Congratulations on becoming a roller girl! Or maybe you've been around a while. Still, this is an issue. Your friends (or sig os) ask you to hang out and you reply, "I"m sorry, I've got derby." They roll their eyes. You feel awful.
This is a common problem. Some have gone so far as to say that skaters are in a relationship with derby. In my limited time on the track, I've seen skaters retire because derby ate up too much of their time. Their friends never saw them anymore.
This doesn't have to be the case. You can have your friends and eat them...wait, that's not right. You can have your friends and your derby. That's better.
Remember that you will gain a whole new group of friends when you start playing roller derby. And that they DO NOT have to be friends with your non-derby friends. Rollergirls are a special sort. Not everyone is comfortable with sweaty ladies who burp and show off bruises in public. This is a generalization, but rollergirls are a different breed. So just because your friends don't want to hang out with your teammates does not mean you have to give them up.
Also, leagues typically host/attend events that are out in the community. My league has participated in Pride events, "blood wrestling," events at bars, charity work...so on and so forth. This might be a chance for your friends to meet your teammates in a less intimidating sort of environment. They might see the glimmer and y'all have and decide to strap on skates themselves or volunteer.
And of course, invite your friends to bouts. I have to sell tickets to our home bouts, and I'm always hitting up my friends. This seems to be easier when you first start because your friends are less sick of hearing about derby. You may even be able to ask your Bout Production head if you could watch a game instead of volunteering. I still have not taken advantage of this option, because I'm crazy busy on bout days.
And if your friends are unable to cope with the awesome superheroine you are becoming, it might be time to get new friends. If they can't support you, you should rethink the relationship.
But if your friends accept what you're doing, and respect derby, it is possible to keep them in your lives. They may still roll your eyes when you talk about it, but they'll have some idea what Ellen Page is talking about around 1:50 in the trailer. Because love of this sport is why we do it.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Sorry Guys
Sorry I haven't been posting as much. I have a couple of drafts that I haven't touched or posted. For that, I'm sorry.
I've been thinking some about my blog. I feel like it's grown kind of stagnant. I don't have the same struggles I did when I was trying to pass assessments. I don't know if it's as interesting anymore. I'm trying some new things, so please feel free to let me know what you think.
My first actual topic will be: accepting praise in derby.
6 months ago, I had just passed assessments. We were nearing the end of the season. The B*Dazzlers had just 2 more games. I could hit a little, but my hits were feather-light. I didn't know jack about strategery.
When you start at the bottom, you have a long way to go. From there, I've become one of the top skaters on my team. I'm a frequent jammer (go figure) and apparently a blocker who knows what's going on. I've gained a lot of speed. My 25 in 5 time dropped 30 seconds or so from June to September of last year.
So I've gotten a lot of positive feedback. It's sometimes difficult to deal with. We get critiqued all the time. A coworker tells you that you forgot something. A teacher tells you to be more in-depth with an answer. Your team's coach tells you to get lower, hit harder, and pay more attention. Critique happens daily. In the world of theatre, you say "Thank you" and fix it. Elsewhere, you nod or say "OK" and make a note to fix it.
Derby is not something that any of us grew up doing. About a decade ago, some women in Texas brought the game back to life. They learned mostly through trial-and-error. Since then we've formulated some ideas about how to train for and learn the game of derby. At first, you're always doing it wrong. Eventually, you don't cry or vomit as much, and get yelled at less.
But praise is something totally different. Even writing this blog I'm second-guessing some of the things I'm saying about myself. I had a long battle with self-esteem, so I'm better able to accept the positive things people say, but it's never easy. I just try to step back, say thank you and tuck it away. The same thing goes for when I'm in practice and doing some kind of drill and somebody says "Damn" (or something to that effect) when they have to try to get around me as a blocker or something.
I try to keep these things in mind for days when life gets me down. I keep these things for days when I'm jamming against the strongest blockers in the league. These little bursts of nice can really help out. When I get down and I think I suck, I think about the time I juked one of our most aware players. Or the time that I scored 20 points in a scrimmage and my team all high-fived me.
This is a tough sport, and you'll never get anywhere being down on yourself all the time. So cheer up, get lower, and thank someone trying to compliment you!
I've been thinking some about my blog. I feel like it's grown kind of stagnant. I don't have the same struggles I did when I was trying to pass assessments. I don't know if it's as interesting anymore. I'm trying some new things, so please feel free to let me know what you think.
