Category Archives: BAD Volunteer of the Month

Roller derby blood runs deep in the Coyote family. January’s Bad Volunteers of the Month are none other than Sandie and Emo Schuitema, aka, Mama and Papa Coyote. Starting off as awesome fans, this duo climbed the ranks to esteemed BAD volunteers. They helped our events committee with all aspects of bout set-up and tear-down for the past two years. Yea, that’s right, the floor doesn’t put itself down; it takes the time and effort of our amazing volunteer community to help us build our track and stock our venue for our fans. Read on to learn more about this awesome volunteer parental unit!

Photo Credit: Unknown – Picture Papa Coyote (Mama Coyote was too fast to be captured by mere mortal photography.)

Name(s): Sandie and Emo Schuitema

If you have a derby name, what is it & what’s the story behind it?

Vile E. Coyote is our daughter

How long have you been with BAD? What brought you to BAD?

Two years with our daughter

When you’re not supporting our league – what else do you enjoy doing?

Rebuilding antique clocks and classic muscle cars and riding my Harley.

What do you love about roller derby?

The camaraderie between all the girls and all the action.

Share your favorite derby memory/moment from 2015.

Berkeley Resistance winning the championship in 2015.

Share one of your favorite motivational quotes with us.

“Just get in there and do it!”

These two (now three!) are always there at our bouts to put us back together again when we fall on the track, and we are so thankful to have them in our derby family!  We thank Nurse Gory and Dread Alert for being there for us and congratulate them on their baby!

What are your names outside of derby?
Melissa Gory and Julian Romero

What do you do for non-derby work?
We’re both psychiatric nurses and both teach in the field.

How did you become involved with our league? How long have you been with us?
We started working as NSO’s and medics years ago with Resurrection Roller Girls in Rohnert Park and heard that BAD needed medics last year for the Bay of Reckoning, so we sent off an email to volunteer – we were so excited to help out! We’ve been working (and getting the best seats in the house) all the bouts that we can since then!

Do you have a favorite part of being involved with BAD or derby in general?
As spectators, we are in absolute awe of the athleticism of the skaters. As nurses, it’s wonderful to be available to help, but such a welcome relief how infrequently we’re truly needed at the bouts and scrimmages! As parents (we recently had a little girl), we feel so honored to be a part of something that will empower our daughter to grow up strong, happy, and loved (this kid’s derby family is HUGE) and to create her own path.

Do you have a favorite derby moment or one thing you are most proud of?
It may sound silly, but we’re both just so happy to be part of this amazing league – that’s what we’re proud of. The feeling of family, of community, is intense and we’ve felt so welcomed… When we were hospitalized with complications regarding our daughter’s birth, the outpouring of love and care we received from this league completely floored us – we are still glowing from it.
Outside of derby, of course, we’re most proud of our little derby girl! We can’t wait to get her on her first pair of skates! Cute kid, awesome family, athletic feats, strong and empowering people, having fun… how could that get better? Oh, Donna’s Tamales – duh!

How did you come up with your derby name?
Melissa’s (Nurse Gory) was a bit of a no-brainer… she’s a nurse, and her last name is Gory (she even considered specializing in wound care at one point!). Julian has had a couple of derby names, but Dread Alert has stuck. Naturally, their daughter has been called both “Minor Dread,” (we’re waiting to see if her hair comes back in in dreads), and “A Little Gory.”

If you had a superpower what would it be and would you use it for good or evil?
Dread says he’d like the power to fly, but only three feet off the ground – he just thinks that’d be really funny. Gory fantasizes about the powers of functioning well on no sleep, and the power of peripheral vision. As for using the superpowers for good or evil, well that’s a matter of perspective… What, you wanted a SERIOUS answer?

May’s BAD Volunteer of the Month is someone who has repeatedly brought joy to many thousands of roller derby fans over the seasons and who has also helped out this league in so many ways, it was only a matter of time until he became our most honored volunteer!

