May 2011 Featured Skater: Maiden America

While you most likely won’t find her flinging a stiletto heel at her opponents, Maiden America is happy to do some of her own blocking when donning the jammer star. This longtime freestyle skater moved from inlines to quads, and the Naptown Roller Girls are glad she made the switch. Learn more about what makes Maiden America push herself to the limit…

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Name: Maiden America
Number: 76
League: Naptown Roller Girls
Teams you play for: Tornado Sirens

Tagline: “She puts the RIOT in PATRIOT!"

What is your roller derby playing position of choice?
Jammer

What is your skate gear of choice?
I’m currently breaking in some Riedell 395s mounted on Proline plates (love them!). My potpourri of protective gear includes: Smith Scabs knee pads, 187 elbow pads, Pro-Designed wrist guards, and a Pro-tec helmet! As far as wheels, I’m having a lot of luck in my Atom Stingers.

Do you have a pre-bout ritual?
I don’t have any rituals per se, although I try not to leave my house on bout day without my fanny pack. I consider it a good luck charm, as well as a stylish accessory for the after-parties! Bout day just isn’t the same without it.

What are some of your best/favorite moments in roller derby?

I’d have to say my best derby moment was when I broke my own league record for most points scored in a jam during WFTDA sanctioned play. Last March, I earned the league record by scoring 28 points in one jam against the Sioux Falls Roller Dollz. When we met during a rematch this past January, I re-broke my previous record and scored 35 point in one jam! Huge props to my pack for their amazing offense/defense.

Who are your roller derby heroes?
Bonnie Thunders is a derby legend ’round here. I think one of my teammates referred to her as the “Michael Jordan of roller derby”. Her dedication to the sport both on and off the track is truly inspiring.

More importantly, all the ladies in my league are my true heroes of the sport. Without them, I wouldn’t have the drive to push myself to my fullest potential.

Do you have a motivational quote?
If you can dream it, you can do it!

What goes through your brain as you lace up your skates?
Whether we’re playing at home or away, I tend to stay pretty calm and focused when I’m gearing up. If I’m playing at home I enjoy thinking about all of my friends and family that are piling in. Knowing that all of the people who I love the most are in the stands wearing their red, white, and blue really gets my adrenaline flowing.

Do you have a theme song?
Ohh man. In relation to my derby name, I can’t help but think of that catchy little song from Team America. But in all honesty, I don’t think I have a theme song. I do love it though when our DJs play tornado sirens when my team takes the track.

Do you have a signature move?
My ability to stay up on one foot along the line while going through some hard-hitting packs is something I’m proud of. I’m also not afraid to do some blocking of my own when I’m wearing the star.

Any advice for girls who want to join roller derby?
Find out about the next round of tryouts! What are you waiting for?

How would you describe your derby playing style?
Aggressive in the pack and fast when I’m free.

How did you get involved with roller derby?
Very simple – I ordered my gear, signed up for Naptown's workshops, passed the tryouts, and the rest is history! I had no previous exposure to roller derby before my first workshop.

How long have you been playing roller derby?
August 2nd will be my two-year anniversary with the league.

What is your sports/skating background?
I was a devoted softball player from elementary school through high school, as well as a swimmer and diver for four years. I’ve pretty much been a “freestyle” skater my entire life. My mom said I wore my first pair of skates when I was two years old, and would roll around in our garage. Coincidentally my first pair of skates was red, white, and blue!

What are some of your greatest roller derby accomplishments?
My first season in the league was full of accomplishments. I quickly earned a spot on the charter, broke the league’s record for most points scored in a jam, was voted MVP jammer at the end of the season, was elected to the Board of Directors, and went to North Central Regional Playoffs for my/our first time in September of 2010!

From what we understand, you had never even seen a bout before you tried out for the Naptown Roller Girls. Is this true? What motivated you to want to play a sport you had never seen?
Yep, it’s true! I had no idea how the sport was played, yet for some reason I knew that it was the sport that I needed to become involved with. I watched all of the videos of the Naptown Roller Girls I could find online and that just sealed the deal for me. I missed the camaraderie of being on a team, and I knew that with my experience playing sports and skating growing up, roller derby would suit me very well!

