Week 12: Assessment Preview, Intro to Contact

It was an ultrapacked practice full of basic drills and some packwork, focusing heavily on your agility, balance, footwork, and overall comfort on skates. There were obstacles to weave around in a pack situation. Cones to jump over. Backwards crossovers and a time trial for the 27/5... but overall, everyone stuck it out and gave it some gusto! We covered a lot of ground and I could tell the nerves were already setting in for the assessments that will take place on the next two Saturdays... but honestly? Quit siking yourself out. If you're ready, great, and if you don't make it you will get a holiday break and start back on March 1st! Regardless, you're a derby girl now, and you are really looking good. I'm so proud of all of you. I am grateful for your perseverance, your dedication to organize and practice outside of Saturdays, your attention during our short two hours together every week, and your loyalty towards learning the skills slowly and correctly so that you don't damage yourselves. This will give you a solid foundation for years of future derby play. PRD is lucky to have you!

After we did most of the assessment material for White Star (minus stops, falls, and wheel locks), we had an intro to CONTACT. Hip checks and shoulder checks are "contact 101." Basically, as if it wasn't enough to concentrate on not falling when skating fast, you are almost ready to begin dealing with the pesky blockers from an opposing team. Today we broke down the HIP CHECK, which is when you either swing your ass over to knock your opponent's upper thigh area or when you step in front of her (I'M the boss!) to then land your upper thigh into her upper thigh. It is called a hip check because you are using your hips to swing in. You are aiming for her upper thigh, NOT her hip. We also learned the SHOULDER CHECK (or as I call it, the toe touch hit), which is when you reach down and touch your hand to the opposite foot (less later after you understand the form), then spring up to land the back of your shoulder into your opponent's upper arm. There are varieties on both of these basic hits that will be expanded upon in Middle School. For now, we wanted you to see the exciting new chapter ahead that will be added to your toolbox!

Please refrain from practicing hits at this time, as they will NOT be on the assessment and will be covered in greater depth during middle school. This was just a sampler. You're welcome ;)

With the exception of clothing whips (really similar to a hip whip), we have covered everything that you'll be assessed on. Here is your study guide checklist.

White Star Assessment Material

• Skating Stride and Posture
• Forward/Backward Crossovers
• Endurance (27/5)
• Stops (T-Stop, Snow Plow)
• Balance and Agility (fast feet, 1 foot glide, sticky skating, space invaders, hopping, jumping)
• Lateral Movement on the track
• Backwards Skating
• Recovery (single knee taps, double) NO HANDS
• Focus and awareness on the track (can look around instead of down)
• Weaving (stationary cones and paceline weaving)
• Transitions (180 and 360 degree turn(or two 180 turns in a row), clockwise and counter clockwise)
• Whips, giving and receiving (arm whips (inside/outside), hip whips, clothing whips)
• Pushing, giving and receiving (remember to SKATE out of whips and pushes!! No free rides!!)
• Unexpected obstacles (amoeba-ing around downed skaters in a moving pack)
• Wheel Locks

Beat Box was obnoxiously loud, which was amazing. We will use it for our warm up and our 27/5's on Saturday. Come hydrated and ready to show off all of what you've learned!

Calamity

Week 11: Refining skills, Intro to Buddy Work, Paceline Weaving

Off skates warm-up today was an adventure led by PRD skaters Punk and Panda. They focused heavily on "no girl left behind," incorporating a buddy system of core work to get you in the mindset of working together to accomplish a goal. There was a lot of giggling and it looked super fun!


We launched into a dynamic warmup, followed by Transitions. Some are still struggling a bit with transitions, and I find that sometimes it is best to watch a video tutorial or have a skill explained different ways in order to truly understand the breakdown. Don't worry about the final element of this skill (spinning around blockers), but watch the basic elements of Bonnie D. Stroir's footwork as she shows the Transition. You start with your head, follow with your shoulders. Eyes stay up.

Backwards skating and backwards crossovers were on your own today, as we have worked on these skills for quite a few practices now. If you are still struggling to get the mechanics of skating backwards, this chick does an okay job of starting with the march and ending with backwards crossovers. She calls what we call watermelons "scissors" and crossovers "crossables." Work on this stuff until it's easy. We also worked on Mohawk/toestop stops again today, accentuating the "bow" at the end with our legs staggered.

We separated into two groups and did "slut cars," where you skated across from the other group on opposite sides of the track. Every time I blew the whistle, you changed into a new position staying low in your derby stance and filling any holes. Remember to touch two people and then take your hands away. No grabbing onto clothing or limbs!

We did the Spokes drill again with 4 skaters in our line, maintaining an equal distance from other lines on the track. Then we did the fan drill from there, fanning out to cover the whole track on the straightaways, then collapsing in behind the inside pack skater around the corners. Today we moved this fan drill up a level by having lane skaters 1 and 4 switch spots as they fanned and collapsed around the corners, and lane skaters 2 and 3 also switched spots. It feels much more like a fan in this sense. I think everyone got it after a lap or two! You will do more of this at the Middle School level.

Next was Mirror Image drill, mimicking your buddy in the two squares. We then moved to the track with our buddy and did the High-Five drill. This was where one girl stood on the inside track boundary line and the other stood on the outside track boundary, and for one minute you shuffled in to high-five your buddy, then shuffled back out to your spot. We took a 30 sec rest, switched spots and repeated. Then we did it by bypassing our buddy completely, shuffling right past her to essentially switch spots. This lateral movement drill is good to be conscious of track boundaries, as well as buddy awareness and working together with a teammate. It is super good to know where your girls are at on the track and how long it takes to get to them. A quick shuffle or a large few shuffles are all that are needed, staying low in your derby chair.

lateral movement!

