1/3 of the Way Through New Skater Training

On Thursday, our practice got rained out, so we did some derby talk about hip positioning and most people went on to get tacos. I think our group name may very well be Team Taco. So then, today we were invited to practice with the Hotrods.

Hotrods Practice 

So many people who have played a pivotal part in my training are Hotrods: Lethal, Sum, OJ, Nine. I also skated in rec with Grace and cheered her on as she got drafted into Texas Rollergirls, made Travel B team, and then Travel A team. Many of our league's leaders are also Hotrods. 

During mid-season try-outs, I attended a small Hotrods practice because the travel team was away. At that time, I had decided that the Hotrods were an 8 on the enneagram. Well, I'd also like to add 3 to the mix: The achiever. The way they set up their practice shows just this. They got down to business, and were very efficient with their time. Practice was intense.  

At our social hour after practice, there were some icebreaker-type questions and a big topic was food and then we ended with the Hogwarts house question. Surprisingly, maybe not so surprisingly, but many of the hotrods are fittingly Griffyndor or Slytherin. 

It's so interesting how the league is made up of a conglomeration of people, but then when you get down to the teams, there's really distinct personalities that fit in each. 

We focused much of the practice on wall work: catching the jammer in various situations. My goals coming out of this practice as a blocker is to work on staying low when I am adjusting my body positioning. I'm doing fairly well tracking the jammer, but when I hold her, all it takes is a quick bump and I'm standing too tall to be as strong as I would like to be. 

As a jammer, I want to work on more explosive juking and changing of directions. It's very difficult for me to get around a group of 3-4 blockers especially when I have no O to help me through. I also need to work on line work so that when people push me out of bounds, I can maybe use their momentum to propel me forward on the track as I do a fancy spin move or something. 

I'm going to continue to strengthen my legs and I'm going to start doing some footwork/toestop work on the days I don't have practice or a chance to get to the gym. 

This coming week we have 2 more practices and then we skate with the final team: the Honkeytonk Heartbreakers. Then, after that we have 3 more weeks of practice, followed by the draft party. 

Hips Don't Lie

My awesome "Big" Trigger noticed that I was carting my gear around in a laundry basket. She got me this rad skate bag! Thanks Trigger! 

In the past 11 days, I have put on skates and skated for 7 of them. My pads definitely need a good washing. Currently, I have bac-out, which is an enzymatic cleaner soaking through the foam, working its magic against the funk, and then I'll put them through the wash and let them air dry before practice on Tuesday. It's still pretty hot outside, so I'm pretty sure they'll dry up really quickly.

Skating with the Hells
Today, we skated with the Hell Marys. Despite what others have told me, I found their team environment to be super friendly and I really like that they focus their practices on drills -- because in the long run, that's just going to make you that much better. We worked on tracking and hitting a person rolling--something I am very nervous about doing. I know what you are thinking, you play derby, you hit people...but the protective instinct in me doesn't want to hurt them, so I think it makes me extra focused on executing the hit just right, so it's not done in a dangerous and reckless way. Basically, I over think it. We have not spent a lot of time on hitting, so this drill today was super helpful. A few things to remind myself when I'm tracking and hitting another player:

• Look at their hips and get in front of them just a little. 
• Make contact with your hips and side meat. 
• Swoop down low, and drive with your outside leg, up and out. 
• Position yourself to contain. 

As I'm typing this, it seems so easy. But when you throw skates and moving feet into the mix, things get a little complicated. You have to stay low step up and in at the right time, come in a good angle, and all the things. 

We also did a drill where as a team, you have to travel either to the front or back of the pack while the other team is preventing you from doing so. This was the ultimate test for me because I committed so many penalties, (mostly directional and then leaving the track so I can join my pack in the back). 

This is another reason why I love derby it's definitely a complicated sport and it keeps me on my toestops just thinking about it. 

Scrimmage against TFR

October 11th 2019

When I first found out that Fifi-nomenon and Jackie Daniels were on TFR, I basically had heart palpitations for a few moments. Grit, along with others reassured me that it will be just fine.

And then I lined up with Fifi-nomenon on the jam line. 

