placed failure to reform (you know how they just pick somebody, and if you’re just a little slow figuring out what’s going on, it’s you). Let me think, what are some of the other ones—I’ve had a back block, which I did not understand at all because the person fell on me, and I’m completely passive in this situation, you know?

I’ve gotten—okay, this is probably my most common one—blocking out of play. And it’s because sometimes it’s not really clear that the person is out of bounds, or what’s going on. I guess that’s what I kind of feel like. And so blocking out of play is probably, I’m embarrassed to say, my most common penalty. Because I’m maybe halfway to blocking them, and then they’re out, and then I hit them, you know? So there’s no shortage of penalties for me, unfortunately, but that’s probably one of the most common.

Now on the flip side: if we had a theme song that we would all hear whenever you do something awesome on the track, what would you want it to be?

Ooh that’s a tough question! My song would be “Super Bon Bon” by Soul Coughing.

What are some of your favorite achievements on the track?

I try really hard to just get back up if I’m hit, that’s one thing I’m very committed to. That’s from rugby too: you get tackled, and you get right up. So I’m really committed to that, but definitely it seems like, I guess—like Kitty the other day, I was against her, and she was all like, “Oh you almost got me!” Because I’ve gotten her before! Which is kind of hard, because she’s really fast and good, but I’ve knocked her out entirely on my own, and so maybe that’s one of my achievements, is knocking Kitty out entirely on my own! Because she is so good and so fast. I knocked Rattle out once too.

Those are both very impressive people to have knocked out!

Yeah, I kind of was shocked, frankly, that I pulled it off. Both of them are on my derby shirt [gestures].

Oh I like it! And you have a cat behind you as well.

And I have a dog too, who, if this cat gets enough attention, he’ll start getting jealous. This is Nadia.

Tell me a little about your pets! I want to know about them!

My dog is Princess Leia (my son named her) and I have two cats. And they’re all rescues, so I feel like they’re all a little batty, frankly. Princess Leia is very attached to me. I work from home, but I feel like she should really be a park ranger’s dog—I feel like she kind of lost out. She needs a job, basically. If I’m on a video call for work sometimes, she can be super annoying and disruptive, like, “Oh, you’re talking to people and it’s not me? I’m not involved?” So it’s a little awkward explaining to your clients, like yes, my dog’s very needy.

And one of my cats is a real freak, like total—she was real feral. They didn’t really have much hope for her becoming a normal kind of cat, and she’s kind of lived up to that. She’s come around. She can handle some affection, and she kind of wants it, but it causes her a lot of anxiety, so she’s very fragile. And my kids are still—my son is really good and knows how to manage her; my daughter’s fourteen and never learned, so the cat will smack her or maybe hiss at her, and my daughter’s only finally trying to learn how to manage a difficult cat like that. 

So anyway, I have three kind of crazy pets, but we volunteer at the animal shelter. We did the derby event where we all volunteered there and my daughter came with me, and she was like, “We need to do this!” So she and I do that now, usually on Saturdays, and almost every time we go, we are this close to adopting another cat. So it’s kind of tough, because I’m like, “Okay, three pets is a lot of pets.” But anyway, we go and we do that, and that was another gift that I got from derby, really.

Speaking of your kids, what do they think of you playing roller derby?

They’re not that impressed, to be honest! I feel like I would be impressed if my mom at this age was doing this, but they’re just kind of like, “Oh, pooh-pooh, that’s mom’s thing.” My daughter came once to a bout, but she mostly just didn’t want to sit at home because she didn’t really watch what was going on and wasn’t really into it, and my son’s never come, so I’m hoping this season, they come.

Luckily they’re into the gear a little bit. My son has the 2024 flaming roller skate t-shirt that I got him last year. He wore it for his first day of school, which kind of made me proud. It probably was random, but it still made me proud. My daughter, she came to one of the Georgia bouts, and she was like, “Ooh!” and got really into buying the t-shirts and stuff, so she’s got some roller derby t-shirts. So I don’t think they fully appreciate what it is, to be honest.

