The Beauty And The Beast of Roller Derby

I think I was 23 years old before I'd ever heard someone use the word "passionate" as an adjective for something other than romance.

A skater in LA was ranting and raving about something or other, and seemed to catch herself in the middle of it.

She apologized for the drama (uncharacteristic moment of self reflection), and another skater responded,

"You're very passionate."  And it kind of blew me away.

"Passionate" quickly became my new favorite word.

And then over the years, one that would also... annoy me often.

 

It's the beauty *and* the beast of roller derby: passion. 

 This vital fluid (if you will) that fuels the sport also threatens to destroy it, at times.

I get emails from newer leagues all the time, just embarking on their journey, and already dealing with an imminent league-split.

Did I mention that I hear about this ALL THE TIME?

 

Here's my theory on why that happens:

Most women are conditioned/obligated to live mundane lives, with little emphasis on passion or authority (outside of motherhood).

And then... roller derby.

Something different, exciting... overwhelming. 

Passion and adrenaline enter a vehicle that was (up to this point) built for boredom... and not (yet) a compatible channel for all that vibrant energy.

It can be explosive.

And it can be explosive...

Depending on the level of passion-experience of the woman. For many of us, this is a new experience. We're being allowed to be passionate for the first time.

And a lot of women are finding their voice, and their power, at the same time.

And some get kinda drunk off it. 

There's always a weird power struggle.

That's why it sucks sometimes to be the one who put yourself out there as an authority figure in a scene full of women finding their voices.... at you....

I would ask you, dear friend, to reflect on your own position/relationship with passion:

Are you using it responsibly??

Because, in a grass roots effort, with every thing you say and do you are ACTIVELY either doing something to:

A) Build it up
B) Tear it down

A lot of women, just trying to find their voice, don't realize how powerful their every action really is. You are either building or destroying your league every time you interact with someone in it.

Please, choose wisely. Find ways to channel your passion productively and to power ~only~ the build up of your league, and our sport.

So it can be around for a long time.

This is an exciting time for all of us, so think about your passion management as a necessary self improvement. If you don't work it out, you might cheapen your experience of roller derby.

Have a very high-end-experience-of-beautifully-channeled-passion-and-vibrant-energy-rad day today!

Here are my parting gifts!