Anyone who has skated derby for more than five seconds knows that injuries happen.
The attitude one takes toward getting injured determines whether that person comes back for more when they're healed.
But what about the one who may have caused said injury?
I'm dealing with an incident that happened yesterday when we had visiting skaters from a league that's in the beginning stages of getting a banked track. We were playing during wRECk League, and it was a session that was got a bit...aggressive at times. Not all on me, by the by. But I was getting wound up, and it started to show in the previous couple of jams I skated in. Then...it happened. I was at the front of the start line. I see one of the visitors lined up behind me, just downhill from where I was at. The pack whistle blew, and I threw a shoulder at her. Unfortunately said shoulder hit this skater in the face, and she went down immediately. Hitting off the line isn't unusual for us, and everyone else started forward as if nothing had happened. The jammer whistle blew, the jammers took off, and the skater I'd hit was still in the infield. Shit.
Jam was called off. Injured skater got to her bench, she was checked out, and the jam was reset. I found out afterwards that I momentarily dislocated this poor girl's jaw on the left side. She popped it back into place, sat out five jams, and came back in and skated as if nothing had happened.
But DAMN, how does one deal with the guilt of a hit, no matter how it happened, when an injury is the result?
It could be said that I'm just a jerk. This post can remind one of that. But I'm not out to hurt anyone. I don't have any pride for hurting anyone for real while playing. I've been on the receiving end of this type of event, too. I had my right ankle screwed up for six weeks when I got stuck in a Siren sandwich back in 2005. Heaven knows how many times I hyper-extended both shoulders from falling after either getting hit or tangled up with other skaters. Bruised ribs? Yeah, got that, too. My one concussion was all my fault, though.
All of this made me concentrate even more on general form when I had to teach the Fresh Meat later in the day. I hope they catch on quick and don't do stupid things like me. DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO!
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The ramblings, doodles, and misadventures of an animatin', roller derby-playin', drunk-doodlin', murdersickle-ridin' goofball woman in Lost Strangeles. You can try to shut me up, but it probably won't work.
I'm loud. VERY loud.
I'm loud. VERY loud.
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4 comments:
Shit happens sometimes. The guilt that you feel from injuring someone is natural, but your intentions were not malicious so don't let it get into your head for too long. ;)
Oh Tara,
Everyone in derby knows what they signed up for, and often people come back bigger and better after an injury. You should absolutely not feel guilty. These things happen. Believe me everybody's talking about the fact that she popped her jaw into place and *kept on skating* than who hit her. You gave her a story she can tell forever. Believe me, if I had a story like that, I would tell it to my grave.
I have guilt even if I'm not the initiator and they fall and get hurt because they can't knock me down. I shouldn't feel so guilty for being a wall.
If I can I try to talk to the person and see if they are all right and just remind myself they can't all be perfect hits or blocks. I know I don't hold a grudge on people that cause me to get hurt because I know hurting someone is not the main objective of the game, it's more of a byproduct.
I once caused a skater serious knee injury. It was during a bout and she had to leave to go to the hospital. I felt HORRIBLE but she didn't blame me and I shouldn't have either. The guilt didn't go away immediately but it did. I might feel a twinge of guilt now and then if I hurt someone but it goes away quick and on the flip side I never hold a grudge when I get hurt.
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