THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE WOMEN’S FLAT TRACK DERBY ASSOCIATION (WFTDA) ISSUE 15, SPRING 2012
fiveonfivemag.com
fiveonfive contents 34-35
4-5 advice
ask ms d’fiant and em dash!
WFTDA The 2012 cycle for the WFTDA Officiating Clinics is underway.
6-9 business league website tips and tricks raising money for a nonprofit
lifting weights for roller derby yoga for derby post bout depression
Jules Doyle
10-17 health and fitness
42-43
18-25 games and coaching
Banked and Flat Track
line ups performance analysis world cup recap
Can we all coexist in the derby world?
26-27 gear 36-37 junior derby youth concussion training
Jules Doyle
finding the right pads
44-45 Bridging the Gap
38-41 rookie
How can leagues bring fresh meat and vets closer together?
transfer process a balancing act
james fisher
48-50 international derby 52-62 art and media 63 classifieds 68 horoscopes
editor miss jane redrum fort wayne derby girls copy editor vera n. sayne rocky mountain rollergirls content manager annsanity rocky mountain rollergirls art director assaultin’ pepa rocky mountain rollergirls contributing writers ms d’fiant angel city derby girls em dash gotham girls roller derby biroller disorder dutchland derby rollers moon yang denver roller dolls frida beater rocky mountain rollergirls rad die rocky mountain rollergirls
from the editor Welcome to the 15th issue of fiveonfive magazine! Am I the only one who thinks fiveonfive gets better and better each issue? Before joining the team, I looked forward to receiving my issue in the mail each quarter. When it arrived, I’d throw everything else aside to devour the content. Now, I have the honor of reviewing the magazine well before it reaches your hands, and I am continuously amazed by the talent and knowledge housed within our community. I may be a little biased, but I think you’d be hard pressed to find another group as hardworking and smart as ours.
catholic cruel girl rocky mountain rollergirls
This issue introduces a new jammer advice columnist, Em Dash of Gotham Girls
shamrock n. roller santa cruz derby girls
Roller Derby and Managing Editor of Derbylife.com. Be sure to check out what
francey pants montreal roller derby
she and Ms. D’Fiant have to say about managing derby, life and work, and
coach pauly e-ville roller derby
motivating skaters to come to practice. Frida Beater gives some great tips
justice feelgood marshall derby news network
for strength training to complement on-skates training on pages 10 and 11,
la petite mort fast girl skates
and Rad Die walks us through some easy yoga poses you can try at home
bombtrack wftda
on pages 12 and 13.
dangerous leigh a’zon rocky mountain rollergirls
Francey Pants outlines a fascinating performance analysis program on page 18,
jack & choke jersey shore roller girls
and Derby News Network’s Justice Feelgood Marshall gives us his recap of the
merry khaos harrisburg area roller derby
first World Cup on pages 24 and 25. Want to find out more about WFTDA’s
razorslut angel city derby girls
Officiating Clinics? Make sure you check out Bombtrack’s article on page 34.
ivanna s. pankin’ socal derby andy frye mysportscomplexblog.com
Of course, those are just a few of the articles featured in this issue. There are also
murphy’s outlaw ct rollergirls
articles about concussions, transferring to another league, post bout depression
kylie of backlash detour derby
and more. As always, if you’d like to submit a story idea or content, please contact
cover photo nicolas charest nicolascharest.com
us at content@fiveonfivemag.com. We would love to hear your ideas.
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 Women’s Flat Track Derby Association or fiveonfive magazine. WFTDA is a supporter of fiveonfive magazine but does not approve or disapprove of the content or advertisements.
Miss Jane Redrum Fort Wayne Derby Girls Fort Wayne, IN editor@fiveonfivemag.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.
Rad Die
April O’Hare
Rad Die is a yogi, a trainer, a professional house sitter, a bartender, a Gemini, a bad ass, a Mizzou Alum, a boob grabber, an aunt and a skater for the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls since 2009. She’s known to her teammates as Die because of her never say die approach.
Shamrock N. Roller Shamrock N. Roller’s love for eight wheels started at a young age, competing in artistic roller skating. After many years off skates, she found the addiction known as roller derby in 2007 and became a founding member of the Santa Cruz Derby Girls. She is a mother of two awesome kids, who lovingly take on their role as derby orphans as they cheer her on from the stands, along with her derby widow.
Francey Pants
Jules Doyle
Francey Pants is currently skating for Montreal, Team Bionic, and Team France. She is part of Montreal Roller Derby’s training committee and coaches various leagues as a guest coach. In real life, Francey Pants is trying to find her space in the nerd-jock continuum, pursuing advanced studies in kinesiology/coaching education and working as a research assistant.
Progressive Photography
Merry Khaos
La Petite Mort
Jules Doyle
Merry Khaos is lacing up for season three at Harrisburg Area Roller Derby (H.A.R.D.). Khaos has trained with 10 leagues outside of her home and assisted the Black Rose Rollers with finding their wheels. She has been a derby journalist since the start of 2011, tackling topics from athletic health to profile pieces. Khaos is currently the Marketing Director for H.A.R.D.
A skater since childhood, Jennifer Savaglio (La Petite Mort, Rat City Rollergirls) fell in love with roller derby at first sight, opening Fast Girl Skates in 2007, the very first derby storefront in the world. She is a highly regarded authority on skates and gear, regularly collaborating with manufacturers worldwide and educating skaters at every level.
Jean Schwarzwalder
advice
Em Dash
Ms D’Fiant
Gotham Girls Roller Derby New York, NY
Angel City Derby Girls Los Angeles, CA
DEAR BLOCKER AND JAMMER, I need help managing derby, life, work, etc. I work 40 hours a week, have a husband who is not involved in derby and needs attention and a dog who needs walking, and while committing to attend practices is not a problem, I'm struggling to do all these things plus eat healthy and maintain a healthy body. Any advice? -BUSY BEE
DEAR BUSY BEE, Congratulations for trying to achieve a work-derby-life balance and still take care of yourself and your body. This is critical to staying energized as a skater and not burning out. Look at how much time you’re actually spending doing each thing. If you’re spending four nights practicing every week, one night flyering, and another doing laundry or working late, your poor husband and dog are probably getting short shrift. I’d recommend actually writing it out so you can have a visual. Next, come up with a plan. Figure out with your husband what he wants and needs to be happy, and really listen to him. He’ll probably be much more supportive of derby if he doesn’t feel like he’s competing with it for your time and affection. Then examine work – are you kicking ass at your job, or barely scraping by, coming in late and exhausted and sprinting out early with your gear bag over your shoulder? If it’s the latter, you should build in more time for work, too, since it’s probably funding your derby habit. Don’t forget to take time for you, too. It can be hard to remember that it’s important for you to decompress and have time to yourself. Schedule it if you have to, but make sure you’ve got some. This might seem impossible, but there are ways to use your time more effectively. For example: Consider going for a long jog with your dog a few mornings a week. He’d probably love it, and you’d get the added benefit of cross-training. Do you and your husband like to cook? Make a date of it! Go shopping together for (healthy!) ingredients, and make a couple extra portions that you can eat for lunch or an afterpractice dinner. Finally, it’s OK to miss a practice every now and then. I know you don’t want to let your teammates down, but missing practice once in a while to have a movie date with your husband or catch up with your best friend will keep you happy and relaxed, and you’ll be more excited to get back on the track. Good luck! 4 | Spring 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com
DEAR BUSY BEE, As someone who works a demanding full-time job, played roller derby for seven years, works in league management, WFTDA management, writes a column, oh – and has a toddler with a non-derby spouse – this is a subject I can relate to. I was talking to a friend one day who had a pretty nasty drug habit in a previous life. She told me the secret to being a high-functioning heroin addict was time management. Though it surprised me at the time, I now understand that being addicted to any drug (hello, roller derby) requires serious time management skills. First – delegation! It wasn’t a full-time staff under me or running a roller derby league that taught this control freak how to delegate, it was becoming a Mom. Sometimes you need help and it’s okay to pay for that help. Hiring a bimonthly housekeeper keeps me sane. Look at your life. What can you outsource? There may be a kid in your neighborhood that would love to walk your dog for cheap on practice nights. Your question specifically focuses on diet and health, which is really the right mindset to have when you want to wrangle control of your life. So, here are some specifics I think are going to help: 1. Pre-planning It sounds cheesy and you’ll feel like your Mom (why prolong the inevitable?) but plan the week’s meals on the weekend, then post the worksheet in your kitchen. Sit down with the hubby and come up with the plan together. On practice nights, he can cook (see: delegation) and on non-practice nights, you can cook. 2. Grill more How else is your dude gonna make dinner? Twice a week, my husband grills – steaks, pork chops, chicken breasts. Pre-season (Santa Margarita available at Whole Foods will be your bff) and go! Throw in asparagus or another grilled veggie and call it a meal. Sure, shoot for meats that are low in fat. But grilling takes no time and is not just for summer anymore. 3. Cook staples on the weekend After Sunday practice, come home and make dinner. Personally, I roast a chicken since I’ll have plenty of leftovers. Make enough of that favorite carb to last a few nights on the weekend. I love black beans and brown rice. Simple, healthy and flexible – plain, with cheese, avocado, burrito, add roast chicken, tortilla chips, etc. The possibilities are endless. 4. Simplify Twice a week I have a turkey sandwich for lunch. Whole wheat bread, lean turkey, mashed-up avocado. Yes, I add pre-cooked microwavable bacon (don’t judge, I’m not in training anymore and it’s bacon in one minute). Know what else is easy? Breakfast. Scrambled eggs, side of turkey + whole wheat toast = delicious at any time of day. Find a great local salad bar for nights when you don’t have time to cook. 5. Exercise daily This is the hardest one, but if you’re serious about your healthy body, you’ll find a way. The good news is, you’re probably getting decent cardio skating three times a week. That’s really not enough though. Try working in a 20-30 minute strength building routine. Again, keep it easy and go for bodyweight exercises (burpees, star jumps, squats, pushups, mountain climbers) that can be done anytime/anywhere. It’ll take dedication and some time to get used to, but soon you’ll find that you completely rely on having a system. Oh, and don’t forget about that husband. When you make time for him, let it slip what you’re not doing on date night, “Oh good, just saw that the fundraiser tonight has plenty of volunteers, that makes me feel better about passing it up to go to a movie.” Your dude will appreciate being more important than derby (for once) and, I promise, the league will be okay.
Preflash Gordon
DEAR BLOCKER AND JAMMER, Lately, our attendance at practice has been very low. How do you motivate skaters to go to practice? -MT SPACE
DEAR MT SPACE, Have you asked skaters why they aren’t coming to practice? That could shed some light on the problem. You could also try asking the individual team captains. They might have a better sense of why their teams have low attendance, or if their teams have better than average attendance, what’s motivating those skaters. Do you have an attendance policy with a minimum number of practices skaters have to hit every month? GGRD requires skaters to attend at least six practices a month to be eligible to bout in the following month, and strictly enforces that policy. Consider tracking attendance publicly, such as with a shared Google spreadsheet. Shame is not my first choice for a motivator, but it can help some. There are certain times of the year that practices tend to be sparsely attended (during the summer, for example, or around the holidays). It could also be that you’re not providing enough of a mix of activities at your practices, and people are less excited about going to practice. Are you focusing on a lot of basic skills, cross-training, and endurance without providing more fun activities to balance them out? Consider adding in a game every now and then. Freeze Tag and Red Light, Green Light can help you work on your stops, and relay races are good ways to work on quick starts and stops while building teamwork. It’s also important to have scrimmages and game-like scenarios on a regular basis so skaters can put together what they’ve been working on in skills practices. That’s the reason everyone joined, right? The more chances they get to actually play the sport, the more excited they’ll probably be to practice. Plus, nothing makes me want to work on my skills like getting my butt kicked in scrimmage. Good luck!
