Manhattan and the Bronx Fight to Own the Track in Coney Island

By Thomas Gerbasi

Heading into the final weekend of the Gotham Girls Roller Derby’s home team regular season before the championship and third place games, a cut-and- dried title matchup between Brooklyn and Queens got a shake up when the Manhattan Mayhem upset Queens on June 11.

For the Mayhem’s Full Metal Jackie, she knew what was going to happen the moment she stepped into the locker room at John Jay College. And it had nothing to do with the idea of “staying alive” in the title race.

“When you say something like we need it in order to stay alive, that evokes a lot of desperation,” she said. “There is that reality, but I think fortunately, we didn’t allow ourselves to have that infiltrate that team mentality or even let it be recognized. Coming into that game and walking into the locker room and seeing my team’s faces staring back at me, there was a sense of calm and reassurance and an understanding that we have to get this done. That’s it. There was a goal, we had to achieve it, and there wasn’t any other way.”

PHOTO: DAVID DYTE

Sixty minutes later, Manhattan skated away with a 192-187 win, and heading into this Saturday’s matchup with the Bronx Gridlock at Abe Stark Arena in Coney Island, another pivotal win could produce a three-way tie for two title bout spots, pending the outcome of the other doubleheader bout between Brooklyn and Queens.

That’s a lot to play for when it comes to the top three squads in the standings, but what of the Gridlock, who sit outside of the title party but have not played like it in their first two bouts, showing the parity of the league in 2016. It’s frustrating, but as Bronx standout Fast and Luce points out, that’s part of the gig as a GGRD skater.

“Every team has taken its turn rebuilding, growing, coming to a peak and then going through the cycle again, so that’s something we always keep in mind with the Bronx,” she said. “At this point, I think we’re really just trying to play the best game that we can play. We find a lot of success in scrimmages every week. I think the public games that we play only a few times a year are only part of the story for the Bronx. And I think that we’re just now realizing that when we play well and we play together, then that feels good and it feels like winning and that’s our main focus for how we’re preparing to go into this game against Mayhem.”

PHOTO: DAVID DYTE

Saddled with an 0-2 slate heading into this bout, the Gridlock have not won a game since defeating Brooklyn in May of 2014. It’s been a painful drought, but one that the cabbies aren’t focusing on heading into the weekend, simply because they can erase that streak with a victory against Manhattan.

“We’re definitely a team that plays with a lot of heart, we give a hundred percent in every game and I think that we always go in with the hope that our work will pay off in that moment,” Luce said. “But it’s also derby and games go the way that they go, so it is a difficult thing to kind of pick your head up after a game time after time and experience so many losses in these last couple seasons. But if we feel that we play well and play our best and are together on the track and we’re executing all the things that we work on in practice, then you have to take away what you can from it, and leave the rest on the track.”

And would a win mark 2016 as a success?

“A win on Saturday would mean that we have improved over the season, that we looked at how we were performing in previous bouts and that we worked on specific goals in practice to get better as a team,” she said. “And I think anytime you’re successful at that - and a win this Saturday would absolutely tell us that we were successful in that way - we can go away from this season being happy with it. I think it would be a great wrap-up to the season if we could say that we pulled through in the end.”

PHOTO: DAVID DYTE

The Mayhem are in a different place than the Gridlock though, and they have a different goal. In other words, they want to be playing someone on August 27 with the Golden Skate Trophy on the line. Does Metal have a preference if they make it that far?

“My preference is to play the most competitive and the most highly skilled team,” she said. “The team coming out of that game (Brooklyn vs. Queens) victorious is the obvious answer, so I’m looking forward to seeing who walks away from that, and I’m looking forward to playing them and beating them.”

But first, there’s the Gridlock, a squad whose championship game is a day away. “When preparing for Mayhem, we really have just been focusing on being prepared for their offensive skills and I think that both teams have good defense, so you can expect to see that matching up,” Luce said. “We always look to try to keep it calm and collected and Mayhem is a very chaos-driven team, with their offensive plays especially, so the Bronx is focusing more on the opposite of that and keeping cool and together on the track.”

Mayhem is fine with that, and if you think they’re focused on the end of August, think again. They’re just looking at taking it two minutes at a time, starting tomorrow night. “The game is just a series of two-minute segments, and how you play those two minutes and what you do in those two minutes can affect all your teammates,” Metal said. “So we try to play our hardest and our best for them. It’s all about concentration and where you allow your concentration to focus emotionally and physically. Going into this game, we’re focusing on each other and how we play. I feel that for any team, you are playing the way your team has been trained. If Bronx plays Manhattan’s style, then we will absolutely take it as a win and walk away victorious. But that’s always the biggest challenge – owning the track.”

