The Red WireThe Bradentucky Bombers Official News Magazine

March 2013Photo by Joshua DeSario

Letter from Red Wire StaffKeeping Up with the Bombers: EventsSeasoned Bomber: Skate Invader Area 51Rising Bomber: Coupon ClipHer 2-4-1Derby 101: Non-Skating OfficialsRecap Central Home Bout: Bombers v. Orlando Derby Away Bout: Gold Coast v. BombersRoller Derby Supporters

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Line Up

Photo by Joshua DeSario

From the Red Wire StaffBombers fans!

The staff of the Red Wire happily brings you the second installment of the Red Wire! What’s new with this issue? We were already super interactive but we’ve stepped it up!

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If you would like to get the Red Wire in your inbox monthly, fill out this short form. See you next month!

-Red Wire Staff Stay Connected With Manatee County’s First & Official Women’s Roller Derby Team! Like Us Follow UsBe InformedNetwork with Us Get Behind the Scene Access

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Tuesday, April 2Coffee Club 7:45 a - 9 a @ Pirate City Friday, April 5Art Walk @ Village of the Arts 5 p - 10 p Saturday, April 6Coastal Derby Empire v. Bradentucky Bombers Tuesday, April 9Business After Hours 5 p - 7 p @ Rice’s Appliance & TV6430 14th St. W. Bradenton, FL 34207 Friday, April 26Pre-Bout Party 9 p - 10 pThe Lost Kangaroo Pub406 12th St. W. Bradenton, FL 34205 Saturday, April 27Desoto Grand ParadeCAPS Barber Shop3102 Manatee Ave. W. Bradenton

Sunday, April 28BOUTBradentucky Bombers v. Ft. Myers MisdemeanorsAstro Skate Center 3611 3rd St. W. Bradenton, FL 34205Tailgating: 6 p | Doors open: 6:30 p | Bout start: 7 p

Keeping Up with the Bombers

March Pre-Bout PartyThe Lost Kangaroo Pub 3.22.13

Seasoned Skater Profile

Skate Invader Area #51Photo by Joshua DeSario

RedWire: Start out by telling us a little bit about your life before roller derby and the birth of “Skate Invader.” What was your life like then? What was your professional/educational background? And were you already engaged in playing other sports?

Skate Invader: I have always been involved in activities of one sort or another. Since my mother was a dance instructor I spent many years of my childhood in various dance classes. My first “sport” was downhill ski racing, but I also participated in softball, tennis, wresting, dance team, and was a majorette my senior year in high school. I was on the University of Colorado Ski Team, but then moved back to Ohio during college due to

injury and family. I also enjoyed hiking sections of the Appalachian Trail for a time. After school I focused primarily on my work and have enjoyed being a kitchen designer for many years.

RW: And how’d the idea of playing roller derby come about for you? What was the sport’s appeal to you?

Skate: I heard about roller derby from a girl at work – her cousin was Cuteney Cutthroat of the Sarasota Roller Girls. They were recruiting and I was really unsure at first; I had never really roller skated and am not very tattooed. But I was in a new town and looking to get in-volved and it was so refreshing to meet so many girls with a similar spirit of adventure.

RW: Upon entering the derby world, were there any preconceived notions or misconceptions that you had that were shattered? What was the transition like for you?

Skate: I try really hard not to form opinions before a full experience, but I was really surprised by how difficult roller derby is. It’s not just putting skates and fishnets on and seeing who the toughest chick is! It’s more like playing chess on five boards at the same time while running a marathon. And every-body can find a way to participate that has the right attitude. I had a lot of turmoil in my first year skating, but settled into derby life once I found the Bombers.

RW: In the early days, what were your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Skate: I couldn’t stop! Thank god for the safety rails at Stardust; the first few months my team didn’t have a trainer so I would skate around the outside – and get moving really fast – then realize that I had to stop… So I would hammer full force into the walls or hit the floor and slide for a while. Finally one of the vets realized what a hard time I was having and taught me to T-stop. Then I found YouTube and all the derby help videos and learned the “tomahawk” stop – which is still my favorite!