DEAR MT SPACE, Motivation is a tough one. If I can quote my former captain, Go Go Gidget, you have to put the fear of god in your skaters and at the same time inspire them. How one does that, I’m not exactly sure. But I do know that disappointing her because I did something stupid on the track was worse than all the pushups she made the team do for it. Tough love? Maybe, but it works. Of course, you’ve got to get the girls TO practice to start getting them fearing, while simultaneously being inspired, which, I think, directly leads to league management. Luckily, this is an area where I can help. Excite your league. Schedule great bouts and everyone in the league will work day and night to make them happen. The fundraising team is going to work harder to raise the money for travel. Marketing is going to bust their humps to sell more tickets to bouts. And, most importantly, each girl is going to want to play in those awesome bouts. Maybe it’s a crack at a ranked team in your region or your long-standing rival; maybe it’s a game in Hawaii or on a banked track. Nothing motivates derby girls like awesome roller derby. Next, much harder than raising the money to travel or scheduling the best conceivable bout, is to stick to your policies. Every league realizes that moment when they can’t let skaters slide anymore. For many, it’s the jump to paying monthly rent that is the wake-up call. But any exceptions to your attendance policy could potentially negate the entire thing. The best hockey player turned roller derby star in your state is worthless if your team morale is down, and nothing drops down team morale quicker than exceptions or unfairness. Okay, fine. There are exceptions. A reliable skater that has been with your league for years never caused problems but had spotty attendance since her Mom got sick, and on bout day, the team has “Mom” sharpied on their shoulders out of solidarity – these are not the cases I’m talking about. This is why it’s necessary to put in a system of checks and balances. Captains alone are not the best people to make roster decisions. We have a committee that tracks basic league membership requirements and determines bout/team eligibility. They are very “by the book”. On the other hand, our captains are allowed discretionary powers to make exceptions for extremely rare cases. However, these decisions are made with the full support of the team. This system of checks and balance, plus transparency, makes it easier to enforce consistent policy. If abiding by policy isn’t a problem, maybe it’s a good time to evaluate the season schedule. Does the team need a break? Ask someone who isn’t in management. It took me three seasons scheduling bouts to realize that our All-Stars did not ever want to play a travel game by the time October rolled around. It doesn’t matter if they compete at Regional Playoffs or not, they are wiped and will take until February to pick up serious momentum. Oddly enough, the same does not hold true for our B team who played killer games in October and January this year. Personally, I think it’s the combination of a more flexible roster, local play and a touch less pressure. Other leagues take hiatus in the middle of the season. Every league is different depending on a host of external factors; figure out what’s best for you. Honestly, the more I think about it, the more potential situations I come up with. Maybe there’s a really douchey player on your league? Do you have a skater advocacy program? It might be time to implement one. If you can’t find the root of the problem, I’d suggest asking around; it shouldn’t be too hard to find a derby girl willing to talk about how things could be better.
need advice? email advice@fiveonfivemag.com fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2012 | 5
business
league website tips and tricks BIROLLER DISORDER, DUTCHLAND DERBY ROLLERS
When you’re planning a league website, make it as easy and intuitive as possible. Fans and sponsors should be able to find what they need quickly. Before you begin, you need to understand the general pieces that make up a website, including registering a domain name, choosing a host, setting up email, and establishing a store, so you’re not completely dependent upon the one most technical person in the league or in league employ. In 2009, our league website got nuked in a catastrophic redesign effort with unstable software. Only about 15% of site visitors could see the site properly; 35% of those remaining saw skewed blocks, fragmented logos, and other odd visual inconsistencies. Those who visited using what is now the most popular browser in the world, Google Chrome, experienced all sorts of trouble. As the image below shows, the dropdown menus actually went behind the pictures on the front page where nobody could click them.
Everyone knew there were problems – and I wrote up a brief analysis of what was wrong. Then our board of directors did a great thing; they brought together anyone with a stake in the site, technical or non-technical. From the skaters who would be updating the photos to the skaters who would set up the online store, everyone was represented. We had three major goals: 1. Give people who visited our sites – from fans, to interested people, to sponsors, to other leagues – what they needed as simply and as quickly as possible. 2. Make the entire site visible for our diverse clientele, who use a variety of computers and browsers and devices. 3. Free ourselves from the tyranny of a single, specialized program, or dependency on a single person by educating ourselves on the basics and by opening the site to a team of league members to add and update information. No more bottlenecks! 1. Know the important people and give them what they need! fluff the funders Think beyond “for the skater, by the skater” to “for the funders, by the league.” We aren’t independently wealthy, so we depend on current fans, new fans and sponsors. We broke these audiences down in terms of what they wanted or needed from us. You can see an excerpt below:
Sadly, the person who pushed the button to launch this bomb was nowhere to be found, putting our website administrator in a terrible position. She was stuck with a site that was so intricate and unstable she couldn’t train anyone else to make updates, so she was condemned to making them herself. Worst yet, basic changes like moving items around and shrinking pictures seemed to be very easy to make, so nobody appreciated the effort required to accomplish these tasks. Aside from the many technical problems, those who were able to access the site faced the next problem: they couldn’t find anything. The menus didn’t make sense. When we asked for changes, the worn-out webbies nearly cried, “It will take hours and hours to make those changes! Can’t the people just click around until they find what they need?”
6 | Spring 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com
Audience
Needs/Tasks
Current Fans • Buy tickets Enjoy roller derby. Want to continue to • See schedule see it and learn more about the team. • Buy merchandise • Join Facebook fan page • Follow Twitter • Subscribe to newsletter • Read about Dutchland (girls, news, events) Potential Fans/New to Derby Curious about roller derby; want to see it.
• Read about derby (what is it?) • Buy tickets • See schedule • Join Facebook fan page • Subscribe to newsletter
Note, with the exception of Facebook, the lack of nerd language in these descriptions. We didn’t want to let the
Make sure you test every page on your site with each of the major browsers shown above every time you change or
technology dictate our process; we went directly to the people and the things they were most likely to do on our site.
add to your site! Nothing fancy – just have any of your members go through, page by page, clicking every button and link and
write for them, not for you We are all derby super fans, thinking in “jukes” and “jams” and “majors” and “minors.” But when we write for the a public audience, we forget that their concept of derby may be women beating each other up, not dropping to a knee strategically to release a jammer early. They’re not going to care about a jam-by-jam version of the stats spreadsheet made into sentences. And though your league history is sacred to you and yours, unless it’s utterly meaningful to a stranger, keep it off the front page. What you should put forward are quick, brief, headlines with short, active sentences written almost like you would speak them. This contradicts years of schooling that taught you to be detached, long-winded (meet those word counts), and methodical about having exactly five sentences per paragraph, and exactly five paragraphs per article or essay. For a great introduction to web writing, see the free chapter of Ginny Redish’s “Letting Go of the Words,” called “Content! Content! Content!” at redish.net/books/letting-go-of-the-words. Also check out Mobile First, by Luke Wroblewski (abookapart.com/products/mobile-first). His idea is that if we prepare our information for the small screen, we must decide what the most important information for our fans is.
making sure everything is there and in the right place.
2. Make your site friendly to all manner of computers, phones, and browsers What’s a browser? It’s the thing you run on your computer to look at web pages. It sounds like a stupid question, but it’s not to the millions of people who thought it was a part of Windows, thanks to Microsoft who made its browser, Internet Explorer, blend in so well it seemed like the one true way. Misguided folk like our web development “league friend” made web sites that could only be used with Windows and with Internet Explorer. Two years ago, our web site was so “ten years ago,” so we did a little research (shown below with the source) and discovered that on desktops and laptops, most people (around 80%) didn’t use Internet Explorer. And this doesn’t even account for smart phones! Browser Stats
Internet Explorer
Firefox
Chrome
Safari
Opera
December 2011
20.2%
37.7%
34.6%
4.2%
2.5%
November 2011
21.2%
38.1%
33.4%
4.2%
2.4%
Chrome and Firefox Grow, Internet Explorer Lags
3. Never depend on a single person to run your entire web operation Technology feels strange, scary, and expensive. And for many of us, it’s a struggle to learn – or to know what to learn. (Or what we need, or how to pay for it.) We’re too busy actually running the business to have time to deal with the nerdy web stuff. So we are relieved when that special genius shows up and offers to make it all better, easier, and cheaper. Computer people are ridiculously optimistic – they really believe they can do all the things. watch out for these people you may already know... Who will your computer genius be? It may be Egon, the Head Referee, who routinely shuts down or refuses to update portions of the website when he doesn’t get respect from the skaters. Or Donna, the friend of a friend of a league member who will do your website for free for the experience. Once Donna gets a paying job or realizes she’s gotten in too deep, she’ll vanish. She also makes poor decisions about technology, leaving leagues with a wretched website that only looks good under precise, peculiar conditions. Perhaps it’s Chuck, an enthusiastic professional web guy who has built his own web construction set that’s confidential and proprietary, with an impressive portfolio and a soft spot for derby leagues, which he charges much less for. Like Donna, once Chuck gets contracts that actually pay his bills, he becomes the wimpy relationship breakup guy, retreating from communication and becoming less available just when you’re having problems. Because Chuck hosts your site on his server, and because his software is super secret, he is absolutely the only one who can fix things if they break. beware the homemade, super special, custom-built solution Chuck isn’t alone – many very smart people have made their own special, souped-up software that is superior to the rest of the world. They’ll try to convince you that you’ll save time and money and that they do things better than anyone else. But let’s be honest: League websites aren’t revolutionary, novel, or special in their technical foundations. You post schedules, scores, pictures, and skater profiles. You sell stuff. You send and receive email. These
Source: w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp
fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2012 | 7
business aren’t large-scale, enterprise projects, and they don’t require special things to make them run. I urge you not to pick a technology that’s so specialized that you can’t move it to another place if you must. Though the super-souped-up site may seem to work flawlessly, even magically, it will break, and you’ll be helplessly dependent on a mad scientist, who is also likely overcommitted to ten other projects, placing you and your league at the bottom of the pile. But you’re stuck. You’ve already dumped your entire budget into this site and you don’t even own it. Even though the content (pictures, schedules, writing) is yours, the effort and cost required to find a new place, put all the things in by hand and figure things out is so high that you stay trapped. Think of it this way: Would you buy handmade, custom skates that were “optimized” and “tweaked” to the point where none of the parts would fit any other skates? Whose manufacturer was a guy who made skates for a few other clients, but didn’t share his designs, and required special tools to undo the septagonal star screws holding the wheels to the axles? educate yourself “just enough” to manage the process You don’t have to be a genius to understand the basic parts of funding, building, and maintaining a website. But you’ll feel like an idiot talking to most technical people, because you won’t understand most of what they say. However, technical people who can’t explain in plain terms what they’re doing on a simple league website are possibly terrible communicators, power-hungry douche bags, or paranoid shut-ins raised by Play Stations, X-Boxes, and scary robots. This means that you are neither stupid nor inferior. But you can learn some key things without moving things around on the screen or jumping into 10,000 lines of obscure code. At the very least, understand this: the process of making a website requires the following: • A name, usually “something.com”. This is called a domain name and you buy it from a “registrar,” who makes sure nobody else can use it as long as you keep paying the annual fee (like a lease). Popular sites to register a name include Register.Com and GoDaddy.com. • A place to put your stuff, called a “host.” The host holds all your pages, your pictures, and everything else people see resource
My Site – derby website working documents from our project and from other sources
8 | Spring 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com
when they go to your website. Many registrars like GoDaddy.com and Register.com also offer hosting in addition to names. Be careful not to believe that you must buy the hosting from the registrar; it’s perfectly cool to put your stuff somewhere other than where you bought your name. • A place to put your email, called a “mail host” or “mail provider.” Some places that host your stuff will also host your email, so you don’t have to worry about separating the two. Google offers a special version of Gmail packaged as “Google Apps” (google.com/apps/intl/en/group/index.html) that lets you use your league .com (domain) name like it was a Gmail account. This is a popular choice because it’s very easy to set up; we use that in our league. • Software, or a program that takes all your stuff and makes it work, also called a “platform,” a “framework,” or “environment.” Some frameworks (like WordPress) are free and widely used. Others cost money. These can be proprietary, which means you’re stuck with the people who made it and you’d have to re-do everything if you switched. Planning and creating a website for your league is a team effort, focusing on the people outside your league who keep the money flowing. That’s not to say you exclude stuff targeted to your skaters or other leagues, but you put the most important things first. Planning the technology can be frightening, but don’t feel like you have to jump into a giant site with a forum, a shopping cart, a chat lounge, and complete bout videos streaming live from your site. Some leagues live exclusively on Facebook and don’t even have an actual website. But I recommend that you start with a single, focused front page with a schedule, pricing, a good action photo, and a way to contact you. You can buy a domain, get a host, and set up a site for around a hundred bucks. And expand gradually. But be very careful when accepting help from the one-personshow. Most technical people are very talented, and very well meaning, but can’t make you a priority for what you can afford. It’s uncomfortable to reject offers for help; but that warm feeling in your face when you smile and agree to a deal has a way of creeping downwards and sitting like steamy fresh crap in your pants when things go wrong. website iteachwriting.com/derbywebsites
Pencil – a free tool for making mockups of your website
pencil.evolus.vn/en-US/ScreenShots.aspx
Balsamiq – a paid tool for making mockups; the author gives discounts for small organizations
balsamiq.com
raising money for a nonprofit M O O N YA N G , D E N V E R R O L L E R D O L L S photos by Steve Nelson
Roller derby is more than a sport. It is a close-knit community and to many, a family. This family is bonded by the blood, sweat, tears and exhilaration of the sport and extends beyond skaters to coaches, refs, volunteers and fans. The passionate bond transcends the track, as well. A touching example of this is the effort many leagues put into raising money to support local organizations. Bijou Blacnbleu (Heather Angeli) of the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls
bought raffle tickets and a beer. Another option was to upgrade to
(formerly of Denver Roller Dolls) was diagnosed with multiple
$10 and get unlimited beer refills. Additional raffle tickets were
sclerosis in August of 2010. Her doctor discouraged her from
offered for purchase at $1 each and all proceeds went to the
continuing to play roller derby, but instead of hanging up her
cause. The raffle prizes were donated by local sponsors, which
skates, she has vowed to skate on, fight the disease and raise
are a roller derby league’s best asset in fundraising. Prizes included
money and awareness at the same time. She created “Team Skate
a one-night stay in a hotel, hair accessories, a foursome with a golf
It Off” for the Walk for MS held on
cart, merchandise, gift certificates, etc.
May 7, 2011, and raised $8,000,
There was a feeling of excitement
far exceeding her $5,000 goal.
in the air at the Wagon Wheel, as
Inspired by Bijou’s story, Detour
if this was an important bout in
Derby in Brighton, Colorado, an
a regular season and not a mix-up
outlet for skaters at all stages of
of skaters from across Colorado.
their derby life: retired, returning
There was a scoreboard, the usual
from injury and brand-new,
zebra huddle in the middle of the
organized a scrimmage fundraiser
track, bumpers decorated with
for the Walk for MS. Skaters from
sponsors and boisterous fans.
leagues all around Colorado
Eva Mather, a representative of the
participated; Rocky Mountain
MS Society, gave a brief, informative
Rollergirls, Denver Roller Dolls,
presentation about multiple sclerosis
High City Derby Divas, Wreckin'
and then Bijou addressed the crowd.
