DerbyFace: My Fresh Meat Files

So I was lucky enough to attend another Smarty Pants training session with the amazing Steel City Roller Derby! It was an amazing opportunity that Im glad I got to experience!!

I  was lucky enough to be able to train with her last week in a private session in Austin and then SCRD reached out to us to see if any of us would like to join in on this session. One Smarty already blew my mind in the things we went over last week so a second chance? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? YESSSSSSSSS.

So driving up I was really nervous. This again mimicked the nerves going into my own private session. One being able to have this amazing knowledge from smarty shared with me and two skating with a lot of SCRD skaters is kind of intimidating but in a good "push yourself further" way.

When we started the session I was really happy that she remembered me and told me that she hoped that I remembered everything that we worked on. But honestly how could I forget it! SO AMAZING. Her approach to everything and unlocking your inner power and strength to use that power and your body to be the most successful is just mind blowing. 

The private session I had really was a good pre cursor to this session we worked on a lot of the same concepts but using them in different ways. We started off talking about muscle control and firing muscles because hey thats where all of your power comes from. We then worked on clenching our bodies piece by piece and holding strong, Muscle engagement and having those muscles ready to perform is so important. Our optimum goal in derby to be strong and hold our ground and hold those jammers behind us no matter what. We then worked on skating with this stature and using that power and pushing off the ground to move forward. A simple thought she brought up was our game is played in two ways lateral and forward and how to use that power to be the best lateral and forward. Pushing should be strong fluid movements not wasting energy up but using that forward, keeping your hips in line and engaging those glute and leg muscles to work.

The next big thing that we did that was mind blowing for me was the new lateral movements. I had seen a drill about this footwork a while ago but never really put much thought into it with getting across the track. While the lateral movement that has been drilled into my head and forced upon me with lateral suicide after lateral suicide is the stepping across the track method. BUT!MIND BLOWING REALITY! HEY LOOK I HAVE WHEELS!!! Why would I step across slowly and wasting energy when i can roll. So that my friends is what we worked on rolling across the track laterally! Going from inside to out we made a T with our feet left foot vertical and right foot horizontal. We then pushed off with the inside foot glided to the outside transitioned and then stomped with the outside foot for a strong stop. Another important thing for using this as a blocker is contact with that jammer or other blocker know where your enemy is if theyre behind you and you FEEL them you can follow and mimic their movement easily with this move

(Heres a video http://derbytastic.tumblr.com/post/82563859344/tearobite-i-know-it-has-been-awhile-since-i-did )

We then did a drill with jamming and blocking using this skill and using as less energy as possible to get across the track as well as working with juking and faking out to then step in front of that blocker because the goal is to get past her hips. So why not step in front? No lie by the end of this drill and all the muscle engaging and being strong and powerful the whole time my legs were freaking jello! I was paired with Hissyfit from SCRD and im pretty sure i apologized the whole time because my legs felt like they were going to fall out from under me. Def have a lot to work on with honing this skill and own it. It will come in handy for jamming and blocking and in general being a badass

The last thing that we worked on was making that mental click from defense to offense and the choices that you make on the track and how little time that you have to make those choices of chasing after a jammer for those few seconds or racing back to help your jammer! In this drill I was the example jammer. Im sure im a little slower than better jammers but it took me 16 seconds to get around the track and lap the pack. That is 16 seconds from stopping to play defense to help your jammer before you have to play defense again. 16 MOTHER EFFIN SECONDS WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO. So really thinking of whats effective with staying together and actively helping then resetting. When you think about derby as complicated and nutty as our rules are its a basic game. Block the other jammer. help your jammer. Score points. Win. So its just switching back and forth and being effective.

Another mind blowing thing for me that I feel our team struggles with is the getting to the top and protecting your points and that choice of defense. I completely understand the protecting your points but at the same time it separates you so much in the short amount of time that when the jammer comes around its so easy to get by one then another and another. So why not hold back strong and be that bad ass 4 wall or waterfall rotation that is so magical. I do understand protecting your points but to me holding that nice wall seems more effective. Another point that smarty brought up is if you race further up front and your jammer is still trying to push and you are also now more focused on defense  you have just made her push harder and further trying to get out versus staying behind and holding that wall and giving her a better chance of getting out. Also if a no pack is called you are still skating forward from the back to reform the pack as well as holding your position in front of the jammer.

I know this is a lot of thoughts and rambling from me but it was an amazing session with a lot of small concepts that lead to bigger thinking and playing smarter not harder. Because why waste more energy? why not be as strong as you can be? Why not be a badass and own your sport? So stay strong and learn all the things.

Also I lost 3 lbs from this clinic. Im sure that was all sweat. I sweat like  a 400lb man when i derby.

Derby love

So, I jammed in my first game so theres that. 

It was utterly terrifying and amazing at the same time. Ive been watching the video over and over and theres def some things that I need to fix but everyone has things they can work on. Mine are agility and getting fucking low. No....seriously get fucking low. Also that hit half way in fucked me up. I have a huge scrape and giant bruise on my ass/thigh. Also to my MRV jammers and any jammer thats reading this. I feel your pain. Hopefully someday I can have the endurance and strength to do this a whole game.