RW: So now as you enter your (fourth year), what keeps you going and focused for 2013? Does it take more to get excited about playing now than those early days?

Skate: Every day that answer is different. Some days I get really excited about teaching and bringing derby to fresh young minds. Other times I get a little more self-centered and want to try a new strategy or technique, or just see how much awesome I can bring. But even on days when I am feeling down because of work or personal loss just showing up to the rink and strapping my skates brings a smile to my face – I can never bring my prob-lems onto the rink. And I always get excited about game day, whether or not I am playing! I love meeting all the skaters from the other teams, meeting and talking to the fans, and seeing what strategies work (or don’t work).

RW: Where do you feel that you contribute the most to the team? Why? And what goals have you set for yourself for this year to improve even more?

Skate: I think this is the hardest question to answer. Due to the reorganiza-tion our team has undergone in the past few months we are all taking on additional responsibilities. I find myself suddenly one of the more experi-enced skaters on the team and training the new girls seems most important to me right now. I have always felt that I was most effective as a blocker, but think I will be jamming a lot more this season so want to work on my speed and endurance.

RW: Now you’ve been known to sometimes take something of a cerebral approach to the game at times, attempting to harness ideas from other sports, such as martial arts and the like, and applying those principles to derby; can you speak to that? Do you find derby inspiration everywhere you look?

Skate: (Laughs) I do have a tendency to philosophize derby. During my first season I read Sun Tzu and realized how many sections of the war text can be applied to derby. Any sport that relies on a balance of physical and emo-tional training can inspire me, from yoga and the power of stillness, to the whirling dervishes of the desert people, and especially the martial arts and the physics of movement. When we introduce movements that are not common we will gain advantage over our opponents because we become an unknown factor.

RW: As a skater, what’s been your most memorable moment on the floor?

Skate: My first season we made a road trip to Ocala while they were still in their old venue. We were a young team and nobody had explained wheels and skating surfaces to me before. Their floor was SLICK! I realized we were in trouble when I stepped onto the floor with my fast wheels and couldn’t turn… and of course none of us had sticky wheels in those days. So we had to rely on stepping to get around the turns. In the second half we had two

Photo by Joshua DeSario

Photo by: Joshua DeSario

Photo by: Bold City Photography

injured jammers and the coach stuck the panty on my head. I was so sure that I was going to hurl, but stepped up to that jammer line anyway. Those girls beat me up so bad my first time through the pack, but I finally got through and managed to score 2 points. I felt like I worked harder for those 2 points than anything else in my derby career. RW: And when you’re not rolling on the track, living in the derby bubble, what’s Skate Invader’s life like? What keeps you going on those rare occasions when there’s nothing “derby” happening?

Skate: My life is very private. I put a lot of myself into my job and have very little “free” time. But I love read-ing, playing cards, horror and sci-fi movies.

RW: One thing we love to ask is if you have any advice or encouragement to give to those who are reading this now, thinking about joining up and trying derby on for size. Any words for those folks?

Skate: Give it a try! You never know what you’re capable of until you throw yourself into an unknown element and rise to the occasion. The friends and the memories that you make will last you a lifetime.

RW: And last but not least, anything you’d like to say to the fans?

Skate: Thanks so much for all the support. May the Force be with you!

Photographer: MiLo

of the best moments to accomplish that; I mean, it meant nothing to a lot of people but in that moment I had over-come my biggest hurdle and knew that I could do this sport!

RW: How has this second year of play-ing compared with your first?

Coupon: The second year is all about trying to figure out where you fit on the floor. What position you are the best at and all about learning strategy.

RW: Has it been easier? Harder? Why or why not?

Coupon: Learning the strategy of the game is harder than the skating part.