Roller Rebels, Rollin' Bones, The
Those who have not met Bijou are
Rocky Mountain Riot, Pueblo Derby
missing out. She is sweet, caring, fun
Devil Dollz and Slaughterhouse
and clearly a tough presence. She
Derby Girls. The mix included men's
gave a heartfelt thank you to all those
roller derby, co-ed roller derby,
who participated and reiterated her
banked track, WFTDA teams
determination to fight multiple
and recreational teams. Over 60 bouting skaters were organized
sclerosis through the sport that so many of us love. Her tearful
into four teams, which were drawn at random, giving men and
words were touching and deeply inspiring.
women, flat and banked, veteran and newbie, a chance to team
The championship bout was between Heartbreak Heathers
up and skate together for a good cause. There was a single-
and Orange Crushers. Bijou played on Heartbreak Heathers.
elimination tournament and three bouts, the final bout being
Her team won and in the final jam, she was passed the star
the championship bout between the two winning teams.
to score the final points.
The Detour Derby organizers had everything donated from the
In the end, the event raised $2,400 for the Walk for MS.
venue down to the kegs of beer. Sponsors donated prizes for raffle
An unexpected benefit of the day was the bond formed between
tickets and the suggested donation at the door was $5, which also
the roller derby leagues of Colorado.
fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2012 | 9
health and fitness
lifting weights for roller derby F R I DA B E AT E R , R O C K Y M O U N TA I N R O L L E R G I R L S photos by April O’Hare Photography
Strength training is the icing on the roller derby training cake. Weight lifting has several health benefits including bone health, fat burning and injury prevention. But most importantly, lifting weights gives athletes enhanced strength and muscular endurance. In roller derby, we need strength and muscular endurance to reach our peak performance. injury prevention Lifting weights is a key component to injury prevention. Skating naturally over-develops the quadriceps muscles. If you allow your hamstrings to remain under-developed, they fail to support your knees. The tendons and ligaments around your knees are forced to compensate for weak hamstrings, putting strain and an increased likelihood of injury on your knees. Weight lifting strengthens the muscles, ligaments, and tendons that keep our bodies in proper alignment and protects our joints and bones under impact. Additionally, many ankle breaks can be prevented with strong muscles to protect the ankle upon impact.
complete this leg routine one time per week. Look for a future article in fiveonfive magazine about core conditioning. warm-up 5 minutes on a stationary bike
leg extensions 1 warm-up set 15-20 reps 3 sets. Each set should start with a weight that you can do 12-15 reps, close to fatigue, then immediately drop the weight by half (if you start at 100lbs, drop to 50lbs), and lift until muscle failure.
muscular endurance The role that strength training plays in muscular endurance is often overlooked by athletes. Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle or group to sustain repeated contractions against a resistance for an extended period of time. Training specifically for muscular endurance allows muscles to build a higher lactic acid threshold, resulting in less muscle fatigue. The best way to train for muscle endurance in weight lifting is to do drop sets. Drop sets consist of doing one exercise with a weight that you can lift for no more than 10 repetitions, then immediately dropping down to a lower weight and lifting until you cannot lift anymore (muscle exhaustion), and again dropping down to an even lower weight and lifting until exhaustion. Although a well-balanced lifting routine is ideal for overall health and muscular balance, roller derby skaters should focus on their legs and their cores. 70-95% of the power of a block comes from a skater's legs. The quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes are the primary muscles used to gain power in skating strokes and to deliver blocks. Next I outline a weight lifting routine for your legs that will help prevent injuries and improve roller derby skills. You should 10 | Spring 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com
Rest 1-2 minutes between each set.
lying hamstring curls 1 warm-up set 15-20 reps 3 sets like the ones above dropping the weight in half and lifting until muscle failure
leg press
hack squats
3 sets of 12-15 reps
3 sets of 10-12 reps
weighted box lunges
weighted calf raises
15-20 reps on each leg. Holding a weight, lunge forward, then sideways, backward, and to the opposite side. Switch legs.
3 sets to failure on each leg. Hold dumbbells at your side for each lift.
a few things to remember: • If you have knee injuries, you will need to adjust the weight accordingly. Don’t do anything that hurts. • Always recover with protein within 30 minutes after strength training.
fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2012 | 11
health and fitness
yoga for derby R A D D I E , R O C K Y M O U N TA I N R O L L E R G I R L S photos by April O’Hare Photography
Yoga and roller derby can complement one another if you find the yoga style that best suits your needs. However, like derby, you get out of yoga what you put into it. To maximize yoga’s benefits, I suggest finding a style of yoga that suits your objectives and taking a class at least twice a week. I practice and teach power vinyasa because it is physical, challenging, and therapeutic. However, if yoga wasn't my job I know it would be difficult to fit into my already busy routine. So here is a rundown of yogi breathing and three poses that you can do at home on your own time. Yoga is all about breathing. Breathing will keep you calm and present in your practice. The breath we use in power yoga is an ujjuyi (ooh-jy-yee) breath, deeply inhaling through the nose to fill up your lungs and exhaling through your nose emptying the lungs. The inhale will bring fresh new air into your body, and the exhale will clean out the stale air. Our lungs are elastic so the longer you inhale, the more your lungs will expand. Our muscles need that oxygen to do what we ask them to do, and we ask a lot of them in roller derby. So if you practice your breathing, the lungs will expand and enhance your endurance. The breath should be audible and sound like the ocean. Make your inhales match your exhales and give each a five count or more, working toward longer breaths. Breathing is the foundation of any yoga practice. Now that you are familiar we can start to build on what we know. The first pose is crow and it’s a great pose to build core strength. That core strength will help you hit harder, make you harder to knock over, help you get up faster when you inevitably do, and you’ll look good naked! 1. Start with your feet together with knees bent, arms shoulder width apart, palms flush on the mat, fingers spread wide, middle fingers pointed directly in front of you. 2. Lift up your heels. The balls of your feet should be on the floor like you are crouching.
12 | Spring 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com
3. Keep arms parallel to each other, bend your elbows and use the back or your arms as a shelf. 4. Bring both knees up almost into your armpits/tricep area, shift weight forward slowly and lift your right foot off the ground. 5. Set it back down and bring the left foot up. When your balance is stable, lift all ten toes off the ground and press down through the palms of your hands. 6. Keep your gaze down if that feels better on your neck. You don’t want to hold any unnecessary tension in the little muscles in your neck. Let the big muscles in your core do the work. NOTES: This may feel a little awkward or painful on the backs of your arms and your knees might slide down, so it's best to wear pants. You will build a sort of callus on the backs of your arms or your triceps. Always have your core engaged, and once you have lifted both feet off the floor, try to hold the pose for five breaths or more. Not only will this pose strengthen the abdominals and arms, it will help you face fears. Falling is a necessary part of learning. Anyone learning to skate while playing a full contact sport can attest to that. We always get up, learn and move forward. Be gentle with yourself and your process. This pose is challenging. If you were able to master any pose from the beginning, there would be no journey or process, and after all, the journey is the prize, not the destination. The next pose is runner’s lunge. Our hips do a lot for us in our wonderful sport. They flex and extend. Absorb and initiate. And are constantly rotating. They can get tight from all that activity because our muscles are constantly tensing up in an effort to be ready for the next hit. Give them a little love and attention and let go of some of the tension with this pose.
1. Start in a high plank, also known as a push-up position. Inhale and bring your right foot forward into a lunge. 2. Keep the right knee at 90 degrees or less and the heel of your left foot up. 3. Inch your right foot to the outside of your right hand toward the edge of your mat, right toes point to two o’clock. 4. Stay up on the ball of your back foot, and lift the back of your left knee to the ceiling. 5. Make sure the back leg is straight and strong. Rock your weight front and back a couple of times if you choose to lubricate the joint. You can stay up on your palms, or if you are more open in your hips, drop to your forearms. NOTES: Everybody is different. You're going to feel this where you need it and it may be different depending on the day. You may feel it on the inside or the outside of your hip, or both. See if you can hold it for 30 seconds at first, working up to a couple of minutes over time. Breathe. You will feel some discomfort, unless you’re incredibly flexible. Go to where it’s uncomfortable. Step out of your comfort zone. You want to create a mild inflammatory response. The response to going past a certain point, or your edge, as yogis like to say, will create a need for healing so all the messengers in your body will alert your brain to the site and the effect will be fresh nutrient-rich blood into the joints, thus flushing out tension and scar tissue. It should not be painful, however, just uncomfortable. MODIFICATION: Drop your back knee down to the mat. Or if you are tight – roller skating, running, skiing, biking, can all lead to tighter hips – and you can't quite get to your palms to the mat, you can use a yoga block to bring the floor to you. AGAIN, BREATHE: It's very important to use your breath, in hip openers especially. We can keep a lot of emotion in our hips and it can come up while you are in this pose. The body naturally holds on to trauma until we are able to deal with it in a safe environment. If you aren't doing anything else but inhaling and exhaling through your discomfort, that's perfect.
If you are on your forearms, bring palms back to the mat and push up. Engage your core, lift your right toes off the mat and bring your foot back to meet the left. From high plank position, inhale your left foot forward and repeat the process. A WORD ON THE KNEES: It is important to note that the health of the knee will determine how this posture will serve you. The knee has a limited blood supply. The tourniquet effect from this pose will bring more blood into the joint. You may have to feel this in your knees before you can get into the hip opening of the pose. Listen to your knees. Know that where you are in your yoga practice is exactly where you need to be. SHOULDERS: Have you ever noticed how much you round your shoulders forward playing roller derby? We bend forward and tense up the muscles in our body to prepare for the combat of this sport. But it’s awful for your posture. Great posture is shoulders back chest open. So while this serves ourselves during combat, it’s not necessary for the rest of our lives. We have a shoulder opener for the last pose.
1. Lie belly down, prone position with your arms extended out into a “T.” 2. Keep right arm on the ground and roll over lifting left arm to the sky. 3. Lift left leg and bend left knee and bring left foot sole to the ground behind right knee, left knee to the sky. 4. Let the right side of your head rest on the mat. This will stretch the front of your right shoulder. The goal is to keep spinning open. 5. Inhale to lengthen through the crown of your head, exhale to twist open. NOTES: It’s a slow gradual opening for your shoulder. Roll back to center and repeat on the left side. Inhale, lengthen through the crown of your head and exhale twist open. Namaste Mo Fos!
fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2012 | 13
health and fitness
Springtime Boogie Salad Catholic Cruel Girl, Rocky Mountain Rollergirls
This salad will have you shakin’ your tail feather because it is so easy to make and so yummy to eat. Made with seasonal spring ingredients (most of which can be grown in your backyard if you are so inclined) and filled with good for ya’ nutrients. What could be better? Popsicles! – but that’s in the next issue. Enjoy! ingredients: dressing: 1 cup green lentils 3 tablespoons avocado oil 2 bay leaves 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or brown rice vinegar 1 cup radishes, washed and thinly sliced 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced 1 cup asparagus, lightly steamed (but still crispy), cut diagonally into ¼” 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard pieces ½ teaspoon dried tarragon (If you don’t have tarragon use either dried ½ cup thickly shredded carrots basil or dill. Totally different flavors but will work and be fantastic.) 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, roughly chopped Additional options: 1 head of Belgian endive or a bunch of greens such as spinach, arugula or chard
Bring lentils, bay leaves and 3 cups water to boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and let it do its thing for 20 minutes. Drain lentils, remove bay leaves and let cool. While lentils are cooking whisk together oil, vinegar, garlic, mustard and herb of choice. Once lentils have cooled toss in large bowl with radishes, asparagus, carrots and parsley. Gently stir in dressing until fully combined and chill for an hour (you and the salad). If you want to make this a little fancy to bring to a potluck use endive leaves as an edible serving dish by spooning some salad onto the leaves. To incorporate some greens set aside some of the dressing to toss with the greens separately and top the greens with the lentil salad.
