March’s BAD Skater of the Month, Red Card, is a perfect example of how Bay Area Derby strives to include their local community from step one and beyond as we continue to grow our organization from the ground up. After seeing her very first derby bout at the Craneway Pavilion about two years ago, Red Card signed up for our intro program, the Reckless Rollers. She also began volunteering as an official. After learning the basics and drawing from her competitive athlete background, Red put in the hard work necessary to make the jump from newbie to league member and passed tryouts. It wasn’t long after that Red found her way on to the roster of the Oakland Outlaws. In March 2016, she skated in her first ever game with the Outlaws against the Santa Cruz Derby Girls.
Red Card’s admirable work ethic doesn’t just end on the track. In addition to continuing to serve as a non-skating official, Red also serves her league as a member of the facilities committee and the bar manager for our Events team. In essence, she keeps our house clean and safe, our thirsts properly indulged or hydrated, and she’s got our backs on the track. Red’s dedication on and off the track has made this homegrown hero an incredibly valued member of both her team and the league as a whole.
Photo Credit: Lucas Saugen
Name: Red Card
Number: 27
Team: Oakland Outlaws
BAD League Involvement: Facilities Committee and Bar Manager for Events Committee. As bar manager I work closely with sponsorship to get us sponsored for alcohol, coffee and the likes.
What’s the story behind your derby name?: I played soccer all the way through college, so I knew it had allude to soccer. Red was my nickname growing because of my hair. When a friend tossed out Red Card, it was perfect and stuck from day one. It also worked really well, as I started in officiating (NSO).
How long have you been playing roller derby?: Almost 2 years, though there was an unfortunate break for a bit with some knee problems.
How long have you been with BAD? What brought you to BAD? : I started in Reckless Rollers and just continued up from there. I went and saw my first bout at the Craneway a while back and couldn’t believe how awesome it looked. So I signed up when they had the next bootcamp and then just kept showing up.
What’s your skate set-up?: Pretty beginner setup, though I’m looking to get new gear at RollerCon this year. Riedell “Wicked” package: 265 boot, Powerdyne Rival plates. Added Bionic super stop toe stops and Rollerbones Turbo 92s for wheels. I LOVE the wheels.
What is your favorite non-derby sport or cross-training activity?: Soccer by far is my favorite non-derby sport. I don’t play anymore, but for cross-training, I try to force myself to do sprint work at least once a week. The crippling feeling in my lungs makes me know it’s good for me.
Share your favorite derby memory/moment of 2016 (so far).: Before the Santa Cruz bout, Oakland took a second to recognize and cheer for the fact that it was my first bout ever. Made me know Oakland is my home and family.
Share one of your favorite motivational quotes with us.: “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.”
C. S. Lewis
Aside from the ethical implications, that means working hard when you know you need to and should for your team (ex: off-skates training or giving your all on the track), even though you could just lie and say you did.