More Coney Island Fireworks Expected in Brooklyn-Queens Clash

By Thomas Gerbasi

This Saturday’s Coney Island showdown between the defending Gotham Girls Roller Derby league champion Brooklyn Bombshells and the Queens of Pain at Abe Stark Arena was expected to be a clash of unbeatens that previews the August 27 home team title game.

Then Manhattan got in the way, defeating Queens in June and setting up the possibility of a three-way tie at the top pending the results of Saturday’s doubleheader. While it wasn’t a shock that Queens went from 1-0 to 1-1, it was a disappointment for the team and co-captain Livvie Smalls.

“We were disappointed because, of course, we wanted to win, but I don’t think we were surprised,” she said. “Everyone was pretty aware this year that the teams were closer than even they have been in recent years and that on any given game day, any team could rise up. We also know that Manhattan’s always a tough team, and I really feel like they step up when they play Queens so we definitely would have liked to win, but to say that we were surprised that they fought so hard, we’re never surprised at that.”

PHOTO: DAVID DYTE

It’s a classy attitude to have, but at the same time, it does throw this weekend’s game into a new light. If both teams entered at 2-0, it would be an opportunity to perhaps test out some new strategies, get some bench players some more track time, and basically stay sharp for the title bout. Now, it’s a must win game. But as Livvie points out, with only three home games per season, every trip to the track is a must win.

“We play so few games that, in a way, we try to put all our energy into every single game,” she said. “There’s added pressure, but we want to be in that finals game and we want to win that finals game. So we want to lay the groundwork to show Brooklyn what they’re going to be up against and we want to win. I think we would have wanted to win anyway, but the added pressure is undeniable.”

As for the Bombshells, 2016 has basically been a continuation of 2015 – Eat, Sleep, Dominate, Repeat. Looking as good as they ever have, the team appears to be on their way to another title bout and, if they have their way, a repeat as champions. But one chat with All-Star jammer Miss Tea Maven and you’ll understand that their key to victory thus far has been staying humble.

“I don’t think we think we’re the greatest,” Maven said. “This league is so talented and every game is anybody’s game. A lot of times, it just depends on if the other team can play their game or not. And if both teams are on their game, it’s one or two points difference. So we need to stay humble in order to keep playing the game that we know and love to play. And another big contributing factor is our leadership. Our three captains do a fantastic job of organizing us and keeping us calm. We focus on the now and the moment, and once it gets closer to game time, we focus on what we need to do in that game. So while we’re proud of our accomplishments, it’s never a driving force, and it keeps us humble.”

PHOTO: DAVID DYTE

What both teams can agree on though, is that Brooklyn vs. Queens always ends up being a special bout, filled with hard hits, high-scoring jams and Cyclone-worthy ups and downs. As such, don’t expect either team to come in mentally unprepared.

“I think we’ve been mentally preparing for this for a while, pretty much straightaway since the Manhattan game, and it definitely feels like we’re in the mental place that we want to be,” Livvie said. “The biggest thing for us is that when we’ve been playing together, we looked fantastic and were a challenge for any of the home teams. So mentally, we’ve really tried to focus on having Queens look inside, rather than looking too much at what Brooklyn’s going to do, play our game, play together, and stay out of the box.”

“Every game is a new game, every jam is a new jam,” Maven added. “Every time I take the line, it’s 0-0. If we win our next game, then we’re absolutely in, but we’re not guaranteed at this point. So everyone’s gunning for everybody.”

As the favorites though, does Maven have a preference if Brooklyn makes it to the Big Dance? “We’re going to be ready for any team at any time,” she said. “So I don’t know if we have a preference. Each team has its own unique style of play. Manhattan is much stronger and has a hard-hitting, aggressive style of play, and Queens is a lot slower, but controlled, and they recycle really well and they use a more strategic style, so it’s more organized. But Manhattan is one of the most intense teams you can play.”

PHOTO: DAVID DYTE

In other words, it doesn’t matter. Just bring ‘em on. And should Brooklyn become the first team to repeat as GGRD home team champions since the Bronx Gridlock did it in 2009-10, what would that mean for the Bombshells?

“When we repeat as champions, I’m just going to look at the team and say, ‘All right, now we’re going to be the first team ever to win three in a row.’”

Queens and Manhattan are Well Prepared for Their Saturday Night Showdown

By Thomas Gerbasi

Brooklyn and Manhattan always bring it, especially against each other. Queens is a ferocious machine on the flat track. And the Bronx refuses to go away without a fight. Yet despite all this goodness Gotham Girls Roller Derby league fans have seen thus far in 2016, there’s a feeling that given the stakes involved and the usual intensity from both teams, this Saturday’s bout between the Queens of Pain and the Manhattan Mayhem may just produce the best action of the year.