Dr. T ucso n
14 | Spring 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com
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health and fitness
post bout depression S H A M R O C K N . R O L L E R , S A N TA C R U Z D E R B Y G I R L S
You spend all week preparing for a bout; physically, mentally and emotionally. You may think after years of playing the game, you don’t spend too much time devoted to thinking about your upcoming bout on Saturday, but you do. It just doesn’t have the same effect on your body and mind like it once did. The butterflies are not as intense and you have more control over your thoughts than you did when it was all new to you (although I do know some veteran skaters who still get tweaked mentally before a bout). The point is, that while you may not notice it, you’re still preparing. Come bout day, you’re focused, you’re driven and you’re ready to put it all out on the track. The bout comes and the bout goes. You’ve driven your body to the breaking point, adrenaline rushing through your veins for over an hour. Then what do you do? You head to the after party and you drink! You have a great time and you dance, possibly burning even more calories than you did during the bout. You go to bed late that night and wake up the next morning bummed out with no idea why. Your team won the bout and you seriously won the after party, but you’ve got the blues and there’s nothing you can do about it. So what are these post-bout blues all about? I wish I had a definitive and scientific answer to that question, but I don’t. I have talked to a couple of doctors and done a ton of research on the web. And although a large amount of people have similar feelings, I did not find a study that states why people feel this way after working out so hard. So, what I am going to give you is a series of ideas of what may be going on and perhaps through some trial and error, you can identify what works for you to keep the post-bout blues away. One theory is that the feelings are not physiological but rather psychological. People who are naturally anxious and have a tendency to ascribe success or failure to outside forces, as opposed to being due to their own actions (rightly or wrongly), tend to have more feelings of depression. Theoretically then, if you can focus on your role in things, as well as attempt to decrease anxiety in daily life (through diet, exercise, meditation, etc.), you could potentially decrease those depressed emotions. If you find that this does not take care of your post-bout blues, plan to engage in a supportive
16 | Spring 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com
social interaction the day after a bout and some moderate exercise, which many of us do not actually do the next day. Better yet, why not get some of your teammates together and go for an outdoor skate. You can kill two birds with one stone. Another theory, based on some web hunting, is that a decreased blood sugar level is causing your mood to turn blue. Many of us have to arrive to the bout location hours ahead of time to help setup and warm-up. Sometimes it can be hours from when you eat to when you actually play. Couple that with over an hour of bout time, and it’s now five hours before you get food into your body again. And of course, during all of that working out, your blood sugar level has naturally dropped. After bouting, your body is focused on replacing your glycogen stores while you’re heading to the after party where you start dancing (working out again) and consuming alcohol. Alcohol consumption halts the process of replacing your glycogen stores and can cause blood sugar levels to stay at an unhealthy level. And since so many of us do not eat a substantial meal after a bout (replacing it with drinking), our blood sugar level continues to stay low. The brain requires a constant supply of blood sugar, so it may be possible that the next morning your hypoglycemic state could be causing your altered mood. When you have low blood sugar levels, you begin to feel less sure of yourself, and have low energy levels, which can lead to the blues. Some ideas are to eat a combination of carbs, proteins and fat before you exercise, and following your bout, eat within thirty minutes to refuel your body and brain. Another possible cause for the post-bout blues is a reduction in serotonin levels. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in the regulation of mood. Physiologically, the amino acid tryptophan is required by the brain to produce serotonin. When more serotonin is present, nerves in the brain function more normally. Dehydration can prevent the needed amount of water available to transport tryptophan to the brain, causing less serotonin to be produced. Serotonin is also strongly influenced by our diet. Foods rich in carbohydrates cause an increase in the concentration of tryptophan, which induce a sense of calm and feelings of satisfaction. Anyone who has played derby for any length of time knows how easy it is to not eat properly and become dehydrated. If you are
Preflash Gordon
someone who does not consume the recommended daily amount of water and does not increase consumption leading up to a bout, then you are more likely to become dehydrated, especially if you end the night with alcohol. So this solution can be relatively easy – eat well and HYDRATE. Something as simple as being hung over could lead to your feelings of depression and anxiety. Two big factors of hangovers are what? Hypoglycemia and dehydration. And what CAN cause feelings of depression? Hypoglycemia and dehydration. Again, I have no scientific basis for this; I’m just theorizing based on what I’ve read and what I’ve experienced. So, it’s possible there is a mixture of the three theories at play and it’s also possible that none of this is the cause of your post-bout blues. What I do know is that it’s important for us to prepare for our bouts in many ways. Keep the anxiety of an upcoming bout to a minimum. Know that the training you have done with your team will all come together and you’ll personally give it your all. Stay positive on the track and know that no matter what, win or lose, you gave everything you could give. Eat healthy and well in general but especially the week leading up to and on bout day. Consume a solid meal as close to bout time as you can and have healthy snacks at the ready before, at halftime and after to keep a healthy blood sugar. Stay hydrated. It’s extremely important that your hydration start days before a bout. Don’t wait until the day of a bout to pound water. Drink water as recommended and continue to increase that dosage a couple of days before your bout. And continue that hydration, with water, throughout the day, the bout and afterwards. If you are going to go out and party with your team, eat first and continue to consume water along with alcohol to counteract the dehydration. And if you can, try and get as much sleep as possible. Will these tips solve your post-bout blues? I can’t really say, but it’s worth a shot and testing out one theory over another might be what you need to do. Acknowledge that the feeling is there, you’re not alone, and you may be able to do something about it.
fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2012 | 17
games and coaching
line ups performance analysis F R A N C E Y PA N T S , M O N T R E A L R O L L E R D E R B Y
Who has never dreamed of uncovering the secrets of top teams such as Gotham or Oly? While it would take a secret agent many years of dangerous undercover work to finally come to the conclusion that they come from a different planet, a little bit of stalking can give us a better idea of the strengths and weaknesses of their line ups. By stalking, I mean watching videos to track line-ups and point differentials. This data is enough to analyze line ups using social network analysis programs, which are typically used in social sciences to draw various kinds of sociograms. To illustrate this method called line-ups performance analysis, here are some data and graphs from the 2011 Western playoffs regionals during which Oly Rollers faced Rocky Mountain in Portland, focusing on the Oly side of the analysis. who played with whom The first part of the analysis uses only the number of jams, without looking at the point differential obtained during each jam. This allows one to identify the important players who tend to play more and the general look of the line-up during the bout analyzed. The Oly team can be divided into two groups with significantly different playing time: 8 skaters played in less than 14 jams (Lil’ Tonka, Licker*N*Split, Wheel-Her, Scara ta Death, Stella Italiana, Heffer, Intended Anger and Rettig to Rumble, in decreasing order of jams played). The other 6 skaters all played in at least 18 jams. This second group constitutes the backbone of the team: Sassy (26 jams), Tannibal Lector (23 jams), Hockey Honey (23 jams), D-Bomb (21 jams), Atomatrix (19 jams), and
18 | Spring 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com
Blonde an’ Bitchen (18 jams). In a previous analysis conducted for Rocky Mountain Roller Girls on the 2010 championship final, a similar pattern was found: half the team played a lot, and the other half didn’t. This supports the idea of playing a restrictive roster during important games, instead of trying to give equal playing time to everybody. The table shows the pairs of players who played the most together, while the network graph highlights the playing frequencies and relationships between skaters. The thicker the line between two skaters, the more often they played together. Core players (played in 18 jams or more) are marked by a pink dot.
Player 1
Player 2
14
Sassy
Blonde
10
Hockey
13
D-Bomb
Blonde
10
Sassy
13
Tannibal
Blonde
9
Sassy
11
Sassy
Tonka
9
Tannibal
D-Bomb
11
Tannibal
Tonka
8
Hockey
D-Bomb
11
Scara
Sassy
8
Atomatrix
D-Bomb
10
Licker
D-Bomb
8
Hockey
Blonde
10
Sassy
D-Bomb
8
Sassy
Blonde
10
Sassy
Wheel
8
Player 1
Player 2
Hockey
Sassy
Atomatrix Tannibal Atomatrix
Jams
Jams
what went well and what didn’t go so well The green lines in the graph below show the positive links between players, based on the average point differential when two skaters played in the same jam. The thicker the green line, the better the performance between two players. This can be used to identify the best combinations of players to put together at the same time. In the same way, the graph with the red lines shows the negative links between players. The red lines are thinner if the performance between two players is really low. In this case, most of the red lines are relatively thick because the negative links between players rarely went below -5. We can see
Player 1
Player 2
Scara
Heffer
that Atomatrix, Sassy and Heffer only have one negative link, and Scara ta Death has none. These players seem to have a positive impact on the score, no matter who they were playing with. The green and red tables respectively highlight the positive and negative links between skaters who played together a minimum of 3 jams (less than 3 jams together would be too low to be generalized, since a power jam can have a big impact on this number). Those results need to be taken with caution, as they come only from the data obtained during one game. Analyzing the data from several bouts would make the numbers more reliable and less dependent on the effect of power jams.
Jams
Perf
Player 1
Player 2
Jams
Perf
3
5. 7
Stella
Tannibal
5
-5.8
Scara
Sassy
8
5.4
Licker
Anger
3
-5.3
Atomatrix
Sassy
11
4.3
Hockey
Anger
5
-3.6
Atomatrix
Scara
6
4
Blonde
Anger
3
-3.33
Atomatrix
Tonka
5
4
Tannibal
Blonde
9
-3
Atomatrix
Wheel
3
4
D-Bomb
Anger
3
-2.7
Tannibal
Scara
6
3.8
Hockey
Blonde
10
-2.3
D-Bomb
Wheel
3
3.7
fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2012 | 19
games and coaching jammers’ ego networks An ego network is centered around one specific actor in the network. It can be particularly interesting to draw the ego networks of the jammers on a team to identify their ideal pack. Atomatrix’s ego network shows that she obtained a positive average point differential with almost all of the blockers on the team. It is interesting to look at the other jammers on the team to see if some blockers should work with them in priority. The numbers show that Oly’s two other main jammers – Stella Italiana and Tannibal Lector – obtained much lower average point differentials than Atomatrix did. Stella obtained positive averages only with Sassy and Licker. When Stella was jamming, Sassy
and Licker also worked particularly well with Hockey Honey and Wheel-Her. If the same findings are repeated over several bouts, Oly should probably try to have Sassy, Licker, Hockey Honey and Wheel-Her blocking for Stella as often as possible. In the same way, Tannibal obtained particularly good averages with Hockey Honey, D-Bomb, Licker and Heffer. Once again, this data is difficult to generalize based on a single bout, but a repetition of the same pattern would warrant some adjustments in the line-up to keep these players together when Tannibal is wearing the star. Atomatrix does extremely well no matter what blockers are on the track, so she doesn’t seem to need a specific set of blockers to obtain positive scores.
conclusion This article gives you a preview of a line-up performance analysis that can be conducted from watching bout footage and tracking scores and line-ups. Additional graphs and tables can be added to make the analysis more complete or targeted on specific points. This type of analysis is easier to conduct based on stats workbooks, but can also be done from game footages with
a little more time. If your league is interested in this kind of analysis, feel free to email me and we will discuss prices (franceypants24@gmail.com). Once a league asks me to analyze one of their bouts, I consider that the data belongs to them, and it will not be shared with anyone else to ensure confidentiality.
20 | Spring 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com
W W W. D ER B Y C O NV ENT I O N. CO M
games and coaching
coach’s corner by coach pauly
know your roll
part 15: world cup
Now that the first Roller Derby World Cup is in the history books and all the dust has settled, I have been deep in reflection on how far this sport has come. I feel the one thing in derby that is lost is its history. The who, when, where and what seems to be lost and all people know is the right now, when in reality, if you know your history you can clearly map your future. Derby comes from the blood, sweat and tears of those who have been around to see all of these milestones. Throughout the sport’s lifetime, there have been key events that have changed the face of our game. Back in 2004, the first ever interleague bout was played between my old league AZRD and TXRG. Less than a year later, the first Dust Devil was played, which would act as the template for regional and national tournaments. Fast forward to this last December and, boom, you have the first roller derby “World Cup”, bringing the world of derby to a new level of competition. I would like to take a moment to thank Black Dahlia, Junkie Jenni and Toronto Roller Derby for their tireless work to make this happen. So now we have a destination and a date: December 1, 2011, Roller Derby World Cup, and now as the head coach for Team Canada... the journey begins. As I started this process with my Assistant Coaches, Mack the Mouth and Furious P, our original thought was to get the best skaters possible coast to coast and have a clear method to measure each skater’s abilities. Before we could apply these tests, we had to get past the three key road blocks before us. Those being no budget, setting up dates that would allow the most skaters to make the tryouts, and securing venues to hold each tryout in. In the East, the only weekend available fell on the same weekend of a few other events, so a lot of skaters could not tryout. We made a decision to allow any skater from a first, second or third place team in a WFTDA tournament or Beast of the East to be exempt from having to tryout. Now the ball was really rolling. We put together a two-test system; one to measure the skater’s derby skills and aptitude and the other to measure their fitness. Fitness to me is paramount to derby success, and through my travels coaching, I have seen some phenomenal skaters whose only drawback was fitness. A skater cannot rely on her natural skating talent to get the job done. Skaters need to be able to play jam after jam and still have the wind to do more.
22 | Spring 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com
Since this was the first time this idea was played out, we had no idea where to begin. As with all elite sports teams, we needed to get out there and see what the nation had to offer, so we set up a regional tryout system based on population and derby saturation. Team Canada Tryouts would be held in Toronto, Calgary, and Abbotsford, BC. Luckily in Toronto and Calgary, I was already slated to coach training camps and those leagues allowed us to also use the space for tryouts. After traveling and coaching throughout Canada, I had an idea of who the best players were. And through the training camps, these players exhibited the skills we needed for our team, giving us a foundation. At each tryout, we started with a warm-up and went right to work testing each candidate on five key attributes: cardio, core, upper and lower body strength and balance, after which we took a brief break and tested each skater on derby skills. We wanted to see how each skater performed in each position (PBJ) and whether or not they were balanced. As we went through each drill, we could clearly see each skater’s strengths and weaknesses. We could see that many of the skaters were out there throwing everything they had on the track, so much so that they were making beginner mistakes because the intensity level was so high. They didn’t focus on the tasks at hand. Some skaters became overwhelmed with the idea of this being a tryout and they forgot how to play composed and effective derby. Skaters who should have knocked it out of the park seemed to be sheepish and reserved and yet other newcomers came out of the woodwork and established themselves amongst the vets. Often we would stop and refocus, allowing everyone to get back on task. Out of all the skaters in the nation, a long list was created from those who passed the testing process. Who would be on the final roster? After tryouts were complete, and all of the numbers collected, we went through the long list and picked the skaters with skill sets that stood out. At this time we added those exempt players who had sent in their request to be considered. Slowly we refined the list down and chose the final twenty. In that group were some seasoned WFTDA skaters, as well as skaters who people in the mainstream had not heard about.
