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…