We moved it to a new drill called Elevator Doors. There are two pacelines right next to each other. Everyone is paired off across from their buddy. We began rolling forward in a normal paceline speed, maintaining arm's length distance from the skaters in front and behind us and next to us. On the whistle, you shuffled close to your buddy, hip to hip, making it impossible for anyone to squeeze between you. On the next whistle, you separated and created an open lane between the two pacelines. Whistle is blown, you come back together. Adding in a "jammer" from the back of the two pacelines, she enters in to the open lane. When the "elevator doors" close, she has to stop. When the "open," she skates forward. We continued the drill for a while until it was a fluid, operating line. I thought it looked pretty good!

Our last drill was a simple paceline weaving drill that is used often at most roller derby practices. In one paceline, arms distance apart, the last skater in the line weaves forward through the moving paceline with quick feet (no coasting) to the very front, then she becomes the pace car to maintain the speed of the line. The paceline should stay at the very center of the track so that the skaters weaving through can try to stay within the track boundaries as they move up. You can practice this on any court surface.

Don't worry... no one looked like this going through the paceline... I just can't stop laughing at this! :)

It was a heavily attended practice! Thanks for coming. Dusti bought rechargeable batteries and I just bought a charger, so we are SET on music from here to infinity and beyond! Have a great week :)

Calamity

Week 10: agility, intro to lanes and packwork, PRD procedures

Aloha!

Apologies for the delay. My life is busy right now :)

On Saturday we again contended with intermittent rain showers, but we used that time to go over important policies and procedures and the PRD bylaws that our league adheres to for operations. It is important to remember that being a skater is not just about skating, but also about helping to run the league smoothly so that we can continue to develop and build a fan base. Bouts are way more fun when we have a crowd watching! Running a league takes a lot of work outside of our training. Although training should be your top priority, most league girls put in at least a few additional hours a week for their committee obligations. Keep all of this in mind as you transition into league practices. Our league practice requirements vary based upon how many practices are offered in a current month (rainouts don't count), so that usually ends up being 6-7 practices in a month. Not too much, but as you begin to balance life/family/career and derby, remember that teamwork happens on and off the track! If you did not get a copy of the Policies and Procedures manual or our current PRD Bylaws manual, please let me know and I'll bring you a copy.

Our practice started with off-skates conditioning as usual, slightly extended to deal with the rain drying up. We hopped on skates and did a dynamic warmup, working on our balance and getting our legs ready for our practice. We launched into some review of stops, then moved on quickly to our new skills involving Intro to Packwork. We did a "spokes" drill, where in a group of 4 people, we skated across from another group of four that was on the exact opposite side of the track from us. We tried to maintain the same speed as them while staying in arms distance from our 4 pack buddies. We then introduced how to "collapse in" around the corners" and how to "fan out" on the straightaways, to increase the likelihood of stopping an opposing jammer from getting by us in a realtime derby jam situation. We will continue to work on this, as it can be a little tricky to comprehend at first, but basically the idea is to clog the magic circle so that an opposing jammer has a hard time getting by you.

This shows a red team fan formation coming out of a corner. Notice that the outside blocker is alerting the inside blocker that the black jammer is right behind her! She's telling her, "hold that line!!" Black team jammer is Death By Chocolate of  Houston Roller Derby.

This is the beginning of POSITIONAL BLOCKING. You will hear a lot more about that term in the practices to follow. We did some large pack work as a giant group, sticky skating to avoid wheel locks, and worked on getting familiar with the four lanes on the track. I called out a lane (1,2,3 or 4) and the entire pack moved to adjust to that area. Get accustomed to fast response to where to be, as game situations often get chaotic and teammates may call to you to cover a specific area. In derby as blockers, we use our body to block first, without going for big hits. Using the mentality of making yourself big like a bear, you are trying to take up as much of the track as possible to prevent the opposing team's blocker from passing you and scoring points. But you already knew that, since you've been diligently studying the rules of derby on the wftda rules site, right? ;)
We wrapped things up with some transitions work on the whistle, working on fluidity of moving from frontwards to backwards. Please continue to work on this throughout the week and get comfortable keeping those eyes up.

Please start getting super familiar with the WFTDA site outside of the rules page to learn more about what is happening in roller derby throughout the world. This last weekend was the Championship tournament, and Gotham (of New York) won it again in a narrow margin over Texas. WFTDA level derby is super exciting, and there is a TON you can learn from watching the best teams. Don't be intimidated... we don't expect you to skate like Suzy Hotrod straight away. But she's a damn fine role model!

Suzy Hotrod of Gotham Rollergirls. Tyler Shaw Photography
Check out that underpush in her crossover!

There is a rules clinic lead by our head referee, Bacon, on November 17th. Please see the Fresh Meat facebook page for more details. If you can't make it, find a buddy to take notes for you! I will try to get access to his powerpoint.

If you have not yet signed up for a mentor and would like one, contact me right away! Everyone in the current Fall intake that requested one has been paired up so far and should be hearing from their Mentor to get together. Remember, it isn't necessarily about skating. Make a friend out of your mentor! Learn about them and how they got into derby, and what challenges they faced when they became a league skater. This will help all of us become better leaguemates.

