As part of the recurring feature "10 Questions with…” here at Daddy’s Sugar Ball we will be interviewing players, executives, and staff from local Central PA sports teams and leagues.

For this week’s installment, we’re very grateful to have had a discussion with Renegade Raven and Coach Merv the Perv of the Harrisburg Area Roller Derby.  H.A.R.D. is currently ranked 8th in the Eastern division of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).  H.A.R.D.’s philosophy is “By the Skater, For the Skater” and their goal is to develop and promote the extreme sport of roller derby in Central Pennsylvania.  For your crash course on Roller Derby 101, visit here.

                    

DSB: Many of the team members were very young (if at all) when roller derby first rose to prominence in the 1970s, yet it seems to be gaining a new found foothold both here in the Harrisburg area and around the country.  How did you initially get involved with roller derby and H.A.R.D.?

Renegade Raven: I have been looking for an aggressive all women’s team sport since my 20’s. I grew up very athletic and loved tackle football, basketball and soccer.  Knowing this, a group of my friends were fans of H.A.R.D and after some convincing (it can be a bit intimidating) I just showed up at a practice to check it out.  I put skates on and jumped right in.  That was about a year and a half ago. Roller derby is the greatest sport around and I will continue to be involved as long as possible.

Merv the Perv: I fell into the league accidentally. While working at a bar, I was invited to a meet-n-greet. They were looking for referees and I love to skate, so I thought it would be fun. I had a skating background, so everything came easy to me. I refereed for half a season and was then honored by the league when they asked me to be their coach.

DSB: Other than your scheduled bouts, what kind of time commitment is required from your players?  How often do you practice?

RR: As a skater on the Nuclear Knockouts, I skate three practices a week for a total of 6 hours. In addition, I train daily at the gym and pick up additional skate time outside.  I am also currently the President of the league and therefore on the Board of Directors.  This requires many, many additional hours of paperwork, planning and overseeing the business.  Every skater puts in a lot of time and dedication both on and off skates to keep this skater-owned business afloat. Some are on the board and are very involved in one of many committees in addition to attending various PR events throughout the year.

MtP: I put in at least 6 hours for practice a week, not including the planning. I usually open and close the rink for practice, so add about 4 hours before and after. I do the scheduling, rosters and obviously studying the game and the other teams. This takes approx. 4-10 hours a week. I am also involved on the board, so including on the phone time it could easily take up to 20 more hours a week. Some weeks, coaching this team can seem like a full time job.

DSB: How do you handle recruiting?  Do you have open tryouts at any point in the season? Or is it by mostly word of mouth?

RR: We hold several recruitments throughout the season.  We have open try-outs/benchmarking once a year preceding our season.

MtP: At this point, most skaters arrived from word of mouth from the other skaters. 

DSB: In H.A.R.D., there are two different squads - - the Nuclear Knockouts and the Fallout Femmes - - what are the differences between the 2 teams? Or is it just a matter of having too many players for 1 roster, so 2 teams were created?

RR: The Nuclear Knockouts are H.A.R.D.’s travel team.  Their bouts are WFTDA-sanctioned and count towards the national rankings.  There is a greater expectation when it comes to commitment both in time and training.

The Fallout Femmes consists of various level skaters.  The new skaters would skate on this team to gain experience working towards the level of the Knockouts.  It could also consist of skaters that are just returning from injury and need to gain their skill and strength back or skaters that are not able to commit to the necessary requirements to be on the Knockouts.

DSB: H.A.R.D. is a member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association which has almost 80 teams from all over North America.  How important is to be part of a much larger organization and what do they bring to the table?

RR: It is very important for us to be a part of this larger organization.  They provide us with structure, rules and standards and allow us to be competitive on both a national and international level.  As a member league we have a voice in all of the decision-making processes regarding such things as development of policies, organizational structure and game play.  Also they provide important insight into running our businesses on a league level.  

DSB: To the uninitiated viewer it may seem there is little strategy involved when bodies start crashing together; yet racing on a flat track causes each skater to generate their own speed and power - - and because of that it seems there are definite tactical plays involved.  Is this so? And if so, could you please elaborate?

RR: Roller derby is very much a thinking game.  Skaters must play both offense and defense simultaneously. Roller derby takes an incredible amount of thinking, timing, awareness, strength, and control…all at the same time…while balancing on eight wheels…not easy to do.

MtP: I always compare roller derby to football. If you watch the lineman in football, it seems like they all jump forward and just hit each other. If you understand football, every person has a specific assignment. It’s the same for roller derby. The difference is that these girls have to play offense and defense, at the same time. A lot of time and practice is necessary to understand fully and conquer the strategy of derby. 

DSB: How has the support been from the local Central PA area?

RR: Gaining recognition and getting the word out there to Central PA has been very difficult due to our limited resources and finances.  We have made a push this year to step up our PR by using various media avenues – radio, web, newspaper, events, etc. to try to reach the local community more effectively.

MtP: I personally have always been disappointed in the support. Roller derby has got to be the best sport on earth, but it has been hard to get our name out in the public. An area like Baltimore can get up to 3000 people per bout. We get about 10% of that. We have been ranked as high as 24th in an international league, yet little support from our home. 

DSB: What’s the fan experience like at one of your bouts?  With the flat track, are the fans and players on the same level and how close are they to the track?

RR: The fan experience at a bout is very exciting! The fans have the option to sit track side at their own risk. This allows them to sometimes literally be a part of the action.  Our fans are normally very loud, excited and very supportive.

MtP: Though our fan numbers are few, compared to other leagues, they show great support. When they all wear lime green and start there cheers, they can match the support of any other league, of any size. H.A.R.D. loves their fans! 

DSB: This Sunday evening you have a scheduled doubleheader bout with the Steel City Derby Demons (Steel Hurtin' and B-Unit)…do you approach each match the same or do you scout and have a strategy based on your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses?

RR: We always play “our game” but that is not to say that we are not aware or prepared for what each team is bringing to the table. In the case of Steel City, this is a re-match from last year when we beat them on their home turf. Steel City is a very talented team and it will be an exciting bout.

MtP: Steel City will be out for revenge. We will be well prepared for their arrival. We understand how they play the game, but we play it better. 

DSB: There is something very imposing about the speed and physical nature of the sport…yet I would think the short skirts and fishnet stockings offset that a great deal.  Could you please describe how you approach the dynamic between empowering and sexy?

RR: Well, in my mind, there is nothing sexier than being smart, athletic and strong…..and to be able to pull this off in fishnets and a short skirt speaks to the confidence of these women. 

MtP: I believe that the sexy attire may get males interested but the talent and hard hitting of the girls, is what keeps them coming back.  Once you see them play, they earn your respect.

We here at DSB again wish to thank Renegade Raven and Coach Merv for their time and willingness to talk with us.

We highly recommend you check out their website and their doubleheader bout this Sunday night at the Olympic Skating Center in Enola.  The doors open at 5:30pm and admission is $10 in advance or $12 at the door. If interested in tickets, please visit the Olympic Skating Center in person or give them a call at (717) 732-9168.

Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy's Sugar Ball...