fiveonfive | issue 42 | Winter 2018

W O M E N ’ S

F L A T

T R A C K

R O L L E R

D E R B Y

M A G A Z I N E ISSUE 42, WINTER 2018

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proud partner of the WFTDA fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2018

fiveonfivemag.com

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Winter 2018 | fiveonfivemag.com

contents 22-23

4-5

advice ask swede hurt and midge mayhem!

WFTDA

Keep Your Head in the Game: Concussions In Roller Derby

6-7

business creating a fundraising plan for your league

8-10

health and fitness from injured to resilient

30-35

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games and coaching Jammer Cultivation 101

Through the lens: 2018 WFTDA Championships

20-21

A photographic journey through some of the most thrilling moments of the 2018 WFTDA championships.

26-27 junior derby junior derby: bringing out the best in family

28-29

rookie derby lessons learned

40-42

feature moving teams

42-45 art and media poetry

PREFLASH GORDON

gear helmet check and care

36-40 All In

A pair of roller skating businesswomen have launched an exciting new fitness group in a bid to empower people of any age to don some quads, get active and have fun.

COVER PHOTO BY PREFLASH GORDON

fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2018

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editor phoenix aka stacey casebolt castle rock ‘n’ rollers art director assaultin’ pepa rocky mountain rollergirls

in this issue

Welcome to the 42nd issue of fiveonfive!

It’s my favorite time of the year, championship games are up

photo editor danger foco roller derby

for endless review and all of our goals for the 2019 competitive

production iona switchblade foco roller derby

I’m also excited to be writing to you as a new member of the

contributing writers swede hurt stockholm roller derby midge mayhem wilhelm denver roller derby knuckle slamwich toronto loco roller derby coyote denver roller derby catholic cruel girl rocky mountain rollergirls dr. spankngrind suffolk roller derby

season are calling us to build up our teams and ourselves.

fiveonfive team. We have so much planned for the new year and can’t wait to show it to you.

In this issue we look to Midge “Mayhem” Wilhelm and Swede Hurt for advice on how to handle the off season and how to re-direct a teammate’s off game. We learn about building a solid fundraising strategy from Knuckle Slamwich that will help defray those traveling costs and get your team from here to there.

iona switchblade foco roller derby oxford trauma tri-city roller derby amy guerrero i.c. bruisers alexandra slamilton happy valley derby darlins melanie pitstop riot city ravens daisy deadline cornwall roller derby

Alexandra Slamilton offers some hard-won insights to rookie skaters in her article about lessons learned on page 28 and Coyote of Denver Roller Derby chronicles the fall, rise and resilience of a derby skater’s injury in our health and fitness section. Melanie Pitstop’s feature article takes us through the process of moving from one team to another and Dr. SpankNGrind shows us what it takes to plant, water and

metaphorce toronto roller derby

cultivate jammers for a competitive and rewarding 2019.

cover photo preflash gordon facebook.com/preflashgordon

Here’s to a bright new season!

fiveonfive magazine info@fiveonfivemag.com facebook.com/fiveonfive fiveonfivemag.com The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the contributing writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of fiveonfive magazine.

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iOna Switchblade

FoCo Roller Derby iOna@fiveonfivemedia.com

contributors

Many thanks to our contributors who come from all over the roller derby community and share their knowledge based on their countless hours of dedication to this sport!

Check out additional contributors at fiveonfivemag.com.

Melanie Pitstop

Melanie Pitstop skates for Riot City Ravens under the number 710. She lives in South Wales, UK; with her mini menagerie and is a csre for her partner who has autism. Her partner bought Melanie skates the same year he started glassblowing and neither of them have looked back since. She is a full time student at the University of South Wales and believes in magic.

Dr. SpankNGrind

Dr. SpankNGrind isn’t a real jammer, but she plays one on the track. She began skating in 2014, and currently lives in England where she competes with Suffolk Roller Derby. In real life, Spanky is a family physician and mother of two. She co-hosts Mind, Body & Roll, a podcast on whole-skater wellness for roller derby athletes. You can find her online at facebook.com/ rollerderbydoctor.

Alexandra Slamilton

Alexandra Slamilton, also known as Heather Linde, has been playing roller derby in Utah with the Happy Valley Derby Darlins for two seasons, and loves every minute of it. She skates with their recreational team and bench coaches the junior league. In her everyday life, she’s a teaching assistant for at-risk and state custody students, works with the Harry Potter Alliance and Girls on Track, and writes whenever she can. Her dream is to be an author and be on the travel team on her league.

Daisy Deadline

Daisy Deadline has skated with Cornwall Roller Derby’s Rapscallion Rollers since it was founded and has also represented the county team. A blocker at heart, Deadline loves giving her jammers some helpful offense and also enjoys training the team and helping newer skaters to learn and enjoy this amazing sport.

dave wood photography

Coyote

Coyote, formally Wild E. Coyote has been skating since June 2018 with time off here and there. She skates as a crossover for Mile High Club and Bruising Altitude with Denver Roller Derby; she is a jammer.

Coyote is proudly part of the Roller Derby Elite team.

fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2018

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ADVICE

Midge Mayhem Denver Roller Derby Denver, Colorado

Swede Hurt

Stockholm Roller Derby Stockholm, Sweden

My league takes a one to two month break after our season. We still host practices, but attendance is not required. While I don’t want to fall behind, I want to avoid burnout.

Do you think it’s best to take a complete break from derby for a few months or just cut back a little?

-FEAR OF BURNING OUT

PHOTO BY PAUL SHIRK

dear blocker and jammer,

dear FOBO, A wise person once said, “Know thyself.” While most of us don’t speak old English, the quote is still relevant. Taking a complete break from roller derby versus cutting back on practices is going to vary for each person. Really you need to evaluate your upcoming season and what your life will potentially look like.

Off-season is great for building strength. When required practices start up, you’ll be able to hit the ground running, and build on the muscle you’ve built during the off-season. If you need time to yourself, though, and you’re concerned about burnout during the season, take a complete break. Not only is it unfair to yourself to burn out during the season, it’s unfair to your team.

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dear FOBO, I do think it depends on who you are and where you are in your derby career. But if it’s not your first season I totally would advise you to take a complete break from roller derby practice for at least a month, and if you’re past your third season I’d say take both months. A break from roller derby practice doesn’t mean you take a break from skating, but it is advisable to take a break from the contact part and rebuild your muscles. Have some fun playing around on skates, work on skills and go to the gym.

The seasons that I have taken a break from roller derby practice and focused on other parts of my life and building my muscles up, I’ve always come back with a stronger body and with more energy and focus.

dear blocker and jammer, PHOTO BY PAUL SHIRK

What’s the best way to pump someone up who is having a bad game?

-CHEER SQUAD OF ONE

dear CSOO, Insert stereotypical Crossfit coach. Got it? Good. Now don’t do that.

“Pumping someone up” isn’t quite the right way to think about helping someone who is having a bad game. The best approach would simply be to ask them at the practice before a game how you can help them mentally on the bench. Maybe they need to talk through why a certain play or strategy isn’t working.

