In the sport of roller derby, with hard hits and steep competition, a sense of humor and sportsmanship can be key components for success. For three-year CRG Black Sheep skater, Buckhead Betty (Tricia Cronin), those traits are inherent to her personality.
Betty won 2011 Wheelie Awards for Life of the Afterparty and Smelliest Gear.
“I can’t decide if it’s good or not,” Betty said, laughing. “First off, they tell me I (party) too much, and then they tell me I smell!”
After skating with another team, Betty decided to make the move to CRG because she felt like the team could offer her more competition as a skater.
“I left everything I knew for a chance to play against competitive teams,” she said. “Women are protective by nature, and when someone they don’t know walks in, they need to prove themselves. Looking back, I have no regrets….I’m glad I took the leap.”
After skating with CRG for three years, Betty has skated with a few rotations of skaters through the CRG ranks. However, she said what sets CRG apart from other teams is that they “don’t just take the time to work on their A team, but work to develop a whole league, with a great development staff.”
Betty said she’s been skating since the age of two, and that the challenges most skaters face of adapting to certain stops or derby styles came naturally to her. Betty admits, however, that just like any other skater, she has her weakness – her kryptonite – which is speed skating.
“I’m an old rink rat, a self-taught skater. I had little to no training,” she said. “When I started with CRG, this team was all about speed. At the time, the game called for it. I struggled for a bit, but stuck with it, and pushed through the pain. I might never be the fastest, but I can knock you on your rear.”
For those that are interested in roller derby, she said, “The first step is trying. The second is getting over that voice in your head that says you can’t.”
Betty practices this advice by working with the Cincinnati Junior Rollergirls as an assistant coach.
“Teams start popping up all around and I’ve been talking about getting a team together for a few years. Smashlee (a Cincinnati Junior Rollergirl) was excited and wanted to start a junior team. Since I’m a player at the moment, and couldn’t give it my full attention, we approached a retired CRG skater, Kathy Kissing (Panterrorize) who took on the task of head coach, and Miss Print and I are assistant coaches,” she said.
Betty went on to explain that she’s “in awe of what these young ladies have learned in such a short time. They’ve got the derby bug!”
When asked what those that aren’t involved in derby might not understand, Betty said, “All the hard work that goes into making this team what it is today. It’s like you have a second job with events and committees and volunteer work. It’s like a full-time second job. It’s worth it, though.”
Betty said that she was excited to get back to the Gardens this season see the fans again.
“It’s been a long time coming. We have the best fans ever – very smart fans. They know the game. We have people that know the game, enjoy it, and I love ’em, we love ’em…. I’m just excited to see what happens (this season). I’m not nervous. I’m excited.”
-Karli Wood