The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/856300
B-2 Sports Wednesday, August 2, 2017 The Press-Dispatch there ranked, I think, 29th in the world," Jetsy Rockette said. "Our rankings have gone a little bit down. We've lost some team members. We've gone through change." "Usually, a roller girl's life isn't that long," she added. "It's a hard sport. Breaks and burns happen, so it's hard to keep up with it. But we're in a new beginning. Last year, we had a bunch of new girls come in." Brand new skaters interest- ed in joining DCRD first must go through a training course – informally known as "Fresh Meat." "We teach basic skating skills and then from there we teach the roller derby game," Jetsy Rockette said. "A fter they pass that course, they have to pass what we call a skills test. Once they do that, they're able to make a spot on the team. That just takes prac- tice and hard work and dedi- cation." Webster described herself as "terrified" when she at- tended her first Fresh Meat session in May 2015. "They have league prac- tice before Fresh Meat, so you see all these girls doing all the cool tricks and stuff on their skates," Webster said. "Then you get out there and you're all wobbly, and they're the ones teaching you. You're like, 'Oh my gosh, they proba- bly think I'm such a loser.' But they did real good." "They say you don't have to have ever skated before and they will teach you, and it's really true" Webster added. "They're real slow with you and work with you very well." Webster said, while she used to go to Skate Palace in Jasper often while growing up in Stendal, she had to ad- just from rollerblades to the eight-wheel roller skates used in roller derby. "Going to eight wheels was a little difficult," Webster said. "But I got there." Webster would ultimate- ly make the team in August 2015, and is in her second full season as a jammer for DCRD. One of the first things that new roller girls must do is choose a roller derby name. "When I was in high school, they called me 'The Kirbina- tor,' so I was, like, 'Well, I have that,'" Webster said. "But I needed something more in- timidating than 'The Kirbi- nator.'" "My brother-in-law actual- ly had been calling me Kirb- stomp for years," Webster con- tinued. "I have no idea where he came up with it. I liked it because it's a legit thing. So I was, like, 'That sounds pretty intense, to Kirbstomp some- body.'" Webster subsequently had the team vote on which one she should use as her roller derby name. "Obviously, Kirbstomp got all the votes," Webster said. A typical roller derby bout is played by two teams of up to 14 players. Both teams have five members – a jammer, a pivot and three blockers – on the track for each round, or "jam," that can last up to two minutes. While neither jammer scores any points on their ini- tial pass through the pack, the first one to do so becomes the lead jammer, who then has the option of calling off the jam at any point to prevent the op- posing team's jammer from scoring. Bouts consist of two 30 -minute periods, with 30 seconds between each jam to allow both teams to line up for the next jam. Webster said that she ini- tially thought that she would be one of the team's blockers, who try to keep the opposing team's jammer from scoring points while assisting their own jammer. "I played basketball in high school, so I assumed that I would be one of the blockers because, most of the time, jammers are kind of smaller and more agilic and stuff like that," Webster said. "But once we started practicing, when they actually let me jam, I felt that I was decent at it." "Blocking, you've got to be real sturdy on your skates and stay in position until they come and hit you, and that's something I struggled with," Webster continued. "I was, like, 'They hit me, I'll just fall down.' I'm, like, 'I'd rather hit them and make them fall down.' So I worked on that, and I really like it." Jetsy Rockette said that Webster was a valuable mem- ber of the team as a jammer. "Kirby is great, because she is so solid," Jetsy Rockette said. "Not that Kirby doesn't have skating skills – because she does, she's a great skater – but, depending on your body type, some girls just bounce right off of you, and that's the best body type to be." "Kirby's got one of those bodies," she added. "You come at Kirby and you think that you might get her, but, no, she's going to stay still, and you're going to fall down. Kirby's great." Jammers, who wear a hel- met cover adorned with a star on each side, have what ma- ny participants believe is the hardest job on the team, Jetsy Rockette said. "They are the point scor- ers," Jetsy Rockette said. "Those are the girls that usu- ally take the most abuse, be- cause it's everybody else's job on that team to stop her from scoring their point. So that's the hardest job, and she does that very well. It takes a lot of endurance." Webster said that the tac- tics she uses to score points for her team usually depend on what the other team is do- ing to stop her. "You really just kind of see how the other team lines up, and kind of look for their weakness," Webster said. "Some will be kind of turned slightly and you can hit them real good on their hip and kind of knock them off their skates a little bit. And there's times that their arms might be linked – if you aim for that, they get called for a multi-player (penalty), and