Wonder what it’s like to be a jammer? Sunflash reflects on her first season as Jammer in the SCRR Plague.

A year ago, I watched a triple header bout in Palmerston North. It was three hours of total enthralment on my part. Half my friends ditched me before the final to go bar-hopping but there I stayed, on the edge of my seat cheering for a team I didn't know, playing a game I’d never seen.  I vividly remember sitting in the stands thinking, “I wanna play Roller Derby”. Six months later, I was.

2012 has taken me through an absolute whirl-wind romance with Roller Derby. I've developed from Fresh-Meat to A-Team jammer and loved every second of it. I've been a sports-person my entire life but nothing I have done comes close to the exhilaration of jamming in roller derby.  

Jamming is high speed, high contact, brutal, gut-wrenching action. Playing as a jammer feels like a risky job. I know my team is depending on me to make good decisions and score those dang points!  Jamming is a brain-game where I find my biggest competitor is my own mind. If I ever think, “I just can’t get through”, then I know that Jam is probably wasted on me. The greatest jammer attribute is the ability to never, ever give up. That would be my advice to you. Work on your self-talk. Get to know your mind and strive to change any negative thinking. You’ll be amazing at what you can do if you wash away all the “can’t” business.

During the tournament I learnt a valuable lesson about Jamming – it isn’t just about me. Of course jammers need to have good acceleration, fitness, agility, and strength but when it all comes down to it, without my pack – I get no-where. The tournament was such a great experience because I played so many games so close together, I could really compare when plays worked well and when they didn’t. I remember one game in particular my pack was being really offensive – and giving me amazing whips. I don’t think I’ve ever been lead jammer so many times. I love jamming and seeing first-hand when a blocker does something spectacular to help you through. I often spend a whole lap just cheering in my mind for one of my amazing team-mates!

2012 has been a crazy adventure of just learning how to stay on my skates. I’ve fallen in deep, deep love with Roller Derby and I can’t wait to see what next season brings for me and for my team. My goals include getting lower all the time, developing better manoeuvrability and inspiring more people in SCRR to jam!

Love.Fury.Roller Derby.

 Sunflash xox 

Photos courtesy of our sponsor Sandy Carter Photography - http://www.sandycarterphoto.co.nz/