Category Archives: BAD Volunteer of the Month

As a non-profit, the B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls rely heavily on sponsorship to create the awesome experience that is a B.A.D. roller derby game. Betty Clock Her is our current Sponsorship Manager which means she is responsible for spearheading our current sponsorship projects and managing the sponsorship team. She is also part of our amazing NSO (Non-Skating Official) crew which diligently tracks the points and penalties for our skaters at bouts and scrimmages. In only her second season with B.A.D., Betty has become such an important part of our league and we thank her so much.

What do you do as a volunteer with B.A.D.?
I’m a part of our officiating crew and the Sponsorship Manager for the league.

Do you have a derby name?
Betty Clock Her.

What do you do for non-derby work?
I work in marketing in the video games industry. I’m kinda a nerd, like, a really big gaming nerd.

How did you become involved with our league? How long have you been with us?
I was a bit of stalker on the Reckless Rollers Google Group for about a year. Then I learned to skate in thePre-Rec class in 2013. I became an official because I’m apparently really good at fracturing my bones and I really wanted to get a better understanding of the game (and, you know, more broken bones).

Do you have a favorite part of being involved with BAD or derby in general?
Everyone involved in B.A.D. is extremely supportive, confident, and friendly. It’s awesome that someone like me who hadn’t been skating since they were 8 could suddenly be taken in to such a great group of gals (and guys!)–that’s what I love about it most.

Do you have a favorite derby moment or one thing you are most proud of?
I would say I’m most proud of taking our league and the Sponsorship Committee to larger sponsors (to be named later!) as well as helping launch our IndieGoGo campaign to find a new home (which, P.S., if you haven’t checked it out yet, you should).

If you had one super power what would it be? Would you use it for good or evil?
I’d love the ability to stop time. I’m not really a good or evil kinda person, but let’s go with chaotic neutral.

Yeah, we're still catching up on giving recognition to these rad folks. From August 2015 . . .

Easy Mode was bestowed with his derby name after perfecting his track setup technique while volunteering at BAD games — something he has done consistently since 2013. You’ll find him in the stands at just about every game flashing his enthusiastic smile and chatting up his neighbors about the idiosyncrasies of roller derby strategy. When asked for an inspirational quote, he replied “Carthago delenda est!” We’re not sure why he wants Carthage destroyed, but we are sure that we’re totally inspired to have such rad volunteers. Et tu, Easy Mode?

Photo credit: Shannon Woods

Name: Matthew “Easy Mode” Pecot

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

Easy Mode. It took a while for one to stick, about two years I think. I was Amazing Alfredo at Great America for two summers (“Guess your age, weight, or the month you were born!”), but it wasn’t until this season that someone came up with Easy Mode. I’d been helping set up the apex, I think I’d printed out my Excel map at that point, and someone mentioned that it was going really smoothly. Almost like playing on Easy Mode.

Like In-N-Out, the potential for innuendo is just a plus.

How long have you been with B.A.D.? What brought you to B.A.D.?

Just over two years. A friend of mine had come over from [Silicon Valley Roller Girls], and I’d gotten the derby bug watching her play there, finding ways to help with teardown when I could. I followed her to B.A.D, just in time for the second-to-last bout of 2013, at the Oakland Convention Center, I think it was.

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

I’m a gamer, which makes sense because that’s my industry, and I’m also a big reader and a wannabe writer. My housemate and I are starting a comics podcast soon, so I live smack in the center of the Geeklands.

If scene tourism is a thing, I definitely do that. Every time I go out to drink with devs, or go to see The Birthday Massacre and Combichrist, I spend the next fifteen hours convinced those are the people and activities I’ll spend the rest of my life with. Warning: Contains dangerous amounts of enthusiasm.

What do you love about roller derby?

Three key things:

– The accessibility of the culture. When I wanted to get involved in roller derby, I volunteered; when I wanted to talk strategy, the other spectators were just as enthusiastic and ready to talk; when I thought the derby girls themselves were awesome, they invited us all to the afterparty.

– I love the rules set, and how much it’s willing to change. Baseball and football, even basketball, are calcified in some ways. I hate the last minute on the clock of an NBA game, and they’re never going to change it drastically, they might just make minor changes. When minor penalties made the game worse, derby threw them out.

– Derby ain’t perfect, but it’s a much safer space than most for women, LGBTQIA, and PoC folks. That’s a culture that I want to support, be a part of, and try to replicate pieces of in the other spaces I live in.