Maybe they just need to vent. Or maybe they need you to ask the right questions to get them focused on the next play rather than pouring over their last few jams. There are a multitude of factors, so the best way to find out is ask.

I will also say, however, that there are some people who are grumpy on the bench and want to stay that way. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do in the moment. If they’re having a bad game and it’s not affecting the team, the coaches and captains should handle that situation. If they’re not, leave them be. It’s unfortunate to see your teammate frustrated. We’re all responsible for our demeanor on the bench, and we should be open to accountability.

dear CSOO, This is a hard question, because it depends on the person. It is frustrating to feel like you are not performing as well as you should. I, for instance HATE being told I am doing great if I know I am not performing as well as I should.

Having a bench coach that knows their skaters is important, and knowing what kind of feedback skaters need is very helpful. I do think this is something that you need to address as a team before games.

We all have bad days and that doesn’t mean we are bad players. Telling them that you love having them on your team goes a long way towards making them feel like they are a part of and important to the team.

need advice? email advice@fiveonfivemag.com fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2018

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BUSINESS

creating a fundraising plan for your league PHOTO BY TRACY JOHNSON

KNUCKLE SLAMWICH, TORONTO LOCO ROLLER DERBY

ROLLER DERBY COMES WITH expenses, and if you want your league to be viable, skaters can’t be your league’s only source of revenue. When this is the case, it means that your only option is to start charging skaters more money as expenses rise, and that isn’t sustainable long term – especially if dues become so expensive that skaters leave.

Fundraising is necessary to bridge the gap in case of a shortfall. You’d never get on the track without a plan, so why start fundraising without one?

This article will guide you through the process of developing a fundraising plan that will

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cultivate continuing support for your league.

The first step is to understand your organization’s legal status and what its implications are for your fundraising efforts. fiveonfive has an international readership so I won’t get into specifics, as the implications will be different depending on where you live.

However, for example, if your league is a registered charity in your jurisdiction, you may be able to offer tax incentives for people or organizations who donate money to your league.

It’s important to understand not only how that affects your plans, but also all the specific rules

and regulations surrounding your organization and how it can solicit, receive, and process donations before you proceed.

The next step is for your leadership team to map out your fundraising plan. There will be a lot of considerations. For what would you use the money? How much do you need? Dust off your financial statements and see how much money you need and how it needs to be spent.

Set a goal. Almost everyone has seen a giant “thermometer” that tracks a charity’s progress towards a fundraising goal, right?

Setting a goal motivates donors and volunteers to help reach it

and helps you see what you can reasonably expect to accomplish in future years. There will be ethical decisions you need to make. We in derby are a socially conscious bunch, and there may be people or organizations who may want to give you money but whose money you do not want to take. (For example: a firearms manufacturer that offers grants or a wealthy individual with a checkered history with the law.)

I don’t have an opinion about whose money you take, but I guarantee that people who care about your league will. Figure out where you want to draw the line, and create a clear policy.

The next phase is to determine whom you’ll ask to contribute funds. You may choose to target organizations, individuals, or a combination of both. Even if your target group is skaters’ friends and families or the local government, it’s a good place to start. Once you’ve outlined who you think could provide funding, you can begin to develop opportunities for your target groups to give or determine what process you’ll have to go through to secure funding. There are a number of fundraising methods to choose from, but you must ensure that you keep your target group in mind. For example, don’t do a raffle with alcohol as the prize if most of the people in your target group don’t drink. Events are a great way to raise money while raising awareness of your

league, but if you are going to do an event, you need to determine whether your event appeals to your target group.

With any method you decide upon, it’s essential to ask yourself one key question: are we building a path towards longterm, sustainable funding or is this a one time thing? A one time influx of cash (I’m going to pick on crowdfunding as an example) might be what your league needs to keep the lights on – and that’s fine. But, when you set up the crowdfunding page again next year, are the same people going to respond or are they going to be annoyed that your league always seems to be begging for money? Your league must build a relationship with your future, present and past supporters.

Think of when you used to ask

your parents for money. You probably had more success when you made sure to do your chores when asked or offered to do a few extra things or provided that you kept your promise not to blow the money on candy.

Do some work, appeal to your target group, and prove you can be responsible with the money you receive. Just like when you’re on the track, if you set a goal, you always look back and see if you achieved it.

Review your success in meeting your fundraising goal with your leadership team. If you met your goal – congratulations! How are you going to reach or surpass it next year? What worked and what didn’t? If you didn’t meet your goal, ask what you could improve upon. Review why it happened and decide what you want to do about it. As you undertake your fundraising journey, it’s not going to be easy.

Fundraising is a chance to do something great for your league and engage your community at the same time. You’re going to have to do some work, especially in the planning phase. You might have to make some unpopular decisions, such as not doing an event that everyone loves but fails to raise money.

Fundraising gets your league excited about reaching a goal.

It’s about raising money, but it’s also about allowing everyone to get involved in doing something amazing that can result in great things for you and your skaters. fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2018

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HEALTH AND FITNESS

from injured to resilient COYOTE, DENVER ROLLER DERBY

how determination, community and a well-timed t-shirt helped a strong, athletic woman on the road to recovery

PHOTO BY DUANE BAKER PHOTOGRAPHY

IMAGINE: YOU’VE FINALLY MADE IT to D1 and are a starting jammer for playoffs. You feel like you’ve accomplished so much and come so far. The tournament games are going really well, you’re proud of your team and your own performance. Being proud of yourself can be so difficult, we are our biggest critics and at a major climax in your roller derby career.

Like most jammers, you’ve created a pattern, but for this tournament the play has been a major success for you so you’re holding onto it tightly. It’s the second period, there is 10:30 left on the clock,

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and we are down by 10. You take the line again, assess the position of the opponents and your teammates, planning your every movement. You quickly run that inside line for the double whistle blow as lead jammer. Mid stride, it happens. An extremely loud pop that sends an unfamiliar sensation down your leg, but you’re lead and you plant your skates to start your crossover for pick up speed. The leg has no power and the next feeling is pain. Why does my leg hurt and why can’t I gain any speed? Looking at your third base coach, you try to communicate

My first reaction is to get off the track but I cannot move anything but my arms. The shock quickly takes over and I have nothing left.

the pain. He doesn’t understand and instructs me to keep going, the other jammer is still being held by defense. I tell myself it’s a sprain, push through and sit down for the rest of the game, but first get points.

The opposing jammer has been bridged out by teammates, so I prepare for them to run back to play offense, making my scoring pass successful.

I’m watching as the last line of defense hits the jammer out and runs back to form a wall with friends.

In that moment, jammer mind kicks in, along with adrenaline, I’m sure of it. I attempt to juke the outside

blocker to the out to hit the center of their tripod, but my juke is hardly executed, only my upper body could respond. I push my body into the wall and immediately feel my leg crumble underneath me and now I’m under another player, my leg is numb, and panic sets in.

