I never knew that when I attended a recruitment meeting for Dominion Derby Girls at Haygood Library in some way my life was about to change.

I walked into this room unsure that I should even be there. I sat and listened to Sweet and Lowdown as she told what it was like to be a derby girl. Catch was I did not want to be a derby girl. I wanted to be a referee.

Female refs are an uncommon animal. Often I have spoken to fellow female refs and there seems to be a common thread that we feel. We all feel the need to prove that we can do this job. It is deeper need to the females in this role than that of males. I do not mean this as a derogatory thing to derby. It just is, and often it is more internal than external.

I love this sport like no other. I love that each of us; refs and skaters alike can bring our inner voice to light on our skater personality. DayGlo Divine! wears her florescent colors with pride as if to show the world you cannot keep me down. Quicksilver fits her name to a 't' she is one fast woman. Death Starlet is a Star Wars fan with a death stare when she is crossed. I myself feel that I bring out my twisted sense of humor and my disdain for the way lives are tossed to the side in a war for commerce not people under my self chosen persona Hailey Hawkeye.

Derby has instilled a new found love of the rules and why we have them just like my desire to study in depth why a law or bill came into being. It has given me what I lost when I left theatre. I lost the feeling of order in one small part of life. To most Derby is a chaotic sport, to me it is a well oiled machine working just right to make many things happen in unison.

I was never one to have many friends that were girls. As of today there are over thirty some odd I count these dynamic women as not only friends but sisters and for one special OSB my wife. I have some of the best friends scattered in Charlotte, Baltimore, Providence, DC, Richmond, Dominion and here in Oklahoma. For these kindred spirits I would drop anything to stand by their side with out a question.

Much like the bond navy wives find these derby women and men are closer to me than family.

Derby has sent me to places like Boston, Raleigh, and DC. And given me a nation wide extended family. How many other hobbies can say that?