Roller Derby Captain
Passion to Legacy
Something that often drives people towards sports is the feeling of being part of a community; celebrating together, going through difficult times together, and supporting each other through team and personal growth. Glit LeFever, the captain of Denver’s top roller derby travel team, gives us a behind-the-scenes look at life as a professional athlete and the power of building a community with your teammates. She explains the virtues of kindly coaching others, pushing yourself towards growth, and the difficulties of playing a full-contact sport in the Covid era.
in this episode,
learn how pushing yourself past fear can help you find your passion.
Finding your thing
Glittoris is currently the captain for the Denver roller derby’s travel teams, and got there by pushing herself past her fears and tackling challenges head-on.
Glit knew roller derby was for her when she watched the movie Whip It at nineteen. Although she couldn’t join a league at that time, when the opportunity came up six years later to join with her best friend and wife at the time, she was all in.
Since then she has dedicated herself to not only pushing past her own doubts to raise her game, but coaching others to do the same.
a culture of community & acceptance
The biggest thing she notices holding people back is their own mentality of being too scared to try new things and push themselves beyond the fear.
Remembering the feedback she was given by coaches and other players she admired when she was a “freshie,” she tries to coach through feedback with kindness to create a culture of community and acceptance. Although derby is a sport known for it’s toughness and violence, she wanted to make sure people’s first exposure was welcoming and encouraging.
She finds the best part of derby is the community that supports and helps each other, not only on the track but in every aspect. Her league keeps extra equipment to loan to make derby more accessible to people. And since roller derby attracts people from a wide array of backgrounds, many LGBTQ+, and she believes that it should be a safe place for everyone.
“In derby, it’s like this unique environment where you can join and it’s awesome. You realize being queer is okay and nobody gives a fuck, which a lot of people aren’t used to.”
The biggest supporters
Her teammates were her biggest supporters when she decided to start her own business, Glass Hands Hair Co. While trying to help a friend find the best pomade, she quickly realized that there were a lot of problems with the current offerings, especially that most were male-centric.
She knew she could do better and the business was born.
Her goal was simply to create affordable, scoopable, gender neutral, derby-friendly products, but it quickly took off during Covid and she is now selling across the US and internationally.
Glit’s advice:
“Don’t compare yourself to others. If I did that, I wouldn’t be playing derby right now and I’ve gotten really far in it and it’s my life’s passion. So don’t compare yourself to others. Measure your own progress. Oh, and don’t be a dick.”
In this episode, we cover:
What it looks like to play for a roller derby travel team
Compensation and sponsorships for roller derby
Opportunities and challenges in the league
Be sure to listen to part 2 of my interview with Glit (episode 15) where we discuss her charitable involvements!
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Connect with Glit on Instagram @glittoriswaspie
Glass Hands Hair Co. www.glasshandshairco.com or Instagram @glasshandshairco
CONNECT WITH ME ON:
LinkedIn - Emma Vertolli
Twitter - emm_vert
Instagram - @itsemmavert
MORE ABOUT THE PASSION TO LEGACY PODCAST:
Passion To Legacy allows listeners to get a true behind-the-scenes look at the various careers inside the sports industry; even as detailed as the day-to-day duties and operations. Learn what it takes to land your dream role. Gain clarity on what your future career could be. Take action and kick start your humanitarian spirit.
Emma Vertolli is a marketing strategist whose career has centered around growing and nurturing communities. Early on in her professional career she felt stagnant, unfulfilled, and in search for more. She dove into sports business courses, books, & networking. To her surprise, she learned that if you want to break into the sports industry AND accelerate your career, it all comes down to who you know. There was a trend that kept coming up: people need to learn how to network & people need a space to be able to do so.
In Passion To Legacy, Emma shares impactful conversations with professionals working behind the scenes in the sports industry. The bases are loaded in this podcast, we’re chatting all about career goals, hurdles & charity. So grab a pen and pull up a seat - you’re going to want to take notes!
As a listener, you can expect to:
- Gain motivation and inspiration for pursuing your dreams
- Get an insider's perspective into what it’s like working in the sports industry
- Gain insight for getting involved in charitable work
- Learn networking tips for landing a role in the sports industry
- Plus much more!
Pro tip: new episodes drop every Tuesday & Thursday. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss a session!