In our series of national squad themed interviews in collaboration with Scottish Roller Derby, we present Team Manager: Dorkmistress.
Dorkmistress has had a long and varied time in Roller Derby. Starting in 2011 with the Cardiff Roller Collective, as a skater and announcer, she has since moved to Swansea City Roller Derby (in 2013), and moved into refereeing for both Swansea and the South West Silures in 2014. She was Team Manager for Team Wales Roller Derby for the 2014 Blood & Thunder Roller Derby World Cup, and continues in this role, having been re-elected in the post earlier this year. Her derby CV is extensive, including over 60 games refereed, and 100 announced, over her 5 year period in the sport.
In common with other Team Wales roles, you’re returning to the role of Manager from the last iteration of the National Team. What led you to decide to continue in the role?
It’s a big decision – I loved the last two years but it’s a fairly big commitment. We learnt so much in the last two years, starting the team from scratch and I wanted to make sure that I could see these lessons implemented. I know how I want to do things differently and think that I can do a much better job this time around. Plus, I’m not ready to watch Team Wales on track without being part of it! When I was thinking about how to answer these questions I looked back on the Team Wales Facebook page and seeing the support, encouragement and emotion on there made me remember what an incredible experience and honour it is to be part of Team Wales, and to be part of a team of such amazing people. And I still regularly look at the pictures of the Team Wales supporters gang – those crazy laydees from Neath Port Talbot, the supporters who travelled to Belgium and Dallas with their inflatables and daffodil hats, our own official leader of chants, Rhys Jones. Who wouldn’t want to be part of that?