My first reaction is to get off the track but I cannot move anything but my arms. The shock quickly takes over and I have nothing left. I laid on the track for over 30 minutes with teammates and medics, unable to move, freezing cold, and really scared. I’m a fighter and I’m a great negotiator so after the shock subsides the medic agrees to let me roll over then finally to move me off the track while we wait for paramedics. I knew there was something wrong and I wasn’t going to get up, but the show must go on…the game had to finish and I really want my team to win it. As paramedics arrived I was preparing my pitch to gain their approval to let me watch the rest of the game.

“It took you more than 30 minutes to get here, what is 10 minutes more?” That’s all I had, I was tired. Reluctantly, they agreed to stay while they placed me on a stretcher, secured my leg, checked my vitals, and tried hard to gain my attention for standard questioning. I watched the rest of the game and had the chance to hug my teammates and friends in victory. We did it, we won! We didn’t place top three to advance, but to come this far that year was rewarding.

I was immediately taken to a local emergency room and committed to waiting 30 minutes to be seen. The environment was intimidating, the pain was fading, and I’m very stubborn. After 30 minutes, we packed up in the car to head to a local pharmacy for a brace; I’ll get checked back home in the states.

It’s a sprain, R.I.C.E. and a few beers will help.

We head to the venue because there is still more amazing roller derby to be seen. I was unable to attend the fun and remained in my hotel room for the night, exhausted and concerned. It was a ruptured ACL, torn meniscus, sprained MCL and PCL, and six cysts had ruptured. It was my worst fear, my work thus far is gone and I will be set back another year. I was devastated. I didn’t want to start over and I didn’t fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2018

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PHOTO BY DUANE BAKER PHOTOGRAPHY

want to miss out on derby. My spot on the roster, my fitness, my ability to skate at that level was in jeopardy now. I had played on Team Colorado and was preparing for that year on the roster again. It all came to an abrupt stop.

Then came the determination, I was not going to let it stop me. I WILL be skating next season, I WILL be on the roster, and I WILL get through this and fast. It was an adjustment of the mind and I was ready to put in the work to make it happen. There were times I pushed too far and too soon; I tried to walk the day after surgery and I did 80 box jumps less than three months after surgery. At this point my physical therapist was used to me pushing the bar so he just said “be careful”. I set the expectation very early on to him that we were going to hit the ground running, literally; I wanted to be pushed with little forgiveness. I never gave up, I cried every day at home while I did my stretching but I continued to pull the band tighter and further. I went to the gym regularly, got my diet back on track, attended every practice to stay in touch with my team and the training all while putting my mind and heart into it first. I could have taken the easy route, I could have taken more time to come back, and I could have given up all together, but I am a fighter and I have the drive; I am a strong athletic woman and skater.

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During my recovery, Smarty Pants released her Strong Athletic line and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect and motivating. I immediately bought a shirt and wore it to the gym every leg day during my rehabilitation time. Four months post operation I was back on skates, no contact, but able to work on any drill I considered “safe”, so of course I did every stop, every turn, and pushed myself to gain my known speed back. I was doing it, I was back, and I felt stronger than ever.

Two months later I was released to skate full contact with one condition, with the aid of a DonJoy knee brace for one full year. I hated that brace, but I tried to make it part of my uniform. I wore it to every practice, scrimmage, RollerCon, and added it to leg day at the gym so I could push more weight. It was helpful, I’m sure, but mostly mentally. It hindered me from a lot of movement I knew I was capable of doing, so 12 months later I was on the phone with my physical therapist and surgeon requesting permission to skate without it. The first tournament without it was less than a week later, Golden Bowl, and it was with my new league/team so I had a lot of reservations and nervousness about skating with one less piece of equipment.

My dip game was on point! That brace came with me to California but was quickly put away when I returned home and I haven’t looked at it since. I put my mind and heart into something more than I ever have. While I had moments of failure and surrender, I managed to refocus every time and move forward to now finding myself learning and doing more with my skill than ever before. Roller derby is hard and when you are faced with an injury of any kind, it’s really easy to question why we do this sport. It’s mentally and physically demanding, and as you make travel team it becomes expensive and time consuming. I no longer question why I play, I question what I would do without this community and training. My network is worldwide and my book of friends is large with good and caring people. With every challenge in life or feeling of being set back, remember you can not only come back from it but you can come back stronger, better, smarter. The reward is worth far more than the work it took to get there.

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fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2018

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Sweet Potato Wraps CATHOLIC CRUEL GIRL, ROCKY MOUNTAIN ROLLERGIRLS

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs. sweet potatoes 4 tablespoons white miso 1 1⁄2 cups creamy peanut butter 4 tablespoons minced shallots 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced 1 ⁄2 cup vegetable broth 1 tablespoon coconut oil 2 cups edamame 1 12 oz package organic silken tofu, diced 1 pinch cayenne pepper 1 small handful cilantro, finely chopped 1 bunch swiss chard TO PREPARE:

1. P repare edamame according to package directions.

2. W ash sweet potatoes, trim ends, cube, and boil until soft. Pulse in food processor until chunky but mashed.

3. A dd miso and peanut butter to the sweet potatoes and stir until thoroughly combined.

4. H eat oil in large skillet or wok. Add shallot, garlic and ginger. Sauté until soft (about 3-5 minutes).

5. A dd edamame and vegetable broth to skillet.

6. T oss tofu, cilantro, and sweet potato mixture into skillet and mix well. (The tofu will continue to crumble while stirring, it’s OK.) 7. Let cool. Wrap in chard leaves. Roll up burrito style.

TIP: You can make this dish up to

2 days prior and simply wrap in chard when ready to eat.

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Sweet Potato Wraps CATHOLIC CRUEL GIRL, ROCKY MOUNTAIN ROLLERGIRLS

I have made this dish for my team as a post-practice snack and it is one of those recipes that they still talk about. photo: Jean Schwarzwalder food stylist: Leitha Matz

fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2018

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PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN BAVESTER

GAMES AND COACHING together so well?

Wait….what? Jammers work together? Yes. It turns out that they do. I never really got that before this year, but my garden and our Champs season have made me a believer. Teamwork is just as important among your jammer corps as it is among blocker lineups. Bear with me and my garden metaphors for a bit and you’ll learn…

How to Make your Jammer Garden Grow

Our final championship bout was terrifying and nerve-wracking, and has turned into a bit of a blur in my memory. But it’s telling

Jammer Cultivation 101 DR. SPANKNGRIND, SUFFOLK ROLLER DERBY

YOU GUYS! CAN YOU BELIEVE that I actually have a garden!?

Sure, the peas are tangled up with the peppers, and a monster zucchini has completely overrun my poor tomatoes…but I have veggies! After decades of killing every plant I touch, this year is finally the year! Just as this year has been the year for my beloved British Roller Derby Champs team. We won Women’s Tier 4 East, after smashing all four of the other teams in our division. You can chalk it up to luck or fate if you want, but I’m convinced there’s a scientific way to replicate the sweet, sweet victory we found on the track this

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year…and I’m also pretty sure my garden holds the key.

