On Sunday 4/28, I tried out for TXRG in their mid-season try outs. 4 Blisters around my ankles, a few small bruises, and a little bit of muscle soreness later, I ended up being moved on to their new skater training pool.
We started the practice with basic skills...check. I feel that the rec league prepared me pretty well for this portion. But then when we went on to drills and scrimmaging, I felt so nervous and was very timid to let others down, so I played it safe and mostly blocked. However, a few times I would decide to jam, I ended up getting out of the pack, earning lead jammer status. Now, let's not get ahead of ourselves, because I'm pretty sure it was the other blockers who did a good job and got me out of the pack. But nonetheless, it was moments like these that gave me a slight confidence boost.
Fast forward to tonight, the first new skater practice. First we had a brief 20 minute orientation on how the training will go and then we started the warm up and proceeded to drills. Note to self: work on hockey stops. These things are pretty much a must in modern roller derby. Plow stops are slow, maybe good for people who are beginning, but at the premier level, they really need to be a skill like breathing is.
To tell you the truth, I left practice tonight discouraged. The skaters seemed to be so much better than I am. I truly am a baby in the derby world. I think I really just need more time scrimmaging and playing derby (and I've got to nail those hockey stops). I have a pretty good feeling that I won't be drafted onto a team this time around. I simply don't have the skills needed to jump in and start playing at this elite level. However, I do love derby and I am going to use this as a chance to improve and become a better skater, regardless of the outcome.
I'm not going to worry too much, but instead, follow my motto of try my best and let God take over. If I'm meant to be drafted into the premier league this time, great. If not, I'm ok with that too. But in the meantime, I'm just going to enjoy all the derby.