See you Saturday!

Calamity

Week 9: Review of transitions, Wheel Locks, Beginning Pack Work

This practice was a little chaotic due to a few brief rain delays. We did the best we could to maximize the time we had and make it worth your while.

Practice started with White Dynamite's 20 minutes of cardio and strengthening. He does a great job of getting your heart rates up and making you sweat which may suck at the time, but it's conditioning you to have better endurance on skates and a stronger core. Make sure you thank him for bringing the pain... he doesn't get paid to come kick your ass, you know!

White Dynamite says, "Give me 20!!"

After gearing up, we did a dynamic warmup on skates and also did a new one where we sprinted and then on the whistle squatted (without sticky skating) until we came to a complete stop. I think we did it four times, but it's a thigh burner. I know I groaned... I think you did, too. We got on the white line and did some Space Invaders to work on agility, footwork, transitions and crossovers. There was side stepping, side shuffling, single and double knee falls with no hands, jumping from back to front and front to back, and balancing on one foot. We got water, and then it started raining.

After it poured for a hot minute, I broke out my emergency activity and we had a wheel/bearing cleaning demonstration. Please make sure to clean your equipment prior to the review day we will have leading up to your assessment. The review day is scheduled for Saturday, November 30th. If you did not make practice and you would like a comprehensive breakdown on how to clean your wheels and bearings, please go to this link: 

http://www.sincityskates.com/images/downloads/sincity_cleaning_bearings_and_wheels.pdf

Remember, don't put your bearings in the soapy water! Wheels only ;)

After the track was dry, we buddied up and did a couples skate to have one person skate backwards while their buddy held their shoulders for a little support. This drill was meant to help your confidence as you work on skating backwards with more speed. Hopefully it allowed you to push your comfort zone just a bit and go faster than you were used to. We worked on our backwards crossovers a little bit, then worked on the rink circles to do our backwards crossovers in a tighter radius with Peku and I giving feedback. Weewah worked with some of our newer skaters on backwards skating techniques.

We then introduced some new skills, starting with Wheel Locks. Wheel locking happens when you are skating in close proximity to another skater, and the wheels of your skates accidentally jam with another girl's skate. The catchy phrase to remember what to do is SHIFT YOUR WEIGHT, LIFT YOUR SKATE. It's as simple as that. Don't panic... just shift the weight of your body onto the other leg and lift your foot to break out of the lockup. We practiced it carefully at first, then intentionally made it harder on our buddy by trying to trip them up a bit. Watch your elbows and body positioning for this drill... this is not about hitting or pushing your buddy, it is about finding your balance when you lock skates. Practice this carefully.

Next, we got in a large pack on the track where we were able to touch two people, and we did one of my favorite drills called Pack Molestation. We started skating forward on the track (sticky skating as to not trip our teammates), and on the whistle everyone switched positions on the track without leaving our derby stance. We moved to the outside, inside, front and back, filling all the holes as we saw them. When I called out a body part, you had to turn around and touch that body part behind you. This is a fun drill. When you do it, make sure to get low when maneuvering and not stand straight up! We sped up together, slowed down, moved as a big amoeba to the outside and the inside, and then I added in having Weewah or Peku fall small within the pack so we had to quickly amoeba around them, too. You did great!

We stretched it out and had some announcements. I hope you can all organize some skating outings this week! See you Saturday.

Calamity

Weeks 6, 7, and 8: whips and pushes, transitions, backwards skating, Kokohead!

Aloha all!

I had a nice vacation in Minnesota visiting my family, snuggling my dog, and playing with friends. While I was gone basking in 40f temps and watching the leaves change colors, Peku led Week 6 review of transitions and backwards skating. The next week was our planned out initiation hike up Kokohead, where unsuspecting newbies were garnished with warpaint and packed into cars, then forced to hike up Kokohead with PRD skaters cheering them on! I hope that was a really fun and rewarding experience. We want you to all feel like you are a part of our derby ohana, because you are. If you would like a derby mentor as you press on through your fresh meat training, reach out to a PRD skater you admire or contact me and I will find you a cheerleader :)

Week 8 was this past Saturday, 10/26. It marks 2 months into your journey, and the last day of brand new skaters joining our intake. Please welcome those last few brave girls into the fold and include them in your skating plans throughout the week! They have a little catching up to do and will appreciate your support and encouragement. We have some great stuff planned for you in the next month, so try to make all of the Saturdays! Our assessment date for White Star is tentatively planned for SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30th. There is no guaranteed second makeup assessment date, so please make plans with work and/or childcare and/or derby widows so that you can be present that day. Earning your White Star is MANDATORY to join in with regular PRD practices at a non-contact level. As a White Star, you can do the warm up along with many of the drills that do not involve hitting. You will be taught Orange Star skills in the PRD practices, so it is critical to pass your White Star on the test date or you will need to retake fresh meat in the Spring. Please contact me with questions/concerns. You have 1 month to turn up the juice and learn all of your skills! Please be reading the most current WFTDA rule set as well, as you will be taking a written test on basic rules.