I’m a jammer, but I truly believe it’s blocking and defense that win games. And our walls this year were Ah. Mazing. When our team’s resident psychologist and hardcore blocker, Asterisk (https://astridcoxon.wordpress. com/) asked us to reflect on how teamwork made our season great, the answer seemed obvious to me: Our blockers kick ass!

But applying that teamwork question to our jammer roster was trickier. How the hell has my team managed to cultivate such a deep roster of consistent, highperforming jammers that work

that both my best and worst feelings about that day relate to my fellow jammers. Teamwork is EVERYTHING in roller derby, but the way jammers interact with their team and with each other is an especially complicated beast, fraught with all kinds of potential drama and pitfalls. Our final Champs bout really brought home the point that jammer collaboration (both off the track and on) can powerfully influence the outcome of a season.

The best part of that bout was seeing our newest jammer explode onto the track. Sketchy Character is an incredibly talented skater with loads of potential.

Jammer Cultivation Rule #1: Culture of Positivity Competition can bring out the worst in almost anyone, and whether you’re a tomato plant in my garden or a roller derby jammer, competitive angst will happen to you. If you haven’t felt that green-eyed monster squirming in your guts when

another skater progresses faster than you or bumps you down on the roster…well, my friend, you just haven’t been skating long enough. And the outcome can be bad…like, really bad. Think tantrums and tears in the locker room, friendships destroyed, and teams decimated bad.

Somehow, though, successful athletes and leagues are able to use the power of those inevitable competitive urges for good rather than evil. There are whole books and pages on cultivating a personal growth mindset for yourself (check out https://tightenyourtoestops. com/2016/07/05/fixed-or-growthwhats-your-derby-mindset/ or read Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck).

To create a sustainable and resilient team of jammers, the whole league needs to buy into and enforce a communal growth mindset. This attitude is the sunshine that will make your jammer garden grow, and it can shine down from the training staff or radiate up from the skaters themselves. It works best, however, when everyone in the league mindfully commits to a culture of positivity. Our league’s training committee understands the importance of this kind of environment. They’ve initiated a Captain’s Choice award after each bout to recognize the skaters who’ve gone above and beyond to embody positivity and teamwork.

For our jammers, a positive culture means lots of encouragement heaped on the

up-and-comers, as well as a “can-do” attitude from the entire team. Sketch was a cheerful and willing team player all season, blocking like a rockstar in bouts and tirelessly drilling her jammer skills at practice. Patient hard work from the team, coaches, and herself were each necessary (but not sufficient) components of her success in that last bout. It was the synergistic combined positivity of the whole league that got her to this amazing outcome:

PHOTO COURTESY OF KATE RISELY

She’s also had a bad case of stage fright for most of the season.

In practice this girl would shine, breezing by every wall she faced.

But on game day she had trouble executing as a jammer. And so for most of the season she’s been blocking (which she is also ridiculously good at). With two of our regular jammers sidelined, Sketch was put into the starting jammer rotation for our last game.

I don’t know if she was nervous, but I was nervous for her. Not because I thought she’d suck, but because I thought she might be worried she’d suck. And on top of the usual big game pressure, she had to face that this-is-your-bigchance-and-your-team-is-countingon-you pressure. Even worse! But guess what? She did it. She not only did it, she killed it. It was truly beautiful to watch her skate, and even more beautiful to see her smile when she accepted the Best Jammer award. Maybe my joy in this moment just comes from my personal relationship with Sketch (she was my pivot for most of the season, and is just a really great person besides), but the pride and happiness our whole team felt for Sketch speaks to something more:

Oh, and I shouldn’t even have to say it, but no snide comments, sabotage, or backbiting. Nip that s*#t in the bud! The worst thing about that game, the very worst, was seeing our star jammers sit it out. Crystal Beth doesn’t just have natural jammer talent and strength, she also has an immense reservoir of drive and dedication stashed somewhere in her hot little booty shorts.

All season she’s had the best practice attendance, has jumped into every drill first, and has kept that star panty on her head when fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2018

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the rest of us schmucks were pulling it off to take a break. And then there’s Devilbird: I don’t know how to describe her other than Make-Blockers-Cry good.

Powerful, strategically brilliant, fast as hell, and determined to score ALL the points. Just get out of her way, ok? These two ladies led our jammer roster early in the season. But then…disaster! Well not really disaster for Devilbird, just a much-wanted baby on the way (awesome for her, disaster for us). But true disaster for Beth: a badly sprained ankle the week before our last game.

This is a jammer’s worst nightmare, especially when you’re on a team full of talented skaters all vying for those starting spots, and even when you’re as kickass as Beth. There are newbies and transfers all queuing up behind you, and you’re never 100% sure

PHOTO BY SORISO PHOTOGRAPHY

GAMES AND COACHING

your spot is safe. Not to mention that it just plain SUUUUUCKS to miss out on the biggest bout of the season due to injury. There were no tears, or pouting, or selfimposed seclusion from our girl, but my heart hurt for her, which made the game a lot less fun. Yet there was still some good that came of it, which brings me to…

Jammer Cultivation Rule #2: Room to Grow

It’s very easy to grow dependent on one or two star jammers to score all your team’s points. ‘Star’ jammers become the zucchini in my garden.

They’re huge and gorgeous and bear all kinds of fruit….but they can crowd out all the other plants and if they die or get injured then you’re f*cked. (Also, who wants to eat that much zucchini?) Those are downsides for the team, but there are also downsides for star jammers themselves. If encouraged only to grow in one direction and without diverse challenges (and failures), jammers run the

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risk of losing their motivation, getting overconfident, and being less resilient when they face true adversity. I’m not suggesting that we should take baseball bats to all our best jammers knees or anything, but there is a lot to learn from injury…and from anything else that diverts a skater from their intended path. Instead of giving up the season for lost, Beth and Devilbird used their circumstances to grow into new directions.

Devilbird spent this season honing her coaching skills and is sharing her badass wall-busting techniques with the rest of us. And Beth has faced those first serious injury demons with nothing but class…. she wasn’t leading from the track as a jammer, but from the bench as our cool, collected (and still hot booty shakin’) line-up manager.

Finding room to grow is not just the responsibility of each individual skater. Like a positive attitude, it needs to be a culture shift adopted by the whole team. Our league has started holding “jammer school’

Jammer Cultivation Rule #3: A Diligent Team of Gardeners

As we were planning our garden, there were some heated arguments in my house about what kind of peppers to plant.

(Let’s just say my husband and I

have differing opinions about how fun it is to have your face burned off by food.) Similarly, if you listen to a group of derby fans watching the World Cup, you’ll likely hear some heated words about who’s the best jammer. Skating style, off-track personality, agility versus strength…these are all things that affect our judgement about jammer performance. And they’re all subjective. Sure, there are stats to fall back on, but humans are subjective beasts, and putting jammer selection in the hands of one individual can be dangerous, much like letting my husband plant your garden for you: If you’re not careful, your face will probably get burned off.

If you’ve ever been on a team with an authoritarian coach or cronyist training committee, you know the dangers of which I speak. There are favorites, there are cliques, there are hard feelings and hopelessness.

