The Boston Derby Dames roller derby is gearing up for the season opening on Saturday, March 24, at Shriner’s Auditorium in Wilmington.
The Dames have been competing since May 2005 when the first group of women started training at rinks and hockey courts through the greater Boston area. The league now consists of more than 50 skaters on three home teams, and one traveling team.
Woburn native Devin Lindsey is a software engineer by day, and Boston Derby Dame on weekends. She recently took some time from her busy work and training schedule to talk more about the upcoming season, which starts in less than a month.
What is your role with the Boston roller derby?
This is my seventh season with the league and I currently am a skater on the league’s Women’s Flat Track Derby Association’s travel team, The Boston Massacre. I previously coached the Boston Massacre for two seasons, and was a captain of the home team The Nutcrackers prior to that.
What are you looking forward to the most this season?
I’m most looking forward to getting to know the new members of our team on and off the track. It’s very exciting to have so many fresh faces on the team. You really get to experience the whole team-building process.
At first, it’s just about getting to know everyone. After a few months, you begin to learn each other’s tendencies on the track, and trust really builds up. Midway through the season, it’s just magical – everyone knows what to expect from each other, we function as a unit, and the team’s potential really begins to shine.
What is your training schedule like?
The Massacre has two team practices a week, a league practice, and a league scrimmage. Basically, we practice three nights a week, two to three hours a night. Most of the Massacre is also on one of the league’s home teams, so they have an additional night of practice.
In order to stay competitive and at the top of our game, we all cross train outside of derby. I’d say the average is probably about three times a week. A lot of us do Crossfit, but any interval-based weight program works well.
What is your favorite place to compete in?
I love the energy and competitiveness of our yearly regional tournament. The WFTDA is comprised of dour regions: The east, the west, the north and the south. Each region has a regional tournament. The top three teams from each region move on to the WFTDA championships.
How many new members this season?
The league has 13 brand-new skaters this season. We call them fresh meat. They go through a long process which includes multiple tryouts and cuts in order to get on the league – so these women really have what it takes to make it. It will be exciting to watch them grow and develop in their rookie season.
Why do you like the derby?
I love derby for more reasons than I ever imagined when I first started.
First off, the community. The women I meet in derby are strong, motivated, intelligent, inspirational role models.
I love the raw physicality and respectful competition derby promotes. I love that the sport is still progressing, and is getting better every year. I love that it gets me moving, and thinking. When you are playing derby you are truly living in the moment.
What are your future goals?
Well, I’m getting married in August, so a short-term goal is to survive the wedding planning process.
I have a lot of hopes and goals for our team this year – the most important is just to grow and develop as a team and as individual players. I want us to walk away from the season proud of what we have accomplished and how far we have come.
To learn more about the Boston Roller Derby and upcoming bouts at Shriner’s Auditorium go to www.bostonderbydames.com.
If you go
The Boston Derby Dames versus Maine’s Calamity Janes
· Shriner’s Auditorium, 99 Fordham Road, Wilmington
· Saturday, March 24
· Doors open at 4 p.m., the bout begins at 5 p.m.
· General admission tickets are $16 for adults, $12 for kids 6-13, and free for kids 5 and under.
·VIP tickets are $25 and get you the best view in the house
· Afterwards, you can party with the Dames in the auditorium’s legendary Fez Room
· For more, go to www.bostonderbydames.com.