Dominique called out, “All right, now that you know how to fall, we can get into some proper team play and blocking practice.” They took us through some drills that had us skating together in threes to keep the jammers contained and showed us a few simple steps to bracing like the ones Alma had shown me—hands on hips, shoulders to shoulders. I realized quickly that you could get plenty of bruises from your very own teammates as we pulled and pushed each other into place.

After that, the next thirty minutes involved many, many more opportunities for bruising. It was precisely what I’d been craving. They had half of us travel in a big pack around the track while the other half tried to bump and clobber our way through—no hands or arms, just hips and shoulders. Not only did I prove I could keep girls behind me, I also made it clear I could bash my way through the pack. Some girls were way more tentative than I thought they’d be, considering they were trying out for roller derby, while a few of the hardier chicks were stronger and more daring, but not necessarily great at keeping their balance after giving or getting hits. I kept myself low and sturdy, standing my ground and moving other bodies with my own, completely unafraid of the consequences—in fact, inviting the consequences.

But despite my own tendencies, I also heard Alma’s voice in my head, guiding me into a supportive role. I tried a few of her moves, pushing fellow blockers into the way of oncoming skaters, holding them fast against the bodies coming our way. A couple of folks even caught on and started banding together with me to stop folks from coming through. The actions strained against my instincts, which were pressing me to take care of myself and not worry about anyone else. A few people definitely pissed me off when they didn’t move the way I wanted them to or when they didn’t seem to get what I was trying to do. I probably confused a few people too. I wasn’t perfect, but Alma’s pointers actually helped keep some skaters at bay—even without much contact. Sometimes all it took was an agile move or two to usher people one way or another.

During a short water break, Charlotte, who I’d noticed had been especially kind to the newbies during both tryouts—high-fiving us and sharing pointers here and there—skated over to me. “Hey, girl—some nice bracing out there. You played before?”

I tried to keep my pride under control. “No—just been practicing.”

She nodded and eyed me up and down. “Sweet. Keep it up, awesome sauce.” She held up her hand for a high five.

“I will,” I said, slapping her palm with mine and feeling the sweet sting of success.