I’m speaking of course of DJ Old Derby Bastard, our intrepid and multi-talented DJ who is able to plunder the collective playlists of our souls and provide incomparable sets for each of our events. DJ ODB (or simply ODB as he is known to his inner circle) has spent many a weekend spinning the tunes for BAD Events: all of our home team doubleheaders, this year’s Treasure Island Exhibition and even Black and White Scrimmages.

Neil, also a Derby Widower, is the Chosen Life Partner of Oakland Outlaws blocker Bella Bomber. As such, he’s enjoyed the long road trips, arduous set ups, and contributing many volunteer hours all in the name of BAD and the success of roller derby. DJ ODB spins the records but mostly he makes the magic happen. And he’s always in the right place at the right tune!

Name: Old Derby Bastard

If you have a derby name, what is it? What’s the story behind it? Old Derby Bastard. Truer words hath never been spoken.

How long have you been with BAD? What brought you to BAD? I’ve been spectating bouts since 2007, when co-worker Lisa Lawless (originally from Rat City) was captain of the Oakland Outlaws. Then volunteering since 2009, mainly DJ-ing bouts, scrimmages and prom, but also sometimes NSO-ing.

What’s been your favorite team roll-out song thus far?  ShEvil completely cracked me up with “Activewear”. Richmond challenged me to make a medley remix of Boyz2Men’s “End of the Road” and “I’ll Make Love to You”, which I really enjoyed.  Berkeley seems to have a thing for Drake (actually Started From The Bottom last year, then won BAD champs). Oakland consistently picks rocking/thumping tracks that make you know that you are on Their Track.

When not volunteering with BAD what else do you enjoy doing? Hiking Mt Tam with an audiobook and a medicine ball, swimming, playing tennis, playing and designing analog games, making wine.

Your favorite true life hero or heroine? Bill Hicks and Richard Pryor.

Which musical artists inspire you? Too many to list, but hanging around the top are Swervedriver, Queens of the Stone Age, Bowie, Prince, TV on the Radio.

Best BAD DJ moment? Hitting play on “In Your Eyes” for London’s engagement proposal to Kate. 🙂

Your favorite poets or prose authors?

H. Auden (As I Walked Out One Evening), Andrew Marvell (To His Coy Mistress), e e cummings (i carry your heart with me, she being brand new), Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Kubla Khan, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner), Dylan Thomas (Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night), David Mitchell (Cloud Atlas),
Michael Ondaatje (The English Patient).

Chocolate Chip or Oatmeal Raisin? Oatmeal Raisin.

Favorite film? Dazed and Confused, Ed Wood, Flash Gordon, English Patient, So I Married an Ax Murderer.

Historical event that really moved you? Rosa Parks’ Montgomery Bus Boycott

Favorite food, and Cocktail of choice? Seared Scallops. Rye Manhattan, Vodka Martini, or Copa Margarita.

If you’re a fan of the B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls, then you know that our practice space is in dire straits. Despite a leaky roof, a floor that never skates quite right and an abundance of other problems, B.A.D. has managed to maintain its rankings as second in the world and our home teams are the most competitive around. Working hard isn’t just a B.A.D. trait; Our team of volunteers are workhorses too. They have been instrumental in getting B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls to where we are now. Marc Slater is our 2014 Marketing Consultant and has helped to spearhead our Indiegogo campaign. We are entirely grateful to you Marc, for all of your hard work and continued dedication to our league!!

You can check out this amazing project here. If you love B.A.D. as much as we do, consider making a donation to our league!

Here’s what Marc had to say about being a part of our awesome league!

For the 2013 season, I was the Executive Producer for B.A.D.tv. For the 2014 season, I am a Marketing Consultant for B.A.D.

Do you have a derby name?
Yes: Mac Devil

What do you do for non-derby work?
I am the Creative Director at Otter Bounce Marketing (Otterbounce.com): helping our clients inform, inspire and connect with their customers by offering innovative and high quality online marketing media.