RW: How do the challenges you’re dealing with now differ from before?

Coupon: It is now a mind game instead of a body game. Now you have to figure out what to do in all sorts of situations. That’s right; it’s not just about knocking people down!

RW: Now, your daughter and son also play; what’s it like for you to be able to share that experience with your chil-dren?

Coupon: It is really a wonderful thing that has bonded me with my kids. I started a few months before they did so I have been able to show them things that they were struggling with.

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RedWire: Tell us a little bit about your life before roller derby. What sort of things were you into? Were you into other sports? And what’s your professional/educational background?

Coupon Clip-Her: Wow, life before roller derby; its kind of hard to remember. I spent more time with my friends and my husband and I had more people over on the weekends to entertain. I have never really been a sports person; was just never very good at them. My professional background is in Human Resources. I have my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and I am the Human Resources Director at Easter Seals Southwest Florida, a local non-profit that works with adults and children with disabilities.

RW: And what was it that brought you to the sport of roller derby? Was it something that you’d ever thought of doing before?

Coupon: This is kind of funny; my husband and I watched Whip It and he made the comment that he could see me doing that (playing derby). I knew we had a local roller derby team so I started research-ing it and open recruitment was only a few weeks away so I went! I never pictured myself doing a sport like this, but now I can’t picture myself not doing it! I love skating!

RW: Can you talk a little about your “betty” days?

Coupon: My betty days were some of the hardest times. My body was so sore the entire time I was in the training but there were a lot of girls there constantly encouraging me that I could do it.

RW: Are those fond memories or one’s you’d rather forget?

Coupon: I would have to say fond memories; you learn so much about yourself and your ability to do something you never dreamed you could.

RW: What were the biggest challenges early on? How’d you overcome them?

Coupon: By far my biggest challenge was skating 25 laps in 5 minutes. The first time I did it my time was 6 minutes and 30 seconds but in eight weeks I was able to get my time under the 5 minutes. It was one

Photo by Bold City Photography

RW: Does it have both upsides and downsides?

Coupon: The only downside is that I feel like I live at the rink! We are there for hours and hours.

RW: As you’ve worked on developing as a player, is there someone you’ve really looked up to and learned a lot from on the floor? Who’s your derby idol?

Coupon: I found my derby idol at Roller Con 2012; her name is Lulu Lockjaw and she plays for the Bay Area Derby Girls. She is amazing!

RW: What would you say to the person who is where you were, considering trying out for derby but just isn’t sure? What advice or encouragement would you send their way?

Coupon: If you over think it you will not do it. You should just jump in with both feet and try. It’s like no other sport out there and the best part is that any body type can do this. No matter what size there is a place for you on the track.

RW: How has your perception of derby changed since you started, if it has at all? Why or why not?

Coupon: I thought this sport was just really tough tattooed girls that all just wanted to hurt me but it is noth-ing like that. This sport is made up of moms, teachers, and lots of professionals in the community and we just want to blow off some steam and stay in shape. It is about coming together as a team, and really working with and trusting the girls on the track with you. It is so much better than what I imagined.

RW: When you’re able to step outside of the derby bubble, what are fans likely to find Coupon Clip-Her doing? What do you do for fun?

Coupon: I love to go to the beach with my family. That’s where you’ll find me if I need to relax. I love spending time with my husband and kids.

RW: Last but not least, any words for the fans? And any predictions for the remainder of the season?

Coupon: If it were not for the fans then derby would not be successful so thank you so much for coming out to the games and cheering us on. It makes us hit harder the louder that you cheer.

This season is going to be one of growth. We have had a lot of changes so you are going to see lots of new people stepping out of their comfort zones and trying new things. So look out, you might even see me jam.

Photographer: Joshua DeSario

Photo by Joshua DeSario

Photo by Joshua DeSario

Gold Coast Derby Grrls

Bradentucky Bombersv.

