Strawberries and cherries

Those searching for an article about fruit can stop reading now.  While this is an article about "roots," so to speak, it contains no content regarding apples and bananas on eight wheels. Ladies and gentlemen,  the story of the Naptown Roller Girls (NRG):

Amber Martin Jones was introduced to roller derby while she lived in New York City.   She had planned on becoming involved in a league there but had to move home to Indianapolis before it ever panned out.  However, Jones had already been bitten by the "derby bug" and once that happens, there's no escape.  "Once I settled back in to Indy, I kept waiting for a league to pop up. I didn't think I could start one as I travel for work so much. But after a few weeks and a few episodes of the documentary "Roller Girls" on (the channel) A & E, I couldn't wait any longer. "

So in early 2006, Jones (who will now be referred to by her "derby name," Strawberry Jam or "SJ" for short) created a My Space page to gauge interest.  "People started coming out of the woodwork," she said.  "(Current skaters) Sweet C and Joan of Dark were in it from the very beginning."    An organizational meeting was held in February 2006 which brought now-retired skater Touretta Lynn.  "From there, it was all word of mouth," SJ recalls.  "I think in the first 6-7 months we had about 12 girls and after an article about us was published in Indy.com (magazine), we gained approximately 5 more."

Roller girls don't mess around.  Over the next few months, the ladies put their bodies through excruciating workouts for strength, conditioning and stamina.  There were push-ups, wall sits, crunches and more squats than they cared to count.  There were strategies to learn, sponsors to gather and volunteers to recruit.   All of that hard work paid off, as the Naptown Roller Girls Tornado Sirens made their debut at their first bout, Cherry Stomp, on January 13, 2007.  Their opponents were the Rhythm and Bruisers, a young team from Nashville, TN.   "It was their very first bout too," SJ remembers.   "Oh, man, we learned SO much that weekend. So much about playing, about hosting, about our crowd....we just learned."

Obviously they learned quite a lot, as the Sirens were victorious, winning their first bout with a score of 152-113.   The ladies continued practicing hard and gaining bout experience while making quite a name for themselves around Indianapolis and beyond.  Unfortunately for SJ, it was a heart "breaking" event at an April 2007 practice that would sideline her for months.  "There was a pile-up on the floor and we all slid directly into a ledge at the edge of the rink," SJ recalls.  "My skates went first. I tried to lift them up but the wheels on my right leg clipped the ledge and a spiral fracture occurred. I still have a plate and 6 screws in there."  After making a brief post-ankle comeback in season two, SJ hurt her knee and had additional surgery in July 2008.  She was finally able to rejoin her derby sisters on the track in November 2009.

While SJ considers stinky pads her least favorite part of roller derby,  she also commented that "trying to please a whole league of ladies is impossible too."   She named strategy and sisterhood as the two things that keep her motivated and focused on the sport.  "NRG, well, it is just amazing. The love and care we give one another is remarkable.   And the strategy - man, people think you just skate in a circle and knock people down but it's so much more. The game is evolving and it's beautiful."

Does SJ offer any advice to would-be roller girls?  "Do wall sits, lunges, squats, push-ups and crunches. Run.  And when you think you've done all that you can - skate for 10 more minutes, do 25 more squats and 10 more push ups."  Roller derby is definitely not for the faint of heart but as SJ says, "Just get ready for the ride of your life."

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