What is the story behind your skater name and number?

I’m a lawyer, and I wanted a legal name. There’s this podcast that I listen to a lot, and there’s a former prosecutor on there. It’s called “Legal AF.” They talk a lot about the “wheels of justice,” that’s an expression in the legal world. One day I was just listening to the podcast after I completed fresh meat, because I started fresh meat without a name, and I was like, “I’ll just see if I make the team first, there’s no need to get ahead of myself.” And then one day I was listening to it, and I was like, “Wheels of Justice—that’s the name!”

What’s kind of interesting about that—well two things. When I adopted my dog, back in 2018 from Young-Williams [Animal Center], her name was Justice, which is kind of funny. Like maybe we were destined to be together. And then secondly, just a couple of weeks ago I went to Montgomery, Alabama, to teach my kids about the Civil Rights Movement and everything that happened down there. I was overwhelmed that weekend with the word “justice” everywhere, and it kind of made me realize the deeper meaning of the word and how I was glad it was my derby name.

The reason for my number, because it is meaningful, is that my son was born on the 14th of November, and my daughter was born on the 7th of December. My number’s 147—what’s funny about that is that I didn’t know this, but my ex-husband, who races go-carts, also picked the number 147 for his number for the same reason. And I only knew this because I used his sticker guy to order stickers for my helmet, custom stickers for my helmet and stuff, and I figured out we both had 147. Kind of funny.

If you could describe your derby experience in three to five words, or maybe a short sentence, what would you say?

Oh that’s tough. I mean, it’s been nothing short of amazing. It has exceeded all my expectations, that’s probably what I would say, just everything about it. I’ll be honest, I sort of have commitment problems. I kind of try stuff or try people and I’m like, “Yeah, this isn’t gonna work, you know?” and I leave. But derby is—can’t get enough. I want to be at every practice, I want to be there at every bout, I don’t want to miss anything, so it’s been very consuming for me.

Who do you want to nominate next month, and what do you want to ask?

November Pain, because she’s one of my favorite people on the team and from fresh meat and everything. What is the thing that has most surprised you about being involved in roller derby? Because I feel like there’s a lot of surprises (there’s been so many surprise payoffs for me) and so I want to know what that’s like for her.

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Thank you for a great conversation Wheels! Readers, your hometown heroes are hard at work, practicing and preparing for our first bouts. Until next time, be like Wheels of Justice and fight for the people you care for.

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February Featured Skater: Lemon Drop Her

Name: Lemon DropHer

Number: 818

Travel Team: Brawlers

Home Team: Bettys

Years skating: 2

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She’s a ball of sunshine who isn’t afraid to unleash a sour punch out on the track! Get to know February’s skater of the month: Lemon DropHer!

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You were nominated by Shreddy Krueger, who wants to know: What is the thing that you’re most proud of since you started fresh meat until now? What are you proud of achieving?

Okay! That’s a lot. I started off with fresh meat barely knowing—I mean, I knew how to skate, but that’s about all I knew how to do. Now I know how to do all these things, so I guess I’m most proud that I stuck with it, honestly, because when it got really hard, there were a lot of times where it was just like, I don’t want to do this, you know? And I kind of got discouraged, but I stuck with it, and now I can do all these things that I never thought I could do.

During the new people’s fresh meat, I was able to do a slide and glide for the first time, and I’m really proud of that? Because I had been struggling with that for so long. Doing transitions is another one that I’m really proud of because it took me such a long time for that to click in my head, for it to be like, “Oh, okay, this makes sense, I can do this.”

I think I’m just most proud of sticking with it and all the different things that I’ve been able to do and learn. I’m excited to continue to learn and get better, you know. Because it’s, you know, always improving. There is no, “you’re done.” There’s always more stuff you can learn.

Absolutely! Well, what brought you to roller derby in the first place?