Hungry for their first win of the 2013 sea-son, the Bradentucky Bombers took to the road for their second consecutive away game to take on the highly vaunted Gold Coast Roller Grlls this past Saturday. Hav-ing dropped their first bout to an energized Miami Vice City Roller Girls squad just two weeks earlier, Bradentucky was primed for a win.

The bout started off with a bang, as Ducati Hottie charged to lead jammer status against Gold Coast jammer, Carnivorous Licks, who would do more than her share of jamming on this epic evening as Guinness the Menace, Canadia, and Abby Slambach would fight hard from Bradentucky to hold her off. An errant back block sent Ducati to the box and presented a power jam to Gold Coast’s Barbwire Gordon for the next sequence. Esther Gin ‘n Juice would head to the penalty box for her first time of many this evening and Carnivorous Licks would get another shot at jamming again before Canadia finally stole back lead jammer privileges from Clea-Patra Heartbreak-Her.

Bradentucky’s Gigi RaMoan would duck and dive her way to a lead jammer nod against Gordon and Gin n’ Juice followed suit against Licks but was soon sent to the box for an illegal procedure call. Sarbanes Foxie would score some fans with a few big hits against Gold Coast alongside some solid assistance from RaMoan on the following jam against Clea-Patra. That help would free Gin ‘n Juice to have her way around the track, helping Bradentucky to close the score to 44-38.

Canadia made some inroads behind the blocking of Foxie and Slambach and Ducati prevailed over Licks, helping Bradentucky

Bout Recap:

Feb. 16, 2013Recap by Fall Risk

Both photos by Ken LeBleu

step into the lead at 58-45. More big hits by Sarbanes Foxie (a theme that would propel her to Bomber’s MVP blocker) aided Esther Gin ‘n Juice against Barbwire Gordon but the two jammers would play musical chairs in the box before the end of the jam. Carnivorous Licks beat Abby Slambach to the punch and scored lead jammer, having her way with the Bradentucky wall while the next jam saw Gin ‘n Juice heading to the box once again while Clea-Patra quietly helped Gold Coast pull closer.

More penalty box shifts as Annihilating Annie took hold of a power jam and then abruptly cut the track, freeing Canadia from the box and, behind the solid blocking of Malice In Rollerland and Skate Invader, helped Braden-tucky pull ahead once again with a score of 91-78. Guinness the Menace worked hard to hold Carnivorous Licks the next jam out while Esther Gin ‘n Juice contin-ued to contribute points, pushing the Bombers past the century mark at 102-84.

Gold Coast would rebound on the jamming skills of Carnivorous Licks, who took advantage of a power jam when Gigi RaMoan was called on a track cut, to close the gap tightly, leaving just three points between the squads. Bradentucky stepped up on the next jam how-ever, as a Gold Coast track cut freed RaMoan and saw move her team forward, benefiting from a few more Gold Coast penalties. The half would close with Sarbanes Foxie taking lead jammer from Carnivorous Licks only to be sent to the box on a back block, ending the half at the score of 133-112 in Bradentucky’s favor.

Licks would start the second half for Gold Coast with a power jam and call it quickly, allowing Gordon the same opportunity before the tables turned on the next jam as Esther beat Licks to the punch and had a power jam of her own when Licks cut the track, hampered by the blocking of Skate Invader, Malice in Rollerland, and Dawnamatrix. With the score at 141-128 in Bradentucky’s favor, Gordon and Licks fought back back hard against the Bombers, pulling the score ever closer.

Clea-Patra capitalized on the growing momentum while Canadia was in the box, soon to be joined by Skate Invader and Carnivorous Licks and Gordon again would step in with big energy, dancing to the lead for Gold Coast, 158-141. Ducati was frustrated by Clea-Patra and Foxie would lose out to Carnivorous Licks, heading to the box. Gordon would work a power jam, having to really fight Malice In Rollerland but she would head ahead. However, a track cut on Gordon would free Foxie and she helped the Bombers pull back but still behind at 193-167.

