Patti Stamp
My Roller Derby Days
Reported To Loretta
We Lived in Chicago in 1956 and my dad liked sports when one day he was watching a commercial on the TV and it was talking about Roller Derby. He decided to watch it that night when it came on. The game was from Chicago. He was very interested in it and watched it every week it was on. My Mom was in the hospital having one of my younger sisters, the night we watched the game on TV. We moved to California and my dad was trying to find it on TV again but could not until a commercial came on with the advertisement of the game at the El Monte Legion Stadium. That was in 1962 by that time. We found out that the Los Angeles Thunderbirds team was playing against the Brooklyn Devils, I believe. Not sure about the teams but I was young then and just was fascinated by the skaters.
The first team I remember had a line up with the following skaters I remember because I got the team picture and had them all autograph it. The Men's team consisted of 1. Ralph Valladares, 2. Julian Silva, 3. Red Smartt, 4. Abel Lara, 5. George Knerr, 6. Ernie Lopez, 7. Eddie Payne, and 8. George Copeland. The Girls were 1. Honey Sanchez, 2. Jeannie Porter, 3. Julie Patrick, 4. Sylvia Veramontes, 5. Marge Forrest, 6. Terri Lynch, 7. Shelia McKenna and not sure who number 8 was at this moment. But I remember being fascinated with the game.
That was my first experience of the game. From then on I never wanted to miss a game. I was always on the edge of my seat while the game was going on. The more I watched it the more I wanted to be a skater. I wanted to know if they had a school I could attend so I went to a game years later at the Long Beach Arena, where I went down stairs by the dressing room where Red Smart stood by the dressing rooms. I ask him if there was a training school where I could learn how to skate. He told me there was and it was in San Bernardino at the Earl Warren Show grounds. So I told my dad and he took me there once and said it was too far to go. But at least I got to train once there. Midge Brashun was training there, I loved it but fell down a lot.
I was told then if you could not stay in the pace you could not skate on a team so we had to practice until we could stay in the pace for at least 20 minutes, if not 30. My dad told me to find out if there was one closer. So I did the next game my family attended at the Olympic auditorium. I inquired then and they told me yes they were opening one there at the Olympic and there was also one in Valley Gardens. So my dad started taking me to the Olympic to train. There Terri Lynch was teaching and several others were each week like Liz Hernandez, Sally Vega, Judy Sowiniski, Julie Patrick, Jess Adams, Paul Rupert, Ralph Valladares, and I believe John Parker did on occasion, and Danny Reilly. I always tried to find a ride so I could stay and visit after the training session because my dad did not like to hang around very long afterwards. Danny Reilly took over the training school and continued training for several years from 65-68. When Danny took over we did a lot of blocking in his class he would always pick me to block to show the class. I was his guinea pig so to speak. We also did a lot of pacing and falling down. I remember going home with my pants torn and my legs aching but never wanted to quit.
I also skated in Valley Gardens under Lou Sanchez and remember hating to train there because he would always throw a chair down and make us jump over it. The one-day George Vogt trained there and he also liked the chair bit and not only the chair he put real people there and made us jump I remember thinking that was scary. It was a long road for me because I was not able to get there most of the time because of money and transportation problems. But managed to make it enough to get picked for T-Bird Jet league. I skated 3 games T-Bird Jet league then went on the road when I found out my friend Cheryl could not go. She told George Vogt about me and the said he needed skaters so I went to find out if I could go. I then started traveling with his group. We skated in Snyder, Odessa, and Brownwood, Texas. My Captain and Co-Captain's were Johnny and Sally Jimmerson, It was great but the very first game in the change over my skate was not properly laced up and I tripped and the entire teams fell on me. I got the wind knocked out of me and had to sit out the entire game.
We traveled to Alamogordo, Texas, and then to Alexandria Louisiana, we had great fun. We use to go to each other's rooms and sit and Lou Sanchez Jr. use to play his guitar and we would sing. When my team mates found out I sang Sally and Johnny dragged me on the floor in Alexandria where there was a piano player and made me sing by myself I remember feeling really scared because both teams were there, and so were others we did not know. Skating on the road was my first experience away from home and it felt great to get away because I was the oldest and always had to take care of the little ones. I really felt it was where I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing. But that was soon to end when we had to come back home. The Roller Bowler had shut down and the backers pulled out the money so we were sent home.
When I came back I skated another game with the T-Bird Jet league and then Mr. Girffiths came to the training school and asked for suggestions of new ideas for the game. I asked why not have woman refs. And I remember everyone laughing. But Mr. Griffiths said that was a good idea. Ralph happened to be training that day and he said would you like to try it. I said yes and I got to Referee that Saturday night. I refereed with Don Lastra and Toni Lavore that night. It was great. Then something happened and I got into it with one of the big people and that was the end of my refereeing. I then skated a few games with Baby Rocko when she needed me because it was hard to find skaters who wanted to skate on Saturday nights. I stopped skating in 75 and I miss it to this day I would love to get back up just for fun to see if I could stay in the pace. Probably not I am way out of shape now and too old too.
I have made some great friends over the years and still stay in touch with some of the skaters I have befriended. There are some skaters I miss such as Jo -Jo Stafford, Sally and Johnny Jimmerson, Margaret Smith, Richard Romano, Froggy Fradellie, who was my roommate on the road. Also, there are several others who have escaped my memory at the moment. Those were the days! It was great fun everyone and I wish it could have lasted longer. I am glad that we can get together at the reunions to reminisce over the great times and experiences we had skating. I wish the game could go on forever and I miss the great times we shared together.
Thanks
Patti Stamp