Jaw Breakers Go Out With a Bang
Despite a few bumps in the road throughout the year Moose Jaw’s Lil Chicago Roller Derby League (LCRD) finished their 2012 season strong and is now looking ahead to a promising future here in town! Earlier this year the LCRD picked up a number of new skaters to train after a successful series of recruitment nights out at the Hillcrest Sports Center, including locals Leslie Lenton (aka RelentLeslie #23), Jackie Schaitel (aka Crack Her Jack #2.23), and Crystal Kober-McCubbing (aka Krazy Krash Kober #7.7). Each of these new athletes is now considered a fully benchmarked skater is has made the roster for the LCRD’s house and travel team the Jaw Breakers. Just earlier this fall two more Moose Javian’s named Taya Wray (aka I Don’t Know #100?) and Karla Pratt (aka Hiss N’ Hearse #6ft) passed their benchmarks and have since played their first games as full-fledged derby girls. Aside from gaining new derby sisters, the LCRD has also been extremely active in the community around town. Aside for hosting semi-regular information and recruitment nights they have also made a number of public appearances at events such as skating in the Hometown Fair Parade, volunteering for the 2012 Relay for Life out at the Moose Jaw Field House, and hitting the streets in their gear during Sidewalk Days. They have also hosted a number of successful fundraisers throughout the year at venues and have been making a strong effort to connect with other local organizations by donating a portion of ticket sales from their bouts to groups such as Joe’s Place and the Moose Jaw Multicultural Council. They haven’t been without their struggles though. The Jaw Breakers had a rough start to their season when they lost their first away game against Swift Current’s Redneck Betties on April 14th by a score of 176 to 103. They were then defeated in their next three consecutive home bouts against the Saskatoon Killa Bees on May 5th by a final of 242 to 102, then by Rocanville’s Gapland Rollers on June 16th by 186 to 136, and they were once again bested by the Redneck Betties on July 7th, this time 209 points to 114. Fortunately, they were able to overcome this deficit with the help of former league referee Dwayne Shpaiuk (aka Sentinel Prime) temporarily taking over as coach for the girls. With newfound motivation the Jaw Breakers worked hard and were able to win their final two home games of the season first overcoming Gang Green from Brandon, Manitoba 281 to 74 on August 25th then tasting revenge against the Killa Bees on September 22nd by overcoming them with a score of 213 to 138. So what’s next for the Lil Chicago Roller Derby League? According to Crystal Kober-McCubbing, Head Chair of the league’s board, there are great things on the horizon for roller derby in Moose Jaw. The most exciting of these new prospects is the LCRD’s soon to be finalized contract with Mosaic Place which will see the two organizations partnering to bring the sport to a larger audience. “It’s a bigger space, it’s going to be well publicized, and it’s going to be a great venture for us and for Mosaic,” said McCubbing. . All of this is thanks to a brand new board helming the league which is now actively looking ahead at achieving even more in the coming months including the possibility of a Junior Roller Derby team and a brand new referee and officials Should you be interested in learning more about the sport of Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby and perhaps trying it out yourself, the league regularly practices out of the Hillcrest Sports Center on Thursday evenings at 7:00pm and would like to encourage those interested to stop on by! “Don’t let the word Roller Derby scare you, it’s not what it used to be. The world of roller derby is progressing in such a way that it is becoming a legitimate sport,” said Courtney Lee Blackstock, aka Alpha Ginger, #713 of the Jaw Breakers. Blackstock couldn’t be more right about that! With 13 leagues around Saskatchewan and regular television coverage from Shaw Cable and Sasktel Max, this sport is certainly one worth looking into! To learn more about the LCRD visit www.mjderby.ca or connect with the league on Facebook by search “Lil Chicago Fan Page”. To learn more about roller derby in general all across the prairie province please visit my blog at www. derbyfrontier.com.