A year on the Ladies Team

[lilacwoman]

In 2011 I went to the local crown green bowling club and asked about playing but was told 'No ladies!'
In 2012 the local council told the club it had ot admit ladies as part of gender equality plan so late in the year I went ofr a few practice lessons and enjoyed it and got treated very nicely so I signed up as a member for 2013.

Living very close to the club I was able to practice a lot and got good enough to be asked to join the ladies team first as a temporary for holiday cover as many of the members are retired with good pensions and go holidaying for months at a time.
I became a permanent member of team by midsummer and played in home games and matches all over town and met lots of very nice people and had a really good time.

I burned out towards season end and could barely keep my bowls 'woods' on the green but finished in seventh place on points scored.

Mid season I had gone to practice but the ground was rented by a local Old Boys School and they were a man short so woudl I play with them!  LOL yes please!  Had a lovely afternoon and got to semifinals.

Then in September the club had a day's knockoiut competition and me and Mick got to semifinals.

The pix shows me in club semifinals which we lost to the tall guy who is a star player with deadly aim and his wife Ann.

We take turns having lunches and teas and going shopping so its been a very nice year.

I think the ladies quite like me except one older one whose face and body language shows transphobia but I ignore her most of the time.
here's the link ot the pix:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/roseuk/11572065644

[stephaniec]

very nice

[JaneNicole2013]

Nice! Thank you for sharing! I love these stories!

[Katie]

I have been playing rollerderby for over five years now. I love running people over and its a rush when I get run over. I guess you could say im hooked on sports for some strange reason.

But I did learn real quick to keep my mouth shut. The point is its a woman's sport. If you are a woman great then they want you to play. If your not a woman then there's the men's teams that have popped up lately. Finally I don't see any transgender teams playing derby so perhaps they might want to create their own leagues. Trans Olympics, yes.

Katie

[Rachel]

Great story, thanks.

[vlmitchell]

We take turns having lunches and teas and going shopping so its been a very nice year.

I think the ladies quite like me

I'm sincerely very glad of your ability to find the community of other women in sporting. I've found that sports are possibly the best way to really learn how to integrate into society as a woman given that there's so many aspects to life that sporting allows for that you don't get access to, typically.

Finally I don't see any transgender teams playing derby so perhaps they might want to create their own leagues. Trans Olympics, yes.

As a full member of now two Charter WFTDA leagues this comment is just plain wrong. The WFTDA guidelines have very clear rules about trans women participation and so long as you've been on HRT for a year and your T count is in the female range, you're golden. There are numerous all-star, pre-op trans women all over the place in derby and we, as an organization are very proud of our inclusiveness. (Lenore Gore of the DC Rollergirls helped draft our language and is still on committee working on things to help address women who can't have HRT for whatever reasons and I SUPPORT HER IN THIS ENDEAVOUR.)

Trans women are accepted in the olympics based on operative status and in various other sports based on hormone treatment and/or operative status. That your implication that trans people need to be segregated to their own sporting is offensive and distasteful.

[DrBobbi]

Trans women are accepted in the olympics based on operative status and in various other sports based on hormone treatment and/or operative status. That your implication that trans people need to be segregated to their own sporting is offensive and distasteful.
[/quote]

Well said Katie!

[vlmitchell]

Well said Katie!

Wrong attribution but, thanks!

[MiaOhMya!]

I am very happy for you  lilac! I love that photo, it looks like you all had a great time and I bet you'd be a hoot to have as a friend!

If you are a woman great then they want you to play. If your not a woman then there's the men's teams that have popped up lately. Finally I don't see any transgender teams playing derby so perhaps they might want to create their own leagues. Trans Olympics, yes.

I don't understand this...it as if you are saying there are either men or women, and trans people are neither? Aren't you trans and playing on a women's team right? 

[Katie]

The point of my comment was to express some wisdom and that is to keep your mouth shut. If you want to play a female sport then be a female. If you want to play a male sport them be a male.

[MiaOhMya!]

The point of my comment was to express some wisdom and that is to keep your mouth shut. If you want to play a female sport then be a female. If you want to play a male sport them be a male.

That is good advice I believe. I totally respect that there are men's and women's teams and we segregate as such so if you want in, but your worried about it, then best to keep your mouth shut.