LVRG Loves Brown-Daub, and your chance to WIN 2 FREE TICKETS to the March 9th Bout

EMTs assist an injured skater

The really great thing about being a part of the Lehigh Valley roller derby community is having the ability to give back to that same community that we love.  This season, like previous seasons, the Lehigh Valley Rollergirls (LVRG) has teamed up with their sponsors and friends to not only be able to present a great season of roller derby, but also to be able to give funds to local charities.  The upcoming bout against Ithaca on March 9^th is no different. All 50/50 proceeds collected will be benefitting the Macungie Ambulance Corps. The Macungie Ambulance Corps is a 501c3 non-profit organization. In addition to responding to over 3,000 emergency calls annually, they have an active Community Outreach and Education Division.  One of the main focuses of their Community Outreach and Education is Community CPR and Public Access Defibrillation programs. They offer free program support for business, communities, and organizations who purchase an AED for public use. They also assist the entity with routine checks of the device, and ongoing training for expected users

Their website can be found at:  http://macungieambulance.org/

The Lehigh Valley Rollergirls aren’t alone in supporting the community; many of our sponsors play a ‘pivot’al role in helping us make a difference in the Lehigh Valley. One such sponsor, Brown-Daub, has been proudly supporting LVRG for several years and is very active in the community they serve, providing money and resources to many organizations.

Over the past ten years the organization has raised over $1 million dollars for the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley.   Additionally, Brown-Daub has collected items for families in need through the LOVE United campaign.  Brown-Daub’s contributions have provided educational opportunities for children, independent living for older adults, and basic needs for families in emergency situations, like the gas explosion in Allentown.

Brown-Daub also sponsors numerous other organizations, like the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Easton, the Children’s Home of Easton, Community Services for Children, Equilibrium, Miller-Keystone Blood Center, and Phantoms Fastpitch Softball. 

Top ten reasons Brown-Daub and the Lehigh Valley Rollergirls (LVRG) make great partners:

10.       Cars and skates both have wheels, which should be rotated regularly.

9.         Both cars and skates need regular tune ups.

8.         You need a car to get to the Independent Family Fun Center in  Schnecksville to watch LVRG.

7.         Both cars and skates need to be replaced from time to time.

6.         Dodge Rams are tough like LVRG blockers and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8s are fast like LVRG jammers.

5.         LVRG member, Vanilla CreamHer, and numerous LVRG fans, including Laura Hayes, Steve Schneider, 

            Rachel Hay, and Crystal Lopez, work at Brown-Daub.

4.         LVRG members and fans have purchased cars from Brown-Daub.

3.         LVRG members and fans have serviced their cars at Brown-Daub.

2.         Driving fast and skating fast are both thrilling.

1.         Because both Brown-Daub and LVRG work hard to support their communities.

Brown Daub can be found here: http://www.browndaub.net/index.htm

OKAY……IT’S CONTEST TIME:

Since LVRG LOVES its sponsors and we want them to know it, we recommend that you like Brown-Daub’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/brown.daub.easton?fref=ts . 

On Wednesday, Feb 27^th, one lucky fan who “liked” Brown-Daub's Facebook page will win 2 free tickets to the March 9^th bout to see LVRG play the Ithaca League of Women.

Good Luck to everyone!

TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED HERE:  http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/340607

Season tickets can be purchased here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/309495
 

Find us online at: http://www.lehighvalleyrollergirls.com

All functions will be held at the Independence Family Fun Center, 4345 Independence Dr, Schnecksville, PA.

LVRG Black Team Wins, and the Hissy Fits Focus on Ithaca

The Lehigh Valley Rollergirls (LVRG) had an amazing season opener this weekend with Pink and Black teams battling head to head to find out which team had the most power and strategy.  The game was intense with a lot of energy bursting out of the first 15 minutes of play.  The Pink team came out strong with two initial power jams to give them an early lead in points 10 minutes in of Pink 34 to Black 4. The Black team, led by captain Wayward Stay, responded back by capitalizing on gaining lead jammer status and by using their own 3 power jams earned against the Pink team to their advantage.  Despite the 14 penalty minutes that they incurred in the first half, the Black team used their power jam leverage with the help of astounding blocking by veterans Chikki Sixx and Hell Rasin’ Hussy and quickly took the lead in points. The score at the end of the first half was Black 84 to Pink 58.