My first actual topic will be: accepting praise in derby.
6 months ago, I had just passed assessments. We were nearing the end of the season. The B*Dazzlers had just 2 more games. I could hit a little, but my hits were feather-light. I didn't know jack about strategery.
When you start at the bottom, you have a long way to go. From there, I've become one of the top skaters on my team. I'm a frequent jammer (go figure) and apparently a blocker who knows what's going on. I've gained a lot of speed. My 25 in 5 time dropped 30 seconds or so from June to September of last year.
So I've gotten a lot of positive feedback. It's sometimes difficult to deal with. We get critiqued all the time. A coworker tells you that you forgot something. A teacher tells you to be more in-depth with an answer. Your team's coach tells you to get lower, hit harder, and pay more attention. Critique happens daily. In the world of theatre, you say "Thank you" and fix it. Elsewhere, you nod or say "OK" and make a note to fix it.
Derby is not something that any of us grew up doing. About a decade ago, some women in Texas brought the game back to life. They learned mostly through trial-and-error. Since then we've formulated some ideas about how to train for and learn the game of derby. At first, you're always doing it wrong. Eventually, you don't cry or vomit as much, and get yelled at less.
But praise is something totally different. Even writing this blog I'm second-guessing some of the things I'm saying about myself. I had a long battle with self-esteem, so I'm better able to accept the positive things people say, but it's never easy. I just try to step back, say thank you and tuck it away. The same thing goes for when I'm in practice and doing some kind of drill and somebody says "Damn" (or something to that effect) when they have to try to get around me as a blocker or something.
I try to keep these things in mind for days when life gets me down. I keep these things for days when I'm jamming against the strongest blockers in the league. These little bursts of nice can really help out. When I get down and I think I suck, I think about the time I juked one of our most aware players. Or the time that I scored 20 points in a scrimmage and my team all high-fived me.
This is a tough sport, and you'll never get anywhere being down on yourself all the time. So cheer up, get lower, and thank someone trying to compliment you!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Tooting My Own Horn
I just thought I'd point out that I have written a book review of Down and Derby and it's on the Charlotte Roller Girls website:
http://charlotterollergirls.com/2012/03/cltrg-book-review-down-and-derby-the-insiders-guide-to-roller-derby/
I'd love for you to check it out!
http://charlotterollergirls.com/2012/03/cltrg-book-review-down-and-derby-the-insiders-guide-to-roller-derby/
I'd love for you to check it out!
Friday, March 23, 2012
Some Thoughts
A highlight of the was after a particularly exhausting jam, I collapsed on the floor in front of our bench and one of my teammates gave me the advice to dig in when I take big hits. She said I keep moving my feet sometimes. BUT this is huge progress because I've been working on moving my feet and not stopping skating when I hit the pack. So yay, I've managed to make my feet move, now I need to reign it in.
So I played some derby last Saturday. I was slightly more jittery for this bout but maybe that's due to my involvement. It was phenomenal to go to Charleston and not have to worry about whether or not there are tickets at willcall and whether people are trained in their various tasks. Not only did we have a bout, we skated in the St. Patty's Day Parade. It was a day full of derby.
The B*Dazzlers were playing the Triad's Camel City Thrashers. I enjoy the Thrashers. I recently skated in that co-ed Invitational with most of them. It was a lot of fun. They're a great bunch of ladies. And they skated their hearts out and were great sports about the score.
As a jammer, I was pretty useless. I was all over the floor. Seriously, in all the pictures, I am on the floor when I'm wearing the star. I took some good hits, but I was probably the least effective jammer. I'm much prouder of my blocking skills. I was often sitting on the jammer and holding her back. That's a good feeling. I worked with many of my teammates, and seldom was it the same ones. Alley Capone has a great sense of what speed to maintain when you're holding the jammer at the back of the pack to stay in play.
I had a really great time and I wore shiny pants. I apologize for being so late on this post. I started it Sunday, but it has been an open tab on my browser since then. So I also apologize for not having much to this post. Happy Friday!
Friday, March 9, 2012
Cleaning Wheels And Bearings
Disclaimer: This is how I clean MY wheels and bearings. This is not the only way, it's just what I do. If you do something different, you are not wrong.
With that out of the way, I'd like to talk about something really important for all skaters. When you maintain your equipment properly, it lasts a lot longer and improves your skating performance.