Triple D actually. I was approached back in, what, 2015, something crazy, when I lived in Wisconsin, and they were like, “You should do roller derby!” And I said, “I’m going to college and working full time, I do not have time for derby.” Then I moved here, and I was getting my oil changed, and Triple D was at his shop, and he asked, “What are you doing today?” I was like, “I just moved here, I don’t have plans, I don’t know anyone.” He said, “Well, if you don’t have plans, you should go to roller derby. They have a bout tonight.” And I said, “Oh, I’ve always wanted to do roller derby, but it was either the wrong time, and also I feel like I’m too small.” He actually mentioned you, he was like, “There’s smalls on the team and she’s shorter than you, so if she can do it, you can do it!” And I said, “Oh, okay, so let’s go check it out!”

I went, and he found me in the crowd and was like, “Hey, come here, I want you to meet all the skaters.” I remember I met Psych [Wazowski], and I met Trauma [Queen], and they were really—everyone was so nice and accepting, and they weren’t at all judgey or ew, you know? Everyone was just super nice. Then I went to the afterparty and everyone again was so nice and accepting. Psych was like, “Are you going to do it?” And I said, “I want to.” She gave me the information for fresh meat, and that’s kind of how I found you guys: through word of mouth from Triple D, and then I went and I was like, “Wow, this is really cool.” And everyone said, “You can do this too!” And I was like, “Me?” And I did! And I’m glad I did.

And we’re glad you did! What brought you to Knoxville in the first place?

We (my boyfriend and I) he transferred with his job. He works for a timeshare company, so we could have moved anywhere, but we went here to visit, and we really fell in love with the mountains, and the fact that y’all still have seasons (because we can’t live without snow, being from up north). But yeah, it was just so beautiful here, and we really liked the Knoxville area—there’s a lot to do and it reminded us a lot of Madison, Wisconsin, because it’s also a college town. It’s very—I want to say very liberal, but I mean yeah, it’s very liberal, and it has a lot of different groups and things, a lot of cool stuff, and so we’re like, “Oh, we could live here.” And then we did! He went and transferred with his job, and we ended up here. It’s really a cool area.

How did you decide on your skater name and number?

I went through a bunch of different ones, and I was talking to (before I joined) Guacarole, and she was saying, “Well, what do you like?” And I was like, “I like this, I like this, I like lemons because my cat’s name is Lemon and I just like lemons.” And she was like, “What about like, Lemon…Drop?” I said, “That’s good, I like that.”

I was thinking about it (I had a couple other ones in mind too) and then during fresh meat, I want to say it was Slam who came up to me and asked, “Hey, do you have a derby name yet?” I said, “I was thinking Lemon Drop maybe?” And she was like, “Lemon Drop Her, then it sounds like a derby name.” And I was like, “Okay!” And I played around with it, and imagined in my head: “And number blah-blah: Lemon DropHer!” And I’m like, that’s good, yeah, I like that. So I ended up going with it. And I have no regrets because I love being Lemon.

My number is my boyfriend’s birthday, August 18. Because he’s been really supportive of me just being like, hey, I’m going to do roller derby. And he’s like, okay! Because my dad, when he found out I was going to do roller derby, was like, “Honey, you got hit in the face one time when you were a kid playing soccer and you quit. You’re going to go and skate and hit people? That doesn’t sound like you.” And I was like, “I’m going to do it!” And I did. And Jack, my boyfriend, he never had that moment of, are you sure you can do this? He’s just been really like, okay, sure.

I also like the way the number looks. It’s very symmetrical, like you can flip it and it’s the same either way, and I like that. Yeah, so that’s where I got that from. And my cat’s name is Lemon, so there’s two Lemons now!

It is always funny hearing you talk about Lemon, but it’s your cat who you’re talking about.

The other Lemon, like the Lemon cat. Sometimes I pick her up, and be like, “Lemon Drop Her!” and I’ll drop her on the ground, and she’ll look at me like why? I mean, she’s a cat, so she lands on her feet, and she’s fine, but she just looks at me like, “Rude!” She’s a good girl.

