It's about what kind of exclusionary effects the semantics of catch phrases can have on the psyche of some of your community members. Consider with me, if you will, the deeper semantic meaning involved with a phrase like "By the skaters, for the skaters."
I think I've actually been around roller derby longer than this phrase has, so I never said it. But back then we used to brag about being "DIY," which is really in the same spirit. So I totally get where skaters are coming from, when they say it.
One of roller derby's more amazing features is that, to my knowledge, never in the history of THE WORLD has there ever been such an internationally co-operative network of female owned businesses that involves a contact sport. EVER!
We're writing a new history for women!!! And sports!!!
However... once I was running my own league, I realized that many things were by the skater. But not all things. Many things were also by refs, by announcers, by community members who just wanted to be involved, and were cool with the fact that they'd never get to win a game.
As a Founder, it was really very exhausting trying to keep up with all of the THANK YOUS! I owed everyone for their contributions! Including, but not limited to, the skaters. I mean, everyone was busting their ass and I was humbled by the fact that so many of them did it just out of love, and not even getting to skate!
Was it all FOR the skaters? Absolutely. Was it all BY the skaters? Not even close.
A lot of people who don't skate bust their ass writing your news articles, taking your pictures, filming/coaching/mascot-ing/officiating/setting up/cleaning after your bouts, maintaining websites where you get your information and laugh at their comics and enjoy their roller derby related art....
Is this sport not for them, too?
Seems kind of ungracious, and unappreciative to me. "It takes a village" seems more appropriate.
I stand for all things woman empowerment, and roller derby going in a direction that honors and respects its skaters. But not at the expense of invalidating any members of our community. To appreciate someone is one thing. To validate is something else.
There is no one catchphrase that could ever completely encompass what's happening here.
It's much bigger than that. We're all much bigger than that.
Thank one of your non-skating roller derby community members today if you agree. And for those that won't agree, that's ok too. I'm sharing a perspective that I've never heard shared before, for the sake of doing just that. We can still be friends. I still appreciate your contribution, too.
Derby Deeds interviewed me about this post a couple days after I wrote it: http://derbydeeds.com/2012/01/ddp_ep089/
Damn straight lady! :)
ReplyDeleteAs a founder(just started a renegade league in Tucson) I've been so anal retentive that i have been doing every damn thing myself-fliers,booking benefit shows,recruiting,season scheduling,made the website, pictures, merch, coaching, trying to seek out sponsorships and in the few months I've been doing this I've ruined my schooling,gone pretty much insane and the boyfriend probably isn't enjoying it so much either. If there's one thing I've learned it's WE CANT DO IT ALONE. When I was in Tucson Roller Derby I never really understood the full extent of hard freaking work and how little things would work out if it wasn't for our volunteers. I respect every person who has ever volunteered for derby dirty work because man,it ain't freakin easy! and cheers to you for giving credit where credit is due!
-love
Clit Eatwood,founder of RROT formally known as Berlin Wall of TRD
I once participated in a tournament where I got to skate most of the day which was incredibly rad! I felt terrible for our NSOs who did not have adrenaline to get them through such a long day. I am so grateful we are not for and by the skater exclusively! Great and much needed blog!
ReplyDeleteWell written and said. Years of heading up volunteers for a couple of New England leagues made it apparent that "thank you" isn't said often enough. This is an amazing post that reminds skaters and even beloved officials who are treated well to treat all support staff with love and respect.
ReplyDeleteWhat you wrote is a call to arms, one I hope people don't brush off lightly. May your year bring you wonder.
*sniff*
ReplyDeleteThose of us that don't sk8 are inspired by those that do... It is a symbiotic relationship
ReplyDeleteWay back in 04 when the Dolls were to have their first bout... They asked Busta and I to ref... I said no thanks... They told me "we can't have a bout with no refs" This was said matter o fact. and it never went to my head.. Maybe we should have a Hug a NSO day... Bonnie, can you call for this... no one would listen to me. <3 BK
ReplyDeleteWell said.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the new catchphrase should be..."For the skaters, by all people".
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Bonnie. I'd like to add that as soon as a league starts charging admission to their bouts or taking money from sponsors, they're also doing roller derby FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS, and not just for the skaters.
ReplyDeleteBonnie, as ever you are completely right.
ReplyDeleteExcept for one thing...
"There is no one catchphrase that could ever completely encompass what's happening here."
