A rather unique way to get in shape for 2020
As most New Year’s resolutions focus around health and personal development, we wanted to highlight a local program that will help light a fire under your eggnog-ladened lazy butt. This unusual bootcamp can provide more than just an increased heart rate and decreased pant size.
It can offer opportunities to make new friends, uncover strengths that you never knew you had and grow your confidence in wearing spandex and crop tops everywhere.
The Chattanooga Rollergirls (CRG) are rolling into the season with their yearly bootcamp starting February 25th. Although they are making big changes this year, some which will be announced later this month, yet some core things are not going to change.
The bootcamp, like previous years, is going to be a five-week program that gives its participants the basic skating skills and gameplay knowledge to hopefully join the league at the end of the program.
“Unlike prior seasons, we are going to incorporate the bootcamp into our regularly scheduled practice space and time,” said bootcamp coordinator Tipsy McStaggers (aka Cris Armstrong) who has been skating with the league for six years. “However the goal remains the same which is to start a newbie from the ground up, no skating experience required, and have them hopefully passing tryouts to join the team for full contact.”
Before, bootcamp was on non-practice days and therefore created a slight separation between the oncoming potential skaters and the existing team. With the change in this year’s bootcamp, novice skaters can engage more with all aspects of the Chattanooga Rollergirls including but not limited to skaters, referees, non-skating officials, volunteers and more.
Classes are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from February 25th until March 26th. Tuesdays (6-9 p.m.), bootcampers will start with an off skates workout followed by a hands on tutorial of the rules and inner workings of the actual sport. Yes, roller derby is a sport. Let’s make sure that everyone knows long gone are the days of fishnets and banked tracks. Roller derby bouts (a bout by definition is a short burst of energy) are frequently aired on ESPN3.
Wednesdays (6-8 p.m.) requires skates and is led by a charter skater such as Rocket Kitty, current CRG skater and former professional ice skater, who will go into details regarding form and technicalities.
Thursdays (7-9 p.m.) is also a skate-required class which is taught by a member of the CRG training committee such as Goldie Knocks who was made famous for being, besides one of the nicest and most fiercely feared skaters, a 2016 participant on the Fox reality show with Jon Cena, American Grit. She almost won by the way, but she won our hearts long before it aired so anything taught by her is an enriching experience.
Tuesday and Thursday classes are at Orange Grove on, ironically, Derby St., and Wednesday classes are at the North Chattanooga Rec Center at 406 May St. Although any skating experience is not required, skates are an absolute must in order to participate. Skate starter kits may be purchased from Nashville neighbor Asphalt Beach or our gal pal SueElla Deville in North Carolina at Derby City Skates.
You must be 18 years or older to participate in this bootcamp. If you know someone between the ages of 10-17 who would excel in a similar environment, lead them in the direction of CRG’s junior league, the Ruby Regulators.
As a former skater myself, of seven years between two leagues in two states, I never thought I would be an athlete in my adult years since I didn’t participate much in sports in my younger years but I found roller derby and it changed me.
I took a boot camp course in 2011 when I was at my prime of 31 years young. I cried and sweated. I was hooked. I highly recommend giving it a try to anyone who is looking for a challenge, a workout or just some awesome exhilarating life changing activity that you can do while raising money for local nonprofits and raising your level of badassery.
For more information or to register for this FREE five-week class, email JoinCRG@chattanoogarollergirls.com