Saturday began with a 20-minute off-skates workout by White Dynamite, followed by a dynamic warmup to stretch. We then launched into 60/100/squats to get our heart rates up and work on our derby legs. We did some falling and stopping relays, then some punishing 2 or 4-pt fall suicides. After water, we worked on some partner work with mirror image drill (mimicking everything our partner did in a mirror image) to work on agility and response as well as maintaining eye contact, then we did some couples skating around the rink to get a feel for skating with a buddy and working together. We then learned new skills, starting with PUSHES. Remember with pushes that the "pusher" is slightly drawing in the "pushee" by the hips, before saying "push" and launching the "pushee" forward. As a "pusher," you are grabbing your partner by the waist or hips, NOT pushing into her back, her legs, or pushing her down. Make sure it is a fluid action that begins with that draw-in so that the "pushee" is conscious of your intent. Making her fall defeats the purpose :D As the "pushee," you should be in derby stance (sitting in your invisible chair, with your legs in a wide stance shoulder width apart). Be prepared for anything in the pack by remaining low and forward. Do not get accustomed to standing upright or you will be a giant target for a big hit onto your butt.
After pushes, we learned HIP WHIPS. The "whipper" remains in her low derby stance, ready for anything. The "whippee" announces "whip" as she grabs her partner by the hips and propels herself around the left or right side, stepping into the motion. There are no free rides. If you are taking a whip and stealing all of the momentum of your buddy, be courteous and use quick feet out of the motion to maximize your newfound speed. It's rude and less effective to just coast and go "Wheeeeeeee!" haha. Practice quick-stepping out of the whip and gaining more speed.

Great execution by one of the best, Jackie Daniels of Windy City. Notice the jammer pushing off with her right skate. She's ready for take off!!  Photo: Gil Leora.

OUTSIDE WHIPS. Same thing: no free rides. The "whipper" extends her right arm backwards, thumb up. 'Thumb up' is important because 'thumb down' could dislocate your elbow. When the "whippee" grabs for your arm, you are keeping your arm completely rigid and whipping your buddy in front of you. Be conscious of where you are whipping her, and where you are on the track. Whipping someone going into a turn is usually a bad place, but coming out of a turn is great! You are steering. Make sure you are not whipping her into another skater or into the bleachers... where you stop your arm is where she will go. Practice this and work on transferring all of your momentum to your buddy. You should come to a complete stop on the track after administering a whip, so make sure to start sprinting to regain speed (and getting back into the pack, once we get to that point). The "whippee" will be grabbing your forearm and hand, or both hands (palms down) on her buddy's forearm. The "whippee" should not be crossing her own arms in the exchange. Make it simple and easy: extend your arms forward until they are completely straight (to get maximum momentum), grab your buddy's forearm and hand (or just forearm), and pull her arm towards your pelvis in a thrusting motion. Whips are a two person job. Your buddy is offering you her speed. Make sure to fulfill your end of the bargain by being prepared and stepping out of the motion after she has launched you. It's pretty disappointing when you give your jammer all of your momentum and then watch her fall because she wasn't prepared for the speed she would get!
INSIDE WHIPS are a bit different: you're not really "whipping" your buddy so much as guiding her, then pushing. As the "whipper," you are offering the "whippee" your right hand on the inside of the track. The idea is that you will give your buddy your place on the track and possibly sneak her up the inside. She will take your hand and you will guide her forward into your spot while simultaneously pushing her on her tailbone with your left hand. Again as the "whipper," this should be a complete transfer of momentum and you should come to a stop, so be prepared to have to sprint to regain your own speed. The "whippee" should allow her buddy to guide and push her through, then step out of the push with a burst of speed. Make it count!

Just a forewarning on whips in general: In game play, we always strive to have perfect form by practicing this stuff until it's second nature, but sometimes things aren't perfect and jammers take whips off of our jerseys, off of our hotpants (giving the audience a show), belts, or just off of a single hand. We make it work. You will need to be ready for anything, so working on your core, center balance, and recovery from being jostled is critical to becoming a safe skater in the pack. Work on skating on one skate, transitions, backwards skating, fast feet, shuffling, and whatever other agility we've learned so that you're comfortable on your skates. Get low, get your feet in a wide stance, and be aware of your surroundings.

Pants-off in public! Photo: Jules Doyle

There are plenty of skills for you to be working on this week, so get out there with your fellow freshies and start hustling! I want you all to pass at the end of the month, so if you're behind because you started late or are a little delayed in learning certain skills, reach out to vets and get some help. This is on you!

Hugs and Slugs,

Calamity

Advice to Newbies and How To Be A Good Teammate

This is a re-post from a different blog, found here: http://elektraqtion.blogspot.com/2012/01/advice-to-newbies.html and here:  http://elektraqtion.blogspot.com/2013/10/dont-be-superstar.html
It's so good, it deserves a spot in this fresh meat blog. I recommend looking through her whole blog, but at least read up on these two posts.

ADVICE TO NEWBIES:

#1 Welcome to derby!  You made it!  Now the hard work really really starts.  It is imperative that you put in as much time as you can on skates, because even though the league gives you time to learn skills, you are ultimately held responsible for your progress.   If your plow stops are not what they should be, you need to hit every open skate possible and work work work on your skills!


#2  Derby isn't how you get into shape; you have to get into shape FOR derby.  That means you have to do cross training.  I suggest you ride a bike, run, lift weights, walk, do yoga, dance naked in your living room, I don't care, just get out there and do it!  


#3  Don't get butthurt if the veterans don't talk to you at first.  Derby is a sport where many people are really driven and self focused.  Also, derby is a sport where many people join originally with great enthusiasm, and then eventually fade away.  Sometimes it's hard for veteran skaters to build relationships with newbies and have them walk away after a couple of weeks.  My newbie class had six members, and only two of us are still skating, so do the math. 

