Forced Resignation

Below is a letter of sorts that I sent to my friends in OWRD regarding my recent "forced resignation" from the group...

For some of you, this will not come as a surprise since I have been talking with many of you on a regular basis about my thoughts and concerns regarding recent developments at OWRD and the actions of Flash by terminating my membership twice and then finally blocking me from the OWRD groups page. Over the course of the last few months, it slowly became apparent to me that my desire to be more involved (help coaching, cheer or encourage skaters-to which I was told not to do) with the league was being met with some resistance, only to finally be fully realized when I was told that my membership was terminated due to my involvement with other leagues. While it is true that I am part of the NSO hobo group (meaning NSO's that have home leagues but travel around to meet the demand of needed NSO's)...my home league is Jet City. I have never kept that a secret, however, I also have never broadcast my home league while at OWRD. I have not worn shirts with the names of other leagues or tournaments on them while at OWRD. Things I have posted or said in the past, were to promote skills, drills and the athletic aspects of other skaters or events. OWRD appears to be headed in a very different direction than what was originally planned...where teamwork, members of other leagues and community could come together to share knowledge and skills and be free to learn what they wanted and then move onto other leagues if they so desired. I also feel that the original motto of OWRD has been muddied and become lost...I fully embraced the envision of inclusiveness, belonging, increasing self confidence, making social connections, sportsmanship, positive attitudes and athleticism but those things have somehow been compromised. The final "straw" for me was the combining of various levels of skaters into teams...where lower levels will be on the same team as higher levels. This I feel is a disaster waiting to happen. There are skaters who have been working for over a year to become bout ready skating with others who have only been skating a couple months or less. I have noticed favoritism towards skaters with "more potential" all the while leaving those who are not deemed "worthy" to fend for themselves and get lost without more individualized attention. And even after concerns have been raised to those in power, changes have not been made and in fact, those who raise those concerns are punished by not being allowed to bout, being leveled lower, or losing their "admin" powers. It has become clear that Flash judges me differently than others...I am kicked out of OWRD groups page because I am not an "NSO, skater or ref" but other photographers are allowed to stay because they are not "affiliated with other leagues." This time last year I was putting many, many hours into the creation of OWRD...writing articles for magazines, mailing stickers all over the world, designing fliers, going to meetings, taking photos and editing them, getting the word out and even taking time away from my real job to help out any way I could...only to have Flash minimize my contributions and remove me from the group. So after taking all of these things into account, I have decided not to fight Flashes termination of my membership in OWRD. It is painfully clear that my time representing and working for OWRD has reached its end. I will continue to offer any advice and education to individual skaters, continue to cheer for and encourage those of you I have relationships with but I will not be involved with OWRD as a league. I will miss you all greatly but know that we will see each other in the future as the derby world gets smaller and smaller. I have enjoyed my relationships with all of you and look forward to continuing down the path of friendship. And it very much saddens me that OWRD could not be a safe place to foster those opportunities. I am an NSOhobo, and derby photographer...who just happens to have a home league by the name of Jet City. I will not apologize or diminish my role in those groups. I will not apologize for giving my all and trying my best. And I wish all of you good luck, fast wheels and only minor injuries that don't slow you down.

Sincerely, diz