How would you describe your derby playing style? 

Ohhhhh, that’s a good question, I don’t even know! Chaotic, I don’t know! I mean, I’m trying to get better at track awareness because I have ADHD, so I feel like my brain is always trying to take in all the information at once, so I’ve been trying to use that to my advantage and pay attention to what’s all going around me. But then sometimes it can be the opposite, it can be kind of hard, because then I’m trying so hard to pay attention to everything around me that I forget that the jammer exists, and then they go right past me, and I’m like, “Dammit!” So I don’t know, I guess, what do you mean by derby playing style? Is that like what position or—?

It can literally be anything at all. I think chaotic is a good way to describe it because especially as blockers, you know, we kind of have to be everywhere at any given time.

Yeah, right, it’s like okay you need to block, but also here comes our jammer, and here comes their jammer, and it’s just ahhhh! Yeah, it’s a lot all at once, and I’m trying to get better at honing in and just paying attention a little better but also being aware. It’s kind of like a chaotic little mess in my brain, in the best possible way.

Well your brain is connecting with my brain because I was literally going to ask if you had any goals for the season! Is there anything else that you have that you want to try to get on the track this year?

Yeah, I really really want to learn how to crab this year, because I cannot crab to save my life! My hips just do not want to go out, they want to go in. I can pigeon [step] for days, but then you ask me to crab, and my body’s like, “I don’t know what I’m doing.” I want to learn how to crab, I want to get better track awareness, and I think I want to—I like being a blocker, but I do want to try to pivot more often and become more aware of the fact that I’m wearing the pivot [panty], because I think a lot of times I’ll be like, “Oh sure, I’ll pivot,” and then the jammer’s stuck, and I’m just like, “Huh? Oh that’s me, right, okay, I have to do something.” I guess that kind of goes with track awareness.

I feel like I’m kind of learning the rules better, but I also just want to get better at understanding strategy I guess. When we did Naughty or Nice, I was really struggling and I was jamming, and I called it because I was so tired, and then the coach said, “I get that, but the other jammer was stuck, and we were trying to tire them out, and then I was going to tell you to call it when they get tired and that way you could have gotten the points if you could get by.” And I was like, “I didn’t even think about that as an option, you know?” Because I don’t really think about strategy, I’m just kind of in the moment, what to do, but I kind of want to learn more about strategies, that way I can actually plan things like that instead of being, you know, in the moment.

I also want to communicate better as a blocker. Trauma recommended that I just talk the whole time, and I’m going to try that this season, the whole time I’m blocking just be talking so that I can get used to communicating more on the track, not being afraid to communicate.

If you had a theme song that we would all hear whenever you do something awesome on the track, what would you want it to be?

I listen to a lot of lemon themed songs. [laughs] There’s “Lemonade” by Gucci Mane. That’s a good one because it says, “call that pack the lemon drop,” and that’s literally my name. I always listen to that before a bout or before practice because it makes me feel pumped up, so I feel like that would be a good one. Or “Lemon” by N.E.R.D. and Rihanna, that’s another good one too. But yeah, probably one of those two.

Do you have any other pre-game rituals that you like to do on bout day?

I always get an energy drink because I know it’s going to be a long day.You know I usually do track maintenance, so I have to be there a little early, so I get some food, get a big thing of water, get an energy drink, and then go. I usually do my makeup before I get there just because I’m afraid that if things get chaotic I won’t have time to, and I like doing my makeup for derby. I think it’s a fun way to get ready. I feel like Lemon is kind of like my altar ego, and I need to get in the headspace of being Lemon, and so I have to get my makeup ready to be Lemon, and all this different stuff, so I feel like that’s one of my rituals: get in the head space, listen to the songs, put on the makeup, get the Red Bull, and then go and get that track maintained.

What have been some of your favorite derby moments off the track?

