On October 13th I started the try-out process again with 9 other women. And out of the 10 of us, we all made it on to the next round. This was great news because I really like all 10 of these women and would've been sad to see any of them to not make it. I technically didn't have to attend the official try-outs, but I ended up going because extra time on skates is always a good thing.
We went through the basic skills: stops, skating in pack, blocking drills, jamming drills, and ended with a scrimmage. It was a full 2.5 hours of skating.
Comparing this time around with my previous try-out experience, it was almost like night and day. I can really see how much I've improved in the past 5 months. I feel way more comfortable on my skates, I can do a hockey stop now (still working on going towards the outside) as long as my wheels are hard enough for the surface, and I feel more confident in my blocking and strategic thinking on the track, and I'm getting stuck less when I jam. I felt more confident this time around.
I used to get knots in my stomach every time I even thought the word "derby." I wasn't sure why I felt those sensations, but I think I was still very nervous. I'm happy to say that I don't get those knots (as often) nowadays.
The women I skated with have skills that ranged from skaters on Team Texas to a skater whom I skated with briefly in rec. Since then, one of us has decided not to continue, so now we have 9 skaters in the pool.
We snapped this quick picture before the rain poured down during our orientation/1st practice. We are missing 2 skaters, but this is the 9 of us. 2 people are driving up from San Antonio and 1 person is driving in from Houston for. every. practice. Now that is a lot of dedication!
Heavy storms joined in on our first practice, so we just had a land conditioning practice. The second practice was back to basics with stops and skating form. I need to work more on my left outer edge. Lethal suggested that I skate in small circles when I can to get me more confident with that edge.
The Hustlers
Besides our Tuesday and Thursday evening practice, we will be invited to skate with each of the home teams. Today, we skated with the Hustlers who are a very fun, glitter obsessed bunch of women. I finally got to meet the famous PB&J who also happens to be one of the Hustler coaches.
Afterwards we had lunch at a local taco place and on the way there, I spotted this crazy sight...only that the tail was actually sticking straight up into the air. I took this pic on the way back and by then the tail had fallen down more horizontal. It was a crazy sight. Anyways...sorry. Just felt like sharing.
The lunch was fun. Being a mom I'm pretty well versed in the latest child-raising theories and mom hacks, but I am pretty in the dark about anything remotely related pop culture. I think the hippest thing that I know is the baby shark song... oh, and I know the floss and what it means to be "woke". So, I had a quick crash course to update me on some of the latest things. I now feel just a little bit cooler.
The captains asked us questions like which Hogwarts house? (Hufflepuff) Dog or Cats? (Dogs) and How do you feel about glitter? (Awesome, as long as it's biodegradable l, because plastic glitter is horrible for our aquatic ecosystem). We ended the lunch with good-byes and hugs. Yay Hustlers!
Tomorrow we skate with the Hell Mary's. Oh by the way, I never realized that all the teams in the league have names that start with "H." That's just crazy sauce. Hustlers, Hotrod Honeys, Honkey Tonk Heartbreakers, Hell Marys and Homies.
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