Oh, there is. There most certainly is. I'd share it here, but I'll save it for my little corner of the derby blogosphere.
As a fan and sponsor I am really happy to see this article. I do not personally do all that much to help, but I have seen the countless hours that many people do put in and I appreciate their contribution. From kids of involved families, to skaters, to retired skaters, to coaches, to people who watch the doors, or set up the track, put down tape, pull tape, clean up, announce, keep records, work the booths, pass out posters and cards, sell tickets to their friends, take pictures, write stories, share information with their network and even those who just talk about the sport - it all adds up. I understand Bonnie's "It takes a village." idea, but I think that has too much baggage after a tough political decade. I think "Roller Derby - it's more than a sport, it's a community" might work. Maybe "Roller Derby - It takes a community."
ReplyDeleteThank you.
ReplyDeleteRight on Bonnie D!
ReplyDeleteI think it's not just for the skaters, but for the sport itself.
Skaters, Coaches, Refs, NSO's, Volunteers, Announcers, Journalists, Bloggers, Photographers, Artists, & the Fans! It's a freaking gang of people, and they all show up for Roller Derby!
Of course, Roller Derby would be nothing without our amazing skaters... But where would it be without everyone else?
"For the derby community, by the derby community" ?
ReplyDeleteSo true... there would be no sport without the periphery support... perhaps we could adopt... for derby as a whole, by all derby lovin' souls :)
ReplyDeleteAfter going to bouts for a year &1/2 it fired up my heart to get a digital camera & start takin' pictures again after putting my film camera down years prior. I had to help 'preserve', record a history for these awesome women steppin' out of the traditional 'Roll Models' & being ALL that they can be. For me it's a lot more than the 'Girls on the floor', it's more about how everybody is supporting each other to reach beyond the limits placed on themselves & be MORE. Roller Derby IS a Community!!! I consider myself a 'Supporter' thither it's Skate or 'No Skate' bouts. I don't consider myself a 'Fan' & won't until The skaters GET PAID. Roller Derby has helped me find a lost 'Love' & all I can do is 'Pay it Forward'.
ReplyDeleteAmazing. Right on the knuckle Miss D!
ReplyDeleteI've been involved with roller derby since my league's inception in 2004. 'By the skaters, for the skaters' was essentially the motto here for a few years until a number of us as staff members were finally able to convince a few skaters to realize how biased and frankly hurtful that phrase was. It actually took a debate at an all league meeting followed by a vote that narrowly passed that allowed us to change it to what I thought was the simplest logical expression: 'By the league, for the league'. Many skaters didn't want to relinquish the idea that they put in the work to make the derby happy. Your post here reminds us all that they are not the only ones working and dedicated to the continuation of the sport and it's improvement. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteVolunteer jobs are so often thankless in the most literal sense of the word. That's so wrong, and it's wonderful to read a statement like this from a skater.
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing this.
Sweetness! I like this perspective and I LOVE being a part of this community.
ReplyDeleteThe Clown
For many years I have lived in a world with constant tension between the skaters and different forms of support staff. At large there is a public quandary among officials if they would like to overthrow and take over the world, succeed from the nation, or be content in serving the voice of the skaters.
ReplyDeleteBeing an owner in a smaller sphere may have shielded you from a lot of this, but women holding their ground and refusing to be taken over by support staff (the very most vocal of which are nearly always men) is a pretty real thing.
The real contemporary question as I see it is how to support and love our supporters and still maintain the voice of the skaters as the driving force. What would the catch phrase for that be?
I love this perspective on volunteers and community! A thank you and call to gratitude like this from a skater like you does my volunteering heart good. Thank you for saying something so important.
ReplyDeleteI ref for men and for women, so I wonder where the men who play derby fit into this amazing community. That's a separate question, though.
Right now, I'm really glad to hear a skater saying these things about volunteers. Thanks again.
As a non-skating male co-founder, it's gratifying to see somebody, anybody, recognize that the skaters do not just will this sport into existence. Our small league was the result of 5 or 6 skaters who were playing kids' games at the rink running into 2 of us who had been fans of a nearby league for a while. They had never been to a bout, and only half had seen Whip It, so they weren't really sure what they were signing on for. The organizational structure was built mostly by non-skaters, just so we could bring derby home. We took them to their first bouts, connected them with training materials and guidance from a fantastic nearby league and it took off.
ReplyDeleteWe're not looking for spotlight, we just love roller derby.