Now that we had a team, how do we get them together and practice strategy and communication? Well, without money that challenge was the toughest. I had an idea to hold events regionally that would bring the selected skaters together with their peers. The idea was for skaters to come and scrimmage over the course of the day, much like the scrimmage that happened at the first RollerCon. I called it “scrimmathon”, and we set up two of them in the West and they were very successful. The skaters from the Central and Western regions were able to get together and have some time on the track to get acquainted. These events also helped us fundraise for the team. The Montreal roller derby league was gracious enough to sponsor two weekend practices to allow more time on the track for our skaters. All in all, it was the best we could do with the money we had. On the day of the Cup, the team was finally able to get together as a collective group on the track and an amazing thing happened. Everyone seemed to gel like they had been playing together forever. We discussed our roles, clarified a clear communication between the coaches, bench and the track
and we were rolling. Right out of the gate, I let everyone know that they would all get to skate, but not everyone would be able to play every bout. Just to be chosen for a national team is a huge achievement. Any skater representing their country who may have been disappointed because they didn’t get the chance to go out there and show their stuff doesn’t mean they were any less of a player. It just means that your team had a deep bench or that the lines being called were working so well that changing them may have upset the balance. The one thing we all learned through this process is you never know where you will find good talent. I know the World Cup has changed the face of roller derby in Canada and worldwide. By adding another level of competition, we have expanded the horizon of our sport.
‘Til next time, see you on the track… If you have any questions, comments or feedback please email me at derbywhisperer@gmail.com.
DRILL drill: juking
basic juke
Draw a ladder on the ground, one line down the middle and two cross hatches. Place a large street cone at the end of the ladder and lean a blocking pad against the cone. Have skaters approach the ladder and fake left by stepping into the first ladder box on the left then step right into the second ladder box on the right before skating around the blocking pad to the right. Repeat the drill having skaters step right first then left and skate around the blocking pad on the left. You can increase the ladder size and have skaters juke multiple times before passing the cone. When approaching a single opponent some skaters pick a random number and that’s how many times they juke before they go for the pass.
juke with a block Same as the drill above only have a coach stand at the end of the ladder (replacing the position of the street cone) and hold the blocking pad to one side. Skaters approach the ladder and juke, then pass the coach on the side of the blocking pad adding a block in to assist with the pass.
juke with transitions Split skaters into two groups, light and dark shirts for instance. On the derby track have the skaters spread out and start skating. The light shirts begin by juking around every dark shirt skater they lap, then switch and have the dark shirt skaters juke around every light shirt skater. Make sure skaters aren’t just practicing single jukes but multiple jukes before the pass. Make it more endurance-y by setting timed intervals for each group. For an added challenge have the skaters transition from front to back as they pass each opponent (i.e. Mohawk turns).
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games and coaching
world cup J U S T I C E F E E L G O O D M A R S H A L L , D E R B Y N E W S N E T WO R K
2011’s tournament action came to a history-making close in December as 13 teams from around the world converged on Toronto, Ontario for the first-ever Roller Derby World Cup, an unofficial global tournament organized by Blood & Thunder and hosted by Toronto Roller Derby. USA, Canada, England, Australia, Sweden, France, Ireland, Germany, New Zealand, Finland, Brazil, Argentina and Scotland were represented at the event. Held in a large converted warehouse space known as “The Bunker,” the event felt a bit more Fight Club than World Championship, particularly on the heels of November’s WFTDA championships just outside of Denver at the upscale 1st Bank Center arena. But it did have plenty of space for the massive amount of derby being played over four days of action – fifteen 40-minute games in the opening round-robin portion of the tournament, followed by 22 fulllength games in the elimination and consolation rounds. To no one’s surprise, Team USA, stacked with 20 of the most Nicolas Charest experienced skaters in the sport, had no problem steamrolling to victory after victory. They won all of their games by 300 points or more – one of them by more than 500. In fact, Team USA was so dominant that the drama during their games didn’t come from seeing how many points they would win by, but whether their opponents would score at all. New Zealand had the unfortunate draw of facing USA twice, once in the 40-minute opening round-robin segment and once in a full-length game during the elimination rounds. Each time, they only got on the board in two jams while USA blew up the scoreboard – 377-8 in the 40-minute game and 470-8 in the 60.
d
Jules Doyle
Nicolas Charest
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Scotland was held to just a single point in a 435-1 opening round game – though Scotland’s Wild Oates became one of the weekend’s heroes by scoring that point with under 4 minutes to play. It was Australia that ended up on the bottom of USA’s biggest blowout of the tournament, also scoring on only one jam in a 532-4 semifinal. In the final bout against Canada, 11 of Team USA’s 14 rostered skaters were veterans of a WFTDA-championship winning team (Gotham of 2011 and 2008, Rocky Mountain of 2010, or Oly of 2009). Co-captained by Charm City’s Joy Collision and Rocky Mountain’s Frida Beater and including luminaries such as Gotham’s Bonnie Thunders, Denver’s Tracy Akers, Oly’s Atomatrix and Philly’s Teflon Donna, the team dispatched Team Canada 336-33. Home team Canada earned their 2nd place finish in very dominating fashion as well, blasting Brazil and Finland by over 400 points each and then defeating England 161-90 in the semifinals; England took 3rd place by defeating Australia 203-85. Although the top levels of play proved far too advanced for the newer countries to handle, there was some interesting action lower down the food chain as well. Finland was seeded 10th in the elimination tournament after a rocky start during the roundrobin portion, but scored exciting upsets over Ireland (148-134) and Sweden (126-100) to finish in 5th place overall. New Zealand, who finished 8th overall, may have made the most lasting impression of the weekend when they fearlessly performed the traditional Maori “haka” war dance before facing down the USA juggernaut.
Jules Doyle
On an individual level, quite a few skaters made a name for themselves on the international stage. The fleet-flooted jamming of Montreal’s Francey Pants, skating for her native France, turned quite a few heads, as did the brutal blocking of New Zealand’s Terror Satana. Argentina’s one-two Tina punch of ace jammer Chargin’ Tina (LA Derby Dolls) and ace blocker Sargentina (Windy City) couldn’t lead their highly inexperienced team out of last place Jules Doyle for the weekend, but provided plenty of memorable moments when they were on the track. The wide disparity among skill levels – and the fact that the World Cup was not organized by a recognized sanctioning body – led to some debate amongst fans and skaters alike as to what the Cup meant in 2011 and what it might mean in the future. On the topic of the lopsided blowouts by Team USA, many pointed to the 1992 Olympic men’s basketball “Dream Team” as an analogue – a team still considered among the best assembled in any sport. Raw Heidi, a standout blocker for Team England, didn’t feel it was too early for the event: “With derby now supposedly being played on every inhabited continent and a marked move towards a ‘pro’ element to the sport developing, I think 2011 was a great time to stage the inaugural World Cup. Even if the U.S. is a total dominating force right now, that’s not to say there isn’t still fantastically competitive derby being played all over the world... the tournament was a great chance to showcase that and provide a springboard and inspiration for further development of the sport across the globe.”
Jason “Megatron” Burrows, host of the weekly Derby Deeds podcast, mostly agreed, feeling that “the teams participating weren’t quite ready for that level of competition” but that it was still “very important to hold an event of this caliber... the overall feel of the event is something no one could replicate any other way.” While agreeing that the event was a positive for the skaters, Tara Armov, a longtime member of the LA Derby Dolls who attended but did not participate in the weekend, focused on the audience experience: “For the fans, the World Cup wasn’t the most compelling sports event. Why? Because derby is still a baby sports-wise. Rules still need finessing... the level of competition needs to be organized so that there isn’t a blowout-a-rama every five seconds, and some would say that a venue called ‘the Bunker’ isn’t lofty enough for such an event. Being the Cranky Old Woman that I am, I disagree with that. Derby is a bastard child of sports, and I don’t think we should be ashamed of that... The local fans who came to support Team Canada were vocal and seemed to be enjoying themselves, so maybe a big old fancy sports venue isn’t mandatory yet.” The future of the World Cup, perhaps as a biennial event, is somewhat of an open question, in great part due to the heavy expense of international travel for the teams. A similarlystructured proposed Euro Cup in Sweden for late 2012 fell through, leaving the future of nationalbased derby teams up in the air for the moment. If the amount of energy and passion on display at the 2011 World Cup is any guide, though, it won’t be the last time the derby world sees skaters representing at a national level.
Final Standings
1. USA 2. Canada 3. England 4. Australia 5. Finland 6. Sweden 7. France 8. New Zealand 9. Germany 10. Ireland 11. Scotland 12. Brazil 13. Argentina
Jules Doyle
Jules Doyle
Jules Doyle
fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2012 | 25
gear
finding the right pads J E N N I F E R S AVA G L I O A K A L A P E T I T E M O RT, FA S T G I R L S K AT E S
When discussing the padding we wear in derby (excluding helmets and mouthguards, covered in a future article), it’s important to note that most of the stuff we wear is made for men. So sizing should be adjusted in most cases. If you wear a medium shirt, for example, that does not mean you need a medium elbow pad. Start by trying the small. The most important thing about your pads is that they STAY ON when skating and playing derby. If your pads fall off while playing, you might as well have not worn them. “How do I know if these pads are right for me?” If you get hit really, really hard and you get up with no major cut, bruise, scrape or injury – they are working for you. Also, if your pads are not uncomfortable; you can move the way you need to when you skate, and YOU feel safe- that’s a thumbs up. Tug on your pads to see if they slide off. Like your skates, they will only get bigger as you wear them, so try to buy them on the snug side. knee pads Knee pads generally come with two types of closure: a pull on with a closed neoprene “sleeve”, and a strap on that has “butterfly” straps. Most high-end kneepads come with butterfly straps and a high-tech donut type padded housing for your kneecaps, such as 187 Pro, Smith Scabs, Triple 8 KP Pro, Rector Fat Boy and TSG Force III. This type of knee pad is meant to work in such a way that your kneecap does not take any significant impact, as it is suspended inside the knee pad. Plus they usually give you more overall coverage. It’s pretty rad to fall on pillows when going down, but for some skaters, this type of pad can cut down on maneuverability. Conversely, a sleeve type kneepad is often considered lower profile, meaning it does not stick out from your leg as far: 187 Fly, Rector Protector and TSG All Terrain are examples. While these can offer more maneuverability, this type of pad can have less padding than its more expensive counterparts. It is the skater’s choice to find the balance between padding and maneuverability. Knee Gaskets: A good way to get more padding for your knees but maintain a low profile is to use knee gaskets. They are typically a neoprene sleeve that slides over the leg, providing ligament support and adding another layer of padding for the knee cap. Smith Scabs are one example, but there are gasket
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offerings from all the major pad manufacturers. Sometimes it takes trial and error to find the right one for you. Again, buy on the snug side as they will stretch. elbow pads Like kneepads, there are multiple levels of protection and cost. Again, the most important thing about your elbow pads is they stay on you when taking a good tumble. So many of us at one time or another thought, “I don’t really think I need elbow pads... I mean, do I really fall on my elbows?” And then we wore little tiny ones, and wouldn’t you know it, we took a big digger on our meagerly covered elbows! Much pain and bruising ensued. Sigh. Live and learn. A good elbow pad usually comes as a slide-on sleeve with elastic straps for tightening. It should cover your entire elbow. After that it is a matter of comfort and/or aesthetic. But again, if you are a skater who falls on your elbows often and hard, put your money into elbow pads that have some extra coverage and padding. The elastic straps on padding are actually NOT supposed to be pulled as tight as possible when they are new. When a pad is new, it should fit snugly on your arm or leg BEFORE you even pull the elastic straps to their full length. It is the sleeve or butterfly straps that actually determine a proper fit. Once the sleeve or butterfly straps stretch out, then you often can use the elastic straps to secure them tight enough to stay on and extend their life. wrist guards There have been some exciting new developments in the world of wrist guards. Most of the pad manufacturers are beginning to cater to derby players and there are lots of options available. If you are new, you might not yet know how and where on your body you typically fall. Any good wrist guard should do the trick until you figure it out. And you can think of it this way: your wrist guards are the least expensive piece of padding you have to buy and are usually the first to need replacement. (Usually because they smell really, really bad. Who knew hand sweat could be so destructive?) Once you figure out where on your hands you are falling and thus vulnerable to injury, you can try different styles accordingly. If you fall on the meaty part of your palm, you might want to try a hard palm shell wrist guard that gives
good coverage in that area like the Atom Gear wrist guards. If you need overall stability and structure for your wrists, a wrist
care The most effective way to keep your gear from smelling bad and
guard with splints both above and below the wrist would be good to try. Do you find yourself messing with your skate laces
breaking down too early is preventative maintenance and care. Don’t leave your gear in your bag or in your car where it is
throughout practice and don’t usually come down hard on your hands? Then a slide-on sleeve with a removable top splint could
subjected to extreme temperatures. Whether you live in a hot or cold climate, the moisture from your pads and skates is going
work for you. If your hands are your livelihood or you’ve already had an injury, then there are guards available with lots of extra coverage like the Triple 8 Hired Hands or the Pro-Designed wrist guards. Both are a bit more expensive, but if that is where you need extra protection, consider it a wise investment.
