Despite a successful first year in the Oklahoma City area, the Tornado Alley Rollergirls' roller derby league is working through some growing pains.
Amanda Lipscomb, aka Jane's Affliction, TARG league manager and co-owner, said the league has lost its regular venue, Edmond's Rockin' Roller Rink. With the league championship scheduled for the end of July, the league is looking hard for a place to finish out its season.
"We have a letter drafted that we're sending to the (National Guard) Armory on 23rd Street, but we don't have anything firmed up yet," Lipscomb said. "The Armory would be great. That would be our ideal. We've always wanted to do bouts there."
TEAM CHANGES
Lipscomb said since TARG's creation in April 2006, things have gone "pretty smooth" until now.
"There was a lot of support at first, and then things sort of evened out," she said. "Now everyone's getting used to big changes, and learning these things aren't going to knock us down."
Another big change the league has dealt with recently is the re-staffing of almost all the members of Cell Block 9, one of TARG's four teams. Lipscomb said she doesn't want to discuss the reasons for the change.
Emily Pratt, aka Suzi Uzi, one of the former members of Cell Block 9, also wouldn't discuss the specifics of the team change.
"I played for a year, and it was a really awesome experience," Pratt said. "We were really sad to have to make the decision to leave. It was a really hard decision." "Michael Robertson