Maybe because it’s the most recent thing that happened, but Naughty or Nice was really really fun, and it’s really fun to play against my teammates because we’re all so used to each other’s playing style, that we forget that we’re on separate teams. So I was jamming one time and I think Trauma was like, “Oh, Lemon!” and she let me by, and then she realized, “Wait, Lemon’s not on my team.” Then next time I came around, she hit me real good and she was like, “I’m sorry!” And I said, “No, it’s great, I love it!” I love when people hit me, you know? They don’t feel like I’m this fragile little thing that, you know, because I don’t know if you had this experience because we’re short, I think people think of us as small and fragile and don’t hurt them. Derby’s the only real time where people are like, “You’re not fragile!” and will actually hit me, and I appreciate that because yeah, I’m not! Just because I’m five foot nothing doesn’t mean I can’t take a hit, you know? But yeah, Naughty or Nice was a really great time because we all got to see each other during the off season and it was nice to play with my teammates but also play against my teammates. 

I just love hanging out with people outside of just practice and stuff too. The Bettys got together over the break; we went bowling and that was so much fun because we’re so—some of us are so competitive on the track, but then when we’re off the track and we’re playing bowling, a lot of us are just like, whatever, it’s fine. Except for Rattle. Rattle’s pretty competitive, even with bowling! But that was fun, those were some good times that we had off the track that were just good team bonding.

How do you like to spend your free time?

I like to read. When we were snowed in this weekend, I read a lot. I like to take my dog to the dog park. I have a Basset Hound puppy, he’s like a year old and has a lot of energy, so we have to go to the dog park and go for walks a lot so he doesn’t destroy my apartment [laughs]. Other than that, me and Jack are big Packers fans, so during the season, we go to a local Packers bar and we’ll watch the game and cheer on our team.

And that’s about it really. I’m kind of a homebody as I’ve gotten older; I like being home. Derby is my extracurricular activity, and all my other stuff is—I just want to go home and read. Maybe play some soft video games like Animal Crossing and things that I can just relax. Stardew Valley’s a good one. But yeah, not much of a hard core gamer, I just want to build my silly little town and hang out with my silly little creatures and relax, I don’t want to kill anybody in a video game. Or I just want to read and escape to somewhere else that isn’t my own reality.

What advice do you have for our skaters who just graduated from our Fresh Meat Boot Camp?

Honestly my best advice would be to just show up, keep showing up, and don’t give up. Because like I said, the very first practice with everybody was really intimidating because we’re wearing our yellow vests and everyone knows that we’re the new people, and I feel like everyone knows each other and it can be kind of intimidating, but just stay with it because everyone really wants you to be there, and we all want you to succeed.

So don’t give up and just keep counting all of your little successes. Even if it’s a small thing to you, be like, “Hey, I did that! And that’s really cool!” Because then you’ll build momentum and you’ll want to accomplish more and more, and you’ll see your growth at the end of the season, you’ll be like, “Holy cow, I did that thing! I went from this to that, look at that!” And that’s really cool, to be able to look at your progress and see how far you’ve come. So just don’t give up, keep at it, show up, and don’t get discouraged. And talk to the vets if you have questions because they are all very nice and want to help!

Who would you like to nominate for next month, and what do you want to ask them?

Wheels of Justice. Have you done competitive sports other than roller derby? How are they similar or different? Do you have a favorite?

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Thanks for a fun conversation Lemon! Readers, your Hard Knox Roller Derby skaters have started practicing once again, and that’s not just All Stars and Brawlers—team Chaos is our newest and most enthusiastic bunch! Keep an eye out for them on social media, and encourage them to keep up with this chaotic and fun sport. Until next time, be like Lemon, and stick with something even when it’s hard.

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September Featured Skater: Shreddy Krueger

Name: Shreddy Krueger

Number: 666

Travel Team: Brawlers

Home Team: Moonshine Moxies

Years skating: 1

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They block, pivot, and jam—and all in their first year, too! Get to know September’s skater of the month: Shreddy Krueger!