Think about it. Queens looked championship-bound given their opening win over the Gridlock, and Manhattan may have lost on the scoreboard to the Bombshells in their first game of the season, but that three-point defeat didn’t stop anyone from looking at them as one of the best teams in the league. And now they meet, with Queens a win away from clinching a championship rematch with Brooklyn in August, and Manhattan hungry to keep their title dreams alive, something that can only happen with a victory. It’s high noon at John Jay College in NYC this weekend, and both teams know it.

“We always expect that kind of (intense game) from Manhattan,” said Queens’ Erin Watershow. “They’ve always been a really strong and tough team, and whenever we play them, at least the past few years, it’s always been an intense and tough game.”

PHOTO: DAVID DYTE

Adding to the intensity is the reality that with each team only getting three home games, one loss can be critical. It’s not the ideal situation, but it’s one every team has to deal with.

“This is my ninth full season with Gotham, so I’m certainly used to it by now,” said Manhattan’s Em Dash. “But I wish we got a chance to play each other more. We scrimmage once a week, we practice three to four times a week, and only getting a chance to put it all on the line three times is hard. I would love to play every team a bunch of times all season long, but it’s just not practical. So you do what you can, you bring a hundred percent to every single game, and it is what it is.”

PHOTO: DAVID DYTE

That’s the bad news for local derby fans. The good news is that with so much on the line every night, each bout takes on a championship feel. It’s not like major league baseball, where each team has 162 games to play with. This is like combat sports, where a fighter has eight weeks of training to perform on one night. You either get it right or you don’t. If you do, the glory is yours. You don’t, and it’s a long wait for a shot at redemption.

“Especially because I’ve jammed a lot for Mayhem, the idea that you have one night to show everything you’ve worked for and show what your team can do can be really hard,” Dash explains. “So the thing that has made the biggest difference in my game is building up mental skills, focusing on the moment I’m in and just letting go of anything that’s come before, whether it’s losing the previous game by three points or the last jam we didn’t get lead. Everything that’s happened already is gone; all we have is the next moment. And I think that’s the only way to succeed in a season that has so few opportunities to show what you’re made of. It’s just focusing on every moment and making the most of each moment you have.”

This is the beauty of derby. It’s not a bunch of skaters racing around a track hitting each other. It’s so much more than that. In a lot of ways, it’s a chess match on eight wheels, with every skater forced to not just deal with the physicality of the sport, but the strategy, the reality of playing offense and defense at the same time, and doing it all while on skates.

“It’s hard to put a number on it, but this is an incredibly mental game,” Dash said. “And once you develop certain baseline skills, what separates a pretty good player from a phenomenal player, like a Bonnie Thunders, is your knowledge of the game, your ability to put that knowledge into action while people are hitting you, knocking you down and chasing you around the track. And it’s also your ability to reset, shake off a bad jam and focus on what’s coming next. All of those mental skills are critical.”

PHOTO: DAVID DYTE

But perhaps the most important mental skill is making sure that your eyes are focused on what’s in front of you and not what may be down the road. That goes for every sport, and while Erin admits that she and her team are gunning for a rematch with Brooklyn in August, there may not be an August if they don’t get the job done this weekend.

“I would say we’re definitely thinking about Brooklyn because we know that they’re going to be at Champs, but we’re definitely more focused on the game right now,” Erin said. “The focus since we played the Bronx has been on Manhattan. We haven’t talked about Brooklyn too much because Manhattan’s a really tough team and we are by no means underestimating them at all.”

That may be the biggest key to the dominance of a Queens team that has been near or at the top of the league for years, regardless of team turnover.

“Something I know from my experiences in derby, not just with Queens, but in general, is that I think you should never go into a bout expecting to win,” Erin said. “Never take your opponents for granted, even if you’re really confident that you’re the stronger team. Don’t underestimate them. And I would also say that Queens really prides itself on how hard we work and how many hours we put in. Our land drills are really hard and intense, and our team’s attendance is always very high. We’re very dedicated, and that is also one of the secrets to Queens’ success, even with all the internal personnel changes.”

PHOTO: DAVID DYTE

So who wins the mental battle? Does Manhattan’s camaraderie on and off the track put them back in the championship race, or will Queens continue to take out all comers on their way to another title bout? This one may just come down to who is willing to dig down deep and win a dogfight. But then again, both of these teams are down for a good ol’ fashioned throwdown.

