Burning hot today!
Recap: Dynomite did an especially intense off-skates warmup, at my request. Don't hate him...hate me! We then raced to get our gear on in under 5 minutes, with the laggers having to do 10 "man" push-ups for every extra minute it took them. I think that was a very motivating approach, so expect that from here on out!
I had everyone line up on the gray line and introduced "Cookie" and "Heidi Salami," who are entering the group late as girls with skating background. Please integrate these two awesome girls into your girl pack of trail skates and practice nights! They are both eager to assess in July.
We did some space invaders to work on agility and balance. We then did some dynamic stretching as we rolled around the rink (and I face planted when we bent over to touch our toes-it was awesome). We did a 60/100/squat drill to get our heart rates back up, had a quick water break, and then launched into pack work - where we left off last week. We had two packs on opposite sides of the track and did sticky skating as we touched two people (remember, no hand-holding or grabbing clothing of teammates... "Barbie hands" only), then we played a little "pack molestation."
We sticky skated for a while and worked at the entire pack moving as one big amoeba on the track to different lanes, 1-2-3 and 4. We sped up and slowed down together, remembering to keep our feet planted and not kick/trip teammates. Every time I yelled switch," everyone had to move to a new spot within their pack. We had to work on our communication and awareness, and make sure we stayed exactly across from the other pack, that someone was covering the inside and outside lines, and that there were no empty holes in our pack.
After water, we worked on transitions. Skating forward in derby direction, I called out "switch" and you had to turn to skate backwards/forwards. As we got better at that, I then had you practice jumping, then jumping into your transition from front to back and back to front. Don't forget to pick a spot on the wall or keep your eyes up. If you look down when you jump, you will fall down. We worked very briefly on forward/backward crossovers, as a review. I expect you to be working hard on these things outside of Saturday.
Today we did a time trial for our 27 laps in 5 minutes. Some of you are already able to complete your 27/5, while most of you still have some work to do, which is okay (really, it is...you have a month left!). Don't forget about the "magic circle" pathway within the track. It will shave minutes off of your time if you work on form, endurance, and a smart pathway to keep your momentum going at a fast clip! We counted laps for our buddy and then switched...then we gave everyone a minute to collect themselves and drink water.
We got back on the track and skated in opposite direction, working on our left-sided crossovers. We then stopped to learn new skills: WHIPS and PUSHES. As the "whipper," you should be in derby stance (LOW) with a rigid right arm extended back, "thumbs up." Stay low so that you do not become a target for a giant monster hit to your chest! I am serious. It's terribly embarrassing and painful. If you are the "whippee," you should approach the whipper and grab for their hand with your right hand, placing your left hand on their forearm. As they whip their (stiff) arm across their body, the "whippee" will draw that arm towards their pelvis. This effectively transfers all of the "whipper's" momentum to the "whippee." A successful whip will bring the "whipper" to a standstill. Inside whips are done by sneakily extending your right/left hand across your body, guiding the "whippee" through (generally this is done alone the inside boundary of the track), then in the same motion completing the transaction with a following push in their tailbone area. Again, the "whipper" should be transferring all of their speed to the "whippee."
We worked on pushes, as well, drawing the "pushees" butt in close with our hands on her hips, then saying PUSH to start the actual push. Both drawing her body slightly in towards yours and saying PUSH are important so that the "pushee" does not get caught off-guard and fall. When you draw her in toward you, it is a slight pull but not enough for you both to lose momentum.
I mentioned with both whips and pushes that it is extremely important to think about where you are directing the "whippee/pushee." You must have a plan on what direction to release her, so that she does not go flying into the back of another blocker or into the stands! Weewah also mentioned that its important for both girl in the transaction to participate-in other words, don't just coast when you are whipped/pushed. Take advantage of the momentum your teammate just sacrificed for you, and sprint out of it! Woohoo!!
Last drill was a cool "aha moment" balance check, where you took turns grabbing the hips of your buddy and tried to get her to fall by jostling her around. The one being jostled had to constantly recover from each unexpected shift by getting low, leaning forward, and keeping their stance wide. I hope that last one helps you this week and is something you continue to do with each other well into your skating career (I still do it occasionally after 6+ years). Balance is SUPER IMPORTANT.
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