Cagey Rage - LVRG's Skater of the Month

Skating with the Lehigh Valley Rollergirls (LVRG) for 4 seasons, Kristina Schware, better known in the derby community as Cagey Rage, is not only a LVRG Board of Directors member, but also a skater with true personality.

As a skater, Cagey Rage says that her goals constantly change. She sometimes focuses on making charters and rosters but other times she just focuses on the sport itself and increasing her skills, such as endurance, agility and team cohesiveness.  

When asked about her most memorable moment of LVRG’s 2013 season, she stated “there have been many small special moments of 2013 that I will treasure as memories for many years. None of them are great feats performed on the track (truthfully, I usually forget a lot of the game play soon after it happens).  They are all teammate related. I love the car rides with other skaters to bouts and scrimmages. I love meeting the opposing team after a game and sharing a beer. I love the sisterhood of derby. And the ice cream party at the end of the year to celebrate SVU's (the Special Vixens Unit) undefeated season was a true highlight. The best reward for working hard as a team.”

Cagey Rage also works hard for LVRG as their WFTDA (Womens Flat Track Derby Association) Representative. The WFTDA is the roller derby governing body and association that the Lehigh Valley Rollergirls belong to as members. With over 300 national and international teams that belong to the WFTDA, it is a wonderful organization and we are proud to be included in their membership.  The WFTDA sets the standard of play, rules, and safety that the all the leagues adhere to on game day. They also provide the platform for its members to be ranked and qualify for playoffs.

The WFTDA is unique in the fact that all decisions, from deciding who will be a committee head to making a rule change, are all done by votes and input from all the member leaques. No other sport does that. Every team has a voice. Cagey Rage, along with two other LVRG skaters and some officials, are that voice from LVRG. They are the liasons that bring all the pertinent information to LVRG to obtain their views, and to get their votes. Cagey Rage then relays that information back to the WFTDA.

Cagey mentioned, “as a WFTDA rep, I also make sure that all WFTDA paperwork is completed to sanction a bout. I make sure our team’s information is constantly correct and updated on the WFTDA database. And I work with LVRG's reps to ensure that our team follows all the WFTDA bylaws and protocols, is aware of new WFTDA information, is updated on decisions, and understands it all.”

 There is a lot of work on the business side of LVRG that Cagey is involved in, including helping to recruit new skaters. When asked what advice she would give to anyone interested in becoming a roller girl, this is what she said: "Well, of course, do it. Once you do it, though, be cognizant that is a sport that takes a while to learn, physically and mentally.  As with any endeavor it is challenging at first, and slowly becomes second nature. You get stronger, quicker, smarter, but it takes time. And everyone's time is different. I had slow learning curve in derby. But I kept at it and now I am able to do things that I couldn't image doing a few years ago.  And since derby is constantly evolving there are always new things to learn which keeps it interesting and fun.”

 

Fun Facts about Cagey:

1.       She loves gardening, plants and reading in her garden.
2.       She loves to play board games, card games, and any other games she can play with her 2 daughters and husband of 12 years.
3.       Her all-time favorite TV show is “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”
4.       Her next door neighbor was a long lost friend she had in high school that she lost track of until she moved in next door

Looking ahead, LVRG’s Hissy Fits travel to Wilmington NC on Sept 21^st to play the Cape Fear Roller Girls. According to flattrackstats.com, LVRG has a 51% chance of winning the game, with almost no room for error, given a 2:2 point scoring ratio between teams.

Also, on October 19^th, see all of your favorite Rollergirls play in LVRG’s last game of the season for their interleague Pink vs Black game.

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


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

For more information about becoming a skater or official, contact us at join@lehighvalleyrollergirls.com

A big thank you to all of the volunteers, officials, friends, and family that make our team the best in the Lehigh Valley. This is as much your team as it is ours. Thank you.