Weeks 7 & 8: Working out the trouble spots & Skate Cleaning Demo

So this intake was extended slightly due to some scheduling conflicts due to a hurricane and the rescheduling of an island tournament that I am skating in, and it ended up working out better, anyways so that all of the skaters have time to hone their skills and fully develop those basics. Nothing wrong with taking a little bit longer to get comfortable, after all, rushing into skills in general only causes injuries later.

Working Out the Trouble Spots

For week 7, we had a very small turnout, being the day after Halloween (cough). This was great for the three diehards that showed up because they got one on one help. What I especially liked about this on-the-fly adjustment to the workout was that it allowed me to exploit whatever particular skill it was that each skater was struggling with. I recommend taking some time this week to find your trouble skill and finding a way to work on it. Be creative!

Skater 1 - Endurance

Plugged into her iPhone for music and some headphones, she skated the magic circle on the track and worked on her crossovers. I told her to do a ladder drill where she started by doing 7 crossovers to propel herself around the full track, then on the next lap went down to 6 crossovers, the next lap 5 crossovers, the next, 4. She then worked back up to 7. You can try this by increasing the range to 11 crossovers on the whole track and decreasing down to 2. It's meant to be hard. It's also a triple-whammy: you are working on the amount of power being placed in each stride, you are working on the most effective place to do your crossover on the track, and you are working on your endurance. If you get really into the music and zone out, at the very least you are getting a good workout. At the very best, you are dramatically improving your crossover technique.

Skater 2 - mohawk stops/transitions

This skater took the full time to work solely on the skill that she worried the most about, which was how to nail down those mohawk stops. Most of it is mental game. She could do the transition most of the time but only when she hopped into it, so when it came to putting down her toe stops into the mohawk stop, she was trying to jump into landing onto her toe stops. We are not trying to be ballerinas in a 3 month time span, so she worked on relaxing and breaking down that skill into smaller, bite-sized chunks so that it wasn't so scary. Also, no need to jump. Once she realized that the jump wasn't necessary, I could see her whole body relax and she started just working on skating backwards.

Skater 3 - transitions while moving

When we learn how to skate, we are taught to do so many things at once that it is often overwhelming and creates mental barriers. We become human stress balls. We are rigid, even in our derby stance. We cannot possibly remain pliable enough to do a transition because we are physically frozen. This skater's only job for the practice was to abandon the "get low" golden rule in order to RELAX while skating. She was so focused on correct form and skating low and staying on her feet that she couldn't even enjoy the skating. I decided it was time for her to look at the birds and the mountains and enjoy the moment of being free on wheels. Not looking down, not worrying about "am I low enough," but just being liberated from the structure. I also prescribed street skates. haha

If you have a trouble skill that needs work, I highly recommend taking an entire practice or a time slot after work on your own to work specifically on that skill. Sometimes we only graze the surface of each skill and you don't have enough time to really get in there and work out the mechanics. More time on skates and more time practicing those trouble areas is always a good solution. Youtube is great for demos, just make sure you're getting good advice. I recommend the San Diego Derby Dolls tutorials and the Rat City tutorials on specific skills. Can't find what you're looking for? Comment on this post and I'll find it for you.

Skate Cleaning Demo

You should clean your wheels and bearings when you notice an excessive buildup of dirt, debris, or if you have been caught in a torrential downpour while skating. If you keep your equipment in good shape, you will rarely need to replace it. It's like maintaining a vehicle.

To clean your wheels and bearings, you will need:

• a safety pin or button with a thin, sharp end (to carefully pop off the bearing covers)
• sewing machine oil (cheap) or quick lube/bearing lube (pricier). Both work the same
• water tight container to agitate dirty bearings in, or fancier contraption as shown
• rubbing alcohol (above 70%) or a citrus degreaser if you're fancy and have some time
• bucket of soapy water (dishwashing liquid okay) to soak wheels (sans bearings)
• towel to set your bearings and bearing covers on 
• fingernail brush or old toothbrush (fine wire brush ok, but not too abrasive or you'll wreck stuff) to brush your bearings and wheels if they are super crusty

I do not personally advise using canned air, as you can lodge debris further inside of your bearings after you've already done a fine job of cleaning them. If you use citrus cleaner you will need to thoroughly dry your bearings before continuing. This is why I like to use alcohol... does the job, super cheap, dries fast.