How did you come up with your derby name? Have you played any bouts outside the U.S. yet?
A good friend of mine chose the name for me. It’s a play off the comic book character American Maid from The Tick. It’s really fun assuming the role of a patriotic superhero! We haven’t had the chance to play outside of the U.S. yet, but when we do I’ll be wearing my stars and stripes!

Rumor has it you were an avid inline skater prior to playing roller derby. What was your biggest challenge when learning to skate on quads? How did your inline skating experience help you in derby? What advice do you have for other skaters, including refs, who are looking at making this transition?
My biggest challenge going from inline skating to quads was probably learning the correct posture. My muscles went through a lot of transformation when I learned how to skate on quads, as I’m sure most derby girls can attest. Having prior experience with inline skating helped me with roller derby mainly because I had become very comfortable on wheels at an early age. It didn’t take me very long at all to adapt to the quads. My best advice to anyone making the transition is to just listen to your body and be confident in your strides. Everything else will fall into place with time. Oh, and keep your knees bent!

So far Naptown’s Tornado Sirens have a 10 and 3 record this season, and are undefeated at home. What insight do you have about your team's tremendous play this season? Do you have any predictions for your next quarter WFTDA ranking? What are Naptown’s goals for the 2011 season?
The only way to win is to practice, practice, practice. We are constantly developing and perfecting our strategy. We know the rules and we know how to use them to our advantage. I predict that we will move up a spot in the next quarter, putting us at 5th in the North Central region. We’re playing some great teams in the coming weeks, and I think the derby world will continue to be surprised at how far we’ve come since Regional Playoffs. Our goal for the season is to go to Championships! Long live Naptown!

You've become a very active member of your league, including joining Naptown’s Board of Directors. What is it about roller derby that made you not only want to play, but become a member of your league leadership? What advice do you have for rookie skaters who want to be more involved with their own leagues?
I never would have nominated myself for a leadership position, but someone else believed that I have what it takes to be on the Board of Directors. I was flattered, and after thinking about it more, I realized that “yeah, I could totally do this”. I knew that being on the BoD was going to be a challenge (and after nearly a year of being on the board... yes, it is a challenge!), but I am proud of myself for accepting and embracing it. If you are new to your league, just realize that you don’t have to be a founding member, long time vet or a business major to have your voice heard. Something that I’ve learned from my derby sisters is that we all have the power to make amazing things happen – but sometimes YOU have to be the one to take the first step.

We understand that your normal home bout attendance is roughly 4,000 to 5,000 people. What kind of pressure do you feel when skating in front of a crowd that large? What is Naptown's secret to continually filling those seats?
I LOVE skating in front of huge crowds. I actually thrive on it. There is an intense pressure when there are so many people looking at me, but I’m the type of person who works well under pressure. It’s so loud and the fans are so happy! I think our secret to filling those seats is having such a great bout production. All of the work that goes into our production pays off. We listen to input from our fans and try to make each production better than the last! Our league is a true class act both on and off the track.

How has your involvement in roller derby affected the way you live the rest of your life?
I think my road rage is substantially worse since I started playing roller derby, ha ha. Other than that, I definitely don’t have very much free time anymore. It’s made me realize the importance of time management and organization. All in all, I think derby has profoundly changed my life for the BETTER.

Anyone you'd like to take the opportunity to thank?
I have so many people to thank! Thank you to all of my family and friends who have been so supportive since the beginning. Thank you to my wonderful girlfriend Amy who has been incredibly patient with me, even when I stink up the living room with my dirty gear that has been sitting in my bag for a few days. Thank you to all of the Naptown fans for being the loudest crowd I’ve ever heard! Thank you to my derby family: You all have made these last two years the most memorable years of my life. And finally, I owe a very special thanks to Strawberry Jam for starting this little thing called Naptown Roller Girls.

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Would you like to be the WFTDA Featured Skater of the month (or nominate one of your fantastic teammates)? If you are an active skater on a WFTDA full member league that has a dazzling derby career, please contact webmaster@wftda.com and let us know what makes you shine.