Yes, yes! I know it has been a long time coming...
Here they are! As voted by refs, coaches, coordinators, skaters, Refs and fans, the All Stars for the 2011 Flat Track season in the Northwest!
From Seattle Derby Brats
Rosie D. Kream Her
Flyin Hawaiian
Lilly Lightning
From Portland Rosebuds
Jesus Feist
Foxy Shazam
Scream Cheese
From Reservoir Dolls
Rattle Skate
Neal Cassady
Spunkee Bruizer
From Kitsap Derby Brats
Red Rager
Punches and Cream
Whamsday Addams
From I-5
Hunt-Her-Down
Gory Locks
Lex Celerator
Alternates-
Random Max of Violence
A-Shock
Roma Mafia
Quarter Pound’her
Audrey Headburn
Congratulations to everyone on the list!
This post was much more difficult than I expected it to be. Certainly, I had my own ideas of how to put together the team, but, as it was pointed out to me, my team would not really have everything a team needs... so I am Going to mix it up a little.
Here's MY picks for a dream team! Every one of the people on this team was, in fact, voted for as an All Star, but some did not make the list according to the voting. I did it in the form of lineups. Line 1 is not necessarily the best, just who I would put out first. I would also have a specific line-up for penalty killing, power plays, etc.
Line 1
Pivot: Hunther Down
Jammer: Lex Celerator
Blockers: Rattle Skate, Flyin' Hawaiian, Scream Cheese
Line 2
Pivot: Syd Pistols
Jammer: Roma Mafia
Blockers: A Shock, Tempest Fugit, Spunkee Bruizer
Line 3
Pivot: Energizer Bunny
Jammer: Random Max of Violence
Blockers: Red Rager, Whamsday Addams, Punches n Cream
Penalty Killing
Pivot: Spunkee Bruizer
Blockers: Tempest Fugit, A Shock, Energizer Bunny
Power Jam
Pivot: Syd Pistols
Jammer: Lex Celerator
Blockers: Rattle Skate, Punches n Cream, Flyin' Hawaiian
So, basically, this post has made a ton of junior skaters upset and I dont quite understand the point of it. Why do you find it necessary to rate skaters and list "stars"? Obviously there are some very gifted junior skaters, but I feel like everyone knows who they are without putting them on a list like this. There is too much talent on these five teams to limit them to a list of 16. Junior skaters love this sport, I feel like this sort of thing can really put a damper on their confidence. Junior roller derby is about fun, self discovery and contstantly learning and growing as a skater, I feel like this sort of thing cotradicts that. And I by no means am saying the girls on this roster dont deserve to be there, they do. all of them are fabulous! I'm just saying that there are so many talented skaters, I dont think its fair to leave some of them off this list.
ReplyDeleteYou have hiut on exactly the difficulty I hit when making the post in the first place.
ReplyDeleteThis grew from a conversation amongst some people after a junior derby bout. "Wouldn't it be cool to have an all star team of NW skaters to travel and play aginst other teams?" And yes, that would be very cool.
The problem comes in taking that thought to any type of fruition. The only way to even make it close to fair as far as selection is to take 3 skaters from each team, then alternates from each team (as the list is). Otherwise, you end up with one team being represented more than an another.
The other option is to simply recognize everyone... which I definitely do. I watched, with all probability, more of the interleague bouts than anyone else last year. I travelled to Portland once, Eugene 3 times (only one of those for a game the team I am president of was in) and Kitsap.
I watched an amazing display of skill and athleticism in each and every one of those games. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that every one of the skaters I saw can and should be skating at the high level NW junior derby is at. And you are right, all of them should be recognized...
But there is the other side of the coin, too. At the games, skaters give MVP awards. In my write-ups (and in the write-ups of most of the derby writers), there is a section for the standout skaters of the game. This is simply that on a larger scale. The people I gathered votes from (which included refs, writers, coaches, league officials, fans and skaters) and myself giving our MVP awards for the season.
So, which way do we go? Give everyone a trophy, which belittles everyone but evens the playing field? Recognize no one? Or recognize that everyone is awesome, but that there are some people we would single out for a little something extra?
I'm concerned about the comment that "you end up with one team being represented more than an another." All teams are welcome to travel and represent themselves, but it's hard work and damn expensive. Those willing to cover the costs (through their league or fundraising) are the ones that represent. I would argue that some leagues end up shouldering the burden of an All Star team, in order to "even the playing field." I think and All Star team is a bad idea. Leagues need to develop their talent and host bouts.
ReplyDeleteSince it's a mental excercise and recognition, and not something which would be any actual team, financial concerns don't really enter into it, do they?
ReplyDelete...as long as it's just a list and remains a mental exercise.
ReplyDeleteWell, I know *I* have no intention of forming an actual team. The logistics would be a nightmare! ;)
ReplyDeleteDear lord! Calm down!
