JJ was born and raised in Chicago and loved playing sports as a kid. She played hockey and every other sport she could. As we heard from others, there are not many options for women looking to play real sports out of school. JJ was looking for a sport from her teenage years and when she found roller derby, it was a perfect fit for her.
I asked JJ about the perception of roller derby as fake or scripted and you can see the passion in her eyes as she answers me. She defended her sport eloquently, but with a little bit of fire! I loved it!
Of course, I asked JJ about her name. I was happy to hear that she had a real appreciation for Janis Joplin and did not just pick the name because it sounded cool.
JJ also took the time to explain a bit about the team and league structure. It is a little confusing to the novice, but JJ did a great job of clarifying the system.
JJ was my first interview with WCR and I was so excited after (heck, midway through it) the interview, I would have liked to interview the whole team. I have interviewed hundreds of athletes and celebrities, but rarely have I seen such dedication, passion, humor and eloquence displayed from an entire organization. I seriously would have liked to lace up a pair of skates and joined the team. Their enthusiasm was just that contagious.
I really appreciate JJ for taking her time and the Windy City Rollers organization for making this possible. Scott and I really enjoyed ourselves and encourage everyone to give WCR a chance. You can't help but have fun.
After you watch our interview, please go to WindyCityRollers.com, the Windy City Rollers Facebook page and follow WCR on twitter to learn more and get updates. You can also find Janicide Joplin on Facebook and Janicide Joplin on twitter.
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