Talking derby

You may have heard about the Windy City Rollers—how the members of the women’s flat-track roller-derby team are scarily tenacious and can clock a rival in seconds flat on the track without batting an eyelash. What you might not know is that this team is filled with moms—moms who are founders of nonprofits, teachers and hairstylists, and who basically define the word badass. WCR founder Elizabeth Gomez (skater name: Juanna Rumbel) and team members Dakota Prosch (Kola Loka), Trisha Kaufman (Pominatrix) and Tamiko Saame (Tami Kaze) share how they juggle playing with parenting—which sometimes means breast-feeding at halftime—and why they wouldn’t have it any other way.

How do you balance mom-hood and derby?
Elizabeth Gomez: I don’t know if I find balance as much as feel guilty. In 2004, I started the league when my daughters were three and six. When I left my girls to play derby, I felt like a bad mom. But when I skipped practices, I felt like a bad teammate. At some point, I just had to accept my choices and give [them both] the best I could. I’m lucky that my team and kids were supportive. You also have to squeeze in laundry before practice, clean the kitchen, go to meetings, spend time with your partner, go to bed and then wake up at 2am when you realize you forgot to put the clothes in the dryer.
Trisha Kaufman: Thanks for appreciating the delicate balance it takes to be a mom and do anything else with your life, besides Girl Scouts, fund-raisers and piano lessons! I worry it’s selfish to do so much for me but remind myself that without something of my own, I’m a very unhappy mommy—not good for anyone. I couldn’t do it without my husband, grandparents, neighbors, friends and baby-sitters. I easily spend over $150 monthly on baby-sitting, but it’s money well spent. I rarely go out for dinner and drinks. Who has time? Roller derby is my hobby, my gym, my therapy and my social outlet.
Dakota Prosch: I’ve had blood clots, broken ribs, but coming back from pregnancy was the hardest. When I first got back, I would breast-feed at halftime. I know, crazy, right? We would do anything for derby. It would be easier if we didn’t—time would be in abundance. Five years ago, there was one mom in the league. Now you can’t swing a bat without hitting a bunch of moms. We cut each other some slack—except on the course.

Games can be violent. Are you uncomfortable that your kids see that?
EG: I’m really disturbed that you used the word violent. You’re not the first person, but if we weren’t women, would the sport be viewed as violent? I don’t think so. We’re gals who are unafraid to play an intensely high-level contact sport. The only thing that makes me uncomfortable is when my kids ask things like, “What does Broken Cherry mean, Mom?”
DP: I’m a Montessori teacher, and derby doesn’t freak my kids out at all—they’re always at games.

After an intense game, is it hard to get back into mommy mode?
EG: Never. My daughters’ hugs and kisses keep me grounded and happy.
Tamiko Saame: It isn’t hard. What is hard is coming home after a weekend practice and rushing to a birthday party or soccer practice and getting groceries and cleaning and saying “hello” in passing to my husband.
DP: Nope—being with a one-year-old boy is like playing derby. He’s a bruiser. We should both wear helmets all day long.
TK: I’ve fielded emergency homework questions from the practice floor and talked my daughter out of an emotional meltdown while still on skates. Derby is just another facet of who you are as a mother. “I’m not above hip-checking you into next Tuesday, young lady!”

What do people say when they find out you play derby?
EG: They’re thrilled. Frankly, the derby part isn’t shocking to most—that I was allowed to reproduce scares some people.
TS: My daughter brought a picture of me from the newspaper into school. The principal asked to put it on the gym wall of fame. Just saw it at open house.
TK: When my daughter’s Girl Scout troop came to a game last year, one of the girls asked why they call me Pominatrix (her team name). I’d never thought about it from a kid’s perspective because to me, roller derby was mine and not something I do for my daughter. Try explaining to a seven-year-old Brownie what a dominatrix does with her “pom-poms.”

The WCR play their next game September 25 at 6pm at the UIC Pavilion, 525 S Racine Ave; go to windycityrollers.com.