The second half of the game was just as feverous as the first. Both teams were aggressively positioning to secure lead jammer status.  However, both teams experienced penalty trouble  as the Pink team racked up 18 penalty minutes and the Black team picked up 14. Pink team blockers Evol Kitty, Levilin Levi and Helen Darink were stand outs in defending against the Black team.  Jammers from the Pink team Betty Switch, Catalina Spine Mixer and Toxic Avenge-Her fought hard and barreled through the sea of blockers to score as many points as they could. Although Pink went 10 jams without scoring, they did get in a last minute power jam to give them a slight come back before the end of the game. However, the Black team’s jammers, Lauranimal, Ginga Railed U, Assassin Asian and Arista Crash, racked up an additional 71 points in the second half, closing the door on the Pink team.  The final score of the bout was Black Team 155, Pink team 127.  The MVPs of the game went to jammers Catalina Spine Mixer (Pink) and Ginga Railed U (Black), and blockers Lin Diesel (Pink) and Chikki Sixx (Black).

Looking ahead to LVRG’s March bout, the Hissy Fits will be facing WFTDA’s 26^th seat in the East Coast, the Ithaca League of Women Rollers. Although the two teams have never played each other before, LVRG is considered to be an underdog in this upcoming bout. According to flattrackstats.com, Ithaca has been given a 90% chance of winning over LVRG, with a 26:19 point ratio. Meaning, for every 26 points Ithaca scores, LVRG is expected to score 19. The only real way to compare our abilities against a team that we have never played is to look at the commonalities between the opponents we both played in the past.   Last year, Ithaca played The Hudson Valley Horrors on 10/14/12.  They beat them 246-52.  LVRG also played the Horrors on 6/24/12, and beat them 198-75.  Also, on 6/23/12 Ithaca played Garden State and beat them 170-131, whereas on 4/14/12, LVRG lost to Garden State 120-116.  Based on last season’s statistics, the Lehigh Valley Rollergirls have their work cut out for them against Ithaca. This game is going to test our strength, our knowledge of the game and shear willingness to prevail despite adversity. It will surely be an epic battle of David vs. Goliath.  But if anything, if you know LVRG, we are fighters and ready for the challenge.

The LVRG vs. Ithaca bout is on March 9^th, 2013. Doors open at 5:00p.m., bout at 6:00p.m.

TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED HERE:  http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/340607

Season tickets can be purchased here:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/309495
 

Find us online at: http://www.lehighvalleyrollergirls.com

All functions will be held at the Independence Family Fun Center, 4345 Independence Dr, Schnecksville, PA.

LVRG Fans Are Ready for the Season Opener!

The Lehigh Valley Rollergirls’ (LVRG) season opener is just days away, and LVRG's fans are getting excited to see their favorite players hit the track this Saturday, February 16^th.  The line ups for both teams are evenly matched with two strong sides of both veteran LVRG blockers and jammers.

The Pink team, captained by Lin Diesel, includes the following roster:  Betty Switch, Helen DaRink, Good Time Charlie, Toxic Avenger, Loogie Vuitton, Catalina Spine Mixer, Lin Diesel, Evol Kitty, Levilin Levi, Tortellina Temptress, Cagey Rage, Estelle Hurtz, She Rocks, and Christie Winkler.

The Black team, captained by Wayward Stay, includes the following roster: Lauranimal, Ginga Railed U, Hell Razin Hussy, Assassin Asian, KickAsh, Arista Crash, Stella McHurtye, Phish Tahko, Wayward Stay, Daisy Destructo, Double Barrel Hotgunz, DTainHer, Maulecule, and Chikki Sixx.

LVRG is excited to start their season and to open their doors again to the best fans in the sport. Our fans are like no others including family, friends, the MACK club and Noise Nation.  When you run into one of the members of Noise Nation at a bout, you won’t forget it. Their motto, “Bring the Noise,” is an understatement because they are often found ringing cow bells and making as much noise as humanly possible to rev up the crowds. The members of Noise Nation aren't the only ones supporting LVRG.

Carolyn Klimas promoting LVRG on the Great Wall of China

Carolyn Klimas, who has been supporting LVRG since the 2007 season, commented about why she loves the sport and the team. She stated, “I’ve been fascinated with the derby ever since I saw my first bout. Sure, the competition and entertainment keep fans on the edge of their seat, but that's just a portion of what I see when I go to a derby bout.  I'm fascinated by the fact that a group of women, who may have never met otherwise, have come together to become teammates uniting for a common cause:  the success of the team.  The best part of the night for me is watching the team at the end of the bout when the smiles are genuine, the spirits are high and the pride is evident.  That's what I love about LVRG.” 