Share your favorite derby memory/moment from 2015.

This might be cheating, but I loved talking about the 2014 Championships and that final play. There’s something about shared memories and giant moments in sports that give everything that comes after it so much emotional weight. Whatever your opinion on that play, it was definitely worthy of talking about over and over again.

Share one of your favorite motivational quotes with us.

“Carthago delenda est.”

Hey, I said I was a geek.

Our notable BAD Volunteer of the Month from September 2015? Dedicated former skater and volunteer, Julie Noted. No stranger to derby, Julie joined BAD from the Denver Roller Dolls participating in BAD as a Reckless Roller, Pool skater, and volunteer. From helping with the Skater Tots program (an initiative designed to teach kids in Richmond schools roller skating basics) to assisting with BAD’s Merchandise division, Julie provides the league with quality help and stuns us with enviable turquoise-cerulean locks.

Name: Julie Noted

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

My derby name is Julie Noted, like “duly noted.” I like the phrase and my real first name happens to sound a lot like “duly.”

How long have you been with B.A.D.? What brought you to B.A.D.?

I used to be a skater with Denver Roller Derby, but moved to the Bay Area in 2013 to be with my then-boyfriend. I skated with the rec league, the Reckless Rollers, before trying out in December of that year. I had seen BAD skate against Denver before, so I knew that they were a really strong, competitive league.

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

I’m taking prerequisites for nursing school, and I’m loving my anatomy class. My other interests include, but are not limited to: reading, cats, dabbling in amateur makeup artistry, pencils, fountain pens, stationery, unicorns, bowling, video games, board games, and Jeopardy!

What do you love about roller derby?

It’s such a diverse community and such a dynamic sport that many people find something in it that resonates with them. It changes their lives. My favorite thing is introducing people to the sport and making them into new fans. Last year, I helped Taxi Scab run roller derby classes for her elementary school students. They got physical education and got to learn all about a whole new sport! Another way I spread the derby love is at work–I’m a bookseller at Pegasus Books in Oakland, and “Roller Girl” by Victoria Jamieson is one of the things I often recommend.  

Share your favorite derby memory/moment from 2015.

I went to the Big O Tournament to sell merchandise for the league in May. It was a lot of work, but I got to watch the travel team and see skaters from all over the world in one building. I also got to spend quality time with Bella Bomber!

Share one of your favorite motivational quotes with us.

Oh but I have two favorites!

“Get action. Do things. Be sane. Don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be somebody.” – Theodore Roosevelt (one of my favorite historical figures)

“You have the same amount of hours in the day as Beyoncé.” – Unknown

For July, we had two volunteers of the month voted in by our league members! First up . . .

You may have noticed many of our pictures credited to IGP Photo. Stunning images, taken by none other than Adina Butler, have graced the BAD website, posters, programs, and social media numerous times. She has an eye to capture priceless derby moments on and off the track and has been supporting BAD as a photographer, fan, and friend for years.

Photo credit: Unknown (from Adina’s phone)

Name: Adina Butler

How long have you been with B.A.D.? What brought you to B.A.D.?

I just wrapped up my 6th season with B.A.D. at the WFTDA Championship Tournament in St. Paul, MN.

Many years ago, a friend on a photography forum showed off some pics he’d taken at a Windy City bout. I thought they were so cool! About a year after that, I saw a flyer for a BAD bout at the Craneway Pavilion. I decided to go check it out; with my camera in hand, course. I think I got like 3-4 usable shots but I was so stoked I shared them with the league. A month later and i’m on the road to Paso Robles for the 2010 Big One tournament and Jane Hammer asks me if I want to shoot the rest of the season. And now, here we are.

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

I’m a trained chef, so when I’m not focusing my energy on photography i’m whipping up something crazy/dangerous in the kitchen.  In addition to being a chef, I’m an amateur track cyclist at the Hellyer Velodrome in San Jose. Track cycling is a bit like roller derby; I go fast, turn left and have to deal with blockers and large packs.

What do you love about roller derby?

What’s not to love about roller derby? I love how inclusive and progressive roller derby is. Whatever your skill set, there’s a way you can contribute and be involved.

Share your favorite derby memory/moment from 2015.

Ugh, so many memories and moments! Watching the growth of the new additions to the All-Stars roster was definitely one of my favorite things this year. Especially seeing Frightmare, Fluezy and Skrappie absolutely kill it at Champs.

Share one of your favorite motivational quotes with us.

It doesn’t matter if you get it wrong, as long as you care enough to get it right.