How did you become involved with our league? How long have you been with us?
My wife Amber Dexterous A.K.A. “Dex” is an Oakland Outlaw. I began volunteering last January. Having a background in film and media, made volunteering as the Executive Producer for BADTv a natural fit for the 2013 season. For the 2014 season, I am currently volunteering as a Marketing Consultant for B.A.D. I recently volunteered my services for your Indiegogo campaign video, and I am currently helping B.A.D. with new promotional media projects.

Do you have a favorite part of being involved with BAD or derby in general?
For me, it is working with such an amazing and talented group of athletes. Roller derby is my favorite sport, and I feel that everyone should have the opportunity to witness the amazingness that is the Bay Area Derby Girls.

Do you have a favorite derby moment or one thing you are most proud of?
My favorite derby moment was shooting and editing the 2013 B.A.D. Championships. It was a fantastic game to watch, and as the Producing Editor for the event, I was able to watch the footage hundreds of times- from every angle. It really allowed me appreciate the talent, skill and determination of the Bay Area Derby Girls. I am proud to volunteer for such a world-class league!

If you had one super power what would it be? Would you use it for good or evil?
My desired superpower: to travel in time. Would I use it for good, or evil? I’ll let you decide…

Big League Chew is known to many derby friends by her lifelong nickname ‘Chewie.’ She has put in plenty of time officiating games in prior seasons, but this year she has been helping with event logistics! Chewie makes a Big League contribution both here at BAD and with another worthy program, Prison University Project, where she teaches math and science at San Quentin Prison. She draws inspiration for her volunteerism from her 100-year-old grandma, the matriarch of her family in Taiwan. For March, we'd like to recognize and thank Big League Chew for all she does!

Photo Credit: Mark Nockleby

If you have a derby name, what is it? What’s the story behind it? : I’ve been called “Chewie” since I was a child because it’s a play on my legal name. “Big League Chew” was suggested by a former housemate as a “formal” derby name.

How long have you been with BAD? What brought you to BAD? : I’ve been with BAD since 2010. I went to a game, thought it was awesome and sent some emails. The rest is history.

When you’re not supporting our league – what else do you enjoy doing?: I teach chemistry at local colleges and universities as a paying job. It’s very time consuming, but I enjoy it.

Aside from derby, my other significant hobby is teaching math and science at San Quentin Prison as an instructor for the Prison University Project. This semester, I’m a co-instructor for biology and I am teaching either algebra or geology over the summer.

Outside of those activities, I take yoga classes and I have a subscription to SF Ballet. I’m psyched for Frankenstein (choreographed by Liam Scarlett) next season.

What do you love about roller derby?: The community. It’s why I still help out with BAD, even after retiring from officiating.

Share your favorite derby memory/moment of 2016 (so far).: That feeling of success and achievement after we close a bout.

Your heroines in World history.
My 100-year old grandma. She studied English in college, lived through a number of wars and relocated to Taiwan after our family had to leave Shanghai during the Communist Revolution. To this day, she’ll randomly bring up Jane Austen or Shakespeare in conversation and sasses everybody in my family.

Your favorite food and drink.
I really miss my family’s cooking! It’s one of the downsides of living in California while they’re in Taiwan. My egg rolls will never compare to the my mom’s.

Your favorite heroes/heroines in fiction.
Lizzie Bennet from Pride and Prejudice

If you weren’t doing your current occupation, what would you want to do?
I would probably do something related to dancing or flexibility.

The NSOs, or Non Skating Officials, are the unsung heroes of roller derby. These diligent folks are the ones tracking points, keeping track of penalties and baby sitting the penalty box. Things can get chaotic with the constantly changing pace of the game and referees and NSOs communicating with each other across the track.