My magical elixir is simply Isopropyl Alcohol. Some girls prefer to use vinegar on their wheels because alcohol will break down the polyurethane. I personally believe that I will have worn out the wheels long enough any breakdown occurs.
I clean my wheels pretty regularly. I usually do not even remove them from my skates. I take a rag, soak a corner in alcohol, and rub until the dirt is gone. With light-colored wheels, it's easy to tell. I used to have black wheels and it was way harder to see the dirt globs.
Some people swear by cleaning wheels with soap and water. I just had the opportunity to do that. I had the water left over from washing my pads. I dunked the wheels, agitated, and then rinsed. Since the bearings were already out for cleaning, this was really helpful. It got the dust out of the hubs that I usually spend 20 minutes with a q-tip scrubbing. But this isn't something I'll do that often since it does require removing the bearings. And it didn't do much for the dirt on the skating surface of the wheels.
Now my bearings I do not clean as often. These bearings were purchased in December, so they're not super dirty, but I thought I'd give 'em a cleaning before the next bout. I skate on Mini Logos bearings. They have one plastic shield and the other side is sealed metal.
So the first step is removing the bearings from the wheel hubs. You can do this with a bearing tool or carefully using the axle of the skate. Once that's done, it's time to remove the plastic shield. I had a safety pin laying around, so I used that. All it takes is a gentle pry.
So now you've got 16 bearings and 16 shields. Some skaters throw away the shields, but that makes cleanings necessary more often and I'm too lazy for that, so I soak them in hot water, dry them, and put them back on the bearings. To clean the actual bearings, I put them in a tupperware container. I pour in some alcohol and agitate. I put the lid on the container and shake it, stir it, and otherwise encourage the dirt out. After a bit, I drain the alcohol, spin the excess liquid out of the bearings and leave them on a towel to dry. I put the shields onto a paper towel.
It's necessary to lubricate your bearings after cleaning. Just because they roll fine un-lubricated does not mean you should leave them that way. I use Tri-Flow brand lubricant. It was on sale for $3.97 at Dick's. Most any sort of lubricant will do, a lot of people recommend sewing machine oil. A couple drops will do. Then spin a few times to spread it. Replace the shields and you're good to go.
I promise to update this post with pictures when I next clean my bearings.
With that out of the way, I'd like to talk about something really important for all skaters. When you maintain your equipment properly, it lasts a lot longer and improves your skating performance.
My magical elixir is simply Isopropyl Alcohol. Some girls prefer to use vinegar on their wheels because alcohol will break down the polyurethane. I personally believe that I will have worn out the wheels long enough any breakdown occurs.
I clean my wheels pretty regularly. I usually do not even remove them from my skates. I take a rag, soak a corner in alcohol, and rub until the dirt is gone. With light-colored wheels, it's easy to tell. I used to have black wheels and it was way harder to see the dirt globs.
Some people swear by cleaning wheels with soap and water. I just had the opportunity to do that. I had the water left over from washing my pads. I dunked the wheels, agitated, and then rinsed. Since the bearings were already out for cleaning, this was really helpful. It got the dust out of the hubs that I usually spend 20 minutes with a q-tip scrubbing. But this isn't something I'll do that often since it does require removing the bearings. And it didn't do much for the dirt on the skating surface of the wheels.
Now my bearings I do not clean as often. These bearings were purchased in December, so they're not super dirty, but I thought I'd give 'em a cleaning before the next bout. I skate on Mini Logos bearings. They have one plastic shield and the other side is sealed metal.
So the first step is removing the bearings from the wheel hubs. You can do this with a bearing tool or carefully using the axle of the skate. Once that's done, it's time to remove the plastic shield. I had a safety pin laying around, so I used that. All it takes is a gentle pry.
So now you've got 16 bearings and 16 shields. Some skaters throw away the shields, but that makes cleanings necessary more often and I'm too lazy for that, so I soak them in hot water, dry them, and put them back on the bearings. To clean the actual bearings, I put them in a tupperware container. I pour in some alcohol and agitate. I put the lid on the container and shake it, stir it, and otherwise encourage the dirt out. After a bit, I drain the alcohol, spin the excess liquid out of the bearings and leave them on a towel to dry. I put the shields onto a paper towel.