The skaters, mostly, just wanted to skate. Two years down the road, now that the organization is built, several of them want to be the "boss", as though there's a prestigious and cushy CEO position to be had. The payment for the work has always been... more work. If you love it, and are willing to stick it out and help build it, whether you're on skates or not, it's ample compensation.
Our tiny league is at a crossroads. The girls work their asses off, and the three non-skaters involved NEVER miss an opportunity to give them the credit, the spotlight, and the spoils. In return, a handful of (newish) girls who have no idea what went in to building the organization (or didn't want anything to do with lengthy meetings, phone calls, and "homework") have decided to treat us like training wheels. Without so much as a "thank you", they figure they've got it now. They're hard working women, I have no doubt they CAN do it without us. The real question is, in a sport that's supposed to be "revolutionary" in its approach to teamwork, fairness, respect, and good sportsmanship, why would you?
Being a non-skater, and worse yet, a man, it's exhausting to feel like I have to literally fight every day to participate in something I helped build. It's insulting to see girls who have been to two practices given more respect and more say in an organization I've helped grow for two years. It's maddening to have my input shouted down and rejected as "stupid", only to have those ideas pop up two months later and be unanimously cheered when presented by a skater. It's ludicrous to act as though we non-skaters don't have "skin in the game".
Are we selfless saints? Hell no. I can't speak for anyone else, but I bust my ass for the only team sport I've ever loved. I donate my career skills, my time, and my business/organizational experience. My girlfriend, who can't skate for medical reasons, is one of the other non-skaters involved. She's the same way. Does our hard work count less because we aren't skating? What if you skate in 1 bout, but are permanently injured? Is that enough track time to qualify? How many laps do I have to skate to "earn" the right to a little respect for the countless hours of work I've contributed? Do I have to wear fishnets and booty shorts when I do those laps?
Catch phrases are for sitcom characters. If your team/league was really, truly, actually only built by skaters... go for it. If not, you're shitting on people that helped get you where you are and steering a revolutionary sport back in the direction of the douchey traditional sports that made a revolution necessary.
Sorry for the rant, but it's a sensitive subject for me today. Cheers, and thank you to everyone who busts their ass to make this sport happen.
From a fellow female athlete in a different sport looking at Roller Derby I see amazing athleticism and teamwork. However, to put it bluntly all of the athleticism, teamwork and such are cancelled by the T&A.
ReplyDeleteImagine a female b-ball player, soccer player, golf player, dirt biker not one of them have to wear fishnets, booty shorts, and pushup bras. The sport is truly not about the players for the players yet, it is about the T&A to get funding so creepy freaks can pay to keep the sport going. I am so saddened by what you are going through.
If you really want to make change start with a more respectable presentation of your body, be a role model for all girls and tell them it is about them, their health, their strength not their T or A; it's NOT about how much skin you can show. How many major scrapes, cuts, and serious scars could you save by keeping your body protected. I don't see football players running on the filed in minimal clothing and padding, and they are on a grass field for pete's sake!
Make a statement to all boys and men. It is about you girl, not them! ... and it's called respect!
Good Luck to you all!
The T&A you mentioned isn't about getting people to watch us...not everyone on the team wears short shorts or low cut tops, 1/2 the girls show no skin at all. Roller derby players wear more clothes than professional swimmers, volleyball players, tennis players and several other sports. The fish nets and or tights protect the flesh from getting rink rash. Not all girls what to wear pants, it gets super hot and sweaty and it helps to not be wearing a ton of clothes. Anyway, just thought I would make this point. Roller derby is a serious sport but it's fun and alternative as well.
DeleteWell said and thank you
ReplyDeletePerfect blog post and so true. I am a founder of a league and no longer skating (due to chronic knee injury) and it's hard to continue to feel important as just a volunteer.
ReplyDeleteIn response to the comment just prior to mine, most of the skaters on our league don't focus on T&A (seriously, does ANY derby player actually WEAR a PUSH UP BRA when they compete?) fishnets actually help with rink rash and the shorts are not as revealing as many other athletic bottoms (track and field, tennis, etc.) Its sad that sometimes women can be their own worst enemy. No one calls out "T&A" when describing OTHER female sports. I don't get it. this is precisely part of the perception problem we need to change. Anyway, thanks for the great article Bonnie!