one of them will have to go to the penalty box." "It's just basically, try to get through," Webster add- ed. "I guess I like the thrill of it, just being the one that your team's counting on to make it through before the other ( jammer) and score the points." Webster said she pays good attention to when one of her team's other jammers – who is known as "Slaughtermelons" – takes to the track right be- fore she does. "She always jams before me, so if she gets through pretty okay, then I'm, like, I'm going to be okay," Web- ster said. "I never like to be the first jammer, because then I can never see how my teammates handle the team we're playing." During a home bout against the Springfield (Mo.) Roller Girls on Saturday, July 15, at Swonder Ice Arena in Evans- ville, Webster scored 14 points on her first jam as the Dynamite Dolls jumped out to a 17-0 lead, and added sev- en more on her second jam to give her team a 44-0 lead. Later in the bout, Webster racked up a personal-best to- tal of 32 points in a jam, which lasted the entire two minutes to extend the Dynamite Dolls' lead to 125 -20. "That was definitely the most I've ever scored in a jam," said Webster, whose team went on to post a 312-96 victory. "I just got the rhythm, and their players were kind of already flustered and weren't really getting together." "I think I might have had a power jam, which is when the other jammer is in the box for a penalty," Webster added. "She was in there for 30 sec- onds, so my teammates were just providing offense for me. They really helped clear the way and made sure they didn't get back in their wall to block me." A fterward, Webster – who graduated from the Universi- ty of Evansville in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry – was joined on the Swonder Ice Arena floor by her parents, Mark and Rita Williams, wearing shirts iden- tifying them as "Kirbstomp's Dad" and "Kirbstomp's Mom," respectively. "My mom is always terri- fied I'm going to get hurt," Webster said. "She always tells me, 'Now, don't get hurt.' And then my dad, I mean, he is so stoked about it." Webster, who resides in Evansville with her husband, Michael, said she did not know how much longer she will be involved with roller derby. "I have to wrap my feet when I skate, because my metatarsal (bones) actually have shifted," said Webster, who was married last Sep- tember. "My podiatrist says I might need surgery in the near future, and that I should definitely quit roller derby. But I didn't listen to her." "So I've actually thought, well, maybe this should be my last season," Webster added. "I haven't played very long, but my feet are messed up. I just got married. We'll proba- bly start thinking about kids soon, and you can't roller der- by and be pregnant." Being pregnant, in roller derby parlance, is referred to humorously as a "nine-month injury." "People definitely do it," Webster said. "We actually have two girls that are preg- nant right now, and they just help out. One was a bench coach and one was helping with the scoreboard. But I honestly can't tell you, be- cause I've never had a kid. I would like to say I would come back just because it keeps me in shape. But I don't know how much time a kid takes either." "My husband's very sup- portive of it, so I'm sure he would be fine with me going to practices still and things like that," Webster added. "I can definitely see it, but we'll just have to wait until we get to that point." Webster, however, admit- ted that being a DCRD team member already entails a time commitment that often inter- feres with her sleep schedule. "We practice two times a week for two hours," Web- ster said. "I work first shift, so I get up at 4:30, 5 o'clock. I have to be at work at 6. I get off at 2:30 and then we have practice from 7:30 to 9:30. So, on those nights that we have practice and I have to get back up early, it kind of seems I don't get a lot of sleep." DCRD will close out its 10th season on Saturday, Aug. 5, at Swonder Ice Arena, locat- ed at 209 North Boeke Road in Evansville. The Destruction Dames will start the evening with a bout against the West Ken- tucky Rockin' Rollers at 5:30 p.m., CDT. A Harry Pot- ter-themed co-ed bout – fea- turing members of the Dyna- mite Dolls and several other teams in the Tri-State area – will start at 7:30 p.m., CDT. Tickets are $10, with chil- dren 12 years of age and un- der admitted free of charge. Anyone presenting a student or a military ID will be admit- ted for $7. For more information about Demolition City Roller Derby, visit www.demolitioncityrolle- rderby.com. SPORTS BRIEFS PCMS boys' tennis team practicing The Pike Central Mid- dle School boys' tennis team is holding practices on Tuesdays and Thurs- days from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the high school courts. Students interested in playing must have a phys- ical on file with the school or come to practice with a completed physical form. No prior experience is necessary. For more information, contact Phil Knust by phone at 812-630 -5086. Trailblazer 5K set for Aug. 12 Generations, a program of Vincennes University, will host its annual Trail- blazer 5K on Saturday, Aug. 12, at the VU track, located at the corner of Chestnut Street and Red Skelton Boulevard. The early bird registra- tion fee was $ 30 through Friday, July 28. Later en- try fees are $ 35. Registra- tion can be completed