#4  Take advice and don't be defensive.  Let's face it, most of us are adults who have had success, control and are not used to the role of being a student.  Derby can be very "challenging" which really means it's frustrating as CRAP!  You can be trying your best, sweating over doing a move, and a veteran skater gives you some negative feedback.  I know the first instinct we all have is to be annoyed and defend your performance, but don't!  Don't say "I can't turn left!" or "I've done this a million times and you just gave me different advice than so and so did!"  People want to invest in your success; they want you to be a better skater, so don't get defensive when it comes to their feedback!  Listen, thank them for the help, and then consider if it applies to you, and keep on trying!


#5  Watch footage with a veteran skater.  If you can bribe a veteran skater to watch footage with you and explain it, you will be on your way to being a better derby player.  As a word of advice, don't watch a game in which she played; she'll be too distracted critiquing her own performance to really enlighten you.  By the way, beer is a good bribe.


#6  Bond with your fellow newbies.  They're the ones going through the same ordeals that you are; get together at open skates, plan footage viewing, check up on each other.  You are going to need support to get through this and so are they.  Don't get jealous of one of your group learning something quicker than you.  Ballz had been skating and teaching skating for years before she joined derby, so she was head and shoulders ahead of me in the skills department.  It just made me try harder.

This is just some basic advice I have for newbies; it's a hard position to be in, but it can be made a lot easier by following my advice.  And by the way....CONGRATS FOR MAKING IT! 

HOW TO BE A GOOD TEAMMATE:

1.  A teammate doesn't think she can win the game on her own.  I don't care what position you play on the team, you can't win the game by yourself.  You may be amazing, but if you can't play well with others, you're just a show boat hanging out with some other people on skates.  If your team loses the game, do you blame yourself and only yourself for losing?  I doubt it.  It's easy to take on the glory and none of the blame, but that's not how it works when you play a team sport.

2.  A good teammate has an amazing dedication to the sport.  Yes, derby is a game, but a good teammate has to have a good work ethic.  That means she shows up at most practices, giving your all, and putting in your effort.  You're not being a good teammate if you don't show up, period.

3.  A good teammate respects her peers, coaches and refs.  That means you aren't allowed to be a dick on the track during practice or in games.  Don't be a dick to your teammates; I know, I know, it's so easy to be a jerk in this game.  Sometimes fouls don't get called, and you just HAVE to say something ugly under your breath.  DON'T!  Don't do it!  I know it's hard.  Put a paper bag on the bench and scream into after each jam,  just shut your damned mouth on the track!  Every time you snipe at a teammate in practice, you destroy her confidence in herself, and YOU. You're not being a good teammate; you're being a horrible diva.  Just. Shut. Up.  Do I have to remind you not to yell at the refs too?  I shouldn't have to at this point, but I will.  SHUSH!  Go to the box!  

4.  A good teammate has self discipline.  Did you read number three up there?  That's part of it. Another part is cross-training, eating right, and not losing your temper.  Of course you're going to slip up on one or all of these things, but if you're doing the right things most of the time, and learning from your mistakes when you screw up, that's a start to on the path to discipline.

5.  Be coachable.  That means you have to listen AND pay attention.  If you ignore the crap out of feedback and continue to skate as you always do, then you aren't coachable. If you're a jammer and your coach tells you to stop taking the lines on the straight away, and you just don't, well, you're not trainable.  He or she isn't telling you that just to make you feel bad, they want you to be mighty on the track.  Ignoring feedback means you are not willing to change and grow.  Who wants someone stagnant on her team?

6.  A good teammate is accountable.  if you screw up, you screw up.  Own it.  Nobody is perfect on the track, and sometimes you're going to make a huge mistake out there. OWNNNNNN IIIIIT.  I know this is something you want to hear, but you're human, just like the rest of us.  (You're not perfect...I know, I know....shushhhh shushhh...it will be ok.)

7.  A good teammate anticipates the needs of her team.  Do you need to bridge for your teammate blocking the jammer?  Then do it, don't think of yourself as too amazing to be just bridging.  Talk to her, tell her how much room she has to block before she's out of play.  Be supportive, and help your teammates be successful. 

8.  A good teammate makes her other teammates better.  Make that a GREAT teammate.  If you're not invested in making your teammates better, then you're not really into your team.  Derby makes us competitive for spots on rosters, but it's still important that you help raise your teammates up as high as they can go. Tell them when they're being successful, give them helpful feedback, work with them on skills, and the hardest of all, don't resent them for getting better.  It's hard not to listen to that little bitter voice in the back of your head when a teammate starts to blossom.  She's really challenging you on the track?  Good!  Rise to her challenge and step up your own game.  True teammate push each other to be even better.

9.  A good teammate is reliable. Do your volunteer hours, get to practice, get to the bouts on time.  Did I mention "go to practice"? 

10.  A good teammate has confidence in her teammates.  Don't do your teammate's job; let her know you have confidence in them, and tell them when they do a great job.  Don't doubt your teammates' skills; you need to believe they can handle their responsibilities on the track. How offended would you be if someone on your team tried to step in and take over your job on the track?  How demoralizing would it be?  Don't demoralize your teammates. Don't be that girl.

A team that doesn't play well together is like a super group of ninjas waiting one at a time to attack the samurai.  How many times have you yelled at your tv set and said "Why don't you all hit him at once?" Being a solo superstar in this day and age of derby is just not the way to success. Read over that checklist above and see which parts you could work on to become a better teammate. We all can improve on at least one of the ten characteristics up there. 

