Squamish鈥檚 Kaci Reed is going from the stands at Brennan Park to taking on the world鈥檚 best in the roller derby world.
The Grade 10 Howe Sound Secondary School student was named to the Team Canada junior roller derby world cup squad on Nov. 21 but she said she may have never laced up the skates if not for the Sea to Sky Sirens.
Reed was in the stands when the Sirens crashed onto the 麻豆社国产sports scene in the summer of 2011 and was wowed by the action on the floor.
鈥淚t was this crazy game with girls hitting each other,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 thought it was really cool but I didn鈥檛 know any of the rules 鈥� I realize now just how much strategy goes into the sport.鈥�
She cheered on all of the Sirens but she saved her loudest yells for her aunt Aileen Reed, aka 鈥� Ilean UFall. Her Aunt has moved on to a team in Langley but Reed said her aunt鈥檚 performance helped develop her interest in the sport.
鈥淪he was one of the first Sirens and I just thought she was so cool,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檇 never even heard of roller derby before but after my mom researched it and I joined the Vancouver Junior Roller Derby team pretty soon after.鈥�
Reed had a background in hockey so skating was an early strong point for her. She said that advantage helped her in her early days in the sport.
鈥淚 could already skate pretty good from playing hockey,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t all came to me and everything clicked. But my time on the Vancouver team really developed me as a player, they really taught me everything.鈥�
She praised her teammates and head coach Nikki Pippus, aka Wiz Kid, as a big factor in her understanding of the game. She said she made an immediate impact with the Vancouver team.
鈥淢y very first bout I had so much adrenaline,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 sleep the night before and I got MVP in my first game and I was so ecstatic.鈥�
Reed heard about the World Cup opportunity and attended a tryout in Cloverdale in October and one in Edmonton in November and she received the call that she made the team a few weeks back.
鈥淚 was so happy I was crying,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his means the world to me. It鈥檚 insane to be representing my country at such a young age for something I love doing so much.鈥�
The World Cup tournament occurs in Seattle in July and Canada will battle teams from places such as Australia, Belgium, USA and others from around the world.
Once she turns 18, Reed hopes to one day play on the Sirens but said she would also love to eventually play on higher-level teams like the Terminal City Roller Girls or her aunt鈥檚 team the Anarchy Angels.
But first of all she wants to show the world why she has earned the derby name 鈥淩uthless鈥� Reed.
鈥淓verybody says you have to be ruthless to play roller derby so that鈥檚 how that name got started,鈥� she said, laughing. 鈥淚鈥檓 quick on my skates and pretty agile and I鈥檓 a pretty strong and a solid person to begin with.鈥�
She admits she鈥檚 still learning the rules of the ever-evolving sport of roller derby but encouraged anyone to come try the sport out.
鈥淒on鈥檛 worry about the physical part,鈥� she said. 鈥淏eing on a team gets everybody so close and its such a social thing and so much fun to be on a team like this. You get to make some really amazing friends.鈥�
Reed will continue practicing and participating in games with her Vancouver squad before making the trip to represent Canada at the World Cup in Seattle this summer.
And she plans on continuing to be ruthless.
