[Applause]
hello everyone it’s great to see
everyone here this afternoon I had
tonight written I hope you’ve heard some
interesting and inspiring talks now it’s
my turn
great no pressure so my name is Erica
Rydberg by day I’m a digital creation
technologist at Plymouth State
University my job title might be the
best job title ever because when I give
talks or have discussions at work I say
ask me what it means later because well
you probably can’t figure it out either
also if you google the term digital
creation technologist you’ll find me and
no one else I should probably change my
title to Ericka Rydberg the digital
creation technologist by night I go by
peppermint caddy or simply caddy a nice
play on words of my favorite peanuts
cartoon character you’re wondering where
this is going right well I’ve been
playing roller derby with the Concord
New Hampshire Granite State roller derby
league for the last year
and I know the president of our 501c3
nonprofit what has been interesting for
me in this sport is it’s a mature nature
and how it’s so community driven
everyone participates many become
teachers organizational leaders
fundraisers and of course team members
we all play a role in the organizational
process of making a non-profit work and
we also work together to organize our
bouts aka games so Granite State roller
derby or GS Rd is a member of woof to
DES we like to call it or the women’s
flat track Derby Association what did
his mission is as follows the woof tada
governs and promotes the sport of flat
track roller derby and revolutionizes
the role of women in sports through the
collective voice of its member leagues
around the world woof tada has 416 full
member leagues and 49 apprentice leagues
around the world so why am I here
talking about roller derby
well I’ve been in and out of sport since
I was a child Here I am can you tell I
was a little bit of a tomboy and now I’m
in my 30s I participated early and
learned to swim
I played recreational basketball t-ball
and softball i ski and and went
snowboarding with my family my dad’s
here shoutout to you who still skis
I played travel soccer I was on a d3
tennis team through college however I
never had what I felt was like an
athlete’s body I’m gonna speak to that a
little bit as well as I got older I
found myself going to graduate school
working multiple jobs and having a hard
time finding recreational activities and
the cities that I lived in that were fun
affordable and provided the amount of
exercise I desired I tried yoga and I
even ran a marathon I couldn’t help but
feel like I was missing out on
opportunities because of money
and busyness I’ve started to think more
about sport and how as I had grown up
I’d grown away from the community
aspects that are taught me so much about
play and for me this was joy running was
well free so I liked it in that would
only cost me running shoes and it worked
at a yoga studio to acquire free classes
but I got so busy working I didn’t have
a lot of time to actually attend class
so much for all of that work and all my
other job I didn’t want to join my
friends recreational kickball or
skee-ball leagues I wanted something
more challenging so what would my ideal
sports environment look like as an adult
well I think back to my time in the
Netherlands where I lived as a college
student for a semester while there our
campus had a weekly sports night where a
small 70 student population would go and
play sports together at a local
community facility and what I saw there
amazed me
I learned the Dutch support of course
ball which is kind of like a combination
of handball and basketball and I played
soccer I saw community members of all
ages the town had about 2,500 total
where I lived
playing sports and after watching the
Winter Olympics again this past year the
idea of community sports and clubs was
brought up as influencing the Motown’s
particularly in northern European
countries so sports clubs are commonly
based on voluntary work and on a varying
public subsidy in general conviviality
and friendship outweighs sporting
competition in terms of what the clubs
perceive is most important although of
course sporting competition is also this
is according to a large EU sponsored
research project called social inclusion
and volunteering and sports clubs in
Europe and roller-derby reminded me of
the camaraderie I saw between the Dutch
population playing Korff ball soccer and
volleyball together in the Netherlands
roller derby can be low-cost for the
most part our league dues are less than
a gym membership and we provide loaner
gear ie skates and protective wear so
new players can both try to be out and
see for their own gear our practice
builds camaraderie and we participate in
a sport and a team together in a way
that’s challenging now for me there’s
another reason I want to focus on roller
derby and that is the perception of
women and joining in all women’s sport
what I love about Derby is that in its
current form it’s inclusive and woof
tada was started by and remains won by
women think of how many sports you know
of that are for and by women well yes
there’s men’s roller derby now and we
also have co-ed derby but woof dodo
remains the far larger organization in
this sport Oh thinking back to when I
played tennis in college which I’ve
brought up briefly I have to admit I
have never been small despite being