Nothing crushes jammer

development like feeling that your hard work isn’t appreciated. Why bother trying if you know that Sally Superstar is the only one the coaches notice or care about?

Avoiding these pitfalls is pretty much the sole responsibility of your training and coaching staff, though individual skaters can also play a role.

The most important task for league leaders is this: recognize that you are human and bound to make subjective mistakes… and then ask for help. Many leagues, for various reasons (history, league development, competitiveness, depth of derby experience, sheer personality) may find themselves with one individual making most of the roster decisions for the league.

The room to grow principle can be a strong factor in these situations: a coach who makes authoritarian decisions because she has the most derby experience is never going to allow anyone else to grow

PHOTO BY SORISO PHOTOGRAPHY

sessions about once a month.

The expectation is that everyone (blockers and jammers) will participate and try something new each session. Where each skater chooses to place their energy and what they choose to try is less important than the expectation that they try something. This creates not only room but encouragement to grow, something that is bound to give you bigger tomatoes…and better jammers. If you really want to max out your performance, every skater in your league needs that room and encouragement, both the frustrated, struggling newbies AND the big, established stars. And this is where rule #3 comes in:

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GAMES AND COACHING

their derby experience. In the long term, this is bad for both the league and the coach (Burnout, anyone?). In the short term, it means the team may be missing out on some important insights that could make or break a season. The value of multiple perspectives in developing a jammer corps cannot be overstated. One person can’t possibly pay attention to everything, so at some point you’re going to miss that little seedling superstar or step all over a blooming crossover jammer’s dreams.

My league is super lucky it has made the strategically brilliant choice to have our head coach and captains make jammer lineup decisions collaboratively

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after intense stat review and observation of all the jammers.

The individual skaters contribute by understanding that rostering is done for the good of the team (See Rule #1: positive culture!)… and also by speaking up when or if they feel the system is breaking down. But ultimately even that contribution is driven by our captains and coach, who’ve made it clear that they welcome and expect feedback from every member of the team.

Collaborative decision-making can be challenging, but when it comes to jammer development, I promise it’ll be worth it.

Sometimes when those magical seasons happen,

it’s tempting to attribute your success to chemistry, or luck, or talent, or even just the weather.

Or you might be more analytical, and chalk it all up to one particular strategy or combination of drills that made everyone perform so well. I would argue that whether we’re talking about a garden or a derby team, a good growing season takes a bit of both. Nurturing a successful team of jammers in particular requires something you might call strategic chemistry. With a little care and attention to the basic rules of jammer cultivation, you too can grow a crop of badass skaters and harvest all the points. Happy gardening!

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fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2018

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GEAR

helmet check and care IONA SWITCHBLADE, FOCO ROLLER DERBY

Take time throughout your derby season to look over the first on, last off piece of safety equipment that usually gets overlooked.

HELMETS ARE OFTEN THE piece of equipment that skaters are most loath to replace. They may have an impressive collection of stickers or a meaningful hand-painted illustration on their helmet. A lot of identity can be tied to a skater’s helmet as well as their literal blood, sweat and tears, so it makes sense that one might carry their helmet through several competitive seasons.

As you make your way into your next competitive season, give your helmet a once, or twice over to look for signs of wear that might compromise its ability to offer some protection for your head and face.

For the purposes of this article we will be looking at the multisport helmet which is generally most accessible to derby skaters.

Additional helmet styles would also benefit from a close inspection.

Your helmet is made up of several pieces and types of plastic, foam, nylon and metal.

The integrity and function of the whole helmet depends on how these pieces fit together. Let’s examine your helmet for damage or wear from the inside out.

The soft foam pieces that

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directly contact your skin are meant to create a snug fit.

These fit pads will eventually compress and break down due to sweat and friction under normal use. While these pads can be removed and handwashed using mild detergent and warm water, over-washing can result in faster breakdown so find a routine that works for you. Be sure that the fit pads keep enough of their volume to secure your helmet comfortably on your head without your helmet slipping off, forward or backward. If your teammates can compliment your sweet new bangs/fringe, then your helmet is not fitting securely, and it is time to replace these pads.

Next take a look at the rigid foam just under the shell of your helmet. Expanded Polystyrene, (EPS foam) should be inspected for cracking or dents. If you see these you will need to replace your helmet. This rigid foam helps to disperse some of the force that the helmet sustains during impact and when the foam isn’t in good shape your helmet just becomes a hat.

Let’s move on to the exterior of your helmet. Is the shell in

PHOTO COURTESY TRIPLE 8

good shape? Look for cracking around bolts and ventilation holes. Are there any chips around the edges? If your helmet has a visor be sure to pay special attention to the points where your visor connects to the rest of the helmet. These points can be susceptible to additional wear and tear.

Finally, take a moment to examine your chin strap and

buckle. Are there any chips in your buckles? Are the “O” rings that hold your excess chin strap down still holding tight or are they brittle and over-stretched?

Now is also the time to adjust your chin strap to achieve that “Y” shape just under your ears and to give yourself a reasonable amount of space between your chin and your helmet strap, don’t wait until 4 minutes before the first jam because you are “better under pressure.”

Your helmet may also have come with additional ways to adjust fit, including a fit dial at the back or additional fit pads. Take a look at these components and make sure they are not damaged, chipped or torn. And as always, use your helmet manufacturer’s instructions to achieve the best fit, which means the best protection.

helmet fit

*

helmet care tips

• A ll of the helmet’s components PHOTO are sensitive to extreme heat COURTESY TRIPLE 8 (melting, warping) or extreme cold (cracking, breaking). Protect your helmet and yourself by making sure it isn’t exposed to either of these extremes.

• A void unnecessary wear and tear on your helmet by making sure it is protected inside your gear bag.

Slamming around in a trunk or overhead bin can make your helmet vulnerable to cracks, dents and chips.

• A fter any impact during drills or game play be sure to check your helmet for damage. Any structural damage to your helmet means you need to replace it before your next practice.

For additional information on helmet fit, check out this video from Triple 8:

• S hould fit snug and not rock back and forth • T he front should rest above eyebrows, two fingers above them to be exact.

• T he straps can be adjusted on either side. The adjuster should rest just under your ear. You can tighten the back part or the front part to have the helmet sit properly on your head.

• T he chin strap should buckle and hang one finger below your chin. *Guidelines provided by Triple 8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=ZKMzwTDAVgY fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2018

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WFTDA

Keep Your Head in the Game: Concussions In Roller Derby OXFORD TRAUMA, TRI-CITY ROLLER DERBY

If you haven’t seen it firsthand, you’ve heard the story: Someone gets hit and they go down hard. The crowd’s roar lessens; it does not look good.

THE MEDICS RUN OVER. The injured skater stirs. After a few tense moments, they sit up. There is no blood, no visible injuries.

They stand on their own as the crowd cheers and the other players slowly stand from a single knee in solidarity. The injured party is fine – or are they?

A concussion is not a visible injury, but it is a very common injury in contact sports such as football, hockey, and roller derby.