It's necessary to lubricate your bearings after cleaning. Just because they roll fine un-lubricated does not mean you should leave them that way. I use Tri-Flow brand lubricant. It was on sale for $3.97 at Dick's. Most any sort of lubricant will do, a lot of people recommend sewing machine oil. A couple drops will do. Then spin a few times to spread it. Replace the shields and you're good to go.
I promise to update this post with pictures when I next clean my bearings.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Firstly
Congrats to Bets On Bruises for passing assessments earlier this eve!
Secondly, I made roster and am out of my mind with excitement. But also one of my teammates will be moving soon. She will have the chance to skate with the Carolina Rollergirls, so that's excellent for her.
Practice was interesting. It always is when CalQ leads. The first thing she had us do was skate an enormous figure 8 on the track. That was awesome, because it forced us to transition from derby direction to non-derby direction in quick succession.
Also, let me mention that I was skating on different wheels. I finally decided to try out some harder wheels. I am comfortable with my Poisons, but apparently I started out on roughly a 95a durometer. So tonight, I skated on Rollerbones Snake wheels. They are a 96a. It was really interesting. They are the same width as Poisons, so it was less of a harrowing transition than the Speed Rays AND they are also plastic hubs. It was a bit like driving without shocks. I definitely felt more of the floor beneath my feet.
Back to the drills. I thought CalQ gave us a varied and interesting practice. There was skating in packs, which was unfamiliar to some of the newer skaters. They rose to the challenge well. There was a bit of endurance for the grannies. There were some skills and plenty of opportunity to work on awareness.
On a slightly less related note, I will have Antiks before the year is up. I found a customizer thing where you can see all the different colors. I desire them much!
And good luck to Tasty Murder on her redos!
Secondly, I made roster and am out of my mind with excitement. But also one of my teammates will be moving soon. She will have the chance to skate with the Carolina Rollergirls, so that's excellent for her.
Practice was interesting. It always is when CalQ leads. The first thing she had us do was skate an enormous figure 8 on the track. That was awesome, because it forced us to transition from derby direction to non-derby direction in quick succession.
Also, let me mention that I was skating on different wheels. I finally decided to try out some harder wheels. I am comfortable with my Poisons, but apparently I started out on roughly a 95a durometer. So tonight, I skated on Rollerbones Snake wheels. They are a 96a. It was really interesting. They are the same width as Poisons, so it was less of a harrowing transition than the Speed Rays AND they are also plastic hubs. It was a bit like driving without shocks. I definitely felt more of the floor beneath my feet.
Back to the drills. I thought CalQ gave us a varied and interesting practice. There was skating in packs, which was unfamiliar to some of the newer skaters. They rose to the challenge well. There was a bit of endurance for the grannies. There were some skills and plenty of opportunity to work on awareness.
On a slightly less related note, I will have Antiks before the year is up. I found a customizer thing where you can see all the different colors. I desire them much!
And good luck to Tasty Murder on her redos!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
A Compendium
So...I failed to post about scrimmage last night. It was largely underwhelming. I jammed a bit, and then we played against the A-team. I received a backblock penalty when I was hit into another skater. But alas. I stayed for endurance. Also, there were ref assessments. They all passed. Yay Zeebs!
Tonight was better. Our captains incorporated some of Bonnie's teachings. It was good to try to employ it again. We also split up into jammers and blockers and blockers worked on v-walls while jammers worked on shielding.
We did a lot of scrills tonight. We did some during the new granny clinic. We did some 4 corners. We did some five-on-five, it was all valuable. I had a really good moment where I juked someone. I noticed she was all over me, and I figured, "Ok, I been working on this, time to try it out." I don't remember if I faked in and went out or vice versa, but it worked. I got around one of our strong blockers who was giving me trouble.
I enjoyed practice and can't wait for Thursday. Also the roster comes out tonight, whoo!
Tonight was better. Our captains incorporated some of Bonnie's teachings. It was good to try to employ it again. We also split up into jammers and blockers and blockers worked on v-walls while jammers worked on shielding.
We did a lot of scrills tonight. We did some during the new granny clinic. We did some 4 corners. We did some five-on-five, it was all valuable. I had a really good moment where I juked someone. I noticed she was all over me, and I figured, "Ok, I been working on this, time to try it out." I don't remember if I faked in and went out or vice versa, but it worked. I got around one of our strong blockers who was giving me trouble.
I enjoyed practice and can't wait for Thursday. Also the roster comes out tonight, whoo!
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