Ron Brubaker showing LVRG pride at Stonehenge

Super fan Ron Brubaker also describes what he loves about the game. "Passion.  Dedication.  Sacrifice.  Admiration.  The first three words describe why I love watching roller derby.  Being relatively new as a spectator, the key thing that I've taken away from the bouts is that the skaters are a special breed.  It's quite obvious that they are passionate about their sport and give it all while on the track.  What I've learned aside from that is the tremendous amount of time and effort they dedicate towards their skating and support of the team.  Admiration is what I have for roller derby and the Lehigh Valley Roller Girls.  We are extremely lucky to have such great role models in our community.  GO LVRG !!!"

MACK Club cheering for LVRG

So, what about the MACK club? Most of them have spouses or significant others on the team, but a few don't. They are part of our biggest support team, as they are there to help setup, breakdown, and be extra bodies if the need arises.  Chris Moughan, husband of Phish Tahko, explains more about the club. “Three years ago there were a group of us that were always together at the bouts. There was a joke made after one of the bouts that we were like a support group for the team, one of us joked that we were the Men's Auxiliary Club. Our wives took it upon themselves to get us T Shirts made with the words MACK Club on the side, with their numbers on them. It was amazing. The MACK (Man Pack) was born. There are now over 20 members (men and women) that are regulars.”  Chris talked more about what he loves about the sport. “The competition is my favorite thing, by far. I know each and every member is 100% committed to winning, and everyone brings every ounce of that competitiveness on the track. The fervor and tenacity of every team member on the track compounds our emotions in MACK. When we see the team, completely drained, giving everything they have with 3 minutes to go, down by 4 points, and we get lead jammer; it’s better than any football, hockey, soccer, or baseball game I have ever seen.”

Tickets to our February 16th bout can be purchased here:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/317692

Season tickets can be purchased here:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/309495
 

Find us online at: http://www.lehighvalleyrollergirls.com

All functions will be held at the Independence Family Fun Center, 4345 Independence Dr, Schnecksville, PA.

Who is Click Dastardly?

   Nothing captures the intensity of a roller derby bout quite like seeing it caught on film. A snap shot of every game tells a story, a story of dedication, fight and the willingness to survive. Behind those great photos for the Lehigh Valley Rollergirls (LVRG) and for many other leagues is photographer Jim Rhoades, otherwise known by his derby name, Click Dastardly.

     Jim is easily spotted on the sidelines on game day with his photo bag and camera, ready to freeze the action on film. Jim started shooting roller derby sports photography in 2007 for the Dutchland Derby Rollers in Lancaster, PA and soon after, he started shooting photos for LVRG.  Believe it or not, Jim doesn’t just shoot pictures of roller derby, he also shoots for weddings, and takes senior pictures. The only place any of his derby photos are available for sale right now is at As the Bearing Turns in Greencastle, PA.  Most of his recent derby photos can be found on Flickr.com at http://www.flickr.com/photos/clickdastardly/sets/. 

      We asked Jim about his thoughts on what it is like to shoot roller derby photography.  He stated, “It's challenging. I meet lots of wonderful people. And there are always the "oh, wow!" moments when I first see a shot I was able to get that I really like! And yes, I have been blocked while taking pictures. It happens. I always protect my camera first for two reasons. First, I don't want the skater to hurt themselves hitting the camera. And second, I don't want the skater to hurt my camera and lens. I worry about my own well being last! Check this out. This is my daughter taking a video while sitting right beside me. It's one of our favorite derby memories!! From May 2008:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Synos69sbE.”

       Jim added a few extra comments by stating, “I would like to thank everyone in the derby community for making me feel welcome! I've met some truly wonderful people, seen some awesome derby action, and bettered myself as a photographer. There weren't many photographers around when I first started, but as the sport grew and more people found out about derby, it gets more coverage now. I still like to sit at ECDX in the challenge rink and take photos at the challenge bouts. I prefer that over the crowds at the bigger ECDX bouts. I think it's great that there are new photographers out there covering the action!”

     The next bout we hope to see Jim at is our LVRG season opener on February 16^th. This is an Intra-League bout between the Pink and Black teams. Each team will be battling to see which team’s skill and strategy will take the advantage and win this sure to be action packed bout.  Tickets are on sale now.

Tickets to our February 16th bout can be purchased here:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/317692

Season tickets can be purchased here:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/309495

Find us online at: http://www.lehighvalleyrollergirls.com

All functions will be held at the Independence Family Fun Center, 4345 Independence Dr, Schnecksville, PA.