Education and awareness are important to prevent and properly assess concussions.

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that can occur when there has been a jolt, blow, or just a bump to the head, neck, or face. It can occur any time the head moves back and forth rapidly, so it can even be caused by a blow to the body.

The consequences can be serious – a concussion can change the way the brain

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normally works, so it’s important to conduct a concussion assessment as soon as possible following an incident. The Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 5th Edition (SCAT5) checklist should be added to every roller derby league’s medical kit. It’s important for all league members to know when someone should be checked out by medical staff.

Symptoms of concussion that

Symptoms that may be noticed by others include appearing dazed or stunned, showing mood or personality changes, or losing consciousness. Certain symptoms are considered danger signs and require immediate emergency care: loss of consciousness for any amount of time, headache that gets increasingly worse, repeated vomiting, slurred speech,

Raising awareness can help prevent more traumatic brain injuries from occurring.

Remember the 5 Rs: Reduce, Recognize and React, Return, and Resources. may be noticed by the participant are headache or pressure in the head, nausea or vomiting, balance problems or dizziness, vision problems or sensitivity, confusion, feeling sluggish or groggy, or just not “feeling right.”

seizures, increasing confusion, or unusual behavior. Some symptoms may not show up for several hours.

Per the WFTDA Risk Management Guidelines, a player who has suffered a concussion

or shows signs of a concussion may not return to play on the day of the injury. A single symptom is enough to remove the participant from all gameplay.

Returning to normal activity is a structured process, increasing activity lightly to make sure the player can tolerate it without having symptoms.

Stage one of rehabilitation is no activity, allowing the player to recover. Light aerobic exercise such as walking, swimming, or stationary cycling can be added in next, followed by non-contact skating drills, endurance skating, or speed skating. The player can then add on non-contact training drills and resistance training. Once medical clearance is obtained, the participant can practice with full contact. If each of these activities is tolerated successfully, they may return to normal gameplay. However, if even a single symptom comes up during an activity, the player should step back down an activity level. This process can take several weeks.

However, there are ways to prevent concussions from

happening in the first place.

While there is no such thing as a “concussion-proof� helmet, proper fit and maintenance of a safety-certified helmet can reduce the impact to the head.

Helmets should have a snug fit and should also sit properly on the head, covering the frontal lobe, with the straps of the helmet creating a Y-shape under each earlobe.

Raising awareness can help prevent more traumatic brain injuries from occurring.

Remember the 5 Rs: Reduce,

Recognize and React, Return, and Resources. You can reduce the impact by getting a properly fitting, certified helmet. You should be able to recognize and react when a possible injury has occurred by knowing what to look for and realizing when someone needs medical attention. Return to full gameplay following the Return to Play Protocol in the WFTDA Risk Management Guidelines. Finally, educate yourself and others on concussion resources by sharing this information.

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JUNIOR DERBY

junior derby: bringing out the best in family

AMY GUERRERO, MOM TO KIT KAT THE CRUNCHINATOR 93 & CHEVY KILLERADO 930

NOT VERY LONG AGO, WE HAD JUST filled up our gas tank for the third time in one week, and we were doing it again the next day because we had practice. We were pulling into the parking lot of the skating rink for our second bout of the weekend, this one a mere three hours away from home.

“Mom”, Chevy, our 9-year-old says from the back seat, “My skin is tingling. My heart is all pumpy.”

Oh yeah. This is how I know.

She is ready to skate.

We’ve been in the junior roller derby world for almost six and a half years now. It started out slow, but the reigns have been tightened and we are holding on and refuse to let go. I have watched Kat, our 14-year-old, gain everything on the track: confidence in herself, new friends, learned skills, respect for her coaches, trust in her teammatesand loyalty to her league.

Kat was eight when she started playing. After I retired from the derby league I had skated with, Kat took all that knowledge she had stored, and completely surprised us all during her first few junior derby practices. She already knew most of the rules. Because their dad and I had worked at a skating rink when they were

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younger, both girls already knew how to skate, but in derby, skating is only half the battle.

Chevy can’t get enough of roller skating. She is the kid who will practice for three hours, and on the way home, ask to session skate at the skating rink. For Chevy, her very first junior roller derby practice was two weeks after

her fifth birthday. After watching Kat and waiting her turn for so long, she finally got to put on her own gear and hit the track. When you hear people say, ‘Size doesn’t matter’ about this sport, they truly mean it. I have seen Chevy fit through holes as a jammer that doesn’t seem possible. I have seen opposing skaters look for Kat

when she’s backward blocking, attempt to go through her, and she is skating solid. It floors me to think about how much knowledge Kat and Chevy have soaked up about this game.

They get knocked down, they fall, they get back up. The girls are chartered for two teams, one open (co-ed), and one all female, play for a rec league, and foster regularly for a fourth.

Practice, practice, bout, repeat.

Junior derby is a family of its own. We support each other. We support each other’s kids. We support the love of the game. It is my responsibility as a derby mom, NOT to instill in my children win, win, win, but to instill good

sportsmanship, respect for your opponent, and to celebrate the little victories.

My kids walk taller when they are wearing their derby jerseys. I can watch Kat and Chevy go from arguing in the car about who gets the last ketchup packet, to being on the track an hour later, with Kat turning into Chevy’s number one protector. As a blocker, Kat stands twice as strong when Chevy is jamming. When it’s game time, they’re in bout mode, and they are different kids.

This sport can take everything from parents and give everything back all in the same day. Week after week, this sport has shown the most dedicated volunteers,

coaches, and refs. Every time we’re leaving together as a team from an away bout, the adults are always checking on each other: “Are you home yet? How are you doing? Don’t get sleepy behind the wheel.” I’ve seen concussion checks, kids carried out on stretchers begging the EMTs to let them get back to the game, and blood and vomit being wiped off the floor. I’ve seen parents give kids shirts *literally* off their back because a jersey was forgotten, and it’s the only shirt around that will match the team color. I’ve seen skates broken apart during a bout, only to be feverishly duct taped together to go out for the three remaining jams. I’ve cried unexpected tears over this sport and held other derby parents while they shed tears. My children have played no other sports that have rocked me to my core the way this one does.

And my skaters have really only just begun.

At the end of the day, my kids will lace up their skates, put on their gear, and pop in their mouth guards again because this is what they love to do. This is what they’re good at. And if I can do something as small as drive them to practice, help tie Chevy’s skates, and refill Kat’s water bottle, I do that. Their teammates and they are the athletes on the floor. At the end of the day, my favorite thing to do is the easiest.

I just love watching my kids skate.

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ROOKIE

derby lessons learned ALEXANDRA SLAMILTON, HAPPY VALLEY DERBY DARLINS

IN SEPTEMBER OF 2016, I WAS leaving a warehouse full of derby girls. I fought back tears as I packed up my gear as quickly as I could, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. I couldn’t believe it. I had worked so hard and still had failed my second roller derby boot camp.

My mom texted me to ask me how I did. When I texted her back to tell her what had happened, I started crying.

