Fridays After 5 Featuring Jayne Niemann

Grab your margarita and elbow pads because we are five days away from Cinco de Mayo and International Roller Derby Day! In honor of International Roller Derby Day, we are delighted to introduce you to SDA’s very own Roller Babe - Aimee ArmaLite or “AR” as she’s known on the track!

When not on the track, “AR” is known as Jayne Niemann, CDFA. Jayne is the office diva at Acquilano in Colorado. Before that, she spent 13 years at RB+B Architects in Fort Collins, CO. She has a business administration degree from Colorado State University-Global Campus. 

How did you get started with roller derby? 

A coworker took me to a game in the Spring of 2009, and I was hooked! I joined in June for training, worked my way through the grueling training program, and skated in my first game in October. As a volunteer, I joined the board of directors as the PR Head in 2010 and then as Treasurer starting in 2012. I officially retired from competition at the end of 2014, but I still skate for fun and volunteer to this day!

What’s the name of your league? Have you played on more than one team?

I’ve always been with the same league. We used to be FoCo Girls Gone Derby and changed to FoCo Roller Derby a while ago. As far as the teams go, I’ve played on the following teams within the same league:

• Chanel Cartel
• Deathrow Dolls
• Cinderhellas
• Punchy Brewsters
• Micro Bruisers

We’ve gone through a few rebrands over the years. The current teams in our league are:

• Growlers (home team)
• Ale Marys (home team)
• Punchy Brewsters (B team competitive)
• Micro Bruisers (A team competitive)

Team huddle on the track before a game.

What’s the age range of the members of your group/team?

Our league is an adult league - ages 18 and up. Our oldest skater is in her early 50s, and there are older skaters in other leagues.  There are many junior derby leagues as well - typically ages 6 - 17.

What’s your favorite thing about it? Anything surprising?

My favorite thing about roller derby is the sense of community and camaraderie, not just within my league but with other leagues throughout the world. It's amazing how you instantly become friends with everyone that has/does skate.

Something that surprises me, still to this day, is that all leagues are skater-operated by volunteers. There are less than a handful of paid league members in the entire world!

How often do you practice? How long is a season? 

COVID has put a severe damper on roller derby. The WFTDA has been praised for its stringent return-to-play guidelines. We're hoping to get back to play this fall, though.

Typically, we would offer practice four times a week - a total of 9 hours! Our new skaters and non-competitive teams generally skate 4 hours of those, and our competitive teams skate 5+. Seasons typically run from February to December.

Jayne, in blue, blocking a Jammer's path.

How do you stay in shape to do this? Is there a unique training program you follow? Does season differ from off-season?

Practice, practice, practice. If you're on the competitive team, add to that gym time, nutrition, and serious self-care. Our league has a training program for new skaters that typically takes six months (it varies depending on the individual). After that, you are thrown in with the rest of the scrimmage-eligible folks and put on a home team. Then there are tryouts for the competitive (travel) team. We don't really have an off-season, but when we have a few weeks off for summer/holidays, you can bet a lot of yoga is involved!

What do you do to keep safe? Is there special equipment? Referees?

All of the above! For equipment: helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, wrist guards, mouth guard. Each league has its own crew of volunteer referees that attend scrimmages and games to keep us in check. Another big part of safety for us is training! We must learn how to fall, take hits, and strengthen our bodies for derby.

Jayne, far left with "AR15" on her shoulder at a pre-game greeting of the opposing team.

Any particular sources for gear and roller derby fashion?

I ordered a lot of my gear through our local roller rink, then through our local skate shop, and sometimes online. Your local skate shop is super helpful in trying on the equipment before you buy!

Uniforms have come a long way since 2009. We used to skate in whatever themed costume we could come up with - mobsters vs. prisoners, heroes vs. villains, mermaids vs. skeletons, you name it! Most of these were homemade or purchased from the Halloween store. :D The trend now is to scrap this style for a more competitive look. Now our teams are stocked with athletic uniforms from roller derby-specific vendors.

How many games are in a season? Can you describe to me how a derby works?

My league, FoCo Roller Derby, typically has 7-9 games per season and 2-3 tournaments for our travel teams. 

A typical game is a lot like going to a hockey game - we've got concessions, merchandise, fan activities, sometimes mascots, a half-time show, and more! My favorite non-competitive, themed game is our annual Black & Blue Ball in October - think of it as a homecoming game. The skaters are team black vs. team blue, and skaters (and refs and fans!) dress up in formal wear.

Does your team engage in any other activities? Do you parade?

We do! We often participate in local parades and events - on skates when we're allowed! We usually have a booth for recruitment, ticket sales, and engagement. 

Any advice on how to find a club nearby?

Anyone looking for roller derby in their area can either search roller derby near their town OR visit www.wftda.org, click on Leagues, and search the worldwide list of leagues! WFTDA is the international Women's Flat Track Roller Derby Association. Don't let the name fool you, though; it’s all-inclusive.

What advice would you give another SDA member if they were considering this? 

Go for it! You will NOT regret it. Leagues take people of every age/size/skill level and train you into the badass derby person you know you can be. 

Can’t get enough? Neither can we!

See Jayne skate! Look for AR-15 in blue. Sadly they didn’t win. : (

Jayne, in blue with a star on her helmet, playing the Jammer position on the team.

The video below is of the founder of the league and the person who inspired her to join roller derby. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2yiBPw1xPQ

Not a video of Jayne, but of her inspiration for joining the team. Watch for the 

player with  the star on her helmet. That's the Jammer.

Fridays After 5 Featuring Marsha 

Witherspoon

SDA’s member spotlight Fridays After 5 showcases the varied creative, fun, adventurous, or exciting achievements our members accomplish after business hours.

