On Saturday, December 1, 2018, members of the San Diego Derby United family rolled up their sleeves and got down and dirty. Bright and early, the crew arrived, shovels in hand, ready to make strides towards transforming the space on Federal Boulevard from a dirt-filled lot to a roller derby haven: a place where teams new and old can come together and play the sport of roller derby in a place that feels like home.

Though the weather wasn’t hot, sweat was pouring as members yanked up roots, dug giant rocks out of the ground, and even pulled up old wood decking from the dirt. Break time was made for members to look over the site plans and discuss the layout for the new space. At first, it was hard to picture all these beautiful plans in the spot in which the crew sat. However, the hours seemed to fly by as piece by piece the lot became smoother and flatter. Suddenly it became easy to visualize Ringer’s plans: two derby tracks, storage and lockers, bleachers and benches, a parking lot, and even some areas for plants and trees!

As the sun began to set, the progress made in just one day was both obvious and incredible. A vast majority of the dirt lot had been cleaned out, large holes had been filled, and all of the organic debris had been merged into a pile, ready to be collected and hauled away. San Diego Derby United members worked until the last possible minute. Once Ringer called the day to an end, Mike Hess brewing provided a keg to help the crew forget about their aching muscles and relax together to finish out the day.

While there is still work to be done, the team that came together on the first official Derby United facility work day made more progress than could have ever been hoped for. Thank you to everyone who came out and helped, and SDDU can’t wait to see you in their new home!

Writer: Cool Storie Bro

Check Out the Full Work Day Album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/derbyunited/albums/72157704172691681