Team Awesome

Peer groups are SO IMPORTANT. 

This is all I could think two weeks ago, driving home from the Big O in Eugene after spending the weekend with my friends Liberty and Razor and Waffles*.  Last year I started a cross training group with the specific purpose of trying to provide a place for myself within the league where I felt like I belonged.  Skating for a league with home teams is great, but it also means that the mix of people on my team is pretty diverse.  We have a handful of skaters on their 8th season this year, a handful on their first and everything in between.  Some are all stars, some would like to be, some need a way to get away from home, some want a way to exercise and be fit within a community but we all skate together.  I love my teammates, but its pretty clear that we're not all working toward the same individual goals.  So I needed a peer group and I was hoping to form one by cross training.

*Technically waffles are not a part of this peer group.  They are a delicious breakfast item.  3 of 3 meals eaten outside of the fairgrounds that weekend were eaten at Off the Waffle and I don't regret a single bite.

In my mind (because everything is grander in imagination) I thought that group was going to encompass 8-14 of Jet City's mid level skaters who were aspiring to become A team players.  We would inspire our home teams and work together to provide support and be total bad asses and the derby community would look to Jet for providing such a great example of how to get people motivated and fit.  What  I rapidly discovered was only two of the people I invited would show up on a regular basis.  Thus began Team Awesome.

Team Awesome is great for so many reasons but partially because it helps with motivation.  Not sure you want to get up early and cross train?  Too bad, people are waiting for you.  Can't decide whether to attend the next boot camp?  Nope, because we're all going.  Don't have anyone to drive to the next tournament?  You do now.  Think you're going to let yourself off the hook for doing good enough?  They're there to remind you that good is the enemy of great.

And am I writing this because I LOVE MY FRIENDS AND I'M FEELING REALLY STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT HOW GREAT WE ALL ARE RIGHT NOW?  Oh yeah totally.  This is my love post to dedicated people everywhere.  And waffles.