The one thing I like to stress is that there are a lot of different techniques and products to clean your wheels and bearings, but there are a few rules of thumb:

DO NOT use WD-40 or acetone. These aren't good choices and can deteriorate your equipment.
DO NOT put your bearings in water or in contact with water. They will rust and seize up.
DO NOT soak your wheels in alcohol. The wheel material deteriorates with prolonged exposure. Only wipe off wheels with alcohol occasionally, like during a bout to remove surface dirt  to create more traction.
DO NOT try to take the balls out of your bearings. You will ruin them. Don't do it.
DO NOT use your fingernail to pop the cap back on your bearing. If you dent the cap, they won't spin! That defeats the purpose, right? Be gentle :)

If you follow the above, you'll be able to keep your equipment in good shape for a long time. Bearings are machined metal parts that require some sort of rust remover or solvent to clean them. Water will rust them. Please watch this video for a complete demonstration!

http://youtu.be/XeUyqHCI6Ms


I found another clip that I would like to add on to the skate maintenance talk... about rotating your wheels. Over time, your wheels will "cone" due to a wearing away of the urethane from prolonged use. It's hard to avoid, but you can even out the wear on your wheels by regularly rotating them. Here is a demo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elbzA9amtS0

Beyond Fresh Meat: Derby Middle School, Week 1

Once our Fresh Meat cycle of 3 months ends, we begin a 2-hr, 1x a week, 5 week program called "Derby Middle School." This is Pacific Roller Derby's way of transitioning our newest skaters into regular league practices without thrusting them into situations before they are prepared to do them. Each of the five days has a core curriculum that has been determined ahead of time by our Athletics Committee to cover all aspects of beginning strategy and intermediate skills and is echoed into lesson plans of regular league practices throughout each week. The new "White Stars" can now attend regular league practices, but must refrain from any full contact drills. All contact elements are taught within the Middle School, beginning strategy topics are broken down, and minimum skills are refined. By the end of the 5-week period, the White Stars are ready to test for "Orange Star," which allows them to be drafted to a home team and begin to participate in full contact scrimmages. This not only cuts down on our league injuries and helps existing league skaters, but helps with skater retention... as it is much easier to learn over a longer period of time than to learn in a trial-by-fire situation. Long gone are the days of being thrown into a scrimmage against all of the vets, being told to "just get in there!" We have learned over the years that that really doesn't help anyone.

This first session was led by one of our league's best skaters, Phoenix Bunz, and her husband and referee extraordinaire, Great Scott. They just transferred here from Ohio Rollergirls and are casually integrating into the instructional element of our Athletics Committee. PRD is extremely grateful for their contributions. Here is the core curriculum of day 1 along with Bunz' lesson plan.

Week One	Saturday June 7	Instructor(s): Bunz and Great Scott		Location:	Hawaii Kai	9am-11am
Personal skills assessment and strategy basics.

Derby Middle School, Week 1:

Dynamic Warm-up/Stretching-Everything you do on tennis shoes, we do on skates

Squat Cirlce

Merry Go Round (transitions)

Hold your underpush-emphasize the power

Pace-line weaving, weaving tight, partner weave, front to back

Pace-line Speed Changes-Adjust your speed, match the feet of the person in front of your

Line Racing-Utilize the Jammer Line

Pack Skating-Getting Comfortable in tight Spaces

Pack Commands-Moving around the pack, falling small

Pack Indian Runs

Gotham Knee Drags-Endurance, build up your core, Get up quick

Gotham Pushes-Endurance

Covered basic hitting techniques-hip check, shoulder/body check, sheriff, backwards blocking, positional blocking/booty blocking, side-ways blocking

Practiced hitting trainers, slow speeds, stationary target

Push-up Circle-work on strength and core

Weeks 8 and 9: Whips, Pushes, Intro to Pack Work, Backwards X-overs

Aloha!

