ICKYYKalamazoo

Derby Darlins

Photo Credit: GD Metzler

Bellows College

THIS MONTH WE ARE SHOWCASING #33 ICKYY FROM THE KALAMAZOO DERBY DARLINS. HER ROLLER DERBY JOURNEY BEGAN IN 2019 , BUT THE SPARK BEGAN 15 YEARS AGO. SO LET’S GET TO KNOW ICKYY!

What attracted you to Roller Derby?

So many things. I've been interested in roller derby since I discovered it maybe 15 years ago. But between me thinking I wasn't capable, and a wide variety of other things in life, I didn’t actually take the leap and try it until just last year. My daughter joined about six months before me and honestly the community was what finally sucked me in. The inclusivity and support you find within the derby community provides such a perfect environment for a person to thrive.

Can you tell us about your derby journey as a Newbie?

Honestly, it’s been pretty fast paced! I joined freshmeat at the beginning of September, passed my evals by the end of October, and made my league's charter team top 20 by the end of February. As silly as it sounds, I feel like my ADHD has been helpful as far as hyper-focusing and progressing quickly. I'm absolutely loving the journey and looking forward to seeing what sort of progress I'll have made a year from now.

Do you have a pre-game ritual?

This is one area I desperately need to work on haha. At the start of the season I took on the position of Events Coordinator for my league which has been a great experience but doesn’t always leave me with a fair amount of prep time on game day. So I'm definitely still trying to discover what works best for me before games.

Bellows College

What is your position of choice? Why?haha of choice? I like blocking and being a part of a solid pack. When you have

a really synced pack, its an awesome feeling. But my captains discovered I’m a

pretty decent jammer, so i'm on the jammer rotation! I do love jamming, I just

have anxiety that's brought on by the pressure of jamming. The more I progress

the more comfortable I get. I still have so much to learn!

How would you describe your playing style?Oh man uh, I'm very much still in my autopilot phase. It seems to be working,

but really I don't go in to it with much of a plan. Especially if it’s a team I

haven't played before. I have to observe them as I go and see their

strengths/weaknesses. I do my best to read the jam as its happening. I will say

I'm a big toe stop user. That’s all I’ve really noticed about myself. If I

ever develop an actual style i'll let you know haha.

What’s the last YouTube video you watched?I'm not a huge youtube person, but during this quarantine I've been watching

videos on Instagram that Lizzie Rider (#8 Nantes Derby Girls) posts. She

provides a lot of accessible off skates workouts that I’ve been referencing a fair

amount.

What was your most memorable derby moment?I don’t have a lot just yet, seeing how coronavirus 2020 is my first official

season.. But it was during my first game with KDD's Killa Crew. I had this

'calm in the chaos' sort of clarity. The opposing jammer was catching up, their

pack was sitting right on the inner apex, I knew I had a shot at jumping but no

matter the outcome, I was going to need to call it immediately. (even if that

meant calling it while falling on my face) I took the chance, jumped the inside

line and landed spinning to face the oncoming jammer as I called it. That felt,

fantastic.

Who are your derby heroes?The Smacktivist. Violet Knockout. Zipblock. Bonnie Thunders. Mrs.

Testosterone. Mutch Mayhem.

What did derby teach you about yourself ?How resilient I actually am! I mean don't get me wrong i've given birth to two

kids so I know I'm capable! haha, but derby really reaffirmed that for me.

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

derby?DO IT! I don’t care if you've never worn skates, or you think you'd be terrible

at it... I felt the same way. And I proved myself wrong. If it interests you, if

you're looking for an outlet, or a community, JOIN DERBY. It is by far one of

the best things I’ve ever done for myself.

Interview by CJ Summers

www.rollerderbynationunited.com