Phoenix on track for Team Scotland in 2018. Image courtesy of Dave McAleavy
Who are you and why are you in my house?
X: I’m X and I’m here to drink your tea and force you to talk about our saviour…roller derby! ✨shoots glitter in a fabulous manner✨
Phoenix: Alison McElroy aka Phoenix - Co-Captain of the Irn Bruisers.
There was a big pause in roller derby over the pandemic and while GRD have played a couple of games and scrims, this is the first proper season since restrictions lifted. What do you see as the challenges and what are your goals?
X: The morale on our team is AMAZING! We are having a lot of fun getting back into the swing of things. We have quite a mix of skaters so the biggest challenge is learning how to skate together as a team again, and relearning all of our strategy. My goal is to have fun, enjoy derby, support my teammates and for us all to grow together.
P: I think the challenges we will face this season are: finding our feeting on becoming a competitive team, finding our place and challenging ourselves to become greater. Our goals will be to have fun and be responsive with our training.
X ruining the dreams of yet another jammer.
Liverpool Roller Birds A are the first team the Irn Bruisers are facing this quarter, and they recently took on the mighty Tiger Bay Brawlers and lost by a narrow margin. How are you feeling about the game, and what’s your strategy?
X: I’m extra excited to play Liverpool! I love Liverpool in general and although I’ve never played against them, I’ve been watching a lot of footage. They are fierce!
It’s going to be a really hard game for us, they are fast! But we’re going to play it cool, keep calm and play OUR game. It would be nice to win but it’s not the most important thing. I would love for everyone to feel like they did their best and feel good about themselves. But don’t get me wrong… It’s not going to be easy for them either 😉
P: I am really excited to be playing Liverpool! GRD historically plays them yearly and we always have a great game whether we win or lose. I'm eager for our first game this season to see how the team performs! It is our starting point so we will only progress.
What do you think are your co-captain’s biggest strengths?
X: Phoenix is just fabulous! She’s absolutely obsessed with roller derby, and that’s my perfect match in a co-captain. She is dedicated, calm, confident, strong, knowledgeable and fair.
Phoenix is an amazing skater and I’m so happy to have her as co-captain 😍
P: Her physical strength💪, but she also brings over a decade of experience and high level knowledge of the sport and captaining.
What is being team captain about to you, and what are your priorities?
X: A team captain needs to be dedicated and put the needs of their teammates first. I want my teammates to be happy and that’s the most important thing to me. We do this for fun!
I want to help people improve and I want to support them. Derby is for everyone and everyone wants different things from it.
P: I feel like a captain is the driver and the team are telling them where to go. I love GRD, it is an honour to be made captain and I want to help the Bruisers achieve their potential while having lots of fun and enjoying being in the team.
What do you do outside of roller derby and how do you feel that feeds into your game?
X: There is an outside of roller derby? Jk… kinda 😉 I go on magical adventures with my wife who also plays roller derby and we talk about roller derby. I’m 100% obsessed and that’s that.
P: I’m a teacher, a mother, I paint, I read, I watch anime, I listen to pop punk, I exercise - I have a lot of other interests and I feel like they come with their own challenges and prepare me to be patient, empathetic and to persevere.
Do you do any training or sports outside of roller derby and if so, what?
X: Roller derby is the only sport that exists. We live four flights up and our house is made of stairs. That counts, I’m sure of it.
P: I go to the gym, I run the netball team and skating team at the school I work at.
What’s your number one tip for people starting out in roller derby?
X: Don’t feel bad if you’re a hot mess. Everyone starts somewhere and we have all been new. You got this *high fives*
P: Bend your knees, so if you fall, you are closer to the ground.
Who is your roller derby hero?
X: My wife! Nuke is EVERYTHING. 12 years of skating together and they never give up….. even after a few surgeries 😬 My second favourite is Bicepsual from VRDL.
P: That is a really hard question as there are so many amazing people who have contributed to our sport. I do really love watching Kwoo from Arch Rival blocking 😍
How did you get into roller derby?
X: I moved from Glasgow to Kansas and I had no friends. A lonely loner (I hope someone reading this has seen The IT Crowd). I was actually looking for a football or rugby team, but roller derby seemed way cooler! Spoiler…. It is and I’m still here … Hi!
P: Went with a friend to watch Glasgow play Paris in 2012 and signed up the next week.
Who would be your dream team to play against and why?
X: VRDL! I would actually die, and it would be the best death. I feel like by playing against them I would somehow be able to absorb the amazingness. It makes sense.
P: I would like to play against Crime City again. Their Jammers and Blockers are so precise and fast, it is beautiful.
Why is roller derby so great?
X: We get to skate around a track and hit people at high speed….. Madness! There’s so much strategy, so many friends and it’s inclusive! It’s the best days.
P: I like hanging out with cool people, talking tactics, having fun on track.
Roller derby curse time! Would you rather always fall on your butt or never be able to remove the derby stench?
X: My bum is huge… I’ll bounce back up! It’s option no stench for me.
P: Easy, falling on my butt is fine, it's like a big cushion!