Considering we only had 10 players on our team for this scrimmage, we did Ok.  Our jammers were getting tired/injured towards the end of the game, so I started wearing the star a bit more then. I never got lead jammer, but I learned a lot of offensive strategy from this game. At the beginning, I was constantly being randomly just knocked down out of nowhere. I was also able to plan ahead and track the opposing jammer a bit more. I held Jackie Daniels for at least 3 seconds! 

You can probably tell, but throughout the game, I had several fangirl moments where I would just stand with my mouth basically agape after witnessing greatness from some of the TFR skaters.

And then my friend Jammit skated the entire scrimmage WITHOUT TOE STOPS. She is an amazing skater and probably the most positive person you could ever meet.

It was also super cool to see a few of my buddies from rec league. Railgun and Chile were all friendly faces in the opposing team, which made things a bit less nerve wrecking for me.

At the end, I really felt like I was having fun and at the 4th whistle of the last jam, I was actually kind of disappointed that the game had ended. TFR girls have such a great attitude and I really enjoyed skating against them. 

Try-Outs for the 2020 Season Begin!

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. 

Scrimmage vs. Chainsaws

I got lead jammer once (and scored points) tonight when the Homies scrimmaged against the Chainsaws (TXRG's travel B team).

How did I do it? Well, first of all, my blockers did an amazing job and holding the other team's jammer. And second of all, I imagined that the Chainsaws took my baby. In a video on how to be more aggressive, Miracle Whips suggested that you imagine that the other team has your cat and you need to get it back. Well, I hate have a strong aversion against cats, so I imagine that my baby was on the other side of the blockers and that I had to get to her. You think I'm joking...

Haus the Boss complimented me on my smart playing, specifically times when I would pass the panty or call off a jam. Haus the Boss y'all. She has been so encouraging and I am sad that she's retiring.

Overall, I need to still sit lower. I think I did an OK job of tracking the jammer, but when push comes to shove (haha that's a pun), I still am not strong enough to contain her by myself.

Another thing I need to work on is getting low and pushing up and out when playing offensive.

I had to privileged of  playing with Freight Train, Nine Lives, and Peace War. Freight brings a sense of calmness on the track. Nine plays smart and is great at communicating, and Peace War ups the intensity in the game.

BTW: I changed out my toe stops to some super gumballs. Oh my, I love them! I feel more confident and I feel like I can really just bounce back after getting hit out. But bad news is that when I was tightening the hex nut to hold them in place, my plate got cracked a bit, right at the front where the toe stop is.

Why I Derby

I thought it would be fun to flex the brain muscles, or would it technically be fire the brain neurons...anyways, I wanted to really reflect on why I derby. So here it goes.

1. I love skating. I started skating in the second grade. My dad put a pair of skates on me and I learned on top of a bomb shelter in a Taiwanese military village.

2. Derby is hard. Thinking back, picking up a new skill or hobby has always been relatively easy for me. I'm a quick learner, but I really love the challenge that Derby is providing me. Being able to stand firm as a 150 pound skater accelerates towards you, all this while on 8 wheels, is definitely no small feat to accomplish.

3. I'm facing my fears and finding my identity. All my life, I've been a people pleaser, and I've changed my personality to fit with others. I'm using this stage in my life to finally figure out who I am. I am a 9 on the Enneagram, which explains this behavior, but I want to do better. I am so inspired by my children as they fearlessly jump into the swimming pool, or attempt a jump on their scooter. I want to face my fears of insecurity, safety, and failure; overcome them; and come out the other end a better person. I also want my children to see me do all the tough things and be able to persevere through the tough times. Life will be tough.

4. I love the community. Derby community is probably the most encouraging and inclusive group of people ever. Once you get past the tough girl persona put on by many of the colored-hair and tattoo covered women, you find someone so loving and accepting inside.

Well, that's it for now. I'll think of some more and add it to the list.

Boot Camp

Today I was able to attend the pre-tryout bootcamp with the league. First of all, I didn't think I was going to be able to go because I had no one to watch Hailey during the camp. I posted on the board last week and got no replies. Then, this morning, Zook messaged me and asked me if I still needed childcare. I replied with, "sure!" and then I asked her what her rates were and then she said, "Don't worry about it." I was completely surprised, speechless and so grateful for the love and support that came from this gesture.