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You were nominated by Mobile Crisis, who knows that you’ve done other sports, so she wants to know: why derby? Why now?

I used to compete in amateur boxing for about six years, and so I’ve always really liked contact sports. I also did kickboxing and jiu jitsu. I actually wanted to join derby back in 2020, but then a lot of life stuff happened and I just wasn’t able to. And then I was just like, “I’m gonna try it out,” and now I love it.

Do you notice any sort of skills from those previous boxing, kickboxing [that] help you in derby?

Yes, I think some help me and some don’t help me. The biggest transition for me has been from using my arms to not using my arms. In boxing, you have to have your arms up at all times, and you stand very straight up in boxing. And derby is the opposite. So learning to jam: I have to keep my arms in and not get any forearms, and then I should not be standing up straight.

So that’s been challenging, but the things that have crossed over that are good is just the overall strength, and my shoulders, so that really helps, and then my endurance. I think I’m able to have good endurance from my boxing training. But it’s a completely different sport. I’ve had to unlearn everything that I know and relearn. And now I have wheels on!

How would you describe your skating background pre-derby?

I rollerbladed a lot when I was younger. We had a skating rink—I grew up in a really small town, where they didn’t have a lot to do, so you either went to Walmart, or you went skating or bowling. Those were the three things. And so I had always rollerbladed, for years and years, and then when I went to join derby, they were like, “You can’t do rollerblades, you have to have quads.” So then I started skating at skating rinks like two or three months before fresh meat started, just so I made sure I could skate standing up. So more of a rollerblading background than skating. And then with wheels, [I did] skateboarding as well. But yeah, quads have been a change.

So you’ve kind of already touched on your derby playing style, but do you have anything else that you would add to it, or a signature move that you try to do?

I joke sometimes with Bush and say I like to get “angy” and just like power my way through like a bulldozer. Something I really try to do (a technique I got from boxing) is just to stare forward and not let my eyes telegraph where I’m going to go. And then when I’m jamming I really like to do sneaky passes. I like to tell my pivot: just watch me because if I do a pass, it’s most likely going to be sneaky, so that people can’t see it. But I would say my style is working on being more jukey, but I’m definitely a power through kind of person, so just going, just pushing.

You have really dabbled in all three of the different positions, as a blocker, and a pivot, and a jammer. Which one is your favorite to play?

I’m really enjoying jamming. It was funny because when I started, I was like, “I’m never going to be a jammer, I’m going to be a blocker.” Right, because I knew I was strong, I knew I had some of that skill. When I joined derby, getting hit was not a fear of mine because I got punched in the face all the time, so I really was not afraid of being hit. But then I jumped into pivot, and I really like that too, just kind of being the SOS person, like I need help. And I’m really enjoying jamming because I really like to have goals, and I like to push myself to my full potential, and I’m just really enjoying jamming right now, so I’m hoping to keep getting better at that.

How would you describe this rookie year you’ve had?

It’s been kind of a whirlwind. I have had a lot of personal stuff going in my life, so I’ve dedicated 110% to derby. I think since the beginning, I’ve only missed two practices, including fresh meat. It’s really just kept me sane. It’s kind of like my therapy. But when I first started, I was like, “There’s no way that I’m gonna be able to do this.” I was practicing transitions and toe stops in my house, and I was like, “I’m not gonna get this, I’m gonna fail.” But then I just started to put in the work, and I’m a big believer of what you put in is what you get out of it.

It’s definitely been empowering, it’s been cool to learn things and [have] things seeming really hard, and then all of a sudden you’re like, “Woah, I just did that?” I think last game I spun, I was jamming and I did a twirl and I was like, what? So sometimes you don’t even realize you’re doing things and it just happens. I don’t know if I answered the question, sorry.

Not only did you answer my question, you kind of read my mind, because I was literally in the moment thinking—do you have any of those turning moments, like where you realized you could do something that you previously couldn’t? Because that’s definitely a really cool one, I know what you’re talking about when you spun last time, that was cool. So do you remember an early one or the first one that you had?

