Observations, lamentations and celebrations from an aspiring derbyholic.Disclaimer: Anything shared here comes from me personally and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my league or team
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Lessons learnt…. As myself and Tiger Bay wind down after our first ever tournament (2013: A Skate Odyssey, hosted by the wonderful Gent Go-Go Rollergirls) I have been pondering over the events of…
Tiger Bay’s very own Kid Block gives us her low down on SKOD. It’s good reading. Go read! :)
P.S. I totally miss the team showers too. ;-)
I wrote a long and detailed blog post about my experiences at the WFTDA tournament with Tiger Bay (I Bench managed the 1st game and Line up managed the 2nd and 3rd) but deleted it because what I really want to talk about is my feelings about the tournament.
We came to Gent, we won some games,…
Feeling pretty much the same. :)
Sooo… we made it to the finals of 2013: A Skate Odyssey (our first ever tournament).
Did you miss it? Don’t worry - it’s right here!
A nice little shout out to my team following our WFTDA tournament debut!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US - WE’RE THREE TODAY!
And here’s a picture of our very own Block Booty looking pleased as punch about it.
Keep an eye out for a couple more baby Brawlers on skates to celebrate our birthday!!
It seems crazy that I’ve been skating for derby for a whole three years. The time has just flown by and I am amazed and excited by the fact that something I ventured into as a ‘sometimes’ hobby is now a full on passion and such a wonderful part of my life.
Oh, and Booty - just as adorable then as she is now! ;-)
The Tiger Bay Brawlers need to raise cash,
It’s why we’re holding our birthday bash!
It’s why we skated for miles in the rain
(and carried on smiling despite the pain)!We’re pimping out coaches to train your teams,
Billie Pistol + Boba are the jammers of dreams,
Judge Redd can teach skills + rules galore,
And Kid Block is Kid Block, need we say more?For three whole years we’ve been training hard,
Support from our fans is just reward,
But now our first ever tournament looms
And we need help to get there (and pay for our rooms).The A team are ready, their uniforms pressed
Facing top Euro-teams is the ultimate test
We leave in three weeks on the Brawler bus to Gent
And we’re grateful for all the donations you’ve sent.But we’ve not met our goal of raising five grand,
Yes it’s ambitious, but on the other hand
We’ve achieved every other target in sight,
But this one eludes us, try as we might.So if you can spare us a few of your pennies,
You’ll be loved by all Brawlers (of which there are many),
We’re always overwhelmed by all your support
And thank you for appreciating our kick-ass sport!We hope we’re not cheeky in asking for this,
And appreciate some will just give it a miss,
But we’ll keep plugging at it through pain and through strife,
‘cuz when you’re a Brawler, you’re a Brawler for life!
Oh my days
I attempted to rack up some sponsorship miles in the gym today - after an hour my butt had gone past hurting, through being numb and out the other side. That’s another 24.5km / 15 miles to add to the Brawler total.
Another stint like that and I’ll be well ahead of target!!! :)
So yesterday was our sponsored skate. It was very wet, cold and miserable but we went out as scheduled and did our thing, whether it be doing the skate itself, manning the refreshments stand, drying out team mates clothes under the leisure centre hand drier, or taking photographs.
We didn’t quite reach our target as the weather proved to be not only a handicap on speed but also resulted in a few Brawler injuries. After a commando roll collision between Kid Block and Bloxie Blackout, poor Lola Coaster fell and ripped a hole in her leggings and Pip managed to skin her elbow and chin!
We intend to carrying on with various activities to keep fund raising and getting nearer to our target. I for one will be racking up the miles in the gym on the bike (which incidentally is going to much harder than skating) and there are lots of other ideas in the pipeline.
If you fancied donating but didn’t actually get around to it - fear not! Our on line donation page is still going: http://www.gofundme.com/TigerBayBrawlers
… would have far more downs than ups if it wasn’t for the Tiger Bay Brawlers’ awesome coaching crew. It’s easy to take for granted but I really do feel extremely privileged to be coached by such enthusiastic, passionate and highly skilled skaters. Plus they’re bloody lovely to boot!
The Brawlers as a team wouldn’t have achieved the success we’ve had without the contribution of these four special people, and I certainly wouldn’t be the skater (or person) I am. That may not mean much to you but when I consider that three years ago I couldn’t skate, two years ago I wasn’t on the A team and one year ago I nearly gave it all up - well that kind of puts it in perspective, right? They had a huge input in the reasons I stayed and a colossal effect on why I am where I am now (that and my own hard work, but even then they had to nurture it a bit).
So as I prepare, as Co-Captain, to get ready for the first WFTDA-affiliated tournament the Brawlers’ A team has been invited to, I would implore you to look within your leagues and see if you too can benefit from the wonder that is Billie Pistol, Boba Fettish, Kid Block + Judge Redd.Find out more here: http://brawlers.co.uk/coaching-opportunities/
They’re available now for tailored coaching sessions to leagues outside of the Brawlers so jump on it - don’t miss this chance! They’re all brilliant at what they do and I can’t recommend them (or thank them) enough.
As you know we’re super excited to be taking part in our first tournament next month at 2013 a Skate Odyssey. You’ll no doubt have seen us fundraising hard (and you can still donate here: http://www.gofundme.com/TigerBayBrawlers)!
But…..
WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME WITH US?
Well the exciting news for you, our lovely Brawler fans, is that you can!
We’re happy to confirm space on the Brawler bus to Belgium for you to join us for the tournament. This doesn’t include your ticket or hotel - you’ll have to source those yourself - but at a bargain price of £65 per person for the return journey then there’s no good reason not to come!
Final details are TBC but the basics you need to know are:
- What? Return coach from Cardiff to Gent. Transport to and from the tournament venue each day
- When? We leave Cardiff on Thursday 9 May and return on Monday 13 May. (Times TBC but it looks like an early departure from Cardiff and an evening arrival home).
- How much? Seats are £65pp (inc return travel and travel to/from the venue). Deposit of £20 will be required on booking.
- Yes? Then don’t delay! Email tigerbaybrawlers@gmail.com to secure your spot and arrange deposit payment.
All details about the tournament including tickets and address (so you can source a hotel) are available here: http://www.2013skod.com/.
We hope you can come!