The boot camp was pretty much what I expected: we ran through the basic minimum skills and ended with some jam starts with different twists. One scenario, we added an O and then another scenario, random people were assigned to go help out or defend against the jammer.

After 4-5 months of officially skating with the league, I feel like my confidence level and skill level have improved so much. I no longer feel like Bambi on skates and usually, I have a pretty good idea of what is going on, on the track. This is a good feeling.

Official try-outs are on October 13th and then there's regular new skater training for about a month and right before Thanksgiving, we find out whether we get drafted onto a team or not.

Bout #1 Homies vs. Bandidas

This game happened 8-17, so about 4 weeks ago. I was a bit nervous, but mostly excited to play my first game.

I set the following goals for myself:

Jam at least once during each half. (This didn't happen, but I did jam 3 times in the second half) 

Get lead jammer once: check 

Sit on the jammer while tracking them closely. [mostly check, but in derby, you can ALWAYS get LOWER!] 

 In the picture below, I'm pivoting with the jammer penny in my hand. What I could've done better was get lower to create some space between the blockers in front of me. They are basically standing straight up (I am too) :P

 So I got out, and as I was making the turn, my skate started to slip from under me, I put down my toe stops and prevented myself from falling. Whew, that floor at the venue is slick!

Again, way too high up. Get lower!

 So, this lady, is the person who got me into this mess. She's currently preggo with her 3rd child, but I have a feeling that she will be returning to derby at some point.

 Get lower to block. I'm basically standing straight up.

So in the end, I need to get lower, and tonight's practice with Gypsy helped with this immensely. I think I've done a pretty good job with my previous 4 goals, (of course I still could use some work) but I think its time to set some new goals.

1) I want to get lower and to do that, I need to develop those muscles.
2) I want to be more explosive and quick with my sprints and hits. I know I have sprinting and speed in my back pocket, I just need to release it and be comfortable with releasing it while on 8 wheels.

I have a month before try-outs so this will be a good time to develop muscles so that I can be a stronger blocker and a more explosive jammer.

That's it for now!

Miso

#SettingGoals

Well, quick update: I didn't make it.

However, the league did create an entire new program for us (I like to think because we are just awesome and they want to keep us around) called Skaters on Tap. The deal is that we would become a part of the business, pay dues, have league jobs, and in return, we get to train with the league during league-wide practices. We also get to join the Homies, which to me seems like is made up of anyone who is not on the travel team, who want to travel and play other people outside the league.

So, for the past 2 months, I've been skating with the Texas Rollergirls

And it is freaking awesome!

I've been learning so much and I can actually watch a live feed derby game without having to play it at half speed. This to me is pretty big.

I still feel like Bambi on skates sometimes, especially when I am blocking on people legends like Freight, OJ, and Gravy, but I've been just doing the best that I can and I love how supportive everyone has been.

Fast forward to last night. We had a scrimmage night where we played each other with a few travel team players sprinkled in. I was so excited to test out all the new skills that I had picked up during these past few months of practice and to tell you the truth, I was completely overwhelmed.

By the 2nd jam my weaknesses were already exposed clearly and by the end of the night, I was completely bombarded mentally with all the things that I need to do better. So, I e-mailed my big Delirium Trigger and I asked her about setting goals. I think I'm supposed to be a jammer eventually, but I feel like I need to be able to block before I will be remotely close to being an effective jammer. Who knows, I may like blocking in the end... but anyways, I wanted to ask her thoughts about whether or not I should specialize in jammer skills or blocker skills, or if I should just learn both as I go.

She suggested both, but if I were working on blocker drills, I should be thinking about how to take advantage as a jammer.

And then she reminded me about reverse engineering when it comes to setting goals. After thinking about this, I decided to work on the following:

1) Making quick lateral cuts :
To do this, I will need to solidify my hockey stop, perform squats to strengthen the muscles, and work on consecutive explosive pushes ( as opposed to a single drive).