to condense, rusting the metal parts of your skates, creating a fabulous environment for mold and bacteria to thrive. Whenever your gear is sweaty (including your helmet and skates), take it all out of your bag after practice and at the very least, lay it out to dry. This alone will cut way down on odor and wear. For extra credit, spray it with something antibacterial – in a pinch vodka works. You can wash your pads regularly, but do not put them in the dryer. Just lay them out to dry. Be sure to strap all the Velcro shut or else upon opening your washing machine, you will be rewarded with a giant ball of pad. You can use regular detergent, but do not use bleach or it will break down the pads’ material. When do your pads need replacement? Replace them when they are falling off, ripped, cracked, or smell so bad your carpool mates force you to tie them to the top of the car for the ride home. Actually, it’s usually pretty intuitive. You fall on your knees and what used to not bruise is suddenly bruised and tender. Your kneepads’ padding is not meant to last forever, so once it is compressed and not preventing impact as well, thus the bruising, you should replace. Same with elbow, although stretching out is usually the reason for elbow replacement. Wrist guards; if they are ripped, cracked or rank, i.e. your hands smell like Fritos, it’s time to replace.
padded clothing Shorts: Often, a skater will fall in the same spot repeatedly, such as the side of the rear end or on the outside of the thigh, which causes soft tissue damage that doesn’t have a chance to heal when you keep falling on it. Padded shorts are meant to DISBURSE the impact and prevent major bruising. They are also helpful in preventing injury to the tailbone and hipbones. They are also meant to be compression shorts and should fit snugly. Shirts: These offer the same type of disbursement protection for the sternum, ribs and/or spine. Do I need to buy the really expensive padding in order to be safe? Not necessarily. It is up to you where you want to invest your money. For example, if you have terrible knees, you might want to consider a more expensive kneepad. If your hands are your moneymakers, you can spend lots of money on high-end wristguards as they will give you extra protection.
The bottom line is and what I hope you’ll take away from this is: 1. Make sure your pads fit snugly and don’t move when falling. 2. Use extra protection in the areas where you need extra protection and spend your money wisely. 3. Proper care and maintenance of your padding will allow you to get the most out of it. OK then, as my business partner Wile E. Peyote says, “Skate hard, play safe and have fun!” Wayne Davis
Did you know that the reason for the splint in the top of a wrist guard was so that if a break were to occur, it would be in the forearm, where there are fewer bones? Easier to set and heal. There are 27 bones in the human hand, so breaking a bunch of those is obviously not ideal.
fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2012 | 27
turntwoskateshop.com 207.699.4499 Portland, Maine SKATER OWNED AND OPERATED BY MAINE ROLLER DERBY’S KISSY KICKS #828
All the action’s at Turn Two photo: Wijadi Jodi
wftda
WFTDA officiating clinics invite officials of all stripes and affiliations to “join the conversation” B O M B T R A C K , W F T DA On February 3 and 4, The Glasgow Roller Girls
The clinics offer a starting point for officials
In 2012, attendees may elect to register for
kicked off the 2012 cycle of the WFTDA
to consider, learn, discuss, and practice
Officiating Clinics Program. This clinic
principles and skills related to officiating.
and Interleague levels, or a track for Non-
represented the first WFTDA Officiating Clinic
A major objective is to introduce and
Skating Officials (NSOs). The different levels
offered since July of 2011. Additional
familiarize attendees with training materials
of the Skating Official track are designed to
2012 clinics will be delivered in Auckland, New
that will allow them to continue to grow as
provide each attendee with ample challenges
Zealand, on March 24 and 25 with hosts, The
officials once the clinics are over.
Pirate City Rollers, and in Queensland, Gold
“There are a lot of very dedicated and
a Skating Official track offered at Tournament
and opportunities to access new information based on their prior officiating experience
Coast, Australia, on March 31 and April 1,
hard-working referees out there who make
and their officiating goals. The newly
hosted by Skate Australia. The North American
massive strides by studying the rules,
reconfigured NSO track is the result of
WFTDA Officiating Clinics will run from June
practicing, and getting information online,
feedback from 2011 attendees desiring
through August 2012.
but there’s no substitute for firsthand training,”
a holistic approach to becoming effective
WFTDA Officiating Instructor Conan the
officials.
The curriculum for the WFTDA Officiating Clinics was developed through extensive
Vegetarian said. “Internet forums are great,
discussions among WFTDA officials and
but limited compared to actual training. These
is helping to develop the 2012 NSO curriculum,
representatives with the goal of presenting
clinics are Officiating clinics, not just rules
said that the development team for the clinics
the current best practices on issues relevant
clinics. We have classes designed to help
tried to create a program with both breadth
to active roller derby officials. The lesson plans,
officials with the nuances of the rules, but
and depth: "I think becoming an ‘indispensable
Intejill, a WFTDA Officiating Instructor who
handouts, and guides for the clinics undergo
also how to apply them. It’s a very balanced
asset’ is not just about learning and being
revisions and vetting several times within each
curriculum.”
awesome at the positions. It's also about
Promoting consistency in officiating is
teaming well with refs and creating, for lack
Coordinator Sarah Hipel outlined the process
another goal of WFTDA Officiating Clinics.
of a less cheesy phrase, an entire officiating
for clinic development in an interview last
Instructors lead attendees through discussions
experience. It's taking care of the million
summer with Deadeye Knight of Roller Derby
of WFTDA-vetted rules policies and best practice
details that refs don't know, think about, and
Inside Track. “The instructors have a huge
solutions in a relaxed setting that is unlike the
have to do to make a bout, event, or tourney
involvement. They have written almost all
high-stress experience of having to make snap
run smoothly. When the NSO is good, things
annual cycle. WFTDA Training and Certification
of the materials. They collaborate together
decisions in a game situation. Course materials
run smoothly to the point where it may not be
and write the majority of the lesson plans.
have been designed to encourage conversation,
noticeable. When it's not done right, people definitely notice."
Sometimes, somebody will write one and
and instructors guide attendees in exploring
somebody else with jump in, or they’ll just
a wide range of officiating scenarios and issues.
work entirely collaboratively on them... a lot
The clinics themselves can even model how
programming for skating officials has been
of people have really put in a lot of time to
officials might discuss officiating policies in
expanded to include more on-skate time.
make this happen.”
tournament settings.
Skating instruction was described as one of
34 | Spring 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com
Meanwhile, the WFTDA Officiating Clinics
the most successful components of the 2011 clinic cycle, and skating is a skill essential to making officials more focused and effective on the track. Conan outlined the basic pedagogical format for teaching skating in Interleague Clinics: "We go through all of the considerations of the scenarios and the refs sit in groups and debate one another and lobby this way and that. When I get them on skates, I remind them of all the time they had to leisurely sit and consider the scenario but that in reality you have an INSTANT to make the correct call, and only if you are positioned perfectly.” “Yes. You must skate better. Period,” he added. “And we can help with that." In all levels of NSO and Skating Official tracks, the 2012 WFTDA Officiating Clinics feature ample time set aside for practical application. By offering scrimmage time and reconstructing live scenarios, the clinics allow attendees to perform and repeat new skills and to apply knowledge in game situations. The 2012 clinics also provide attendees with chances to focus on their professional development outside of their home leagues. For example, in one training exercise on certification procedures, attendees are asked to simulate serving on a committee evaluating a group of dossiers from officials applying for WFTDA certification. "The idea here is that it promotes certification by giving officials an understanding of how it actually works and how difficult it is to glean information from evaluations," WFTDA Officiating Instructor Seer Sin explained. "I also hope it encourages applicants to send in more robust evaluations where the comment box is full and well thought out. I think this will go a long way toward 'demystifying' certification." One common misconception about the Officiating Clinics is that they are available only to officials from WFTDA-affiliated leagues. In fact, the clinics are open to all roller derby officials, regardless of member league affiliation or certification. The diversity of clinic attendees’ experiences and approaches yields well-rounded discussion, allowing for continual dialogue that has the potential to influence the standardization of roller derby officiating worldwide. The common thread of the WFTDA Officiating Clinics’ development strategies for 2012 is communication. Through discussion and reflection, officials are able to continually identify the direction in which they need and want to take their performance in order to reach their desired officiating goals. By encouraging attendees to come together to question, test, and discuss officiating theory, policy, and practical skills, the program creates opportunities for consistency in officiating
Jules Doyle
on a global scale.
fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2012 | 35
junior derby
youth concussion training DA N G E R O U S L E I G H A’ Z O N , R O C K Y M O U N TA I N R O L L E R G I R L S
Sometimes it isn’t just a bonk on the noggin’. Sometimes it is a blow that, if not treated properly, can affect a child’s brain development, memory, or even threaten her life. The threat of brain injury puts coaches in the sometimes tough position to balance the work ethic of athleticism that commonly manifests as “tough it out” and the need to protect a child’s brain as it is still in critical development stages. Protecting the child’s brain must take priority and, as a coach, that can mean making the tough call to bench a child for the rest of practice or take her off of the roster for a bout while her brain recovers. Colorado passed a law this year requiring coaches and trainers of youth sports to take a course on concussion recognition and response. The crux of the law is clear. As adults teaching children and taking them into competitive play, we are responsible for their well being. Any child who either suffers a blow to the head or a blow to the body that causes the head to whip, who then shows symptoms of concussion, is to be benched until cleared to return to play by a medical professional under the state’s new law. A concussion is a brain injury and the brain is more Fotodog
36 | Spring 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com
vulnerable to further injury if a concussion is not allowed to heal properly. Symptoms can be far more subtle than pupils dilated at different sizes, which is a sign of a severe concussion. According to the Center for Disease Control, symptoms may not reveal themselves for hours after the initial blow to the head, and could include the athlete being dazed, confused, clumsy, slow to respond to questions, forgetful, or moody. She may report sensitivity to light, a headache that won’t go away, double vision, balance problems, a feeling of being “not right” or “off,” and may vomit. A concussion can occur without the athlete getting knocked out. Benching and clearance by a medical professional is the law in Colorado and the policy of our league. It is important to stand your ground on this and will help if you explain to parents and athletes during orientation that you will enforce a bench policy in cases of suspected concussion. Get the buy in early so you don’t have to deal with a parent or athlete who would prefer to push through. Educate your staff, parents and athletes on the dangers. Get everyone on the same page. Your state may not have a concussion law that allows you to cite it as you make the tough calls. The CDC offers a free online course for youth sports coaches and trainers that reviews in detail the symptoms and recommended response to suspected concussions in the young athletes under
Joe Schwartz
our care. You can find the training at cdc.gov/concussion/ HeadsUp/online_training.html. Empower yourself by taking this half hour training and downloading your certificate at the end. In Colorado, completing training is the law and all Rocky Mountain Rollerpunks coaches and trainers have taken it. We also have a number of coaches who have certifications in first aid/CPR/AED.
Notably, you may order free educational materials for your league through the CDC site, including things like posters, handouts for coaches, athletes, and parents, and other materials offered in both English and Spanish. Using these materials in your training facility make it easy to increase awareness of the signs and symptoms of a concussion and help to make recognition and proper response part of your culture.
fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2012 | 37
rookie
transfer process JACK & CHOKE, JERSEY SHORE ROLLER GIRLS
Skaters make the decision to transfer to another league for
you’d like to start will give everyone a chance to prepare for
a number of reasons. For some, moving closer to relatives means
the transfer.
moving away from a family full of skaters. For others, following
With this information in hand and your decision carefully
a job or taking a promotion could lead to exploring league options
considered, it’s time to take on the task of informing your league
closer to work. And in some cases, skaters transfer for reasons
that you’ll be leaving. No matter what circumstances surround
other than location, searching for a league that best matches their
your transfer, it is important to treat this process respectfully.
skill level and future goals in the evolving sport of roller derby.