A jam later, with Carnivorous Licks in the box after losing lead to RaMoan, Dawnamatrix worked the power jam for all it was worth, juking and jiving and then just plowing her way through for a 35 point jam, the biggest of the night and drawing the score closer, 202-193. Licks would beat Ducati to lead jammer but she wouldn’t win the point spread as Bradentucky pulled from behind and stole the lead, 205-202.

It was a short-lived celebration, however, as Clea-Patra would take it to Esther Gin ‘n Juice on the next jam, scoring 15 points followed by a very physical jam between Abby Slambach and Carnivorous Licks (on her way to MVP jammer for Gold Coast) that Licks would ultimately win as Slambach was sent to the box on a cut-Slambach would get another chance, this time against Clea-Patra, but the Gold Coast wall would hold, even as Malice In Rollerland snatched the jammer panty from Slambach helmet, unwittingly breaking a technical rule that sent her to the box.

Barbwire Gordon would beat out Canadia and then follow against Ducati Hottie with the score in Gold Coast’s favor, 248-214. Dawnamatrix and CupSkate worked a tight wall to help Ducati through later on but it would all prove to be too little, too late, despite Gigi RaMoan (on her own way to MVP jammer for Bradentucky) working hard against Licks with the score ending at 263-220 in Gold Coast’s favor.

Photo by Ken LeBleu

Bradentucky Bombers

Orlando Area Derby Revolutionv.

Glad to be back at home for their first true home bout of the year, the Bradentucky Bombers rolled out the red carpet, welcoming the Orlando Area Derby Revolution girls into town. The crowd at Astro Skate was pumped, fueled with Bomber love and perhaps a bit of the tasty brew being sampled by The Little Giant Brewery, and when the opening whistle blew, everyone was primed and ready.

Orlando would strike first and strike hard as Lost Angeles jumped out to lead jammer against Esther Gin ‘n Juice who would soon head to the box, allowing Orlando to open the bout up with a 19-point lead. Lily de Muerte would work the power jam for a few points the next time out while Killa Belle Lecter took the lead for Orlando again against Esther, despite having to fight through a valiant Bombers wall. Sarbanes Foxie was beat out by Lost Ange-les, who fought hard for four points before Dita von Cheats finally nabbed Bradentucky’s first lead jam status, benefit-ing from the nice wall presented by Coupon Clip-Her, Dawnamatrix, and Sheeza Luna-Tic.

Yet, that small victory would be short lived as Cheats headed to the box and Killa Belle Lecter took the power jam for Orlando, the crowd becoming quiet. They wouldn’t be quiet for long, however, as Sarbanes Foxie stepped up against Lost Angeles and took lead jammer behind more solid Bomber blocking helmed by Clip-Her, Dawnamatrix, Sookie Smackmouth, and Boston MASSacre. Orlando would strike back on the next jam, de Muerte taking lead, despite a nice hold by Dita von Cheats and Esther Gin ‘n Juice was sent to the box on a track cut.

With the score at 47-22, Orlando, Killa Belle Lecter took a power jam against a strong wall with Nikita Dy-No-Mite and Foxie putting up some good resistance while the next jam found Lost Angeles and Boston MASSacre taking turns heading in and out of the box on random calls. Foxie again took the lead jam against de Muerte, working a power jam when de Muerte was sent to the box on a track cut and showing some nice footwork to work her way through the Orlando block.

Cupskate took to the jammer line and stole lead away from

Bout Recap:

Feb. 24, 2013Recap by Fall Risk

Photo by Joshua DeSario

Killa Belle Lecter and the teams traded lead status over the next couple of jams, pulling the score to its closest point at 66-54, Orlando. A series of penalties soon left Bradentucky’s Coupon Clip-Her out on the floor alone, unable to do much against Lecter’s jam and Lost Angeles kept the momentum going on her next time out. Lily de Muerte got the best of Nikita on the following jam, finding her sent to the box on a track cut but once again the Bradentucky wall fought back strong, Sarbanes Foxie, Coupon Clip-Her, and Cupskate doing their best to hold.