Just in time for tax season, meet two-time SDA National Treasurer Marsha Witherspoon, CDFA. Marsha knows a thing or two about dollars and taxes. She was a banker for over 30 years before moving to the A/E/C industry. After 20 years with Cole & Denny Architects in Alexandria, Virginia, she retired and relocated to Ohio. 

A not-too-taxing project.

For the last seven years, Marsha has volunteered with the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program. The Tax-Aide program helps low-income Americans over 50 years old file their taxes. Assistance may be in person, low contact, contact free or self-prepared. The tax assistance is free of charge and you do not have to be a member of AARP to access the services.

Specific training is required to volunteer. The IRS and program providers both offer training. Experienced volunteers can take classes in-person, or they can take an online refresher course. After completing the training, volunteers must pass the Volunteer Standards of Conduct Certification before working at a site. Returning volunteers must certify themselves on an Intake/Interview and Quality Review Form and tax law before signing the appropriate forms to return as a volunteer. Credentials must also be approved by a site coordinator, sponsoring partner, instructor, or IRS contact before you can prepare tax returns for others.

There are challenges with this type of volunteer activity. As Marsha explains, “volunteers can only prepare tax returns for the years in which they are certified to prepare the return. If a client has not filed a tax return for several years and one of those years is one for which she is not certified, she cannot file the return. Clients may become unhappy if they have to wait for a volunteer certified for that year or even come back another time.  Also, in the not-so-fun column, is telling clients they will not be getting a refund or that additional taxes are due.”

The difference Marsha makes in the lives of others is what Marsha finds most rewarding about volunteering.  As Marsha describes, “It makes me feel good that the skills I possess can be of benefit to someone else.  When their tax return is completed, the joy on a client’s face is priceless, especially if they will get a refund, no matter how large or small.  It is gratifying when a client specifically requests that I be the volunteer that prepares their return each year.”

Advice for the tax-averse.

Forosophobia, the fear of taxes, plagues many people, including me. For us, Marsha has this idea: “A suggestion I’ve made to family and friends is that they immediately set up a file for the following year’s tax return once they have filed the current return.  Drop all the data, receipts, pay stubs, etc., you think will be needed to file your next return in that folder.  At least when it’s tax time again, most of your information should be in that one file, and you don’t lose a lot of time trying to gather what you need to do your return.”

Marsha shared this Forbes article that she says has some good advice to prepare for tax season. Lucky for many of us is that Congress recently extended the tax filing deadline for individual tax returns to May 17, 2021. 

Besides volunteering with Tax-Aide, Marsha enjoys walking, reading, crossword puzzles, word searches, and other word games. Currently, her favorite word game is the New York Times Spelling Bee. She and her hubby look forward to more face time with their six children, 11 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. 

Fridays After 5 Featuring Judy Beebe

SDA’s member spotlight Fridays After 5 showcases the varied creative, fun, adventurous, or interesting achievements our members accomplish after business hours.

This week’s Fridays After 5 features Judy Beebe, FSDA.  Judy is an administrator at the Seattle, Washington office of WSP and president of the Seattle chapter of SDA. She’s also a jewelry designer!

Judy’s workplace can actually be credited for her passion. At the firm’s 2016 Secret Santa exchange, she received a bead board and a few beads. Back home, she relied on YouTube videos for instruction. “The first piece I made was a necklace,” she explains, “I had to watch YouTube videos to learn how to finish the ends of the necklace.”

After mastering those early techniques, Judy continues to learn new skills and ways of fabricating her designs. More recently, she’s focused on improving her wire-wrap stones proficiency.

Judy initially crafted  from the dining room table. Today she uses a home office / desk setup she added. When she’s ready to create, pushes aside her electronics and begins crafting from her work-from-home desk.

Judy finds jewelry design a great way to unwind. In Judy’s words, “It's very relaxing to sit by myself and play with beads and pendants, seeing what design I can come up with.” After getting any necessary errands and housework done, she tries to spend some time crafting on Saturdays or Sundays. While her schedule may not always allow the time,  Judy expresses, “If I can squeeze in a couple of hours either day, I'm happy dancing!”

Her favorite medium of the moment is polymer clay and gemstones. Once she discovered polymer clay, she really found “claying” incredibly calming. So, she admits, “I’ve been making a lot of clay jewelry!” Her favorite online store for gemstones is Magpie Gemstones. 

Color plays a large role in her design inspiration. Judy reveals, “When I'm buying gemstones, I tend to go by color first. I love the deep jewel-tone colors - blue, purple, red, black. Same thing with polymer clay - I'll pick colors I like and start messing around with them. I do a little happy dance when I realize that what I made in clay, will pair nicely with the stash of gemstones I have.”

Lately, she also started drilling rocks that she then tumbles, polishes and turns into pendants. For this new skill, Judy gives an enthusiastic “Shout-out to SDA Seattle chapter 2020 board for giving me a gift certificate that I used to buy a bench drill press (another tool I can use), so I can drill the rocks I've been polishing!”

In her hubby’s eyes, “He would prefer if I could recoup some or all of the money I've invested in supplies by selling all of the pieces I am making.” But, for Judy, sharing her creations brings her tremendous satisfaction. She points out that “giving my items away, especially to people who don't know they're getting it - it just shows up in their mail.” She’s not naming names, but there are a number of SDA members who have benefitted!  She also likes to donate jewelry to causes she supports including women’s shelters and even SDA’s PPC (Past national President Council).

People who have purchased some of her designs did so through word of mouth or from inquiries by fans of her Pinterest board.

For anyone who wants to try jewelry making, Judy suggests, “start with inexpensive items first (e.g., hobby store beads) to see if you enjoy doing it, and if you're reasonably good at it. Then invest in better quality beads and findings, and tools.”