Week 5: Transitions, Backwards Crossovers, Mohawk Stops

Workout started with 20 minutes of White Dynamite boot camp off-skates, followed by a "Dynamic Warmup" on-skates, which is essentially skating around the rink while simultaneously stretching out different muscle groups. This also worked on our balance and agility, win-win!

We worked on skating backwards, beginning again by marching in place and pointing our knees in, heels out. Once we got the hang of that, we picked up the speed and sticky skated backwards making small watermelon half-circles on each side, leading with our heels. Backwards Skating Demonstration video.

Next, we sat in our derby chairs and put a hand on our butt, then looked under that shoulder to see what direction we were going. This should give you enough balance through your core to build up your speed skating backwards. We did this on the straightaway, then made it onto the derby track and tried it around the oval. Next we worked on backwards crossovers, which is the motion of letting our right skate drift out, then scooping up track with our right foot and bringing it behind our left foot. Our left foot never has to leave the ground. Some people can do backwards crossovers without picking up their right foot, but to break this skill down, it's okay to start with that motion. Once you have scooped the track and brought it behind your left foot, you pick up your right foot and bring it back to your starting stance position. Repeat. This Backwards Crossovers Demonstration video is not on quads, but she has the same idea.

Since we were already learning how to skate backwards, we worked on Transitions, or going from forwards skating to backwards skating and vice versa. We learned both the three-part turn and the simple 180 degree jump turn.  The 3-part turn is really just a breakdown of the jump. Basically with transitions, you want to turn around quickly and safely without making the huge arc turn that will take out all of your teammates. Don't be a buddy fucker! Turn safely and efficiently. Practice this off-skates. Keep your eyes up, and fix on a spot as you turn. Start with your hips, the rest will follow. Stay low in your derby stance and keep your core tight as you turn. Watch out for flailing limbs! Protect your chest-keep your arms in at the sides of your boobs. We got going with this from a standstill, then did it on the track with each whistle blast. Keep your eyes up so you don't fall on the ground!

We did forwards crossovers, working on getting our shoulders squared to the inside of the track around the corners, getting low in our derby chairs, keeping our eyes up and into the center of the track, skating the magic circle. Here is a demonstration video on forwards crossovers that may help you break the motion down a bit. It's all about power behind the push, girls.We did push cart races next, two pacelines with the back person pushing their whole train around the track for one lap. She then sprinted to the front of her train and the next person in back became the pusher. While you were pushing, you should've been working on your crossovers and pushing out to the sides, not behind you.

We finished up this endurance heavy practice with the 60/100/squat drill for 5 1/2 minutes, and ya'll looked tired! Make sure you're working out outside of Saturdays and hydrating well before you show up. Glad everyone got a hard workout!

Week 4: Skating Backwards, Crossovers, the Magic Circle

This week the off-skates portion by White Dynamite started promptly at 9am and was only a quick 20min workout. We will continue this system to leave more time for on-skates work as more of you get your gear in and we start to build up skating skills. Please continue to do extra off-skates workouts throughout the week! Take responsibility for your fitness and you will see the results as your skating skills improve. You owe it to yourself to succeed!

After the off-skates, we laced up and began with a standstill crossover to get the feel of how getting lower increases our ability to effectively cross our right leg over our left. We then hopped on the track and practiced them, concentrating on getting low, keeping our eyes looking towards the center of the track around the corners, and turning our shoulders in towards the center. We went to the hockey circles on the rink in three groups and practiced our continuous crossovers on a smaller radius to understand the rhythm of continuous crossovers, then did it the opposite way just for kicks. It's good to practice in both directions because it helps with your agility and balance. We did a small review of T-stops and Snow plows, just to be consistent.

We went back on the big track and practiced keeping our left leg planted on the ground and just using our right leg to push straight out to the side to gain power and speed, then we added in the crossover (still with our left leg planted). This is half of your power, and is super important to get the most out of each push. We watched a demo of the "Magic Circle" by Weewah, who showed us how to turn the oval of the track into a circle by cutting to the inside on the corners and the outside on the straightaways. This shaves a lot of time off of your laps and makes you get back to the pack as fast as possible in gameplay. Whenever we do time trials/laps, you should be using this magic circle trick. We practiced it a bit, then launched into the 60/100/squat drill where we skated at 60% of our speed for 30 secs, 100% (sprint) for 30 secs, then squatted in a sticky skate for 30 secs. We did this for 5 minutes. Good for endurance and technique, as you were working on your crossovers during the sprint laps.

We then lined up the short way in the rink, got in derby stance and marched in place, slowly began to lift our heels and roll backwards. We learned to keep our eyes up and fix on a spot in front of us. After getting the hang of it on the short distance, we went the length of the rink and added in putting our right hand on our butt to look behind us as we sticky skated backwards (so we could see where we were going). It's important to lead with your butt and look UNDER your shoulder, not over. This keeps you in a low stance that is more stable and efficient. Your elbow should be straight up in the air so you can see behind you, or if you would rather, you can tuck your arm behind your back like a figure skater. Whatever works. The point is to look behind you and skate low. Backwards. We will build on this next week and add in backwards crossovers, which actually sound a lot trickier than they actually are :)

We did some cone work next, starting with jumping over low cones. We stayed low in our derby stance and used our core to stay forward on the landing, concentrating more on bringing our knees up to our chest instead of elongating our bodies upwards. This skill is a lot about core and a lot less about height. Maintaining good balance and being able to jump over obstacles like hands, feet and bodies on the track is critical. Next we staggered the cones and practiced leading with each foot in a zigzag pattern. We learned to point at our next target, leading with our left skate around the right-sided cones and our right skate around the left-sided cones. The point of this skill is to eventually bridge you into learning how to hockey stop. We will get there in time, but for now it is great agility practice.

