Oh.... So That's What It Tastes Like... Eesh...

There was a time when SDDD had a very hard time maintaining a consistent team of Stripes.

And that time was called 2007.

 

Seemed like we could never keep a solid crew of refs for more than a bout and they would disappear! And the ones who stuck around seemed all disgruntled all the time.

I was at a loss with this.

Earlier that year I had met a ref from the east coast, and asked him how he felt about his league. Seemed like I could get a good, objective look at a ref's perspective that way.

 

I expected to hear a bunch of bitching, but quite the opposite. 

He said his league really showed the love, seemed appreciative, gave the refs shirts from time to time, etc...

Hmm... As Boss Lady, I was already doing these things in San Diego... and it was not helping...  

The mystery was solved, however (quite abruptly) later that year. 

Side Note: 

That's how it goes with lessons, isn't it? You either have the foresight to deeply reflect on what's happening right now,  predicting how things are going to end up down the line, and do something to effect the outcome while you have a chance...

Or... you just go the old fashioned route....

But I digress... Back to the story of the shocking of my 2007 self...

Because we had a hard time holding down our own Ref crew, LA Derby Dolls Enforcers would come down to help us officiate.

After a bout, I was feeling pretty good, making my way to the locker room when the lesson happened...

This is the lovely and talented Hannah Grenade, as I usually know and see her:

But the Zebra coming towards me, at this moment, was a completely different beast altogether...

She had a wild look in her eyes that was a mixture of the irate and the abused, ready to fight back with every ounce of life...

It's hard to give exact quotes so many years later, but here's how I remember the conversation going down:

Me: Hannah, are you ok?

Hannah: You know, with every game the Refs have to swallow A SPOON FULL OF SHIT, and we NEVER get to win a game, so you might wanna talk to your skaters about how they treat the refs!

Me: (busy processing a very vivid image in my mind about what swallowing an actual spoon full of shit would be like, and not liking it very much)

I don't know if everyone's brain is as visual as mine is...

But this was quite a shocking image to give a person like me, especially so violently...

But I'm grateful that Hannah was as brutally honest with me as she was. It taught me the missing link to having a loyal team of Refs: and that's having a classy team of skaters.

He has many leather-bound books.

So began the motto "Stay Classy, San Diego" in our league. And a heavily encouraged policy to treat the refs well, even (especially) during bouts.

Hannah was right.

And this game would seriously SUCK if no one showed up to officiate it!

It's as sad and empty track.

Whenever you think about losing it on a ref... just imagine what swallowing a spoonful of shit would taste like...

But don't do it right now!

Right now you have yourself a delciously awesome mega super sweet rad day!

Here's my parting gifts!