We have basically completed all of the technical elements that accompany minimum skills at this point outside of full contact hits. Most of the skills still need quite a bit of refinement, and we will continue to practice them with vigor for the next month leading up to your White Star assessment. It will take a lot of your attention and dedication outside of Saturdays to nail these skills at a level that feels comfortable and fluid. I am seeing more and more "aHa!" moments at practices now, as skills suddenly click in your brains and make sense. Please use your derby mentors to bounce ideas off of, and seek support from them. I hope you can start to organize study groups soon, as well, because the written WFTDA test is thorough! There is a sample test on the WFTDA site that you can use to study.

I'm just going to put this right here.

Whips and Pushes are helpful assists that we give and receive by our teammates. There is a time and a place for a whip or push, and when it happens and is successful, it's amazing. We practiced good form, which as the "Whipper" means you are in derby stance (low), sometimes with your left leg slightly extended out in front of you, opening up your body to the outside line and extending your right arm all the way backwards with your thumb up. The "Whippee" grabs for your hand with her right hand and places her left hand (palm down) on the Whipper's forearm. With one swift jerk in a fluid motion, the Whipper whips the Whippee forwards into her pathway. The Whipper has a lot of control over the release point and should be careful not to whip the Whippee into another blocker or the bleachers! Pay attention to where on the track you are administering the whip. Best spots to give whips are on straightaways or coming out of a corner (not going into one). Momentum is everything. The Whipper should be transferring ALL of her momentum to the Whippee, coming to a complete stop (and requiring her to have to sprint to catch up to the pack). The Whippee isn't getting a free ride; when she receives the whip, she is grabbing the Whipper's forearm and thrusting it towards her pelvis, then sprinting out of the release. NO FREE RIDES.

Pushes are similar in that the Pusher is transferring all of her momentum to the Pushee. Pushers must approach the Pushee from behind, grab firmly onto her love handles, draw her body in close, tell the Pushee "PUSH," and then swiftly push her forwards. We discussed not putting hands on backs or legs, and pushing straight out, not down. We also discussed that the Pushee must engage her core and get low, and not stand up. She must skate out of the push to maximize the extra speed boost. Again, NO FREE RIDES.

Inside Whips are a combination of whips and pushes. The Whipper (generally done near the inside track boundary) will reach across her own body with her right hand and "guide" the Whipper through the special little hole that the Whipper has saved for her. The Whipper then pushes the Whippee forward on her right butt cheek to transfer her momentum. This is an effective and sneaky maneuver that works well for jammers that want that inside line. As blockers, we can assist our jammers in the pack and help them quickly squeak out of the pack with a successful whip.

We did pacelines and line weaves, and got used to skating in close proximity to other blockers. We talked about wheel locks and lifting our skate up to "unlock" with another skater's wheel, and how sticky skating and small carves in the pack are the best way to avoid tripping each other. Practice skating super close to your buddies when you get together to work on skills. A tight pack should allow skaters to be able to touch at least two girls at all times.

We had two packs on opposite sides of the track skate in a close formation while also trying to remain perfectly in sync with the pack on the opposite side. As speeds were adjusted, we had to slow down or speed up, and practice T-Stops within the pack as well as snow plows. We then got together into one giant pack and ran the Pack Molestation drill, where skaters switched positions when I said switch, or touched a body part of another teammate behind them and quickly resumed skating. Super fun, gets the message across that we need to skate low, tight, and have good pack awareness to know where our girls are at.

We did a drill called Red Light, Green Light where we practiced a double paceline and worked next to a buddy "opening" and "closing" the door on a jammer who was approaching. I think that was a fun one worth repeating!

Some work was done to learn backwards crossovers, which are a little tricky to explain. The most I've been able to use as an analogy is that while you are backwards skating, you are "scooping" up ground with your right leg and pulling it behind your standing left leg. We worked on this while holding on to the fence, while at a stand still, on a straightaway, and around a tighter circle on the hockey rink. Then we brought it to the track and practiced. It's going to take some patience and time, so keep working on it. The key is to use that pulling motion to gain momentum, so this should be a skill that helps you speed up instead of causing you to slow down. Some find it helpful to watch youtube footage of figure skaters skating backwards to pick up speed. I personally LOVE watching figure skating because they do some really amazing footwork. Here is a great video of Sochi 2014 Olympic prodigy Yulia Lipnitskaya performing her final long program. At 3:47 she does a perfect few strokes of a backward crossovers with her right leg. You can see her doing lots of them on her left side, as well. You may have to watch this video several times because she's sort of a mesmerizing performer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke0iusvydl8

Yulia Lipnitskaya, age 15

Practice ran a little late as we had discussed earlier in the week to allow girls extra feedback on crossovers, working with resistance bands to increase power and improve form. I demonstrated how to also use the resistance band on skates with a buddy but warned that it's a little tricky with the coordination and may be more effective for you at this point to do it off-skates. Peku mentioned that you can also climb stairs sideways to understand the mechanics of the crossover and work on extending that underpush leg.