That was definitely a big one because I remember looking over at Slam and being like [stunned] and she was like, “Go! Go! Go!” Because I was so shocked that I did it! But I think probably when we were in West Virginia [against Chemical Valley Rollergirls], on that fun trip, I had probably my biggest hit that I’ve ever had. I was blocking and I hit somebody really hard. I came back and they were like, “Yeah! That’s awesome!” So that was cool. Like actually, effectively hitting somebody. Because you can touch people, but then when you hit them and they—oh, I hit a jammer out, and I was like, “Did I just do that?” So there’s definitely been those moments. But I would say the last game with the spinning was definitely—I even came back [to the bench] and Bush was like, “I saw you do that spin!” And I was like, “I don’t even know how I did that! It just happened.”

When it comes to bouts, do you prefer our home bouts or traveling for away bouts?

I used to prefer away bouts because I was still (well I’m still a baby, but I was baby baby), and I was like, “Well at least if I mess up, I’m not going to know anybody except for my team.” But now I really enjoy the home games. It kind of pumps me up to have people there that I know and that support me. So I enjoy both, honestly. I don’t think I have a preference, one over the other. Maybe for convenience home games, just because I’ve got a kiddo, but yeah, it’s also fun to travel to new places. Nice to bond and get to know your people, and just have a good time.

Do you have any pre-bout rituals that you like to do?

Oh man, I don’t know if it’s a ritual, but I do not eat because I’m so nervous, like that my stomach’s gonna get upset. I usually just have a coffee and maybe an applesauce or something. But as far as pre-bout goes, I'm an early person. I’m always early everywhere, so I try to be early to things. This year since I’ve been on the bench staff, I think that helps me because I kind of watch what the All-Stars are doing before the Brawlers go on, so I guess that might be my pre-bout, just cheering on the All-Stars and watching you all and getting tips from just watching and seeing what you guys are doing. And it helps distract my brain also from being really nervous because I’m so focused on helping you all that I’m like, “Oh yeah, I have a game!”

What have been some of your favorite achievements on the track?

I guess as far as skills go: when I first was able to do a turn around toe stop, I was ecstatic. And then the 45 [degree angle] to the line, that was a big deal to me, to get those, because I really struggled with turning around when I first started. Now I just do it like, “Oh, cool, I just turned around!”

And then I’m just really excited that I got to jam this season! It’s kind of a big deal for me that I was able to, you know, kind of get into that because I know it is a more skilled position, it is one that takes a little bit longer just to kind of get the feel for it. I guess I’m just proud of trying all the positions and being willing to kind of go wherever.

You’ve organized our league’s volunteer opportunities this season. What have been some of your favorite moments from those outings?

Oh those have been fun! Yeah, I really liked our last one at Horse Haven. It was a lot of manual work, but nobody complained, everybody was really happy to do it. We made lots of jokes, and it was just really nice. I think I would say that for everything—everybody that has showed up has been willing to help, and even when things are chaotic, they’ve been patient with me trying to organize things. Everybody has a good attitude that comes, and so that’s always really nice because I feel like your energy and your attitude really affect other people, especially in those kind of events. I enjoy planning, I enjoy scheduling things, so it’s fun for me to do it. But I think probably out of all of them, I think Horse Haven was probably my favorite.

What is your go-to karaoke song?

Oh gosh, I love karaoke! I would say “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” by Céline Dion. That’s probably my go-to, which is funny because people would not think that with me. I would say that one, or “Like a Prayer” by Madonna. Probably more Céline Dion though. I like really theatrical karaoke songs because then I don’t have to be serious, so it makes me a little bit less nervous, but I really love singing (you know, you’ve karaoked with me in the car). I think definitely Céline Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me.” It’s a very dramatic song. It goes on forever though!

Oh it does! But it’s well worth it, it’s a lot of fun!

