Skater of the Month - Quad Damage

NAME: Quad Damage

How did you get involved with roller derby? It all started when my wife Jenna (Barbarolla) joined DRG. I started coming along to bouts (and afterparties) then I wanted to get more involved so I started NSOing at scrims and bouts.

After a while, I got jealous of people being able to just roll around the sports hall while I was stuck walking like some sort of barbarian so I joined the next Fresh Meat with the goal of becoming a ref.

Tell us about your derby name?

My derby name comes from Quake, a mid-nineties computer game I loved when I was a teenager (I was so cool growing up). Quad Damage was a power-up from the game and I thought it made a great geeky derby name.

Before you discovered roller derby were you involved in any other sports/exercise, and if yes how has derby impacted on this?

Not really. Before derby I didn't do much exercise beyond the occasional hillwalk or cycle to work. I was never confident enough to do any team sports in school or university so derby is the first sport I've stuck with.

What is your position of choice? When I'm NSOing, it has to be penalty tracking. I love being in the middle of the track plus I enjoy the more stressful roles. Penalty tracking also helps me ref as I try to spot penalties before the refs call them.

When I ref my position of choice is Jam Ref, although its the only position I've reffed so 'choice' may be a bit of a stretch. My goal now is to move to the outside of the track and learn to be an OPR.

Which teams have you skated with/refereed for?

I've only reffed one game so far but I was really glad it was for my wife's team – DRG's own Jammin' Dodgers.

Do you have a pre/post-bout ritual?

Does beer count?

What do you think is most important for a new skater/referee to learn?

For refs, apart from learn the rules the most important part is to realise you will make mistakes - bad calls, missed penalties, following the wrong jammer. Skaters might get mad at you, but you shouldn't beat yourself up about it. Mistakes happen and the only thing you can do is learn from it and move on.

Favourite motivational quote?

“MTFU” – Shuggs Bunny.

Seriously, though, that quote has helped me a lot when I was learning to skate. It helped me to psych myself up when it came to something I was really apprehensive about doing, such as cone jumping or hits.

Who do you choose as next month’s Skater of the Month?

I'd have to pick a fellow ref for this – the lovely Quadrillion.