“There’s just something really rewarding and exciting about a really hard and tough game,” Erin said. “Even if you don’t win, you can be proud of the way that you played. Blowouts in derby are great if you’re winning, but it’s not nearly as rewarding in the end. So as much as it’s emotionally stressful for me, I would still prefer a close game. It’s more fun to play and it’s more fun to watch.”

Tickets available here.

The Bronx has 60 Minutes to Turn It All Around Against Defending Champs

 By Thomas Gerbasi

The blessing and the curse of the Gotham Girls Roller Derby league home season will be on full display this Saturday when the defending champion Brooklyn Bombshells face the Bronx Gridlock at John Jay College in Manhattan.

The blessing? In a three-game season, any team can salvage everything with one key victory. In the case of the Gridlock, who have not won a game since May of 2014, a win over the Bombshells erases that past and puts them in contention for the championship game in August. It’s a fact not lost on the cabbies.

As for Brooklyn, who conversely have not lost since July of 2014, a defeat this weekend puts them at 1-1 and all of a sudden it’s a race to see who competes for the Golden Skate trophy this summer. That’s the curse.

But no matter which side of the equation you’re on, there’s a bout to be played, and the veterans of the Gridlock have made it clear to their newcomers that they need to play this one like it’s for all the marbles. Because it may very well be.

“I think they all realize how important it is (to win) and I think in our practices the other teams are noticing that we’re really working together,” said Bronx vet Davey Blockit. “Hopefully, they’re scared of us and we can prove it on Saturday that we’ll be the team to beat. If we’re not playing in the championship game at the end of the season, that’s our own fault because we have really amazing skaters on our team. We probably have the most skill on our team collectively, so if we can just figure out how to work together on the track during a high-pressure situation like a close game, then there’s no reason we can’t win by at least 50 points.”

PHOTO: DAVID DYTE

The Gridlock are a team whose record doesn’t reflect their talent level. Even their season opening loss to the Queens of Pain on April 9 was closer than the 200-159 score would indicate, making it a positive start to the season, even if that doesn’t show up in the win column.

"We had a lot of new players in the draft, and that was our first chance to see how well we worked together,” Davey said. “This was our first test, and we didn’t skate too bad. It was a close game for the most part. I felt like looking at the stats, we should have won. We had some things we did wrong that I felt cost us the game as far as strategy and when to call it and how to manipulate the clock, but we really worked with our jammers to stay out of the penalty box. We only had 10 jammer penalties the whole game, which sounds like a lot, but not compared to 20 in previous games, and we cut down our penalties as a whole as a team, which is good. Plus, we’re working on a new wall that none of the other teams are doing and I felt like that was working well. So there were a lot of positives that came out of it.”

As for the Bombshells, they kept their winning streak going against the Manhattan Mayhem in March, eking out a 161-158 nod in another classic battle between the two rivals. It was the type of grueling bout that reminded the ladies in blue that when you’re the champions, everyone will be bringing their “A” game when the whistle blows.

“It was obviously a very challenging game, but Brooklyn is great about staying strong mentally and staying really focused, and our leadership has been wonderful about keeping the team held together,” said Bombshell veteran D.A.R.Y.L. “So that was good test for our team and it was a great stepping stone. Because it was so difficult, it forces us to not just walk into anything like it’s going to be super easy. We know that every game is going to be challenging, so it’s good for us to have that under our belt moving forward.”

A former member of the Mayhem, D.A.R.Y.L. returned to the league this year and was drafted onto the Bombshells, which provided its own set of challenges as she played against several players who she shared the track with for two seasons. But with that done for the moment, it should be smooth skating this Saturday and beyond.

“Personally, I think that it’s easier for me to play any team that isn’t my old home team,” she laughs. “The last game was definitely the most mentally challenging game I’ve ever had. So I think anything other than that is a little easier for sure. But with that said, as a team we always approach it as it’s going to be a challenge regardless, and we need to give it our all, no matter what. So we need to be as prepared as we can to withstand the penalties or any other things that get thrown at us and really play our best game.”

PHOTO: DAVID DYTE

And D.A.R.Y.L. and her teammates have kept a collective eye on the Gridlock, so if the Bronx hopes to catch Brooklyn napping, that’s probably not going to happen.

“We get to skate with the other members of the team, whether it’s on travel teams or league skills night,” she said. “So we see what each individual skater is like on any given practice night. But it’s always good to keep an eye out for what the team looks like together, and at least half of any team is watching the other team’s game and keeping an eye on what they’re looking like. This year they do look really strong and they do have a good fighting chance to do well this season.”

As long as it’s not at the Bombshells’ expense. The Gridlock take an opposing view, and they’re gearing up to not just end Brooklyn’s winning streak, but to start their own. And that would be a pretty impressive feather in the helmet of this yellow and black-clad crew.

