by Ellonyia Yenney
I thought about how I have always been a smaller person — size 0 or 2. At 27 and 114 pounds, my husband and I started expecting a child. When I delivered, I was 9 months older and weighed 198 pounds. I battled my weight down… But as I started to write about why I do women’s flat track derby, I realized that ALL of that was just a tiny part of the story, and sort of a cover-up for my real reasoning.
I Derby Because It Is Unexpected. I am a mother and a wife. I live on a quaint street where the children and dogs outnumber the adults and all of the houses have matching mailboxes. I am a business professional and a well respected basket weaver.
I Derby To Show Myself That I Can. I am going to be 34 next week and I have never played a team sport — never wanted to. This I want. I want to KNOW that I have the heart and chops to sweat through 6 hours of derby workouts a week — plus my other workouts.
I Derby For My Son. I want him to know that Mommies can snuggle and kiss scraped knees and take a full body-check while on wheels.
I Derby To Know I Am More Than The Sum Of My Parts. I have been brought to tears for the first time in my life with how proud I am of myself.
People who come to bouts think all of the “girls” are exhibitionists. That we are all there to show off our tattoos, flash a lot of fish-net covered flesh, and to get into fights. That may be true for many, and that’s fine for them. I derby because it is a hell of a lot of work and I want to know that I CAN derby, and that I AM.
I suppose it comes down to not wanting to look back years from now and wish that I HAD tried, that it would be nice to know if I COULD have held my own.
I can look back and know the answer… The answer is that I derby!
Isn’t it great to know that you can break the typical stereo-type of who and what derby is. I fell into derby for the same reason you did El. We love having you on our team, and part of our derby sisterhood.
Much derby luv,
Sassy
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Well-stated! I just recently found flat track derby and I immediately fell in love with it! I love derby for many of the same reasons you do. I also love it for the community that is created on my team as well as between teams. And looking really cute in my skirt and fishnets is just a self-esteem boost.
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Gorgeous, thank you! I too started derby after my first baby and heavier than I’d ever been; it was also just a couple of weeks after my 36th birthday. So many of my reasons are similar to yours, and new ones are emerging all the time. The catch-all for me is that it just plain GOOD for me, physically, emotionally, socially, in my self-esteem – derby just kicks ass.
Go mama go!
- Doris Day of Reckoning
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