Roller derby isn’t something that has ever come easy to me.

I had never even been on skates before I started my first boot camp. And trust me, it showed.

I was clumsy and awkward, and for a while (longer than I care to admit), I spent more time on the ground than on my feet.

I never played sports growing up. I did the obligatory ballet when I was five, and soccer when I was eight, but nothing ever stuck. Sports just weren’t my thing. When I was fifteen, I started Irish dance and loved it, but that was the extent of my athletic background. And roller derby is wildly different from Irish dance.

I didn’t even really mean to start playing roller derby. As clichéd as it sounds, I watched Whip It, and thought that maybe,

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if I could skate and had a higher tolerance for pain, I’d play roller derby. Then I decided to see if there was a local league so I could watch bouts. When I found the league, I saw that they had their recruitment night coming up, and I figured there was no harm in going. By the end of the recruitment night, I had decided I was going to play roller derby. The next week, I was in boot camp.

I failed that first boot camp.

And the next one. I’ll be honest; I wasn’t used to not succeeding.

assessments, but I did it! It took another eight months to be able to play in my first bout.

Honestly, if I had taken up roller derby at a different time in my life, I might’ve just given up. I’m not proud of it, but that was what I tended to do when something didn’t come easily to me. It’s not a great way to live life, but it’s what I did. But there was something about the challenge of roller derby that kept pulling me in. I loved the community of strong women supporting each

Roller derby is all about learning and growing, and being better than you were yesterday.

Then again, I wasn’t used to trying to succeed in athletics either.

After the second boot camp, it was the off-season. Luckily, by that time, I’d made some friends in the league who were willing to work with me. During the offseason, we went to the local skating rink three or four times a week so I could work on my skills.

It paid off. By the time league assessments rolled around the next season, I was more prepared. It still took me all three nights to pass all of my basic

other, and watching my body go through everything I put it through and come out stronger.

I haven’t looked back ever since. I’m wrapping up my second full season with my league, and I love every minute of it. Every bruise, every ache and pain, is proof that I can do hard things.

Don’t get me wrong, though. I still have my doubts.

Sometimes, when I’m really struggling to feel like I can even skate, I wonder if I should

keep going. Sometimes, it feels easier to just not go to practice.

Sometimes, it feels easier to just give up. But that’s the time to really dig in and keep pushing yourself to be better.

I’ve had the opportunity to work with the junior league in my league, as well as the new girls who start boot camp. I watch them go through what I went through. The struggles, the pain, and the uncertainty if they should continue. And I tell

them all the same thing.

If roller derby is for you, you’re going to stick with it. It’s not for everyone, and that’s okay. But if it’s for you, you’re going to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals. Because you can. Roller derby is all about learning and growing, and being better than you were yesterday.

There’s absolutely no reason to compare yourself to anyone else in roller derby. I know veterans who have been playing

for years who work so hard just to do a ‘basic’ move, and I know fresh meat who seem like complete naturals. It’s hard, I know. I watched girls I went through boot camp with excel and move on, and even girls who joined later than me join the travel team before I was even cleared to scrimmage.

But you just keep working.

You are the only person you need to be better than. If I had been told three years ago that I’d be joining roller derby in a few short months, I probably would have laughed it off. But here I am, and I can’t imagine my life any other way. If you’re in the same boat I was, and sometimes still am, and sometimes wonder if you should just give up, I just want to reiterate my advice.

If roller derby is for you, you’re going to stick with it. If it’s for you, you’ll find a way to achieve exactly what you want to. All you have to do to succeed is be better than you were yesterday. So just dig in your heels, push yourself to be better, and never be afraid to ask for help. Your league members are your team, and most of the time, they’re willing to help you and want to see you succeed.

And if you fall, that’s totally okay. It just means you’re learning. Just make sure you get up one more time than you fall.

If you can manage that, you can manage anything.

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FEATURE

PHOTO BY PREFLASH GORDON

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PHOTO BY PHANTOM PHOTOGRAPHICS

PHOTO BY ANJA WETTERGREN PHOTOGRAPHY

THE 2018 WFTDA CHAMPIONSHIPS were held in New Orleans, Louisiana and featured the peak of flat track roller derby gameplay. Ten teams convened to showcase a three day fight for the Hydra. With everything at stake, the Hydra was won in a stunning final game between the 2017 Champions, the VRDL All Stars and the now 2018 Champions, the Rose City Wheels of Justice. While many were witness to the games that weekend, we present to you a look through the lens of some of the roller derby community’s greatest storytellers: the photographers. fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2018

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FEATURE

PHOTO BY PHANTOM PHOTOGRAPHICS

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ABOVE PHOTO BY PHANTOM PHOTOGRAPHICS

PHOTO BY PREFLASH GORDON

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FEATURE

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PHOTO BY PREFLASH GORDON

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FEATURE

A PAIR OF ROLLER SKATING businesswomen have launched an exciting new fitness group in a bid to empower people of any age to don some quads, get active and have fun.

THE BRAINCHILD OF SKATERS Jodie Fellows – Gnarley Davidson

BY daisy deadline cornwall roller derby PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF WOWW! SKATING

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- and Jill Pierre – Storm Doris - both from Cornwall, the most southern county of the United Kingdom, WoWW! offers weekly skate fitness sessions for anyone aged 11 and over.

The pair bring years of roller skating experience to their fitness sessions after meeting while playing roller derby. Away from the roller derby track, they also hone their skating skills at the skate park.

“We are trying to make sport and getting active as fun as possible,” said Jill who has over 40 years of skate experience.

She began playing roller derby with Cornwall Roller Derby in

WoWW! Skating launched recently with the aim of sharing roller skating skills with people who want to get fit and enjoy themselves.

2014, training the Penzance team—the Rapscallion Rollers—from 2015 onwards, and was Captain in 2017.

“A lot of people say they haven’t skated since they were children so we’re bringing back that wonderful sense of nostalgia and freedom. It is great to be able to support people on their skating journey, whilst at the same time boost their confidence and help them to learn or improve, whatever their shape or fitness level.”

She added that the duo is passionate about empowering men, women and children to try something new and exciting while getting fit.

“Our classes are also a great way to encourage girls – who traditionally shy away from sport as they get older – to find an activity that empowers them, pushes them and teaches them a range of skills,” she said.

“We have skaters of all ages from 11 years old to people in their 50s and for some it is the only time they get away from the daily grind of work and family life. You really start to see people embracing and celebrating their body shape and its power and you soon start to see them becoming more confident in their own skin alongside their

new found skate skills.”

And their drive to introduce more people to the joys of life on skates has also seen them team up with their local roller derby league, to teach the basic skating skills to would-be players ahead of their minimum skills assessment.

“Training and skating with Cornwall Roller Derby, we know that some skating skills can be quicker to master than others and some people may want extra help and advice, for example around how to nail their transitions, jumps, or to build up their endurance so they can get passed and get playing roller derby,” said Jodie.

“Working in partnership with Cornwall Roller Derby, we give new skaters the basic level of skating they need to ace those minimum skills, get bouting and boosting the numbers of our local teams.

