Gold Star Volunteer December 2017: Andy Oakley
Rose City Rollers is pleased to present the Gold Star Volunteer Award for December to Andy Oakley. Andy consistently goes above and beyond for the league and promotes the mission of the league through service and dedication. As a coach, NSO, bout coordinator and home team skater, Andy has put her stamp just about everywhere in the league. She truly exemplifies what roller derby, community, and giving means to us here in the Rose City.
Why have you stayed involved with RCR?
I was never really athletic growing up, but being a part of roller derby has taught me that my body can do so many things! I also have teammates that are very supportive of me, which helps when I’m having a hard time (in skating or in life!). I also really like working with the Rockets, and seeing how much better they get at skating in just a short time. This is also true of the juniors – I’ve coached some of them since they started skating, and now some of the same skaters are part of our Rosebuds Travel Team.
What has being a RCR volunteer meant to you?
I get to spend my time doing what I love! I think getting to travel to other leagues when officiating or even skating has shown me that RCR has really great officials and volunteers. We run top-notch bouts, we train officials and volunteers really well, and although sometimes we may think things are not running completely smoothly, we really do have organization to all the chaos. Rose City is a really big league and I meet new volunteers almost every time I show up to the hangar!
Do you have a favorite team?
My team, of course, the High Rollers! (The High Rollers were always my favorite home team even when they lost every game in one season) But I am also a fan of the Wreckers, the Rockets, the Rosebuds, and the Wheels of Justice. We have some pretty sweet teams at Rose City.
Do you have a favorite skater/official/volunteer?
I really look up to Hannah Jennings on Wheels of Justice. She is smart, hard working and confident – I’d like to be like her as a skater. I think my favorite official would have to be Darth Bling – he puts so much time and effort into getting better and making the whole league better, from officials to skaters.
