ROLLER DERBY.
Or, rather, watching Roller Derby.
I haven't exactly tried it yet to know if I'd also be passionate about playing (I'm guessing not, though - I don't really like falling or getting hurt...).
And, okay, perhaps it's not a "passion" of mine yet, but I watched the DC Demoncats go up against the Majority Whips yesterday at the US Armory and their nail-biting finish, with the Whips (my team - I picked them from the start) pulling out a win in the last seconds was enough to make me want to go back.
If you've never watched a roller derby match, I think you should. And I have a few tips before you go:
Take some time to learn the basic rules, which won't make much sense until you're watching anyway. But I had to pull up Wikipedia during the match, and I think reading that before, as well, might have been slightly more effective.
Sit right in front of someone who knows the game really well and has family/friends nearby to whom she's teaching the rules. While we were sitting on the bleachers, the girl right behind me was a derby girl from out of town, apparently just visiting DC, I believe. But she had her parents and a friend with her, none of whom really knew the game. So she was explaining how it worked, using each play to comment on what they were doing. Discreetly listening to her explanations was a lot more effective than reading the rules on my phone, since I wasn't able to simultaneously watch the match for understanding while reading. Plus, with someone who really cares about RD, you also get to hear a little about the politics of it, and how different places set their leagues up differently. Interesting side-note stuff, you know?
Take some time to think of good nicknames if you played. There are some great ones out there to be used. Some of my favorites from yesterday were: Scabigail Adams, Rack of Slam, Nasty Pelosi, Green Eggs and Wham. If I was riffing off my name, I'd probably go with Scarlow. Otherwise maybe Shoots & Batters or something like that. It's actually a little harder than it seems to come up with a good one, but think of one that could be unique to you. It makes you feel more part of it all.
Get as close as possible to watch at least part of the match, if you can. At the Armory, there are bleachers, but then they also have chairs on the floor on the sides, with some space to sit on the floor as well. We went down to the chairs for the last 5 or so minutes of the match, having been in the bleachers for most of it. While the bleachers were great because we got a good bird's-eye view of the whole thing, it was really fun being right next to the players for the last little while, when I really wanted to be cheering. Our part of the bleachers was not very vocal, so I didn't want to be yelling. But you're able to get into the game a little more when you're that close. And since the end of our match was really close in score, everyone on the floor was a little more involved and excited for it all. It was nice being able to yell a little bit - and then to see victory happen so immediately in front of me, I could touch it! It was kind of exhilarating.
Find some good fans in the crowd. There aren't too many fans that get all geared up for their teams in RD - most observers who go just go for fun, not as a staunch supporter of one team or other. But family and friends of players usually have a little more swag than others, and it is awesome. Especially when the fan and the gear don't seem like they'd usually go together...
Get pumped up with some 70's Rock music. Get your mind and attitude into the days when roller skates ruled the world. My favorite song from the match was "These Boots Were Made for Walkin'." It really got the groovy grrrl-power generation's energy flowing through my veins.
Seriously though, I kind of feel like I need to try this at some point in my life. The girl behind me was saying how much energy the sport takes - the girls have to take regular breaks in the game, trading in and out, and I can totally see why, having watched it. With all the pushing and shoving and skating, I bet their legs burn rather nicely after a game. And their abs have to be getting a decent workout as well.
And, obviously, I'd look great as a RollerGirl -
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