“It is really exciting to be introducing people to their first taste of roller derby and seeing them get that buzz out of the sport – which is so unique to skating – is a thrill for both of us.”

The mobile skate instructors’ plans include organising events for schools, children’s parties, roller discos and pop up sessions.

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professional skate service, both have gained Sports Leadership qualifications, are fully insured and first aid trained. They are also official supporters of the This Girl Can campaign and registered activity providers with Get Active Cornwall, which encourages local people to take part in sport.

“Roller skating is a fantastic sport because it is suitable for people of any experience or age,” said Jodie who has recently returned from the international music and skate festival Skate Love in Barcelona. She has been skating since 2012 and joined CRD’s Penzance team, the Rapscallion Rollers, becoming a main trainer in 2013. She has

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also captained the team as well as representing the county with the Cornwall All Stars, since 2013.

“We have a real range of people at our skate sessions; from those who haven’t skated since they were children but want to roll around and get fit in a fun way, to those who want to really push themselves out of their comfort zone and start learning how to take on ramps at skate parks, she said.

“It is such a thrill to be able to help and support them to learn and hone these skating skills, while getting fit and meeting new people.”

Showcasing the many positive experiences just waiting to be enjoyed on eight

wheels, the pair have worked with nearby Cornish skatepark Mount Hawke to devise a series of tricks and challenges for quad skaters to learn away from the flat track.

Jodie added: “The roller skating community in Cornwall is really vibrant, with more and more people getting involved with ramp skating and roller derby, or just going out for a roll with their friends, and we want WoWW! to promote the very best of these activities and show that anyone can come along, have a go and really enjoy themselves.

For more information about WoWW! classes and events, visit www.wowwskating.com.

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FEATURE

MOVING TEAMS

BY MELANIE PITSTOP, 710 IF SOMEONE HAD TOLD ME two RIOT CITY RAVENS years ago that this year I would

be skating in a sponsored challenge game against the likes of Scald Eagle and Brawn Swanson or taking off-skates classes such as ‘Existentialism in Roller Derby’; let alone skating in my first ever British Championships tournament, I would have laughed so hard that I wouldn’t have been able to stand up on my skates.

However, since that is exactly what I have done this year, I wanted to reflect and share some of the problems I’ve encountered as a little fish in a big pond.

When I started minimum skills training, I had no idea what I was about to get myself into! In the beginning I definitely

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revelled in the idea of being a tough roller derby girl, I dutifully watched Whip It and got excited about being able to wear hotpants with fishnets to skate whilst hitting people. I wanted to look fabulous and be a badass skater, but in reality I just fell on my butt and struggled to find leggings that would stay up whilst trying to complete the dreaded twentyseven in five. I slowly realised that there was a lot more to skating than just being able to stand up and that like the majority of things in life, you have to actively train to get better.

Fresh-meat no more, I started to take part in scrims and learned how to be a part of a sports team; sports teams, I believe, are a fantastic group of friends and I believe your team can ultimately influence how you experience roller derby.

However, the one thing I had

PHOTO BY PAUL SHIRK

not considered when I started skating was that as much as roller derby is a team sport, you have to be successful as an individual skater in order to add to the team’s success.

This came about a few months after passing my minimum skills, I’d been taking part in regular scrimmage for a while and attended all training sessions available to me, but I still felt that I wasn’t improving the same way as when I first started. My teammates were extremely encouraging and the coaches were supportive but I still wasn’t ‘getting’ it. I was able to follow the drills set during advanced sessions and was comfortable assisting in offense plays during games.

I felt that I must have been improving if I was able to keep up with the experienced skaters in my league and I felt confident in my ability;

that is until I played a high level game that was not with my home team and for the first time I was goated! For me there was nothing more frustrating than being stuck behind a wall not being able to escape, knowing that you haven’t got the skill set to tackle this – hell I didn’t even know what being goated meant until it was explained whilst off track! It happened more than once during that game and it.was.awful! Being without my usual teammates there to help me, made me realise that as an individual I lacked the required skills to hold my own space within the higher levels of roller derby. If I wanted to play – I had to do something about it.

And I did.

I started looking for any extra training sessions I could go to outside of my team, I booked myself on to bootcamps with all-star skaters, I watched countless hours of roller derby footage and started to do the washing-up whilst in a side surf stance!

I was desperate to find something that would give me the oomph to become the skater I envisioned. I took notes, tried to be book smart with skating because that was what I had always done to learn new things, but it didn’t work and I felt awful again.

The worse I felt the less I skated and the less I skated, well I’m sure you get the idea.

Alongside the problems on track, I was struggling with being able to get to training as I

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had recently moved, and wasn’t making attendance in order to play games. I made the heart wrenching decision to go unaffiliated and I didn’t expect to need to make a decision this early on in roller derby and felt incredibly guilty. I was worried that my team would think I was being selfish and that I would offend those who had worked so hard to help me pass my minimum skills to reach bout level. A part of me felt like I was giving up; but ultimately it was this feeling that spurred me on and pushed me get to where I am now.

No longer with a team, I

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discovered what skills needed work and how much I had been relying on other people to pick up my slack during gameplay.

I worked on one foot plows and toe stop pops, I recorded myself training and watched back critically. I skated long, sketchy valley lanes trying to up my endurance. I annoyed my partner (and the neighbors) with skating in the house; most importantly I didn’t stop smiling and I fell in love with skating all over again. I stopped doubting my ability and discovered that it is not just in our day to day life that we have to take

time for ourselves to regroup and discover what we really love and what we need more time to work on. I felt that through this process I was able to re-join a team and be confident in myself and happy being an individual that is part of a bigger unit. So if you are reading this thinking that this sounds familiar or that you wish you could take some time for yourself, give yourself some time to think about you.

After all, roller derby is a wonderful thing, beauty and chaos all in the space of two minutes. Life is big, hold your space.

THE ULTIMATE STOCKING STUFFER

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ART AND MEDIA

♼ the way you roll METAPHORCE TORONTO ROLLER DERBY

Fangirled over your Amazon jamming, all of your strength and sweetness of a scaled back hit, as you transferred to the league I went off for injury, admiring your ongoing track mastery.

Shared worlds of roller derby and reading, you with your denim jacket poetry pocket, my leather one collared by your all-star team pin.

An outdoor skate as a first date, your strategies for going down a hill on a busy trail backwards, to fear less and fall forward, correcting my stance and giving edging tips, off balance by all of your prowess and grace.

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Winter 2018 | fiveonfivemag.com 1. The flame from Orange Pivot #6’s left sock is missing. 2. Orange Pivots #6’s armband number was changed to #9 3. Blue Jammer #11’s armband number was changed to #1 4. The red stripe on Blue Blocker 14’s (providing the whip) sock has turned blue 5.The bruise on the Orange Blocker’s leg disappeared

PHOTO BY ANJA WETTERGREN PHOTOGRAPHY

THERE ARE FIVE DIFFERE NCES BETWEEN THE PHOTOS – FIND ‘EM!

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