To the T&A comment, if you have looked at any photos of - say for example - the recent Roller Derby World Cup or maybe the WFTDA Championships.. what about those women is all 'T&A'. Your comment is quite frankly rude and also uninformed. Yes some players wear fishnets and some of us wear shorts (Beach Volleyball anyone?) but really, how is that hurting anyone?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, great blog Bonnie.
Love it, thank you! We need to find a way to talk about skater-owned roller derby or non-corporate-ized or anti-patriarchal business models (dare i say, FEMINIST?). XO
ReplyDeletewell said, thank you. Yes, roller derby is an amazing DIY non-profit business venture, one of the most successful projects of "women empowerment" in the history of feminism. I'm so glad for all the people involved--volunteers, skaters, refs, women AND men. I'd even go so far to say that MRDA is an amazing example of men "doing" feminism too. And don't forget the genderqueer folks...
ReplyDeleteI've heard this before and while I can't possibly disagree with this argument, I disagree with what has become the commonplace usage of the "by the skater, for the skater" phrase.
ReplyDeleteIt's not an operating principle or a community rallying cry, it's a governing philosophy - League (goals/finances/future) are directed by the skaters for the primary benefit of the skaters. That doesn't make a very good catch phrase tho.
Bonnie in your example you're talking about operating a roller derby league. Yes, we need a ton of help but at the end of the day you and the fine ladies in your league were deciding the future of your organization and all those people volunteered for the greater good of your league.
Even in the unfortunate example by the non-skater, as a manger he's being directed by the skaters in his league. It's still following the governing principle. Applying such literal interpretations is akin to bible fundamentalists that read scriptures as black and white directives.
I think everyone needs a reminder of what a governing ideology is because this recent framing of the "by the skater, for the skater" phrase with the addition "to hell with everyone else" is just plain wrong. And I'd hate to throw the baby out with the bathwater, because it's a good ideology and one thing that a lot of people cherish about our sport.
(ps - a governing principle doesn't have to mean it is for everyone. Live and let live, y'all.)
To the poster who said participants wear too little clothing:
ReplyDeletelook at: volleyball, track & field, tennis, gymnastics, swimming, diving, figure skating (too name a few) All of these sports have more revealing attire than typical derby attire. Sorry we're not wearing burquas while we skate, or ugly basketball shorts.
Wow. I feel pretty honored to be involved in a league where the refs & NSOs are regularly thanked as we leave practice at the end of the night. Thanks for bringing this up for everyone. Everyone involved in derby deserves a thanks once in a while - it's a great grassroots sport that wouldn't be where it is today if it weren't for all the support it gets, both from skaters & non-skaters who love what they are doing.
ReplyDeleteThank you Bonnie. With the skater, for Everyone involved! I have great respect for all the volunteers, announcers, NSO's, fans and the people wearing the pink stache! I love roller derby and I love that you spoke up!
ReplyDeleteWhat Ms. D'fiant said. Bonnie you over generalize.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to hear more on this subject, we talked about it on the second half of this podcast: http://derbydeeds.com/2012/01/ddp_ep089/
ReplyDeleteThis is a great blog piece. Too often I've heard 'for the skater, by the skater' used as ammunition to dismiss a volunteer's idea or opinion. I helped found our league and I know we had two guys come on board really early on to help with coaching and reffing. They have been invaluable to us since they started along with the myriad others who have volunteered along the way. It's a misguided mantra at the best of times and truly hurtful at the worst. Some people just don't see the bigger picture. Thanks Bonnie, you rock x
ReplyDeleteBonnie are you an owner of the WFTDA (the org whos slogan you are discussing) business competitor Derby Dolls, subsidiary, or parent company?
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate how so many comments have given separate distinction to the role of "announcer." That is not always the case, often being relegated to the "etcetera" category.
ReplyDeleteCan someone tell WFTDA? In our league, some of the peeps who do the most work have tried skating, but for various reasons decided they could make a better contribution by doing the work of running the team. It's really hard to do both well. We're applying for WFTDA apprenticeship, which requires that the majority of our management be skaters. We're actually concerned about being able to meet this requirement.
ReplyDeleteI get that we don't want a league run by a private business owner (e.g., an unscrupulous rink owner who may not have our best interests at heart), but what's the middle ground?
Nice read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing some research on that. And he just bought me lunch since I found it for him smile So let me rephrase that: Thank you for lunch!
ReplyDeleteLa Canadienne Women's Felicia Boot
Amazing. Right on the knuckle Miss D!
ReplyDeleteOther