So it's been assigned to me to have the next entry on our blog. This being a very difficult task for me since I'm not one to express my feelings or reveal my inner workings very easily. I'm certainly not an english teacher, heck I'm lucky to have graduated High School so forgive the spelling, grammar and/or punctuation errors, But here we go......
Being a derby girl can be a very challenging task on a day to day basis. Most people see the big production on a Saturday night everyone dress to impress. Putting on their game faces to give a good show of sportswomanship to our fans. But it's much more than that.....
Each of us have day jobs, husbands, wives, children, significant others, pets or any combination of the mentioned. On a daily basis we have to make the choice (sometimes difficult) to go to a practice and leave the ones we love so that we can get better at the sport we equally love. We practice our hearts out! Sometimes you get praised while other times you get criticized. The praise we love, but the critical comments can make you wonder if you really want to continue doing this sport that you thought you were good at and enjoyed doing.
So after being sick for 3 weeks and being benched 3 bouts in a row all with good reasons :0) or so the captains explained, I decided it was time to get my head back into the game. I was feeling healthy, I decided that although I had been feeling angry and not really worthy of playing the game I've grown to love, it was time to put all that negative feeling aside and be a positive member of my team and put on my game face.
So June 9th I geared up for our scrimmage and got in the game. I had some amazing hits that landed people on their butts. And then it happened...... I got nailed, which for those who watch know that doesn't happen very often. But I went down and couldn't get back up. We had a Doc on site that day which doesn't happen very often. He came an assessed my knee and said I was fine put ice on it and learn to control my falls. HEHEHE easier said than done in derby. A week later still not able to skate or even walk without pain, I decided to go to my own Doc. Come to find out I had partially torn both my PCL and LCL ligaments in my right knee. This putting out of the game for 6-8 weeks at least.
When you get injured you get to see the life you leave behind every time you decide to go to that practice. And I must say it is easier to sit and do nothing than make yourself go to a practice that is going to make you tired and sore. So after 8 weeks I tried to get back into the swing of things that is derby but my knee still didn't feel quite right and I wasn't really feeling the love of the game that I had pre-injury/illness. Then we go into the off season so no real pressure to go to practice. But now it's October - Pre-Season to The year of the Fury and I've not really been active in derby for 4 months. I had gone to a couple of practices and felt OK.
Now is the time to get my head back in the game. When I started derby I wasn't afraid to get hurt and I always knew it was "when" not "if" I got hurt when it came to derby. Although now I'm not so much afraid as I am cautious about my previous injury. I'm making a new commitment to my team to give 100% of what I have. I believe now that my injury couldn't have come at a better time. I was negative and my head wasn't in the game. I was to wrapped up in my own feelings that I was a better player than what I was being given credit for.
So here I am to humble myself and offer up the knowledge that I have and listen to the knowledge and wisdom of others and make this the most FURIOUS YEAR EVER.
Love to all my Furies, to our fans and all of ECRG.
~Noble Savage~
p.s. I'm not as bad at spelling as I thought, but thank goodness for spell check.