As seen here on the infamous Rat City video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFFu1kY_h0E

Next week we will be learning this.

Just kidding! Don't try this until you're a Green Star ;)

If you're feeling iffy about cross overs at speed try skating normal on the straightaways and rolling on one foot around the corners. This will help you with control. Once you're feeling good with that, try what Peku mentioned and see how few crossovers/strides you can use to get aroun the track. She mentioned she uses 4, one for each corner. By slowing crossovers down and trying for less, you really focus on pushing and balance.

Spring 2014 Intake, Weeks 1 - 4

Aloha Freshies!

I sort of forgot to start up this blog again, but better late than never! We started the new intake on March 1st and, Sound of Music Style, started at the very beginning.

Pushing and Stride
T Stops and Snow Plows
Single Knee and Double Knee Falls
4-point falls (two knees, then tuck into a ball with your elbows on the ground, fingers in)


Basically, roller derby goes fast and we need to be able to control our crazy legs. The better your agility is, the better of a derby skater you will be. You can practice grape vines in your living room, in your kitchen, down your driveway to the mailbox, down the street to your car. Work on your LATERAL MOVEMENT, which is your ability to shuffle back and forth with your hips squared forward.

This is a great off skates exercise to build up you legs and work on lateral movement. Use a pilates band for the rubber resistance around your upper legs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aB_0cCidv0

Today we used the building block components from the first few practices and incorporated them into our next few skills, TRANSITIONS and SKATING BACKWARDS. I started you on the wall of the rink with one hand holding the wall. You opened your shoulder/arm and your outside leg to "open the door," then put it down and moved the rest of your body to follow suit. It looks like the beginning of this (please note that the end of this demo is not applicable. Just the transition)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFp12rTYsw8

Another technique to learn this very important skill. Everyone learns differently, hopefully one of the ways we teach it will make sense to you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek96bzbrPL8

After we worked on that, we learned how to skate backwards. Skating backwards seems daunting, but once you figure out the mechanics, the main thing you will need to work on is how to pick up speed. I mentioned that you must look under your shoulder to see where you are going, not over, so that your body stays low. Skating upright in derby leaves you poorly balanced and makes you a target for big, painful hits by opponents. GET. LOW.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZxFvpSzZMc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eCBfRQs6YQ

What she refers to as "backwards scissors" is what we refer to as "watermelons."

We did some relay races today combining all of the skills that we have learned so far. Skating backwards and transitions are your newest skills and will need a bit of time to perfect. Don't get frustrated, just practice! Get out there in your driveways and streets. Don't get hit by cars. Wear your gear. Yes, especially your helmet.

We also worked on our crossover technique today around the circles in the rink. We worked on the "overpush" and the "underpush," keeping our shoulders/arms squared into the middle of the circle. Demo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMajOwSfFHc

She's good at breaking down the nose, knee, toe positioning. Notice in the demo how she is pushing with both her right (front) leg and her left (back) leg as she crosses over in a circle.

Lastly, we did a fun scissoring drill around the cones to work on feeling our skates crossing in front of each other. This drill is mainly good for weight transfer and getting used to our skates crossing in front and back without picking them up off the ground.
Demo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJdettZNdxo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7AIYRQszAQ

lol totally kidding. Did I freak you out? :P

This is what we tried. Sorry it's blurry!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zw-L4lKEEg




These are super important fundamental skills. You can practice all of them off skates. Please make sure you're training outside of Saturdays as much as you can to pick up the skills faster! Once you have your own skates, organize with your fellow freshies to do a skate practice on a basketball court near you.

xo, Calamity



Bonus nugget of goodness:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTk81BnxNds

YOU'RE WELCOME.

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 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 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!