“It would mean that all of our hard work finally paid off,” said Davey.

Tickets for Saturday's bout available here.

After Epic Opening Weekend, it’s Queens and the Bronx’ Turn on Saturday

By Thomas Gerbasi

Queens’ #124, Nail Diamond, knew it instantly. “The first game I saw of Gotham was Brooklyn vs. Queens, and the second Queens came out, I wanted to skate for them.”

Nail Diamond, Queens of Pain. Photo: Jean Schwarzwalder

She’s not alone. Plenty of newcomers to roller derby sat in the bleachers around New York City and Brooklyn, saw the black-clad Queens of Pain and said, ‘oh yeah, that’s my team.’ The same thing went for those who watched the Bronx Gridlock race around their foes during their glory years in the Gotham Girls Roller Derby league.

How glorious were those years? From 2005 to 2010, no other team won a home team title other than Queens or the Bronx. Six titles, divided evenly among squads that were the best of the best in a league widely considered to be the gold standard for flat track roller derby. Six years later, things may have changed for both teams and the sport, but memories of those days are never too far away. 

“We’re lucky to still have Speed (McQueen), because she tells us stories of the good ol’ days, and the history’s really important,” said Bronx captain Cherry Napalm. “We look at the championship banners and see all the yellow that was up there, and we get really excited and we want to make that happen again.”

Photo: David Dyte

“You can feel the experience in the words of the veterans, which is pretty amazing,” added Nail. “So it doesn’t feel like the glory days have ever left.”

But while respecting the history of the sport is essential, there is also the business of the present and the future. For both teams, the present is a Saturday bout at John Jay College Gym in New York City. The future? Hopefully a return to the championship circle.

“We need to remind everyone that we still run the place,” said Nail, whose squad won the 2013 title and was in the championship game the past two years as well. “There’s no question of us being bosses.”

And if Queens is to get over the hump and raise another championship banner, there can be no resting on their past laurels. “There’s definitely a power to the history and a power to how the sport has evolved, but as a skater on the track, all you think about is that jam, and when that jam’s over, it’s done and it’s the next jam,” Nail said. “Everything is that two minutes that you have and how you’re going to use them.”

Photo: David Dyte

The Gridlock, despite a rough few years in which injuries, skater turnover and plain ol’ bad luck left them with a winless 2015 campaign and 1-2 records in 2014 and 2013, have packed plenty of action into those two-minute jams, making them fan favorites along the way. Maybe even more telling is that while the cabbies’ early championship years saw them as a brutally efficient machine on the track, in recent times, they’ve been a gritty, never say die unit that has put hearts in throats as they battle against seemingly insurmountable odds. Will it be more of the same in 2016 or back to the Bronx machine of old?

“I guess we’re more of the heart in your mouth type of team,” Cherry laughs, “but this season we’re definitely more focused on playing our game and playing together. So we’re not an unfeeling machine, but we’re trying to be a kickass machine.”

To get there, Bronx will send five skaters to the track that weren’t on the team last year, while Queens presents six new members of their squad, even though Queens’ Erin Watershow and the Bronx’ Bunny McBones will be familiar to Gotham fans.  It may seem like a lot for each team to handle for the season opener, but according to Nail and Cherry, everything is coming together at precisely the right time. 

“It feels like old hat,” said Nail, pointing out that a recent team viewing of Pee-wee’s Big Holiday was quite the off the track bonding experience. “Most of the skaters have all skated for years before Queens, so it’s not a lot of teaching things. Everything fits really well. It’s very magical in a way.”

“We feel really strong,” adds Cherry. “We were lucky that all the skaters we drafted were either in the league before or were on Diamond District last year, so they’re all pretty accustomed to how Gotham does things. They just have to learn the Bronx strategies for the season. So I feel like we’re working together really well. It’s a great team dynamic this year, and I’m really excited for this weekend.”

Cherry Napalm, Bronx Gridlock. Photo: Jean Schwarzwalder

The Bronx and Queens do have a tough act to follow after the GGRD home season opener last month, which ended in a 161-158 win for Brooklyn over Manhattan, but you get the impression that these former dominant champions are up to the challenge.

“We definitely feed off the energy of the crowd, so if the crowd’s pumped up and cheering for us, it definitely helps us,” said Cherry, who hopes her squad wins the crowd and the game.

As for Queens, Nail believes that when all is said and done, winning is not about being perfect. “We’re a very rock and roll team,” she said. “So for me, it’s the same way as playing in a band. If you miss a note, figure it out, get back to where you’re supposed to be, and put on the show. Never say die.”