We  stretched out as a group and had some discussion about helping out at the bout that evening, and we also talked about other Hawaii derby leagues a little bit. Someone voiced up that ACR has fresh meat practice 3x a week, which I'm actually glad they brought up. Since there are three leagues on-island, it is important to be able to know the difference between the three leagues. Some leagues are more interested in recreational-style derby where there is less competition, some leagues pay their trainers to train them, some leagues have very few policies and rules. Different leagues appeal to different skaters. Our island league is the only WFTDA-sanctioned league that competes nationally at competitive WFTDA tournaments. Our Fresh Meat program puts a concentration on building up your derby skills from the very beginning in a fun and safe atmosphere that will decrease your chances of potential injuries, and the money you pay goes towards your first month's dues, not my pocket. I cannot vouch for the structure of other leagues and how they train their new skaters, but I personally believe that slowly building up your skills while still allowing you time for your own rookie bonding and training outside of Saturdays is critical to making you a safe and dynamic skater, and a team player.

We must all determine what is best for ourselves and our personal fitness goals. PRD follows a star system program that graduates fresh meat skaters into White Stars, which are skaters deemed safe enough to attend regular PRD practices at a minimal contact level. After 3 months of fresh meat skating, we believe most of you will be able to assess and become White Stars. After several more months of being White Stars at league practices, we assess you again to determine if you can become an Orange Star, which is a skater eligible for drafting to one of three home teams that bout locally (Sirens, Thunder, and Dolls), the B-Team, or "Biznass" that bouts against neighbor island leagues, and makes you eligible to scrimmage at all PRD practices. After Orange Star comes Green Star, which is the level you must achieve to be eligible for our travel team Hulagans roster. Hulagans travel to play neighbor island and mainland tournaments at a WFTDA sanctioned level, a very structured and competitive level of gameplay. All of this is important to help you progress safely and to help you achieve derby greatness in a non-threatening structure that is achievable and effective. If you feel you would rather skate with a Rec league, I will not discourage you. Competitive derby is not for everyone, but those of us that like the challenge of competitive derby appreciate having it as a viable option. You must earn your way in PRD, but if you work your ass off, you will get on our teams!! Personally, I would love to skate with all of you and hope you continue to train with us.

I hope this clears up any questions or misconceptions about Hawaii derby. I have friends on all leagues and teams all over the islands (and the world), and don't think it's good sportswomanship to ever bash another league for what they are trying to achieve. I hope you agree. We all love derby!

Hearts,

Calamity

Week 3: More falls and stops, Swoops, Transitions

Hi girls! I hear you had sore butts from Saturday. It's working! Your derby butts are on their way!

Peku drafted up her lesson plan so that you can see what topics were covered. Thanks, Peku!! This next coming Saturday, expect an immediate 9am start time for off-skates. If you are late to practice, you will do additional lunges and planks at the end of the practice. Hopefully this will get you all there on time...we have noticed a lot of tardiness, so let's change that, shall we? 

Other things that will be different moving forward: less of a concentration on stops and falls. You will need to continue practicing these on your own when you get your gear, but we will not be spending as much time on them on Saturdays in order to move forward into other skill areas. I hope you are all coordinating for ordering your gear. When your stuff comes, please make sure to tell a PRD girl your skates are new so we can adjust your tight trucks. So exciting!

If you have not yet brought your $45 fresh meat fee, please do so this weekend. Checks are preferred, made out to Pacific Roller Derby. See you Saturday :)

Saturday 21 September 2013

Fresh Meat 9 -11

Peku, assisted by Pebblz & Weewah

Off-skates 9:10 – 9:45 by White Dynamite

Started skating at 9:52 (20 lunge penalty for taking longer than 5 minutes to gear-up)

Skill review: Practiced	New Skill: Demo, taught, practiced	Future skill: Only demonstrated
STOPS
t-stop: reminder to make a T-shape with feet, 90 degrees
Snow plows: Reminder to really push out with heels. Lead to>	Single-footed snow plows Single-footed studders	Hockey stops
FALLS
Single knee fall: practiced standing still in a circle with a focus on being low, fast recovery back into a very low stance (LUNGE)
Double knee fall: practiced standing still in a circle with a focus on being low, fast recovery back into a very low stance (LUNGE) Lead to>	4-point fall “superman-fall”: we practiced this in the circle again, without skating: Down to single knee Double knee Elbows/wrists Spread out long Caterpillar back up to being small very fast Up to knee/s and stand in very low stance again RECOVER IN 3 seconds or less! Make fists with hands to prevent finger injuries. If you get wiped out and fall big, quickly caterpillar up and get small. Try to eventually get up like a burpie: from a push up to both feel in one move.	Baseball-slide Rolling out of a fall
SWOOPS
Swooping with quality: we demonstrated splitting the legs, leaning towards the direction of the front foot, committing to the lean. We also showed a poor swoop: keeping feet parallel.	Hip checks: demonstrated that a successful hip check is just a swoop through another skaters leg.
TRANSITIONS to BACKWARD ROLL
	On the wall we practiced stepping from one direction to another, then we practiced transitions while rolling slowly against the wall. Those who were confident then practiced it on the track with a short backward “roll”.