This league has been at least your hobby, if not your family, since
Regardless of the reason, the decision to transfer is rarely made
you’ve been skating with them, so make sure you show them
without a lot of option-weighing, a little teeth-gnashing, and
a little care.
sometimes a bit of tear-spilling. While transferring leagues may
Try to inform your league as early as possible. Your move
be one of the most emotional things a skater may have to do in
might seem like it’s forever away, but your captains have to
her career, preparation and planning can make leaving your old
plan how to win bouts without you, so help them by giving them
home and settling into a new league a little easier.
a heads up. Also, give thought to when you tell your league that
leaving home: transferring out of your old league
dropping your Bon Voyage on your teammates right before a bout
you will be transferring. While earlier is almost always better, Before announcing that you are transferring leagues, do some
is poor form. Similarly, don’t take on additional responsibilities
research. Whether you’re moving across the country or moving
or accept nominations for board positions you know you will not
up in your personal aspirations, focus first on finding a league
be able to fulfill. Informing your league in a well-timed way gives
that matches your needs. During your search, consider a number
everyone a chance to adjust to this change in their rosters.
of factors: how often does this league practice and can you make
Pick your moment, and then plan your process. Consult
the required number of practices? How much are dues? Is
your league constitution for whom to inform of your intention
participation in committees or other activities required? Make
to transfer. If no protocol is given, it’s a good idea to start by
sure that you can handle what the new league expects of you.
informing your captains. Stating your intention to transfer to the
Many leagues have a division devoted to fielding questions from
league management or board of directors is usually customary,
prospective skaters. Check out the FAQ or About Us sections of
as well. From there, consider having a chat with your teammates,
a league’s website for tips on who to email for more information.
either individually or as a group. Don’t let the news of your
Once you find a league that seems to be a good fit, find out
departure travel through the grapevine. Beyond avoiding rumors
what the transfer process is on their end. This can vary greatly
and confusion over your leaving, this personal statement helps
from league to league. Some leagues require a letter stating that
to maintain a good relationship with your old league. You still
you’ve passed your minimum skills, while others will want letters
want to be invited to come back and visit, right?
from your captains or league management. In some cases, you may be required to attend fresh meat practices; in others you can
starting fresh: transferring to your new league
simply try out to be on the league; and in some cases you have
The move is done, the tears are shed, and you’re ready to get
to try out to even be considered for a spot on the fresh meat team.
skating in your new home rink. You may be feeling some new-girl
The requirements will further vary depending on each league’s
jitters, and that’s because that’s exactly what you are. Regardless
WFTDA status, so be sure to state whether your home league
of how many years you’ve been lacing up skates and knocking
is apprentice, full or non-WFTDA. Having all of this information
down blockers, being a transfer skater makes you the new girl in
upfront can prepare you for what’s to come, so ask all the
town. Instead of being frustrated or discouraged by this, embrace it.
questions you can, as early as you can. You don’t want to leave
You made your way in your old league, and you can do just as well,
everything to the last minute only to find out you’ve missed
or better, in your new one. A few tips can get you on your way.
In general, contacting a league three to four months from when
38 | Spring 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com
First, have your paperwork in order. All that research you did when you were finding a league to move to will pay off here. Your
Marko Niemelä
tryouts or that the deadline for incoming skaters has just passed.
new league may require documents like recommendation letters from your old league, photocopies of your driver’s license, proof of health insurance, secondary insurance coverage, official statements of your departure from your old league, waivers, releases and signed copies of their Constitution, just to name a few. Have as much of the required paperwork done before your first practice, if possible, and you’ll be that much closer to getting on the floor. Sometimes a skater is able to transfer seamlessly from one league to another, with very little time off her skates. If this is you, congratulations! If not, use this downtime to get to know your new league. Do they have a bout coming up? Attend it, or better yet, see if they need volunteers. Will they be holding a skills clinic? Sign up, and get a taste of what you’ll be in for once you get to skate with them regularly. Do they allow visiting skaters? Find out, and set up a date to skate. Once you’re out there skating with your new league, try. Try your hardest. Any girl who has transferred will tell you that working hard and giving everything a shot will get you noticed faster than anything else. This league will be different than your old league. Their drills will be strange, their warm ups will be foreign, their signal words won’t make any sense. Try anyway. Don’t overstate your skill level to impress your new teammates, but don’t slack off because you’re intimidated. Try off the track, too. If there’s a Facebook group or message board for your league, join it as soon as possible. From there, you’ll be clued into upcoming events, committee requirements and meetings, extra practices and any other information that can help you transition into the league. There may be cliques and the new environment will probably be intimidating, but you’re tough. You’ve survived being a new girl before, and you can do it again. With a little planning and a lot of hard work, you’ll have a whole new league of skaters to add to your derby family.
fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2012 | 39
rookie
a balancing act M E R RY K H A O S , H A R R I S B U R G A R E A R O L L E R D E R B Y
Falling in love changes your life. Even the most organized person can be thrown into a tail-spin: your schedule, social circles, and identity all shift. You are no longer alone. You are in a partnership. Falling in love with roller derby is not all toned muscles and bout day glory. For some, the workouts are easy. The hardest challenge is striking the balance with real life. 40 | Spring 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com
priorities shift
in derby and work. Otherwise, you’ll be
When something new enters your life,
thinking about whether it’s a dentist or
priorities get shuffled around. It’s OK! Do
doctor appointment scheduled tomorrow
not be afraid to re-evaluate your present,
and what you forgot at the grocery store
and how you proceed into the future. Be
an hour ago.
realistic. Roller derby should not be the
When you schedule, think about the
end all. If your son is sick, it’s okay
following: Practice, work (or school/study
to miss practice. If your sister is getting
time), family, widow, workouts, league
married on Saturday, it’s acceptable
obligations, and other hobbies. You also
to skip baking for the Sunday bake sale.
need to consider travel time (how much
Proceed with caution: This does not
time do you spend in your car each week),
mean you can make excuses when it
eating (crucial to health), and running
comes to the everyday. TV can be recorded.
errands. You need to budget in time for
“Date Night” can be moved. Being serious
grocery shopping, banking, and running
in roller derby means a commitment outside
errands. Also, do not forget relaxation. Rest
of practice with extra workouts and league
is as important as workouts; it’s okay to
volunteering. Take some time to look at
schedule in TV time. To not do so will just
your goals so you can understand how
throw off your schedule, because we all
much time per week you will need to
know that we’re going to watch it anyway.
allot to them. It makes life a juggling act, but with
identity crisis
a little effort, you can even make a derby
Where does “Afton” end and “Pain” begin?
schedule a routine one. The next step is to...
It’s a question every derby girl asks herself. The derby name and identity is a rite of
buy a calendar or three (I’m sure your league has one for sale)
passage each skater looks forward to, but it calls many things into question. All of us
Time management can be a tricky.
have also taken that extra second to think,
Even planning out your week does not
“Do I say Ashley or Trollop?” It’s hard not to
guarantee you will stick to it. Keeping
redefine who you are when you have
several calendars can help you break down
changed so much in your life for the sport.
what you need to do each week. Schedule
Many women use derby as a way to hit the
a time weekly to look ahead and update
reset button.
your calendars. A large desk calendar can help you
However, you need to know where Becca stops and “Edge” begins. For
break down your week by hour. Personal
everyone, that line will be different, and
electronics have schedulers, and you can
there is a lot of self-discovery involved in
always carry a calendar in your purse or
the process. So many skaters have spent
wallet. Having visual reminders can help
a lot of time re-inventing their image, and
organization and decrease stress.
coming back to reality can be rough. Having
Decreased stress has a direct impact
clearly defined times when you are Liz as
on your health and skating. The ability to
opposed to “Bones” can strengthen your
focus on what you’re doing now is crucial
own confidence and make your alternate
Pixel8 / Bob Krzaczek
personality that much more fun. Also it will
miserable or trying to put you down.
help to calm...
Jealousy strikes us all in different ways. To reference the movie Whip It for
It boils down to communication. A mutual understanding is needed between you and those you are trying
the three-headed green monster
a moment: best friend Pash hides her
to calm. For the mommies in this grand
Known as jealousy. There’s someone new
jealousy by calling TXRD “a bunch of
derby world: Babysitters, fathers, mothers,
in your life: roller derby. Your friends, family
roller-skating she-males”. It is a moment
and grandmothers all play a part in your
and love ones probably aren’t going to
many can relate to. Pash is trying to mask
derby success, and you need to have their
understand your love (which, to them,
her own hurt by lashing out against roller
support so that you can participate without
borders on obsession). “Why would you
derby. If we are open with our friends,
added stress. For all skaters: your loved
be so involved with a sport that doesn’t
these hurt feelings can be avoided.
pay you, has no professional options,
How do you combat it? Try to get
ones need to be on the same page as you. If they are, everyone (including your skates) will be happier.
demands volunteer time, and could easily
your loved ones involved with the league.
break your leg?” To an outside observer,
Bring your widow to open skate. Ask your
it may not make sense. Sometimes this
BFF to volunteer at the door for a bout.
family time, date night, friends) with
perspective simply is a by-product of
Maybe they will not want to join, but it
derby (practice, training, bouts, events,
a skater’s reduced time and attention.
may show them why you are in love with
fundraising) can be as challenging as your
the sport. That will make it easier for
first day on wheels. With perseverance,
BFFs have a tendency to dislike derby
Balancing your real life (school, work,
wives. Widows become jealous over
them to accept that you won’t be
a level head, and some adjustment time,
practice time trumping movie night.
drinking the week of a bout or that
anyone can successfully juggle their love
Missing a family picnic for an away bout
you’d prefer to meet up at the gym
and their life. And a balanced derby girl is
may cause waves. It is not because these
rather than the local bakery.
a successful derby girl!
people in your life are trying to make you
fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2012 | 41
feature
can flat track derby and banked track derby be BFFs? R A Z O R S L U T, A N G E L C I T Y D E R B Y G I R L S
Is it possible that we can all coexist in a derby happy world, where whatever track you skate on is irrelevant? I believe it is. I have had this question on my mind for years. I have spent the past eight years either skating, managing, coaching or training with a banked track league, and I now find myself skating with a flat track league. I love them both! I am the most fortunate skater in the world in that I live in a city where the two coincide beautifully. Much love, Los Angeles Roller Derby Community, you’re doing it right! When I first started skating derby there were only a couple of leagues, hardly a ruleset, and no names registry. As our sport has evolved over the years, we have seen flat track leagues blossom at a rate of one thousand leagues to every one banked track league. I might be exaggerating there a little, but I bet I am close. The most amazing thing is it doesn’t matter if you are playing flat track derby or banked derby when you start talking to someone with little to no knowledge of the sport. We are all inevitably asked about throwing Joe Schwartz
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elbows and the sport being fake. Initially I thought this was a banked track issue, but I have come to realize over the years that this a roller derby issue. Finding this commonality made me realize there are very small differences between the two: The floor we skate on and some small differences in the rules that we use. As the ruleset stands today, there are just a handful of major differences I see between the way the game is played. Flat track has two minute jams, banked track has one minute jams. In flat track, you are called off the track when you have a major penalty or enough minors to equate a major penalty. In banked track you serve your penalty in the next jam. This leads to differences in the way lineups work most effectively. One of the most significant differences I see is that lead jammer status in flat track is constant. If you get lead jammer status, it’s yours for the entirety of that jam. In banked track, lead jammer is defined as the jammer in the lead at any given time. Strategically I enjoy the ideas of both. I love the
chess-like ability of flat track players to decide when to utilize their lead jammer status. At the same time, I LOVE when a banked track jammer gets passed and loses her status. The beauty of our sport is the rules are ever evolving and with every ruleset update, we see new and different strategies. Starting with Team Awesome, we saw the beginning of traditionally flat track players taking to the banked track. We have more recently seen Team Legit win Battle of the Bank, and the newly formed Team Bionic, a hybrid home team with some notorious flat track players, emerge into the banked track community. Our lines are beginning to blur my friends, and to me it’s one of the most exciting things I have seen in derby. For years, banked track leagues have played and scrimmaged with their local flat track leagues. Now we are seeing more and more flat track skaters taking to the bank track. People are looking at our sport regardless of what track its played on. We are seeing people getting paid to play derby with the Invitational Series presented by Kitten Traxx. That just blows my mind; actually getting paid to play derby! As our sport progresses, I can only hope that this continues; that there is still room for all of us to play; that the fan base grows; and that people appreciate our sport regardless of the track. I love roller derby, as I am sure you do if you’re reading this article. I love playing this sport, whether it’s on a flat track, a banked track, inside, outside, underwater or on the moon. I can only hope that as this movement of ours (it’s more than just a sport) grows, we are all able to look around and enjoy what roller derby brings to our lives.
Jules Doyle
taking on the banked track HELEN WHEELS, TUCSON ROLLER DERBY
Not every derby girl understands the banked track. In fact, for many skaters, the banked track is an isolated scary place; an intimidating fortress of foreign terrain with menacing high rails and yawning infields that devour skaters alive like Alice in Wonderland tumbling Through the Looking Glass... Scores of flat track skaters, who have the opportunity to skate a banked track, find the experience remains a mystery. It is an acquired taste. Yet for others who transition to banked track, the encounter becomes a wonderful playground of a cradling roller coaster, full of speed and adrenaline that beckons the derby girl like a siren to its rock and rolling banks! Such is the encounter for Team Bionic. This group of skaters – many considered “notorious flat track skaters”, per recent opine by DNN correspondent Justice Feelgood Marshall, have passionately embraced the opportunity to play banked track as the All-Star travel team for Colorado Springs’ Missile Mountain Roller Derby. The differences in flat/banked rules set can be a challenge to “bi-track-tual” skaters. However recent RDLC revisions appear to have aligned several banked track rules to reflect similar flat track conventions, bringing the two languages closer. This may be an example flat track rules committees might emulate with flat track rules revision to eliminate stopper derby and continue to improve the sport of roller derby. Banked track derby is not a mystery. It is not a separate breed to stigmatize nor should it polarize. Banked track is simply roller derby of a different color. Flat/banked play may seem different on the surface, but at the derby core, both tracks are siblings at heart. Indeed, whether it be flat track or banked track derby, we can all be boiled down as a wonderful conglomeration of skaters who desire to skate fast, turn left and knock girls down!
fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2012 | 43
feature
bridging the gap how leagues can bring fresh meat and vets closer together M E R RY K H A O S , H A R R I S B U R G A R E A R O L L E R D E R B Y
Roller derby may be the most unique situation a newbie can walk into. It is a sport that most people have little or no experience with. Walking into a roller derby practice, alone and untried, can be one of the most unnerving experiences of a woman’s life. Finding a way to take the intimidation factor out of the experience can be key to a league’s retention of new skaters. Though most larger leagues have specific “Skater Tot” programs to guide young snowflakes through the scary world of roller derby, not every league has a system in place. Whatever the case, bridging the gap between impressionable fresh meat and the sea-hardened vets is extremely important for the health and maintenance of your league roster. If new skaters do not feel welcome or encouraged, then it will not matter how wonderful your recruitment campaign goes: the league will inevitably experience a high turnover of skaters who never make it James Fisher to certification. Finding a way to allow the fresh meat to mingle and learn from vets, without the vets getting too caught up in teaching to continue learning, is an important balance to strike. You never know which brand new, doe-eyed girl will be the next Rice Rocket. Before we go any further, however...
