12 June 2, 2012 - ObserverXtra

14 | SPORTS
THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 2012
ROLLER DERBY: Couple behind new league has plenty of ideas for a sport that’s growing in popularity
FRom | 13
Centre on Sundays for low
contact (LOCO) derby and
for the last six months
they have been teaching
the Stratford Festival City
Roller Girls team.
Two months ago the
Browns were discussing all
the work they were doing
for all the different leagues
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when they decided they
would set up their own
league.
“We know how to do all
this now. Michael was refereeing
for other leagues, and
we were both teaching and
it just made sense to start
our own league.”
Safety is a priority for the
Browns, who are holding
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boot camps every Saturday
night until the end of August
before sending their
players into the rink for the
fall season.
“It takes at least two
months of boot camp before
players know what
they are doing. Some
leagues only have eight
practices before they send a
squad out. I don’t think that
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is very safe. We know all the
rules to the sport and know
how to be safe.”
They plan to start off
small introducing one team
of players this year before
expanding on the numerous
ideas they both have for
the sport.
“We are taking baby steps
right now, but we have
some great ideas for the
future.”
The league already has
15 players, well enough for
one team, called the Rigor
Mortis Roxys. The team will
be playing against girls in
September from leagues
in the area, starting with
scrimmages against teams
from Toronto, Tri-City,
Stratford and Fergus.
“Scrimmages help players
learn the game; they can
Conestoga Sailing Club unveils
new dock at public open house
JAMES JACKSON
The Conestoga Sailing
Club officially unveiled its
brand-new dock during its
annual open house last Saturday
afternoon.
“The aim of the day is to
say thank you for the donations
over the past two years
for the dock,” said commodore
Ben Harrison.
The new wooden dock is
44 metres long – about the
same as the old one – and
is comprised of six sections
that sit atop the water on
plastic floats, which will
make it easier to remove
and install each season. The
dock, made possible through
grants and donations from
club members, also has rubber
siding to help prolong
the life of the sail boots that
are moored to it, and was
installed in sections over
the course of the past two
seasons.
The total cost of the dock
was approximately $20,000,
or about a third of the club’s
annual budget. About $5,000
came from the KW Community
Fund, and another
$3,500 was realized through
the Kitchener Sports Association.
The rest was raised
by the club itself.
The replacement of the
40-year-old dock was overdue.
“It was still a decent dock,
but it was not suitable for
us,” said former commodore
Jan D’Ailly, who has been a
club member for about 12
years. He said the constant
repairs they had to make to
it took away from time that
members could spend out
on the water.
The club offered up the
sections of dock for free to
neighbouring cottagers, and
all the sections save for one
Safety is a top priority for Brown as she
organizes a new roller derby league in the
region. [COLIN DEWAR/THE OBSERVER]
ask questions to the referee
during a scrimmage. It is
not like a real game where
everyone is focused on the
task at hand.”
Cindy, who grew up and
are now gone.
The highlight of the
new dock is the ramp they
installed which will allow
anyone in wheelchairs or
with any other accessibility
issues the ability to access
the dock, and a hoist will
be installed that can lower
them into one of the club’s
two accessible sailboats.
“The goal was to help
facilitate sailing for people
with disabilities,” said Harrison.
These improvements are
just the latest way the club
has tried to promote the
sport of sailing in the region
for the last half-century. Harrison
said the club is a great
place for the public to come
and learn the sport without
having a heft investment.
Currently the club owns
and maintains some 30
boats, they employ about
six instructors during the
lived in Elmira before moving
to Kitchener last year,
is looking to tap into the
Woolwich Township for
new players.
“I would like to build
from the Woolwich area
and I know that there are
a lot of girls playing soccer
and baseball and hockey. I
just want them to know that
there are other sports available
to them. Roller derby is
so much fun I just want to
share the sport.”
The leagues boot camp
is held at the Albert Mc-
Cormick Arena in Waterloo
every Saturday night from 7
p.m. until 9 p.m. and everyone
is welcome to come and
watch.
Anyone interested in
the league should contact
deadderbygirlz@gmail.com
The Conestoga Sailing Club unveiled its new 44-metre wooden dock last weekend at its
annual open house. The dock, which cost $20,000, replaces the old 40-year-old dock and
was installed in sections over the past two seasons. [JAMES JACKSON/THE OBSERVER]
summer months and about
200 individuals take lessons
there every season.
“Boats and equipment are
here and available for those
that are just getting started
in the sport so they don’t
need to go out and buy it,”
said Harrison.
A family club membership
costs $350 and provides access
to the club’s boats and
facilities.
Part of the appeal of sailing
is that it teaches boaters
to respect the environment,
such as the wind and the water
around them, said D’Ailly.
“You need to learn to respect
the weather and the
water, and learn to work with
the environment and not
against it.
“The wind is your friend.”
For more information on
the club visit http://kwsailing.org/
or call (519) 638-
5241.