Choosing The Best Helmet For Roller Derby

Tricky thing about injuries... they don't often happen in bouts. More likely, they happen during practice, on your off day cross-training, and doing silly stuff... like skating nerf dodgeball or practicing your disco halftime moves. Recently, I suffered a concussion/shaken baby syndrome: I was warming up for scrimmage Sunday, and all of my safety gear was on. One of my shoelaces came undone and as I pulled myself off the track to tie it, it wrapped around my wheel, causing me to fall straight back (banana peel-style) and landing flat on my back... and the back of my head. This same type of fall killed a friend of my father's who was rollerblading on polished concrete without a helmet. Lucky for me, I had a helmet. My helmet actually cracked from the impact. I'm okay now, but there is a moral to this story: Wear your safety gear when you're on skates, and make sure the gear is GOOD gear. It's your muthafucking brain, yo. You only have one.

Here is a worthy post that I discovered as I search for a new helmet. Maybe you'll learn something, too!

 Deja Bruise

• League Member
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Choosing a Helmet for Roller Derby

« on: July 12, 2012, 12:16:19 AM »

Roller Derby, as it's played now, is a relatively new sport.  Helmets worn in roller derby are actually helmets designed for other sports or recreational activities - mainly skateboarding*.

Since there are no helmet standards (in terms of manufacturing) specifically for roller derby, you'll need to take extra care to ensure that you have the protection you want from your helmet purchase.  The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and ASTM International are two entities that test helmets for impact/safety standards.  When purchasing a helmet for roller derby, it's recommended that you look for a CPSC or ASTM International rating to ensure that the helmet has been tested and rated for impacts.

As the sport of roller derby grows, safety equipment needs continue to be re-evaluated.  Here are the most recent recommendations for helmets, listed "most suited" to "least suited" to the full-contact sport of roller derby...

1. Ice hockey helmets.  Ice hockey helmets are highly recommended for roller derby.  Hockey helmets are designed and are tested for multiple-impacts over extended periods of time.  These are helmets that are designed/built for full-contact sport and high speed, violent falls.  Hockey helmets are held to an ASTM F1045 rating standard and are certified by the HECC (the Hockey Equipment Cerification Council).  Look for a HECC label and/or a sticker that says ASTM F1045 certified on the helmet or in the web product description.  The HECC also has a listing of certified helmets on their website.

2. Multi-sport helmets that are CPSC and ASTM certified.  These helmets have the next highest recommendation for roller derby.  Consisting of ABS Shells and hard EPS or EPP foam liners, these helmets are certified for several small multiple impacts and one high/large impact.  Helmets in this category include: Nutcase Crossovers, Bern Macon Summer EPS Helmets, Bell Fraction, Bell Whiplash, ProTech Ace SXP and ProTech B2 SXP, S-One Lifer.  Model names can change so be sure to look for CPSC and ASTM ratings on the helmet or in the web product description.

3. Helmets that are CPSC certified only.  Made with hard EPS or EPP foam liners. Certified for one high impact fall.  Look for the CPSC rating on the helmet or in the web product description.  Helmets in this category include: Triple 8 Brainsaver CPSC

4. Soft-foam helmets.  Traditionally, soft foam helmets have been - and still are - marketed to skateboarders and roller derby players as multiple-impact helmets.  These helmets have been used by derby players for years, but these types of helmets do not meet impact testing standards set by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) or ASTM International.  Several states prohibit the sale of soft foam helmets for this reason. Helmets in this category include: Triple 8 Brainsaver, ProTec Classic, ProTec Ace, S-One Premium.

Finally, all of this is moot if your helmet doesn't fit your head.  Make sure that the helmet fits you properly.  It should not wobble or shake on your head.  The helmet should sit level on your head and low on your forehead—one or two finger-widths above your eyebrow. The side straps should form a "V" shape under, and slightly in front of, each ear.

*By law a bicycle helmet must meet the CPSC standard to be sold in the US market - but that law is unique to bicycle helmets, and there is no US law that says a helmet being marketed only for skateboarding and/or roller derby has to meet any standard whatsoever. The manufacturers and retailers can sell anything at all as a skateboard helmet and/or roller derby helmet as long as they don't market it for bicycling.