on- line at www.trailblazer5k. com, or by contacting Al- ma Kramer at 812-888 - 4527 or akramer@vinu. edu. Those who wish to support Generations but would prefer not to run may register as a 'phan- tom runner' and quali- fy for a goody bag and t- shirt. Categories include ages 12 and under, 13-19, 20 -29, 30 -39, 40 -49, 50 -59, 60 -69, and 70 and over. Awards will be presented in each category. Following the Trailblaz- er 5K will be a free half- mile Fun Run for children. All proceeds bene- fit Generations, Area 13 Agency on Aging and Dis- ability, a program of Vin- cennes University. Petersburg Kiwanis Golf Scramble set for September 9 The Petersburg Kiwan- is Golf Scramble will be held on Saturday, Sept. 9, starting at 9 a.m., at the Prides Creek Golf Course. Sign-ups are now being accepted at Prides Creek Golf Course. The cost is $40 per person or $160 for a four-person team. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three teams. In addition, hole spon- sorships are available for $100, although donations of any amount will be accepted. Please make checks payable to Kiwan- is and mail them to Dustin Schnarr, P.O. Box 14, Pe- tersburg, IN 47567. For more information, contact Dustin Schnarr at (812) 295 -8183 or the Prides Creek Golf Course at (812) 354-3059. All proceeds benefit the Petersburg Kiwan- is' Kids Christmas pro- gram, which helps under- privileged youth in Pike County. KIRBSTOMP Continued from page 1 FISHING Continued from page 1 UPCOMING SPORTS SCHEDULE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2 High School Girls' Golf: Washington at Pike Cen- tral at Prides Creek Golf Course, 4:30 p.m. SATURDAY, AUGUST 5 High School Girls' Soccer: Pike Central at Vin- cennes Rivet (scrimmage), 10 a.m. MONDAY, AUGUST 7 High School Girls' Golf: Heritage Hills at Pike Central at Prides Creek Golf Course, 6 p.m. TUESDAY, AUGUST 8 High School Boys' Soccer: Pike Central at South Knox (scrimmage), 5:30 p.m. THURSDAY, AUGUST 10 High School Girls' Golf: Pike Central vs. North Knox and South Knox at Country Club of Old Vin- cennes, 4:30 p.m. FRIDAY, AUGUST 11 High School Football: Wood Memorial at Pike Central (scrimmage), 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY, AUGUST 12 High School Boys' Tennis: Loogootee at Pike Cen- tral, 10 a.m. High School Girls' Golf: Pike Central in Washing- ton Invitational at Country Oaks Golf Course, 2 p.m. the chances of catching a blue cat, channel cat or flat- head. But I'm using shrimp tonight because it's easy to come by and is effective bait for channel cats. A fter my line is baited, I drop it in the water and set out several more lines be- fore heading back to the bank. I secure the canoe and walk up to the cabin. Even though cooler night air has moved in, the hu- midity still holds the land- scape with a merciless, suf- focating grip. The next morning, my alarm goes off and I think of the lines and what I might have caught. I walk down to the canoe and paddle to- ward my first jug. As I ap- proach, I see that the jug is swaying gently in the cur- rent, not bobbing up and down from the persistent movements of a fish. When I pull up the line, the hook is still baited. I pad- dle to each line, only to find the same results. I've jug fished enough to know that if your bait is still on your hook in the morn- ing, you need to move your lines to a spot where fish can more easily find your bait. If your hook is empty, try another bait that is hard- er to get off. If your line is wrapped around debris but empty, look for another limb in the same area that is de- bris-free. And if your hook is gone, or straightened, you've lost a big fish and you need to figure out a better way to deny fish the oppor- tunity to pull. As I remove the last line and throw it in the boat, dis- appointment sets in. At first, I blame the river for being too high. Then I blame my- self for not picking better spots. Then I curse the heat and humidity and the relent- less mosquitoes. I soon realize I'm focus- ing too much on the nega- tive. I put things in perspec- tive and thank my Creator for the opportunity to be outdoors enjoying His cre- ation. I think of September days ahead when the rains will quit, the days will be- come crisp and clear and the river will turn back in- to its normal self, allowing for plenty of time for me and my silver canoe to ply its wa- ters. Kirby (Williams) Webster (45) – also known as Kirbstomp – of the Demolition City Roller Derby's Dynamite Dolls tries to fight her way past Floda- cious (right) of the Springfield (Mo.) Roller Girls in a bout on Saturday, July 15, at Swonder Ice Arena in Evansville. The Dynamite Dolls won, 312-96. Ed Cahill photo Kirby (Williams) Webster (45) – also known as Kirbstomp – of the Demolition City Roll- er Derby's Dynamite Dolls gets knocked out of bounds by Mischief in Action the Springfield (Mo.) Roller Girls in a bout on Saturday, July 15, at Swonder Ice Arena in Evansville. The Dy- namite Dolls won, 312-96. Ed Cahill photo Pike Central High School Gym Mural Complete Mike and Amanda Smith, of Chandler-based Orange Moon Art Studio, completed work on a mural on the northern end of the Pike Central High School gymnasium on Wednesday, July 26. The mural was the 100th done by the Smiths in the tri-state area. Submitted photo SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 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