ReplyDeleteDavid Overman does write ups of almost all junior roller derby bouts, and is one of the biggest supporters of junior roller derby ever. Despite having a daughter on SDB, his bout write ups and previews are completely unbiased. He recognizes not only the obvious star skaters, but the ones who don't get enough recognition.
Hell, in this post he recognized everyone nominated! It's fun to make a list of the best of the best of junior derby so that we can keep their names in mind when they age out, etc.
The girls that are disappointed will get over it. If your 15 year old is tough enough to play roller derby and take it seriously, one would think that she's tough enough to realize that there's people better than her, and that it's mostly in her own power to get herself to their level.
Love, Braidy Punch!
Okay; I'm not saying there aren't people whose skill levels match some of the skaters on here, but in general, there has to be a cutoff point somewhere!
ReplyDeletePersonally I think having an "All Star' Team representing the NW, that traveled and bouted other regions would be very beneficial for junior roller derby overall. Why not take it a step farther? Get some exposure, be recognized. We have some very talented girls,from many different teams, that combined would be, to me, 'over the top'! I would think that it is only incentive for all skaters.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the comments (both positive and negative). For one, it means people are reading my blog. I had begun to wonder ;) For two, it means people are discussing things.
ReplyDeleteAs to the last anonymous: While I think that you have a good idea in promoting junior derby in such a fashion, I think we can do a better thing by exporting Jr derby by degrees. Grow slow, if you will.
There are several derby teams in California and Colorado. Why not have an invitational tourney the first year and bring some of those teams up? Then we can start working on getting a western regional thing going with the top teams from the NW (Oregon, Idaho, Washington, BC) and other places (divisions, sectional, regional... kind of like HS sports, etc.). The end goal? Jr Nationals.
Probably a few years off, but if we continue to work to grow ourselves here in the NW and solve the problems we encounter in getting something like this going (2012 should be MUCH better), then we can more readily export it to other places.
Whoa – looks like I didn’t check in for awhile and missed out on serious discussion over the all stars…
ReplyDeleteLook you all - there is no right or wrong answer here and definitely no reason to blow up Dave for daring to raise the question.
All star teams are like a right of passage throughout the history of athletics. In a sport were we are striving for acceptance and recognition we should be no different. It’s all in the spirit of competition. Yes there is always controversy because everyone has an opinion of who should or shouldn’t be selected, understandably there is always someone who feels slighted or left out.
The important thing we need to do here is teach our kids that being selected (or not) to the all star team should not define them as a person or skater. We should teach them to always embrace their peers. Celebrate those who made it and encourage those who didn’t. There is no intent to demean anyone who didn’t make the list and certainly we shouldn’t trivialize those who did.
I strongly agree there are a few standout skaters that didn’t make the cut but we also have to keep things in perspective. The selections should be based on the best skaters to fill each position on the roster. For instance, in the NW region there are at least eight or nine skaters who happen to be awesome jammers (not including a few from Spokane and Olympia). Unfortunately there are only so many spots available at that position. This is where it becomes difficult because you have to whittle that list down to the top three or four jammers. After all you can’t put together a team with nine jammers and leave the last seven spots for pivots and blockers. My own list was within four skaters of the final cut so I disagreed with some of the picks at first. After thinking it over I feel it is pretty well balanced in terms of the amount of skaters needed to fill each skill position on the team.
So congrats are in order to those of you that made it. For everyone that didn’t, keep your head up high and remember that you belong to a very elite group. The competitive level here in the NW is believed to be the best in the country and being on one of these teams is nothing to take lightly. If you can make the cut on one of these teams, odds are you have what it takes to make the all star roster on the next go around. Don’t ever give up on being the best you can be!
And why not put together an actual all start team? Come on Dave I know you’ve got to be feeling like this could have some legs under it. I can’t believe you’d even start the discussion if you didn’t believe it should happen. Collectively the Northwest is rich with derby talent and the juniors are no different. Just look at what SDB and I5RG pulled off against Ft. Wayne earlier this year. Let’s also not forget PDXs recent dismantling of Denver! We should take the show on road and promote junior derby to the next level. There’s still a large majority of the adult derby world that doesn’t realize that the juniors are a legitimate force to be reckoned with. We really should consider inviting more junior teams from other regions to bout our all stars. We could piggy back them with adult bouts. The exposure could open up a wealth of support and resources for our junior leagues.
Respectfully,
SIX5SS (sorry, I forgot my log in info)
Dear SIX5SS,
ReplyDeleteYou said it all and didn't sound mean or anything like I did! I wish I had your way with words. I love everything you said.
- Braidy Punch.
Thanks Braidy! By the way you're an awesome skater - we've really enjoyed watching you with the Rosebuds - hope to see you bouting with pros soon!!
ReplyDeleteSIX5SS