2) Being able to track and create a strong wall: 
To do this I need to strengthen my core and legs so that I can drop lower. Work on really feeling the jammer with my body and turning in/out slightly to catch any creepage. I also need to work on plowing hard into the ground. *I actually had a lightbulb moment tonight when MegaHurtz pointed out that I can turn my body a bit to catch the jammer before I square back up again. Also when anticipating a catch, Peace suggested that I start moving my feet so that I can get going faster. And gravy suggested that I bend over to make my body horizontal to give myself more area to catch an incoming jammer. I then put these pieces of advice into practice and now I feel like I am MUCH more stable.

3) More fluid and exaggerated jukes 
To do this, I need to work on agility and making quick lateral cuts (see #1) Once I can stop quickly on a dime, I should be able to juke and change directions a bit better.

4) better transitions between  toestops and rolling.
To do this I just need to spend more time on my toestops. I need to get over the fear of falling over flat on my face and just practice toestops to rolling and rolling to toestops.

Tonight's practice, we worked on #1,2,3 and by the time I left practice, I felt so good about improving in those areas. Now, are they perfect? No, but I can tell I got better and that's all that counts, right?

Last Practice? Results Tonight

The commute to practice is exactly 30 mins. So I've been able to polish off entire novels, meeting my 1 book a month goal that I set for myself even before Hannah was born. Tonight was my last practice as a new skater and I find out in a mere few hours if I will be drafted to join Texas Rollergirls. The book played, but I don't remember a single event that happened. My mind was just replaying moments from practice, really throughout the whole process.

If I don't make it, I totally would understand. There's other opportunities for derby in Austin and I can grow there.

But if I do make it, holly cow! To be able to skate with and learn from the best in the world, would totally knock my socks off. Every practice I see these athletic women doing amazing things with their bodies and it's always so inspiring!

All day my stomach has been doing flips the moment I think any derby thoughts. As I left practice, knowing that my derby career for the next few month was already predetermined (apparently the draft happened before tonight's practice) I sighed a breath of relief.

News to follow!

Team Practice with the Hearts

Tonight I practiced with the Heartbreakers and I was super impressed with the team culture. They actually had me take on the jammer role for the drills and I didn't die, so maybe I'm more of a jammer type.

Oooh, so I also jumped over defense for the first time. It was kind of like an apex jump, but just on a straight away. I was kind of surprised that I actually made it, and it was definitely a confidence booster for me. I was however getting stuck behind walls a lot. I'm still fall victim to Jamnesia as I get stuck in the zone and forget about the star pass option. Overall, it was a fun night and as always, I learned a lot about body positioning.

So after skating with the Texas Rollergirls, just for fun, I've actually assigned each team an Enneagram number, and since you are not supposed to type people, I'm just going off of my perception of each team. The Hotrods are like 8's. The Hells are like 1's, the Hustlers are like 4's and Hearts are like 6's. Of course these are just generalizations because within each team, there is a range of personalities from 1-9, which is why the derby culture is so amazing!

One More Week of Try-Outs

So this past week has been pretty full of derby for me. Following last Tuesday's post, I joined in on the Hotrods' practice on Thursday, had league practice on Saturday, scrimmaged with the home teams on Monday and then had practice again tonight. On Thursday I'll be joining the Heartbreakers' practice, followed by a Saturday practice and then one last Tuesday practice before finding out if we are drafted or not.

I'd say at this point, I'm encouraged enough to say that there is a small chance that I may be drafted. While I still feel like I am the least experienced on the team, I am a quick learner and I think that is a plus.

Practice with the Hodrods was very intense. OJ led the practice and we learned about pack scenarios and positioning. I learned through that practice when you should be at the front of the pack and when you should be at the back.

On Saturday, we worked more on Offensive blocking and we practiced different types of catches: hooking and posting.

On Monday, we scrimmaged and I really got a chance to 1) feel how weird the flooring is at Austin Sports Center (it's like floating laminate tiles) 2) practice offensive blocking in game scenarios and 3) learn about body positioning when blocking the jammer at the front of the pack. I ended up getting lots of penalties for track cuts, but I know I'm taking more risks with taking the outside or inside lanes as a jammer. I just need to have more explosive starts. I currently feel like I'm just a split second behind and that I have lead blocks on my feet.

