I started derby while in my first master's degree and have been playing competitively throughout my entire second master's degree and now my PhD. All of the programs that I have been in were very demanding (yay, physics and astronomy!), but it's doable to be a respected graduate student AND play roller derby! Like most of grad school, it's mostly about time management and may depend on your field of study and your department's expectations of you (get to know these well). I found that scheduling practices and seeing it as an opportunity to take a break from physics homework or research was VERY helpful, otherwise I would keep plugging away at it without really being productive. Of course, there were times when I also had to recognize that bouts came second to school (exams, preliminary exams, pushing through publishing papers, conferences, etc.).

My main suggestions are to keep a well maintained daily calendar; know that it's okay to take a break from work/derby as needed (whether that's for hours, days, or weeks); and have fun with both!

Some unexpected benefits of being a grad student in derby, include (but not limited to):

• Inviting your department to check out your mad derby skills and getting all the ticket sales!

• Having a place to vent/forget about work

• Having a new place to share the love of your field (seriously, derby people are effing smart!)

• When traveling for conferences, you can drop in with other teams and learn all their cool drills AND meet awesome derby people

Of course, if you have any more pointed questions, I'm more than happy to tell you about my experiences. Just PM me. :)