Micro Machine has been Head NSO for a little under a year, which makes her the mama bear for all the other NSOs. She has done an awesome job making sure her team is on point and in position from whistle to whistle. Machine has spent so many hours at scrimmages prepping her team for success. And it shows! Our bouts run so smoothly, with all the points and penalties accounted for. And somehow Machine is always smiling, no matter how stressful a scrimmage or bout might be. She is always there for her team to rely on and to ask for feedback.

Thank you Micro Machine for your hard work and dedication to our B.A.D. NSOs. If it’s not Micro Machine its not the real thing!

What is your name outside of derby?
Birth name: Christine de Mateo
For nearly 18 years (to date), my friends have called me “machine”
Co-workers call me “c.d.”

What do you do for non-derby work?
Monday-Friday I work for a home warranty company in the East Bay (official title: Business Process Analyst). I’ve worked with the company for nearly thirteen years. I’ve only had one other job in my lifetime. When I can snag the time and not be lazy, I work on creating: graphic art/illustrations, charcoal portraits, figurine sculpting… or I might snuggle with my corgi, Devo (if he’s not harassing me about playing frisbee).

How did you become involved with our league?
I started volunteering for BAD in February 2012… doing whatever volunteer work was needed at the games. A couple months later I joined the Officiating crew. I wanted to be more involved with the league, and I knew skating wasn’t exactly where I wanted to be.

How long have you been with us?
Volunteering since 2012. This will be my third season as a Non-Skating Official (NSO); less than a year as HNSO for the league.

Do you have a favorite part of being involved with BAD or derby in general?
Everything I do for the league: officiate, educate others in officiating, volunteer as a Bad Hand and a Track Star. Every bit of it is incredibly rewarding. I also love being able to see the skaters in action… watch them develop and mold into some of the finest athletes I’ve ever witnessed.

Do you have a favorite derby moment or one thing you are most proud of?
Being able to carry the Head Non-Skating Official torch previously held by the amazing Dream Queen. I am the HNSO I am today because of her.

How did you come up with your derby name?
For about a year I was using my non-derby-life nickname “machine,” and decided to change it after knowing a referee also went by that derby name. The fact that I’m tiny made sense… I HAD to be “micro machine”!

If you had a superpower what would it be and would you use it for good or evil?
Healing powers. Imagine how useful that’d be! I’d just need to use it in an impartial way if it were on game day. I would hope, when used, this power would be seen as good versus evil.

Picture by Donalee

Rewind to April's BAD Volunteer of the Month!

The lifeblood of any sports league, the fuel that really keeps things pumping behind the scenes and helps our teams glitter with Gold, are the relationships we make and the sponsorship we receive through like-minded companies and individuals. Diana Caballero (Mama Hammer, to some) has been instrumental this season in helping BAD make some serious connections in the community.

Among her heroines are Rosa Parks, for her willingness to take a stand, and Roald Dahl’s sly genius Matilda, both role models that BAD can get behind! Thank you for giving us Jane Hammer and for all of your support, Diana.

Name one of your heroines from world history.  Ms. Rosa Parks because she stood up for her rights

What is your favorite food and drink? Ice Cream and Champagne

Name one of your favorite heroines from fiction. [Roald Dahl’s] Matilda is one of my favorite heroines because she embodies all of us with her passion for books; something I love about my daughter and her passion for reading.

If you weren’t doing your current occupation, what would you want to do? Interior Decorator

London Derriere has been with BAD for a little over a year and has quickly become an integral part of our referee family. London joined BAD with a lot of experience under her belt; she has refereed roller derby bouts and tournaments all over the world and is dedicated to furthering her knowledge of the game. One of the things we appreciate most about London is her ability to openly communicate with skaters and refs. She seems to be constantly smiling while still staying focused on the game or scrimmage at hand.

Thank you London! Your dedication to your ref crew and Bay Area derby is awesome!!
Love,
BAD

What do you do as a volunteer with BAD?
I am most often a skating official but hope to incorporate more NSOing as well.