Nikita would get released as Lost Angeles worked the power jam but then was returned to the box quickly on an errant elbow call. Yet, she didn’t stay there for long, getting freed again and passing the panty to Esther Gin ‘n Juice who rocked it for a bit before heading to the box again herself after cutting on an attempted apex jump. Soon, Foxie would beat out Killa Belle Lecter for lead and the half came to a close with Orlando leading, 113-75.

Both teams came out of halftime fired up, trading lead jammer status back and forth, both Foxie and Esther holding it for Bradentucky while Lost Angeles and Lecter took lead for Orlando, the score creeping incremen-tally for both squads. Esther benefited from a Lost Angeles track cut, working the power jam but got sent to the box for the same infraction herself on a very physical jam. Lily de Muerte and Lecter beat out Bradentucky for the leads before Lecter headed for the box, freeing Cupskate.

On the next jam out, despite Anya grabbing lead status, Esther would showcase some fancy skating to capital-ize on another power jam opportunity while de Muerte jumped ahead and held Foxie off. Boston MASSacre and Coupon Clip-Her held strong against Lecter, aiding Bradentucky’s Cupskate but when Esther went to the box on the following jam, fouling out as Skatey Spice took control, pushing the Derby Revolution over the two-hundred mark.

Foxie and Cupskate skated heartily for Bradentucky the next two jams, grabbing lead status and getting some nice help from Dawnamatrix but Skatey Spice would again take to the track, this time against Foxie, and dominate, even more so when Foxie was sent to the box on a back block. With the score at 244-126, Orlando, Lily de Muerte worked the power jam hard, despite more solid play from Clip-Her as Lecter beat out a physical jam with Cupskate to close the bout out at the score of 280-126, in Orlando’s favor.

Yet, while disappointed with the overall result, the Bombers kept their heads high, knowing they’d left it all on the floor, and were gracious as always, thanking fans and friends and looking forward to next week when they hit the road again, taking on the Alachua Hunnies in Lake City.

All photos by: Joshua DeSarioBoth photos by Joshua DeSario

Derby 101: Non-Skating Officials (NSOs) Making Roller Derby Legit from the Beginning

By Fall Risk

If you’ve been to a Bombers bout (and if you haven’t, what are you waiting for!?), you’ve no doubt had your senses assaulted. From the tasty brews offered at the tailgating sessions, the raucous announcing of longtime Bomber announcer, Side of Bacon, the zebra-esque shirts of the officiating crew and, let’s not forget, the dy-namic athleticism of the lovely skaters. It’s a virtual feast for the senses.

Yet, those even more astute viewers will also notice, here and there, the men and women in black. No, it’s not quite Area 51 (unless Skate Invader is somewhere nearby) with cameos by Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith, but is rather representative of some of the most crucial, and most likely, underappreciated, sects of the roller derby family.

These folks in black, better known in the derby community as NSO’s (non-skating officials) are, in many ways, the very glue that holds a derby bout together. Without them, there’s no penalty box management, tracking of said penalties, time keeping, or, most important perhaps, scorekeeping. And the NSO family comes from all walks of life, from former players, current players, and those who simply love the game and want to be a part of derby in any way they can.

And, while they may not affect the moment by moment on the track, they’re critical to the overall success of any derby bout and derby league. So, without further ado, here’s a quick breakdown of the many roles that the NSO squad steps in and assumes in order to keep the bout rolling:

Photo by Joshua DeSario

Jam TimerSure, it sounds simple but keeping track of the time in derby is a crucial element to maintaining a well-ordered bout. The jam timer is responsible for timing both 30-minute halves, ending a jam when it reaches the two-minute mark, as well as starting a new jam 30 seconds after the end of the prior jam. Add to that the timing of team time outs and additional roles in communicating with the head ref as well as the scoreboard, and you can know that this is no slack job.

