Tuesdays for Teams!

Tonight was team (B-Dazz) practice. It was interesting and diverse. Our captains have worked super hard to come up with drills that challenge all of us, since many of us are at different levels. And I'd say they were successful.

We started out with some simple drills. We did banana peel and partner weaving.

At some point, they broke us off into jammers and blockers. Guess who's a jammer! Me? Me! Rita is a jammer. They told us that we are people who will probably end up jamming for B-Dazz at some point this season. Now I know it's not a final list, as only half of the team was present at practice. BUT STILL! I'm considered a jammer. I mean I do it at scrimmages thanks to some very wise advice from my derby wife. One Devlin Syder told me before I passed assessments, "Always volunteer to jam." It makes you seem reliable to teammates. It improves your endurance. And it makes you a better blocker. And hey, maybe you'll rock at it.

Enough incredulity. We worked on some jammer starts. We ran from the jammer line to the pivot. Aside from my shoulder killing me, I did my best. Although I did come down real hard on my toe stop once and it shook my leg. Snatch kept telling me to look up so I can map the pack, and I did, but she kept telling me to. I promise I was looking up.

We did Holly Wanna CrackYa's "Bait and Switch." I did a lot of turning toe stops and kept my agility going. I'm working on doing turning toe stops at higher speeds. I'm working up to a sprint, but I am not there yet. I busted every part of my body doing one recently.

We did a lot of skrills. We did something kind of like Pick a Chick. We even did some straight scrimmaging at the end of practice, which I respect and feel we need.

Unfortunately, some ballsy crap is going on with my shoulder. My chiropractor told me that my AC joint is slipping. Apparently I injured myself sleeping. That was the start of it. Last night, I got hit. HARD. And I tried to take it easy and ice it today, but I mucked it up again tonight. And since my chiropractor's out of town, I think I'm gonna put in a call to Dr. Peters.

Oh hey, who's that jamming?

Photo: Gene Lazo

Furthermooooore, we are working on setting personal goals for this year. I have come up with my 3 goals.

1. I wanted to be less afraid of the pivot panty, including being more knowledgeable in strategy and when to employ what strategy, HOWEVER it seems that I've gotten better, UNTIL I put the pivot panty on. I don't talk when I'm wearing the stripe. So I'd like to be a go-to chick. When the plan gets fucked, I wanna be the one who's coming up with a new strategy and employing it.

2. I'm a decent blocker, but I think when I jam, I don't make the most of it. I am not a tall thin jammer like some. You're not likely to see an apex jump outta me, but I can definitely hit my way through a pack also.

3. And finally, related to #2, I would like to be better at breaking through walls as a jammer. Well, as a blocker too. I spend a lot of time lagging behind a wall, assessing its weaknesses. I would like to get better at legally breaking through walls.