Do you have a derby name?
London Derriere.

What do you do for non-derby work?
I am an adjunct professor of English at Brandman University in Walnut Creek, teaching writing, rhetoric, and literature. I also just joined Lanesplitter Pizza as a server, so feel free to come hang out on Friday nights.

How did you become involved with our league? How long have you been with us?
Prior to June 2013, I was an official with Roller Girls of the Apocalypse (RGA) in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and spent three years traveling Europe to officiate bouts and scrimmages. I moved to California and transferred to BAD last year.

Do you have a favorite part of being involved with BAD or derby in general?
I enjoy the challenge of officiating some of the best skaters in derby every week. The past year has been an amazing year of growth for me, and I love that every week I learn more about the game and how my role as a skating official facilitates the skaters’ ability to play the game. I am incredibly honored to represent BAD both on and off the track and take that role very seriously. The BAD officials, skaters, and volunteers have made me better, and I look forward to the continued growth of the sport and this league and my place in both.

Do you have a favorite derby moment or one thing you are most proud of?
Just prior to relocating to California, I was selected as a jam referee for the first sanctioned tournament in Europe:  2013: A Skate Odyssey. Honestly, I didn’t think I would get selected and I was already looking to book flights to return to the states. I actually cried when I saw the email, and then I promptly succumbed to nausea when I realized that my first major tournament and final game in Europe would be sanctioned and streamed online. That weekend, with the support of some amazing officials and mentors, not only helped me overcome my self-doubt about my abilities, but also recognize that our greatest moments of growth come from facing our greatest fears and challenges.

For February, we'd like to recognize a volunteer who is our silent guardian and watchful protector (of stats). BAD's very own Kate Crüsader. She is a precious gem of a volunteer who dedicates time throughout the week and during bouts as one of a like-minded team of hero-officials who refer to themselves as the ‘N-S-Os’. We suspect this may stand for ‘Network of Supreme Omniscients’ but the rest of the world interprets them as “Non-Skating Officials.” Her weapons of choice during a roller derby scrimmage or game are a pencil and clipboard’; she thrives as a pro interlocutor between what happens on the track and the stats that keep BAD on the map. Off the track she can be commonly found pumping iron and hanging out with her kitten. You know, standard superhero stuff.

Photo credit: Donalee Eiri of Photography by D.E.sign

Name: Kate Crüsader

If you have a derby name, what is it? What’s the story behind it?:

My derby name is Kate Crüsader. My name was given to me by a friend one night while watching the Dark Knight. I have always wanted to be a superhero and my nephews think my name is pretty cool.

How long have you been with BAD? What brought you to BAD?:

This is my 4th season with BAD. My friend Edith Shred (retired ShEvil skater) convinced me to check out Reckless Rollers. She went to my first practice with me. I found my derby tribe when Dream Queen (the Head Non-Skating Official at the time and a fellow Reckless skater) convinced me to give NSOing a try.

When you’re not supporting our league – what else do you enjoy doing?:

I love to sew, collect creepy art and skulls, skate outdoors, watch horror movies, lift weights (who knew?) and hang out with my family, friends and kitten.

What do you love about roller derby?:

I love the amazing people that have come into my life because of derby. There are people who I would have probably never met if it hadn’t been for derby, including my beautiful partner and one of my very best friends.

The game itself continues to inspire me. I may not be a skater but I am inspired every time I see what my league mates accomplish on the track, off the track, behind the scenes.
You have never met a more dedicated group of people than derby lovers.

Share your favorite derby memory/moment of 2016 (so far).:

Walking into Craneway Pavilion on Feb 27th to kick off the 2016 BAD Season for a full day of officiating derby. The calm before the storm, the beauty of the location and the anticipation of the games in front of you. There is nothing quite like it.

Share one of your favorite motivational quotes with us.:

Fate whispers to the warrior
You cannot withstand this storm
And the warrior whispers back
I am the storm
– Author Unknown