Yeah, I’m like, “Just wait—there’s more!”

How else do you like to spend your free time?

Between me and my boys: [husband] Tony just started playing rugby, and [son] Bentley plays baseball, so we’re all very sportsy. We try to support each other in all three of those. And we have a lot of animals that I enjoy spending time with. Then on the weekends, we try to just go do stuff with Bentley. Just like some bonding, ask him what he wants to do. Sometimes we go to the zoo, sometimes we’ll just go do an activity, and then some weekends we just stay at home, work on the house. Tony and I are kind of homebodies, Bentley not so much, so we have to balance it out. Singing, I love to sing, I love music. I like crafts, like making stuff.

What is the story behind your skater name and number?

I love everything horror, surprise surprise! Halloween is every day for me. I’ve loved spooky stuff since I was little. I actually watched Friday the 13th on repeat with my mamaw when I was like ten, so my mamaw really liked scary movies too. And then my dad always dressed up every Halloween as Jason Voorhees no matter what my costume was, he was always Jason from the time like kindergarten until I didn’t trick or treat any more. So Jason is actually my favorite, but I didn’t want my derby name to be Jason [laughs]. I couldn’t think of anything that went with that, but I have a top five, and Freddy [Krueger]’s in my top five. I really like Northern slang, like “I’m gonna shred,” so I really liked the name “Shreddy.”

And then my number has been a funny journey because we’re in the South. Some people are not a fan of my number, but it’s kind of an inside joke with my brothers and I, and also it just kind of fits the theme, obviously because, you know, Freddy Krueger and it just kind of goes with it. But my brothers and I, all three of our favorite number is six, and so when we were younger, we were always like, “Six-six-six!” You know, because it was like, there’s three of us, and it’s our favorite number, and then it goes with my theme as well. It’s got some history to it. And then we used, in our basement, we used to take a permanent marker [laughs] and write it on our wall to freak our mom out! Because we were like, “It’s just our favorite number!” And we always just thought it was funny that people got so upset over a number.

So my brothers and I, all three of us have a dark sense of humor, but yeah, I love everything spooky. Also really like ghosts. Every night I watch a horror movie, like a new one, it’s how I wind down my night. It just seemed appropriate to have the horror name. And I wear scratches every game because I like that, I really like to get into character because I love Halloween. Like I said, every day is Halloween for me!

What advice do you have for people who might want to play roller derby?

I would say try it and don’t—one of the things that I really like that we say in derby is that, “I can’t do this yet.” We always say, “yet” instead of, “I can’t do it.” That’s really helped me mentally because derby is a really mental game. It’s easy to get imposter syndrome and just be like, “I can’t do this, this is too hard.” Especially as an adult learning a new sport, you’re like, “Woah, what?” So I would say just try it, give yourself a chance, and what you put into it is what you get out of it.

I also say that derby is like a really safe environment, and people are really encouraging. The martial arts world is not really the same. You have to work really hard for things and there, people aren’t as kind. I would say that’s been a big adjustment for me and derby in a good way. You guys are really nice to me, and I’m like, “But I was in the box six times?” And they’re like, “It’s okay!” And I’m like, “What?” It is an accepting community too, so no matter what your ability is, no matter what your anything is—it’s open to everybody, and that’s a really big deal too. So I think it’s good all around.

Who would you like to nominate for next month, and what do you want to ask them?

Lemon DropHer. What is the thing that she’s most proud of since she started fresh meat until now? Because I feel like she’s done amazing. She’s really—from seeing her from day one until now, I’m just so proud of her. I guess what is her thing that she is most proud of herself for achieving? Because I have definitely seen a lot!

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Thanks for a phenomenal conversation Shreddy! Readers, you have one more chance to catch her and the rest of the Hard Knox team at home this Saturday, September 7, at World’s Fair Exhibition Hall. You don’t want to miss it! Until then, be like Shreddy, and tackle a new and challenging skill by remind yourself that you just can’t do it “yet.”

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