vegetarian and fairly athletic I’ve
always been a larger woman and in one
report I was reading about roller derby
there’s a perception that in a sport
that emphasizes strength the character
and being able to knock someone over
there is more body positive your body
acceptance and I love that in an article
titled about time renegotiating the body
and roll order
the author’s rate in roller derby women
can discover that physical limits be
valued for their body’s functionality
rather than adherence to traditional
feminine appearance ideals be supported
and embraced by other like body minded
and bodied women and adopt were
instrumental I a masculine
characteristics without the threat of
being stigmatized and they also say that
this body acceptance which runs counter
to how female athletes and more
traditional sports experience view their
muscular bodies not only challenges
society’s body ideals but also affects
women’s self perception and work in a
culture that equates thinness with
beauty and teaches women to always be
unhappy with their bodies so Derby has
empowered me to Train and yet embraced
Who I am as a non-traditional athlete
goes to the gym practices 2 times a week
and lives a healthy lifestyle that makes
me proud even when I don’t feel like I
look like this is who I am I know I’m
strong and a derby player and one more
story when I play tennis through college
our number one singles player had been
given offers to go to d1 schools to play
however due to academic passion she
ended up at her a d3 college playing
tennis with me and as our number one
singles player she was tall and had not
the lean body one expected at this point
our coach commented on this to the point
where the player was driven to tears on
a few occasions
finding roller derby has meant that
those tears they come out when we’re
injured but not because the view that my
body has to be a certain way and I’m
strong in my own way so no matter how
you exercise consider that lower cost
and less barriers to entry throughout
your life helps us all succeed and
follow us lettuces of in the ways we see
possible it makes what might not be
possible feel more possible perhaps our
society can learn more from the
Europeans too however shout-out to Parks
and Rec organisations I’ve relied on
y’all before being healthy and having
fun in your own skin is something we
should all be able to do
no matter our age body or ability
perhaps find a space that you all can be
yourself and all of who you are
unabashedly and yes it might involve
knocking other women over for fun
I remember they say here just don’t say
sorry too much we’re not meant to say sorry and Derby
hello everyone it’s great to see
everyone here this afternoon I had
tonight written I hope you’ve heard some
interesting and inspiring talks now it’s
my turn
great no pressure so my name is Erica
Rydberg by day I’m a digital creation
technologist at Plymouth State
University my job title might be the
best job title ever because when I give
talks or have discussions at work I say
ask me what it means later because well
you probably can’t figure it out either
also if you google the term digital
creation technologist you’ll find me and
no one else I should probably change my
title to Ericka Rydberg the digital
creation technologist by night I go by
peppermint caddy or simply caddy a nice
play on words of my favorite peanuts
cartoon character you’re wondering where
this is going right well I’ve been
playing roller derby with the Concord
New Hampshire Granite State roller derby
league for the last year
and I know the president of our 501c3
nonprofit what has been interesting for
me in this sport is it’s a mature nature
and how it’s so community driven
everyone participates many become
teachers organizational leaders
fundraisers and of course team members
we all play a role in the organizational
process of making a non-profit work and
we also work together to organize our
bouts aka games so Granite State roller
derby or GS Rd is a member of woof to
DES we like to call it or the women’s
flat track Derby Association what did
his mission is as follows the woof tada
governs and promotes the sport of flat
track roller derby and revolutionizes
the role of women in sports through the
collective voice of its member leagues
around the world woof tada has 416 full
member leagues and 49 apprentice leagues
around the world so why am I here
talking about roller derby
well I’ve been in and out of sport since
I was a child Here I am can you tell I
was a little bit of a tomboy and now I’m
in my 30s I participated early and
learned to swim
I played recreational basketball t-ball
and softball i ski and and went
snowboarding with my family my dad’s
here shoutout to you who still skis
I played travel soccer I was on a d3
tennis team through college however I
never had what I felt was like an
athlete’s body I’m gonna speak to that a
little bit as well as I got older I
found myself going to graduate school
working multiple jobs and having a hard
time finding recreational activities and
the cities that I lived in that were fun
affordable and provided the amount of
exercise I desired I tried yoga and I
even ran a marathon I couldn’t help but
feel like I was missing out on
opportunities because of money
and busyness I’ve started to think more
about sport and how as I had grown up