Links:
Windy City's study on helmet types and safety information
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bwvru-uzg6F5Utm8nH_TZd5lY8TNlCt_578tYVQSvDw/edit?hl=en&pli=1

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) table on helmet certifications.  As a relatively new sport, roller derby is not included on this list.
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/349.pdf

WFTDA's helmet page
http://wftda.com/gear-up/helmets

Disclaimer: the following links are sponsored by S-One (a helmet manufacturer)
http://s-onederby.blogspot.com/2012/04/list-of-best-helmets-for-roller-derby.html
http://s-onederby.blogspot.com/2012/04/list-of-least-protective-helmets-for.html

Post-Assessment. Don't Freak Out!

There are a gazillion things to think about after you finish your assessments. First, you're probably thrilled that it's over and that you survived! Then... the panic starts to creep in. What if you didn't pass? What if you failed some of the skills? What if Godzilla ate your rules test before it got graded?

Relax! 

Everyone gave 100%. Some gave 110%. No one died, and lucky for all of you, the White Star Assessment isn't a precise cut-off like some big leagues on the mainland (we have TWO intakes a year. TWO!! Also, we're having assessments two weekends in a row to accommodate schedules and re-takes. In Minnesota, they have one tryout a year, and you either make it or you're cut. It's 4 hours long, and that's just to make the boot camp that they eventually draft from!).

In Hawaii, we rely on dedicated new skaters and transfers to bring momentum to our league. It's a very transient place. Many of our island skaters are military or are married to military and are relocated every few years. We need to retain as many skaters as possible! We do NOT want you to get discouraged because you didn't catch on as quick as Janie Speedskater that just transferred from another league, and QUIT. That would defeat the purpose of a Fresh Meat Intake. Not to mention, what would that say about your attitude and your commitment?? Hmm? ;) We have quite a few struggles unique to our location, one of them being the fact that we're surrounded by water and hundreds of miles from other WFTDA leagues. We train hard and have competition on the brain, but we also heavily rely on recruitment to spread the derby fever. You're now a part of the madness! Get excited, and get involved!

Remember, no matter what, it is super important to stay involved with the league, both when you are waiting to pass your White Star as well as when you DO pass. If it doesn't happen now, it will happen eventually if you stick with it and work your ass off. In the meantime, read this:

10 Ways You Can Become A Better Roller Derby Player Without Even Putting On Your Skates

Then start watching bout footage. GO!

Forwards and Backwards Crossovers: Links and Tips

Forwards and Backwards Crossovers: 


Rat City Rollergirls, great link, and newer concept!


also, reference figure skating technique

Two things I will amend on this second video that are more for ice skating and less for derby: Get low in your derby chair. He's right about a strong core, but in derby we need to get low and bend our knees to allow extra clearance for our kneepads and proper derby technique. Also, when you are pushing out with your foot, push to the SIDE, not behind you. Pushing behind you looks pretty, but it doesn't give you enough pushing power to maximize your speed. 

I hope these help, too!

http://youtu.be/bZxFvpSzZMc
http://youtu.be/0eCBfRQs6YQ
http://youtu.be/1JIzx482y_g

Derby Names: How To Pick One, Link To Find Inspiration

For inspiration on a derby name, check out this page. Then start picking a name for yourself. Just make sure it isn't too similar to any of the ones that are from leagues on the islands/West Coast, or wherever you plan to skate. Once you've been assessed and make it into the league officially, the league member assigned will submit it to this database to register you. Have fun brainstorming! 

Derby names help people like me remember you on the track. Some people choose to go with their real name, but a majority of skaters worldwide continue to choose a derby name. Think about how it will be abbreviated. For instance, my derby name is "Calamity Crush," but people only call me "Calamity," or "Calam" if they're really lazy. BUT. If anyone calls me Clam, I will throat punch you. Been warned! ;)

International Rollergirls' Master Roster (all flat/banked-track leagues and rollergirl names)

www.twoevils.org

All US, Canadian, and International Rollergirls

Preventing "Preventable" Derby Disasters

Old post from my more personal blog, about staying safe in derby and preventing "preventable" injuries. Spoken by a vet who really grew into her name CALAMITY. lolz

http://zenmasterapprentice.blogspot.com/2012/10/6-ways-to-prevent-preventable-derby.html