An Open Letter to CLTRG

So we had a scrimmage tonight. I have reflected upon my own performance and have no more to say about it. Instead of a negative post, I've decided to write an open letter to my league.

My Fellow Charlotte Roller Girls,

We live in North Carolina, folks. Whether you married into it, you were born into it, work brought you here...you live in the South. And in the South, it gets hot. This is because we are nearer to the sun than our Northern friends.

We've just gotten through Memorial Day, which is the unofficial start of Summer. Sure, the Summer Solstice is weeks away, but kids are done with exams, pools are open, and grills are fired up.

More specifically, you chose to play roller derby down here. We practice in a dusty, old warehouse without any climate control. During the day, our bay of the warehouse sucks in heat and doesn't release it all that well. These are the facts of life.

So it's gonna get hot. The Warehouse is a temperamental beast. It will be so hot and humid in the coming months, you will consider playing derby naked. Hold onto these memories for when January rolls around and you can see your breath.

For those of you experiencing your first summer in the Warehouse, please remember to hydrate. Make sure you consume protein and keep your blood sugar up. If you start to feel faint, chill out. Go hang out by a fan and get some ice on your neck. Hydrate all day, every day because it's not just during physical activity that it counts. Do not drink too much water or you will feel sloshy and bleh. And for those of you experiencing a Warehouse Summer again, don't forget all these tips.

It is not wimpy or lame to sit out if you're overheated. It's what your body wants you to do. Do not let the heat get to your head and let your skating get sloppy. It's that much harder to keep yourself under control, but it's that much better for you.

I promise to keep these tips in mind so that I, too, will be at my full strength in the upcoming months. And just remember, if we can play derby in the hot and sticky, we can definitely deliver some whoop-ass when we play opponents in the ac.


A Concerned Teammate,
Rita M