I’d grown away from the community
aspects that are taught me so much about
play and for me this was joy running was
well free so I liked it in that would
only cost me running shoes and it worked
at a yoga studio to acquire free classes
but I got so busy working I didn’t have
a lot of time to actually attend class
so much for all of that work and all my
other job I didn’t want to join my
friends recreational kickball or
skee-ball leagues I wanted something
more challenging so what would my ideal
sports environment look like as an adult
well I think back to my time in the
Netherlands where I lived as a college
student for a semester while there our
campus had a weekly sports night where a
small 70 student population would go and
play sports together at a local
community facility and what I saw there
amazed me
I learned the Dutch support of course
ball which is kind of like a combination
of handball and basketball and I played
soccer I saw community members of all
ages the town had about 2,500 total
where I lived
playing sports and after watching the
Winter Olympics again this past year the
idea of community sports and clubs was
brought up as influencing the Motown’s
particularly in northern European
countries so sports clubs are commonly
based on voluntary work and on a varying
public subsidy in general conviviality
and friendship outweighs sporting
competition in terms of what the clubs
perceive is most important although of
course sporting competition is also this
is according to a large EU sponsored
research project called social inclusion
and volunteering and sports clubs in
Europe and roller-derby reminded me of
the camaraderie I saw between the Dutch
population playing Korff ball soccer and
volleyball together in the Netherlands
roller derby can be low-cost for the
most part our league dues are less than
a gym membership and we provide loaner
gear ie skates and protective wear so
new players can both try to be out and
see for their own gear our practice
builds camaraderie and we participate in
a sport and a team together in a way
that’s challenging now for me there’s
another reason I want to focus on roller
derby and that is the perception of
women and joining in all women’s sport
what I love about Derby is that in its
current form it’s inclusive and woof
tada was started by and remains won by
women think of how many sports you know
of that are for and by women well yes
there’s men’s roller derby now and we
also have co-ed derby but woof dodo
remains the far larger organization in
this sport Oh thinking back to when I
played tennis in college which I’ve
brought up briefly I have to admit I
have never been small despite being
vegetarian and fairly athletic I’ve
always been a larger woman and in one
report I was reading about roller derby
there’s a perception that in a sport
that emphasizes strength the character
and being able to knock someone over
there is more body positive your body
acceptance and I love that in an article
titled about time renegotiating the body
and roll order
the author’s rate in roller derby women
can discover that physical limits be
valued for their body’s functionality
rather than adherence to traditional
feminine appearance ideals be supported
and embraced by other like body minded
and bodied women and adopt were
instrumental I a masculine
characteristics without the threat of
being stigmatized and they also say that
this body acceptance which runs counter
to how female athletes and more
traditional sports experience view their
muscular bodies not only challenges
society’s body ideals but also affects
women’s self perception and work in a
culture that equates thinness with
beauty and teaches women to always be
unhappy with their bodies so Derby has
empowered me to Train and yet embraced
Who I am as a non-traditional athlete
goes to the gym practices 2 times a week
and lives a healthy lifestyle that makes
me proud even when I don’t feel like I
look like this is who I am I know I’m
strong and a derby player and one more
story when I play tennis through college
our number one singles player had been
given offers to go to d1 schools to play
however due to academic passion she
ended up at her a d3 college playing
tennis with me and as our number one
singles player she was tall and had not
the lean body one expected at this point
our coach commented on this to the point
where the player was driven to tears on
a few occasions
finding roller derby has meant that
those tears they come out when we’re
injured but not because the view that my
body has to be a certain way and I’m
strong in my own way so no matter how
you exercise consider that lower cost
and less barriers to entry throughout
your life helps us all succeed and
follow us lettuces of in the ways we see
possible it makes what might not be
possible feel more possible perhaps our
society can learn more from the
Europeans too however shout-out to Parks
and Rec organisations I’ve relied on
y’all before being healthy and having
fun in your own skin is something we
should all be able to do
no matter our age body or ability
perhaps find a space that you all can be
yourself and all of who you are
unabashedly and yes it might involve
knocking other women over for fun
I remember they say here just don’t say
sorry too much we’re not meant to say sorry and Derby
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