Penalty TrackerIf you weren’t aware, derby is in fact a contact sport and, while the athletes do generally play within the rules, occa-sionally there is the odd infraction or two. Or three. Or four. You get the picture. In steps the penalty tracker whose task it is to keep up with each and every penalty for your team, recording penalties as given by the referees and that are relayed from the various whiteboard positions. It’s their job to let the refs know when a skater still has penalty time to serve or, if they’ve been really bad, has been expelled.

Penalty WranglerEven though it’s an optional position, the penalty wrangler can be of utmost importance in bouts where the chains of communication tend to get muddled due to poor arena acoustics or more. And when the penalties are a-flyin’, the work that this volunteer does can be critical in helping to maintain order throughout the evening. And what do they do? Essentially, they act as a relay between the refs and penalty trackers, helping to provide an extra set of ears and eyes and working to keep everything on an even keel.

Inside Whiteboard AttendantCommunication is the name of the game with this position, as it’s your job to keep track of the number of penalties a player has as well as the number of penalty minutes to boot. You then communicate with the two teams to keep them abreast of the situation, letting them know if their star blocker is one penalty away from ejection and so forth. Plus, in addition to those roles, you also serve as an extra set of eyes and ears in helping relay penalties to the penalty trackers.

Photo by Joshua DeSario

Penalty Box StaffThe penalty box, like any good jail, func-tions better with numbers to its staff. Therefore, the penalty box staff is usually staffed by at least two if not more volun-teers. And their job is threefold: One, to time blocker penalties (the majority of what you’ll see) and to ensure that they enter and exit the box correctly; two, to time jammer penalties and to be aware of the varying rules requiring jammer penal-ties such as the fact that there can’t be two jammers in the box at one time, etc., as well as to make sure they enter and exit properly; and thirdly, to communicate with the officials on the inside of the track, staying on top of the penalties and ensur-ing proper time served. It’s an exhausting task but somebody’s got to do it!

ScorekeeperWith one per team, the scorekeeping team is kind of a big deal. Working with the inside jam refs, the scorekeepers communicate with the inside in order to track the appro-priate amount of points scored during the jam. They then communicate with the requisite scorekeeper operator to keep things up to date. And if they make a mistake? Well, you don’t want to know…

Scoreboard OperatorWant to keep the audience happy and engaged? Then this is the job for you! The scoreboard operator is responsible for just that, operating the scoreboard. This means staying on top of time issues, time outs, and, most importantly, the score as it constantly changes. And the better you do, the more engaged and pleased the audience will be.

Lineup TrackerTracking stats is not necessarily a requirement for recreational derby leagues but, for those teams looking to move to the next level or for those that simply want to be able to compile all the data in order to see where they need work, the work of the lineup tracker is invaluable. Tracking the jammers for each jam, the number of passes the opponent makes through the pack, as well as when and if their jammer heads to the penalty box, among other things, the lineup tracker works hard at staying focused and compiling a slew of data that can be analyzed and applied, readying and fine-tuning the team for their next bout.

Obviously, this list can’t go into each and every specific that these fine volunteers (did we mention that these are all volunteers, unpaid staff working for the love of the game?) are responsible for each and every bout but hopefully this small attempt at shining a bit of light their way has done something to help illuminate your understanding and appreciation for what it takes to make a successful bout happen.

And, if you’re interested, the Bombers are always on the lookout for more people interested in being a part of the derby life, not only as skaters but also as referees and NSO’s. So what are you waiting for? Contact your favorite Bomber today and start learning!

Photo by Joshua DeSario

Thanks to our Sponsors Who Help Make Women’s Roller Derby Possible in Manatee County!

Click on the links to go to their site!

Interested in becoming a sponsor? E-mail sponsors@bradentuckybombers.org

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