2 Play or Not 2 Play

    
     Coed sports like dodge ball, softball, soccer, billiards, tennis, and badminton are great fun for everyone.  I played on a coed kickball team last summer and it was a blast, but when it comes full contact sports, I think I'm okay just playing with the girls.   Yep you heard me right, I'm afraid to play with the boys.  I love going on outdoor skates with them and chasing them around the rink during speed skate sessions, but when it comes to playing derby I'm as timid as a teenager at a school dance.  
     
     My phobia goes back to my first encounter with merby.  It was the 2008 WFTDA National Championship hosted in Portland, OR.  During half time of one of the games the men played a thirty minute scrimmage.  It was much more physical then the way we women play and all the testosterone made it seem more macho and less sexy.  The pack speed was crazy fast as was the action out on the track.  At one point it time one of the guys flew out in the crash zone onto some poor girls lap.  As he got up his skate managed to get all wrapped up around the strap of her purse and he dragged it with him back on the track. That's not the not the worst part.  It's contents were flung all over the crash zone and she had to go retrieve them as this crazy game of merby continued.    
     
     The next year a men's team formed in my home town and many of my teammates began playing with the guys.  I kept my distance.  After watching those boys play rough at nationals I didn't want to take any hits from them.  That was my stance and I was sticking to it.
     
     Recently my phobia was put to the test.  My friends and I took a road trip up to Bremerton, WA for the Wild West Showdown.  We were super excited to see some epic derby and compete in a challenge bout.   That is until I discovered it was a coed scrimmage.  My fears began to rise as I saw the size of some of these guys.  Big girls are intimidating but if a big dude were to come at me on skates I think I might piss myself.  Soon my anxiety melting into excitement.  Rice Rocket was skating on my team and all of a sudden I was filled with joy and giddiness.  Several jams into our scrimmage I began to lose my worries as I watched other women hold their ground up to these dudes.  Wouldn't you know it the second I let my guard down this gigantic man knocked me into next week on the outside of a turn.  It was unlike any other hit I've ever taken.  I flew into the crash zone and then just kept going.  Past the styrofoam bummers and head on into a chair.  Thank god no one was in it.  The funny thing is the hit didn't hurt.  Even though the guy was as big as a semi truck he was soft like a super sized teddy bear. 
     
     A couple days ago I was faced with my fear again.  Our travel team was scheduled to scrimmage the men's team.  With one coed scrimmage under my belt I was considering the challenge.  However that night I got cold feet.  The previous week one of my team mates sprained her ankle scrimmaging the guys.  Even though she was the only one that got hurt I heard a lot of girls moaning and groining about how sore they were from playing them.  In the end, I decide to pass.  


     I know boys don't bite but they do play rough, and from what I understand our men are covered under a different insurance than WFTDA.  Therefore if I were to get injured playing them, I would not be covered under their policy.  I've talked to a couple of my team mate and I know I'm not alone in my fears.  I guess for now, I'll just stick to playing with the girls and wait to kick it with the boys this summer when kickball starts back up.