Week 2: Breakdown of Basics

You need a strong foundation in derby to become an awesome skater! This starts with drinking your water throughout the week and extra water the day before. By Saturday morning, your pee should be odorless and colorless. We stress this in derby because when we practice in extreme heat in the very intense sun, our bodies go, "OH HELLLL NO!" and they give us heat stroke, make us puke, give us migraines, and suck our energy up like a sponge just to survive the workout. Chugging water the day before will greatly improve your survival rate. Don't like water so much? Jazz it up! Just make it happen. Also, water on practice days is more effective if you add a bit of sea salt, some lemon/lime, and a little bit of honey. The idea is to restore your depleting electrolytes.

Practice Recap:

Today I brought my awesome boom box that totally ran out of batteries until it was a whisper. To be fair, I used it at a previous practice, so it gave me a few hours total of play time. If anyone wants to contribute to my D battery stockpile, I will continue to bring it to your practices! I think it helped you get through the off-skates portion :) White Dynamite did some core work with you today and also had you do some shuffling movements that we will eventually do on skates. Lateral movement is critical to having quick and effective response on the track. Do this stuff at home throughout the week to increase your agility on skates! He ended with wall sits, and I could see shaking knees. I gentle reminder to do your best with these core workouts and do them outside of Saturdays... they won't suck so bad if you do them more often. We are trying to build up your derby muscles.

On skates, we started on the track skating in derby direction (counter-clockwise) to practice WATERMELONS. Watermelons are a continual movement of letting your legs drift out wiiiiiide and dropping your butt lowwww, then pushing your heels out and pointing your toes in to complete the movement. It is basically a breakdown of the snow plow stop, but can be done over and over to work on building up your inner thigh muscles and your butt. Get used to the mechanics and snow plow stops will be a breeze!

We then went into T-stops, and I adjusted to have you go the long way on the rink to practice those with help from PRD skaters. First we started from a stationary position on the white line and just went through the motion of lifting up our dominant foot and placing it in an L behind our standing leg. We did this over and over to get the feeling of the balance shift. We went to the rink boards and grabbed fence, and practiced kicking our prominent leg behind us, then scraping it towards our standing leg until we formed an "L" again. There are multiple ways to describe or show this motion, so I'm going to keep finding other ways to explain it in hopes that one of the explanations resonate with you :) Another way to think of it is that the standing leg (which is bent, by the way) has all of your weight on it, and as your other leg comes in to meet it with your skate approaching to make that L, your weight is transferred to that leg. The stop comes from the weight transfer. All four wheels should be on the ground as you drag.

We went back in to both snow plows and T-stops with greater urgency by having three cones set up on the track to "stop" by. This helped to understand that the whole point is to have control over the stop and be able to make it happen by a target. We practiced that, then did a relay to increase the speed and intensity.

Next were single knee taps and double-knee falls. We saw a demonstration of both as well as a demonstration of the 4-point fall, which involves falling as small as possible to avoid taking other skaters out with you. We will practice that one next week. With the single knee taps, think of it more like a balance check. Control the fall, and pop right back up into the action. On a double knee fall, one knee hits the ground and then the other to break the intensity of the impact. Lean back towards your skates just a bit as you land so that you have control over yourself and can get back up again quickly. We aren't going to spend very much time on falls other than learning how to do them correctly because one goal in derby game play is to NOT fall, but please practice these so that you can do them with efficiency and in a controlled manner. We finished falling drills with another relay to again work on speed, as well as fast recovery.

We did some cone weaving today, which was a new addition. When we weave around obstacles, we have to sit low in our derby chairs and use our knees to guide our feet in the direction we want to travel. Our eyes are up and fixed on a target ahead of us, not down. We practiced them a few times through, then went up against the boards again to grab fence and try from a stationary position. Sitting in derby stance while holding the fence, we moved our knees to the left and to the right, our feet following suit. When you translate that into the motion of maneuvering on the track with your feet firmly planted on the ground, you are letting your knees dictate the direction you want to go. You may stagger your feet a little bit and let one foot guide you. We will build on this next week.

At the end of practice today, we stretched out (like we should've done last week) and went through some derby business. I talked about the $45 fee that will be due next Saturday. Checks made out to Pacific Roller Derby. This fee is to be applied to your first month of dues when you become a White Star after you pass assessments. If you do not pass, the fee will roll over with you to the next Fresh Meat Intake. I do not get any of your money-it all goes to the league :) We talked about injuries some, about strengthening exercises, resources and using the facebook page to get advice, and then about equipment. Some had questions about wheels and others about knee pads. I think it's important to spend more money on your safety gear than on fancy wheels/skates at this time.

GOOD (and rated to receive small impacts and one major impact)

BEST for repeat, violent impacts (like our sport)

BAD IDEA. Don't even go there. So dangerous!

While you are newer to the sport and still learning, injuries are more common. Protect your head with a good helmet. Read up on my helmet post here for more info. Upgrade to better knee pads. Again, any questions, ask on the forum and some PRD girls will give you their opinion. We've gone through a lot of equipment!

I stressed the importance of getting to know your derby sisters in Fresh Meat with you, and encouraged you to get together after practices or throughout the week to have a meal, talk shop, and work out. These are your girls, yo. Love each other and you will all excel together!

Have a safe week, see you next Saturday!