You might recognize Carrnage as a skater with the Crash Test Brummies, but he is also part of our friendly customer service team here at Skate Hut and has recently made a significant move by applying for Team England Men's Roller Derby.
Here is his summary of everything from the application process to the first try-out.
When the announcement about Team England try-outs was made, my initial thought was, "maybe next time." I haven't been doing this for very long, and I felt I was still too new to derby and didn't "deserve" to try out for my country. After numerous conversations with my teammates and friends, they persuaded me to at least try out for the experience. Eventually, I gathered enough courage and booked my spot (Many thanks to Robert Quadriguez for that final push).
Then came a lot of anxiety in trying to locate my birth certificate to prove my eligibility, but finally, I received confirmation - I would be participating in the southern try-outs. As in, I was actually going to try out for Team England (gulp). The big day was almost here, so I checked to make sure I had all my gear packed and ready. I then checked again 20 minutes later, just in case I had imagined two elbow pads when there was only one. I was determined to have an early night and be well-rested for the early start in the morning, but my nerves had other plans, so I finally fell asleep around 1 a.m. despite going to bed at 9 p.m.
I woke up ready and eager to go, despite the lack of sleep. I checked all my pads and double-checked them again. While waiting for my ride, I had some breakfast and checked my pads one final time. During the 2.5-hour drive to the try-outs, I had mixed feelings of excitement and nerves, with a touch of confidence and a hint of sheer panic. Thankfully, Jelly was driving and had witnessed the 2013 try-outs, so he had a few tips on what to focus on and how to prepare.
Upon arriving at the venue, I made my way in through the main doors and noticed the signs - TEAM ENGLAND DERBY TRY-OUTS THIS WAY. That's when it all became real. I got my gear on but hadn't applied my face paint; I had told myself I wasn't going to do it. As the time drew closer and my nerves grew, I gave in, went to the restroom, and painted up. While I am a good skater as I am, CARRNAGE is far better than me. I become a different person, confident and unafraid. As I rolled back into the changing room, I felt great about myself and was ready to get the day underway.
We had some free time in the hall to get used to the floor. It was great, just the right amount of grip. Anyone who knows me will tell you... I can be very clumsy. Before the try-outs even began, I lost my balance and slid along the floor, giving myself a huge friction burn down the length of my calf just by playing around and warming up. Once the try-outs started, I quickly found my footing. We started with drills; the first was a solo drill with Rob B G calling out instructions for us to follow. I can do everything that was asked, but under the pressure, it all felt as if something impossible was being asked. Then came the pair work; the drill was to laterally steer your partner off track, which was really good practice for me as a jammer. The final drill is where I really felt at home. Everyone split up into groups of four around the track, and each person took a number. One skater left the wall to jam their way through all of the other walls until completing a full lap of the track back to their own wall, at which point they re-joined their wall as a blocker until everyone had jammed.
Now for the part everyone wanted to get to - SCRIM TIME!!!!!!! An hour and a half to show the selection committee what we all had to offer: our individual skills and style, plus our attitude and how we work with others. I jammed one on, one off for the first few jams and felt amazing. I kept up the pace for most of the first half until a powerful hit from one of the current Team England skaters gave me a completely dead leg just as I took off for an apex jump. Upon landing, I couldn't even feel that I had put my foot down - it was completely numb. I sat out for a few jams to regain feeling in my leg before getting back at it.
Every time I came off track, I wondered if I had done the right thing during the jam. Did I call it off at the right time? Should I have tried to get a few more points before calling it? Did I chase down the other jammer fast enough? During the break, I realized how hot it was in the hall. I had a drink and sat there just thinking... thinking about my journey up to this point. How crazy everything had gotten and how quickly things changed for me. A year earlier, I had played my first real bout as a jammer for the Crash Test Brummies. The year before that, I was riding the vert ramps of the UK and didn't even know what roller derby was. Now, I was at the Team England try-outs, playing with some of the best skaters in the country, and holding my own.
So the second half started, and I continued to give it everything I had. The adrenaline and nervous energy began to build up, so I agreed to block while I regained the energy to jam. It's worth noting that I am NOT a blocker; it's just not a position I have ever played. However, I was so in the zone by this point that I felt like I knew exactly what I was doing for once. After a couple of jams, I was ready to jam again and gave it everything I had for the last 20 minutes until that final whistle blew.
The session ended, and we gathered in the middle of the track for a debrief. We were told it would be about two weeks before we heard back whether we had made it to the next round. At that moment, I realized I had given it everything I had, but there was nothing more I could do - I just had to wait.
I stayed to watch part of the next session before heading back on the long journey home. The entire way back, I couldn't stop thinking about how it had gone and whether I had done enough to make it through to the next round. Despite an eight-hour round trip and the try-out, I had CTB training and, with a busy bouting schedule, I was determined not to miss it. So I went straight to training, suited up, and got into a tough session. By this point, the adrenaline had worn off, and my body was aching in places that had never hurt before. After close to eight hours of skating and despite my body hating me, I felt amazing. I was so proud of my performance and thought I had given it my all and just had to wait for the email after the northern try-outs had concluded.
While the aches and pains subsided, I found myself constantly checking my emails all day, every day to see if any information had come through. The one day I didn't was the day it arrived. I had been busy at work, and it was lunchtime when I finally checked my inbox and saw the email. It took every bit of strength I had to bring myself to open it. I really didn't know what to expect or what to do with the outcome. It said that I had made it through to the next round of the try-outs. I logged onto Facebook to see statuses from others who had made it through the first cut, but my inbox had already filled up with messages of congratulations from people who had seen the announcement.
So that is my journey so far, and it won't end here... The next stage of try-outs takes place on the 14th th of June, so I am hard at work preparing for that.
Spectator tickets are available for the next round of try-outs. All information can be found on the Team England Men's Roller Derby Facebook page or website here http://www.teamenglandmrd.com/
Photos courtesy of John Hesse