Tonight's practice focused on power. Tear coached us tonight and I always love listening to her explain things. She is so aware of body mechanics and can really break things down and trouble-shoot what you are doing or not doing. We worked on loading our legs a certain way and then moving the opposing blocker out of the way. Power comes from "chambering" or loading up our body in a way so that we can gain momentum during the hits.

I also learned that I need to get lower. -- said no derby player ever.

I look back to the first few practices and I feel like I am more in my element. I'm more at ease and I am feeling so encouraged by the other women. Remember when I wasn't sure if I was in love with the idea of derby or the actual playing? Well, it's even more clearer to me now and it's pretty evident that I'm in love with the actual game...and the people.

I remember when Sum asked if I wanted to try-out. I quickly told her, "I just can't. I have 3 kids." Now I can say "I need derby in my life because I have 3 kids!"

Bruises are starting to become more apparent, and today one person actually asked me about mine (which I thought would've happened earlier). It's funny how they look so bad, but I really don't even remember how I got them.

I've been trying to catch some games on youtube when I can. I typically will watch the games at 75% speed and at that speed, I feel like I can better follow what is going on. I'm going to keep trying to watch more games when I can, and hopefully I will be able to watch (and know what's going on) at regular speed soon.

Try-Outs Part 2

Rain has dampened our practice schedule so we've had less time on skates with canceled practices here and there. We've been really working on offensive weaving, to help open up space for the jammer. The first skill that we have been working on are lateral cuts in to take someone's space followed by containment (by sitting).

I'm finding it difficult to get the power needed to take someone's space. I think when I cut in, I am pretty much faced with enough force that I simply contain them, not really moving anyone out of their space at this point. But on the flip side, I'm not being launched when I get hit, so that's a gain for me.

Last practice I had a wide eyed moment when I saw an amazing jammer just zip through the pack like it was nothing. She was aggressive, fast and didn't let anyone get in her way. They called her OJ. So curious, I looked up to see what team she played and I didn't find anyone with a name related to orange juice, but then I see a picture of someone who resembles her, and it was Olivia Shootin' John. I had a fan girl moment. I got to skate with THE Olivia Shootin' John!

So tonight, as I was gearing up, guess who sat down right next to me?!?! Anyways, we talked mostly about alternative schools, but it was cool to be talking to a derby celebrity!

The drive to every practice has me feeling nervous. I really want to make a team, I really love skating derby, but there's a part of myself that knows I'm such a newbie and I don't want to let whatever team I join down. The girls have all been super encouraging and I usually leave practice feeling ok and not beat down. Sometimes when I am doubting myself, I ask myself, do I derby because I love it, or do I want the status that comes with being on a premier team?

When self-doubt settles in, I often think the latter. Maybe I just want to be able to say that I got selected on a team, prove to my friends that I'm good enough. But once I strap on my skates and join the other women on the track, I feel so alive, liberated, and it is then when I know without a doubt that I do it because I love the sport along with the encouraging and accepting culture that surrounds it all.

Before skating with the league I was pretty set on joining a certain team. Mainly because most of my closer derby friends are on that team. However, after skating with different skaters and getting to know more girls, I think I would be happy with whoever takes me. The hot rods are an amazing team of diverse women from all walks of life. The Hustlers are relaxed, but they work hard at the same time. Hell Mary's have the reputation of being more strict, but the women who I've skated with are all super friendly. And then the Heartbreakers have an amazing team full of mentors who I've looked up to during my time in the rec league.

I found out today that the try-out period has been extended an extra week. This means I get more derby time and will have the opportunity to learn so much more. I still have a pretty good feeling that I'm going to get cut this time around. Of all the women trying out, I am the least experienced. Like Hellgha said, "Fall is a better time to join because you start fresh and have a chance to grow with your team." During mid-season try outs teams are looking for skaters who are ready to go. My only chance of getting in is if they want to pick me and plan on growing me through this season so I would be ready to go next season.

A part of me still feels guilty about leaving Steve to take care of the kids while I go play roller derby. But I need to not feel guilty. I have to remind myself that I'm doing this for me, but also for the kiddos too.

I still have 6 practices left! I'm going to try to learn as much as I can and see where things take me. So excited!