44 | Spring 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com
a note to the vets: you never thought you’d be a rock star, did you? Guess what, Sugar: you are now. Even if you’ve only recently passed your skills test, as long as you skate on that track with the rest of the team, those fresh meat look at you as a mentor. They take notes on your derby position, attempt to replicate your stride, and long to know how your Hips of Fury can clear a battlefield with a single swipe! Take this to heart: they will watch your behavior, good and bad. They look at how you treat your team mates, your coach, and yourself. Lead by example. Did a vet help you with your plow stop when you first joined? Pay it forward. One act of mentorship can encourage a skater tot for the rest of her career and will keep your roster competitive and healthy.
a note to the fresh meat: honestly, the vet won’t eat you Just because you have been skating for two weeks and she has been skating two years, it does not mean she is going to feel burdened by answering your questions. In fact, you may have a hard time getting them to stop talking. If you are asking questions and trying to improve, that vet is going to see potential and know you are as dedicated April O’Hare Photography to the sport as she is. Maybe next time, she will make sure to answer a question you haven’t even thought of yet. bringing them together on the track Though vets may want to buy shin guards after pack practices with fresher girls, having vets mix it up on the track doing skills and drills one-on-one will seriously improve a learning curve. This can also show the newbie that the veterans are human too, regardless of how super human they may appear with a star on their helmet. If you are a vet, it is not the coach’s responsibility to be sure you nab a new girl once in a while. For the sake of the team, it is a good idea to team up with a new girl who may be struggling with a concept you are particularly good at. Also, for the extreme body types, it’s extra helpful for a new skater to be paired with a vet shaped like her. For example: a girl who is long, slim, and has natural speed skating talent may have trouble learning from a girl who is shorter and more blocking-inclined. Matching body types can help freshies conquer hurdles that other skaters may not have experienced. Conversely, if you are a fresh meat, it is completely acceptable to ask a vet to pair up with you. It is not their job to always come and find you. Learning new skills comes easier when you get different perspectives. That vet will be able to direct you through the drill, which is easier than being told from the sideline. Remember, there is no perfection in roller derby, so do not take it personally if she tells you to watch the elbows or get lower. Her job as a mentor is to help you excel.
Camaraderie built on the track is the strongest way to bond two skaters together. There is a special friendship that can form between skaters when booty blocking TOGETHER; regardless of how many weeks they’ve been skating. bringing them together off the track Regardless of the size of your league, events outside of Bout Day can help your league bolster the bank account while encouraging friendships. League members mixing it up (with perfume on, and helmets off) at merch tables or promotional events are able to talk on a level not allowed in a double pace line. They can develop chemistry that can then be brought to the floor in unexpected pairs. “Meet the Meat” events are also invaluable. These LeagueOnly events give everyone a chance to have fun together without [as many] hip checks. Laser tag, rock climbing, or even just a night hanging out (I recommend a night of pizza and bout footage) can get the conversation flowing. Another great idea? Hold a clothing swap! New girls can pick up some new threads from vets whose bodies have changed through the athleticism of roller derby. Not only will it benefit everyone’s closet, but it shows new girls the health benefits of the sport, as well. keep it positive Derby is a highly competitive, high-impact sport. There will be yelling, tense situations, and personal conflicts along the way. Not everyone will master skills on their first try. Sometimes, pace lines will get slow. However, as a vet, if you lead by example by keeping a positive attitude and focused goals, skater tots will be inspired and put forth their best efforts and attitudes, as well. If they do not get 40 in 10 the first time, help them (drag them on your hips if necessary), and the next time not only will they do it, but maybe they will be the one pushing a newbie, as well. Both veterans and skater tots are members of the same international family, and everyone is there for the same reason: for the love of derby. fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2012 | 45
feature
derby owned I VA N N A S . PA N K I N , S O C A L D E R B Y
Derby Owned is a directory of businesses owned by roller derby players. It’s really that simple. The directory was created in 2008 in a joint effort by Sin City Skates and RollerGirl Canada (rollergirl.ca), the first roller derby skate shops. It might sound weird – after all, it’s not common for rival shops to join forces – but roller derby players aren’t common people, and our businesses aren’t either. Like most derby players, Lisa and I knew we could accomplish our goals better working together. We had similar ethics: we wanted to help other players find quality gear. That may not sound like much, but getting decent gear was very difficult in the early years of our sport. Getting knowledgeable advice was nearly impossible. Roller skates were available from a few online stores and rinks, but you never knew what they were selling you or if the advice they were giving you, IF it was accurate, made sense for derby like it would for recreational or artistic skating. Realistically, you were lucky if the person you spoke to had any roller skating experience at all. Rollergirl.ca and Sin City Skates set out to change that – together. And we wanted to give our teammates and opponents’ businesses a leg up, as well! Almost four years later, roller derby has grown exponentially. You have a lot of choices now, and the Derby Owned directory still offers you the chance to find other skaters that are likely to be better at understanding what you need. But the directory serves another equally important purpose these days: for those who want to keep their money in our community for any kind of purchase they want to make, the directory helps you do that, too. As much as Lisa and I might hate to admit it, sometimes people need to shop for things other than skates! who, what, where Derby Owned was founded by skate shops, but that’s not all you’ll find in our online links. There are 146 derby-owned
46 | Spring 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com
businesses in the directory and more added regularly. There will probably be dozens more after this article! The directory highlights any kind of business as long as the owners are active players or referees and have been for at least six months and own more than half of the business. We do make a distinction between derby-owned and skater-owned, so rink-type businesses don’t count unless the owners play roller derby. We have chosen not to include businesses that are franchises, contract labor and sales associates, or businesses that promote discrimination or hate, and we’ve excluded adult-oriented and porn businesses. But those are really the only limitations. The directory features derby-owned businesses from all over the globe, including Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and North America, and from disciplines as diverse as derby-specific businesses event Rentals (Honey Skates skate rentals, owned by Honey Bee of the Ottawa Roller Derby), skate shops, of course, and magazines (like this fiveonfive, created by Assaultin’ Pepa of the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls). But there are also tons of businesses offering pretty much everything else you can imagine, including things you might not have known derby players could offer you. For example, what if you need a bottle of wine? Check out SuLei Cellars wines by Hawaii TKO and Whine Maker of the Walla Walla Sweets Roller Girls in Washington. Want to bone up on your reading? Try Bird in the Hand Zine Shop owned by Susy Pow of Newcastle Roller Derby League in NSW, Australia. Interested in sustainably produced organic toys? You might be interested in Twig Toys, created by No Holds Bard of Montreal Roller Derby. That’s just a start, and there are hundreds more. I’m sorry I didn’t write this as a holiday shopping guide! You have a lot of choices for how to spend your discretionary income. On behalf of the businesses that share our directory, I want to say thank you to the skaters who choose to spend it with Derby Owned businesses!
Need logo swag? Ca MERCH MAM Call MAMA! A!
international
an inside look at world cup F R I DA B E AT E R , R O C K Y M O U N TA I N R O L L E R G I R L S
Andreanna Seymore
I got to be a part of roller derby history. It all started when I heard whispers of the first ever Blood and Thunder roller derby World Cup rumored to be held December 2011. I was intrigued. On April 23, 2011, I tried out for Team USA in Denver at the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls’ War*House. It was nice to have tryouts in a place where I felt comfortable and familiar with the floor. Approximately 16 of us tried out that day. The tryout was fierce. Everyone wanted to skate her best, and I think we all laid everything we had on the track. After three hours of drills and scrimmage, I was wiped out. Although the tryout was hard, it gave us a taste of what was to come and showed us that we were going to have to rise to our best if we were going to represent the USA with the Andreanna Seymore best skaters in the country. Buster Cheatin, the Team USA head coach, sent me an email after the tryouts with some feedback about how I skated and to let me know that I had advanced to the final tryout in Tampa in July. Uh oh, I already had plans to run across Colorado that weekend. Luckily, I was exempt from the final tryout because my team placed at
48 | Spring 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com
the 2010 WFTDA Championships. From that point, I just had to wait and see what happened. The Team USA roster was announced August 5th on the Derby Deeds Podcast. I couldn’t listen. I dreaded hearing the roster announcement without my name. I figured someone would tell me if I’d made the team. And my friend, Assaultin’ Pepa, came through and sent me a text that said
“I KNEW IT! Congratulations!” I’ll admit it, I got a little choked up. Could it really be? I pinched myself. It hurt and I knew that I was going to skate for Team USA. Gulp. A few weeks later, the team voted for me to be a Co-Captain with Suzy Hotrod (with Joy Collision as Captain and Smarty Pants as Assistant Captain). I worked with
Buster, Endless Justin, Joy, Suzy, and Smarty to help plan team logistics. We had no idea what to expect when we got there, so we tried our best to plan team expectations, bonding, practice time, and uniforms. Buster really worked his tail off behind the scenes getting our hotel booked and our schedule in place. The first of our only two team practices was November 14th at the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls’ War*House. It was the day after the WFTDA Championships. There were so many different emotions that day. And since most of the team had just participated in Championships (and of course the after party), we were exhausted. But we were also thrilled to finally get to practice together as a team. Buster gave us a speech at the beginning of the practice, outlining the day’s objectives and emphasizing the fact that although we had been adversaries just the day before, we were a team that day. Looking around at all of the talent under one roof gave me goose bumps. After our chat, we received our uniforms and donated equipment from our wonderful
Jules Doyle Marko Niemelä Jules Doyle Nicholas Charest
sponsors. It felt a little bit like Christmas getting our uniforms, track suits, helmets, arm bands, toe stops, and skate nooses. As we started practicing, everyone could feel the energy building. Skating with other people who were both passionate and talented brought the level of our play up. After a few drills, we split up into our “Stars” and “Stripes” teams for a scrimmage that was open to the public. Suzy Hotrod and I were the captains of the Stripes team. We had a rough first half, but came back in the second half, just short of the win. Just two weeks later, I was off to Toronto. I got into Toronto late Tuesday night and was up early to meet with Joy, Suzy, and Smarty for a captains’ meeting. We discussed plans for team bonding activities. Right after the captains’ meeting, we had a managers’ meeting with Buster, Justin, Bonnie D. Stroir, Vivien Leigh Em Out, and
the other captains. We discussed our team practice, strategy, and philosophical issues regarding how we wanted to approach the World Cup. Later that day, the team had a meeting and then met up at the venue for our second – and last – team practice. It was amazing. We were working together like we had been a team for years. The communication, the teamwork, and the pack dynamics were effortless. Our team dinner that night was entertaining. We played a game where everyone had to write three fun facts about themselves and we guessed who wrote them. Then we wrote three questions that we had for specific teammates. I learned that Medusa loves squirrels and little animals, Juke Boxx has one nostril that’s bigger than the other one, Fisti Cuffs was bitten by a shark, Diva works with abused children, Bonnie Thunders is double-jointed,
White Flight has a twin brother, and perhaps a few things that are too scandalous for print. On Thursday, we all met at the hotel pool for a pool party! People were a little reluctant to get in at first, but we created a human whirlpool around the pool, and it was so much fun that just about everyone jumped in to join. We threw the rest into the pool. Our team bonding left us totally smitten with each other and we were ready to get serious. Our first bout was against New Zealand Thursday afternoon. New Zealand prepared a special Haka for us. The Haka is a traditional war cry that has been incorporated into pre-game sports rituals in New Zealand. The team “receiving” the Haka must face the other team, look them in the eye, and most importantly, never smile. We stood, arm-and-arm, staring at Team New Zealand as they performed their
fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2012 | 49
international
Nicholas Charest
Haka. It was intense. New Zealand gave us a great first game as we played them in the seeding rounds. We won the bout 377-8. Thursday night was our Stars vs. Stripes bout. The venue was absolutely packed, loud, and full of energy. The bout was back and forth the whole night. In the end, the Stars creaked out with a one-point win, 109-108. On Friday morning, we played Team Scotland for another bout to determine our tournament seeding. We needed to rack up points to secure the top seeding for the tournament. We also wanted to show the world our very best derby played by our very best skaters. After the 40 minute bout, we won 435-1. The seeding was released later that day and we learned that we were number one. Our seeding gave us a bye and scheduled us to play the winner of Germany vs. New
50 | Spring 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com
Zealand. New Zealand won that game Saturday and we played them a second time later that night. We won that bout 470-8, advancing us to the semi-finals against Team Australia on Sunday. The Australians were a fun team to skate against. They had great sportsmanship and kept the atmosphere light. We continued to dominate the field with a 532-4 victory that put us into the finals with Canada. The final bout of the weekend was on Sunday night against the home crowd favorite, Canada. The venue was so packed that people had to watch the bout on a jumbotron on the other track. The noise was deafening and the energy massive. Although Canada certainly had the most fans, the US fans were both loud and visible. Canada put up an incredible fight. They challenged us like no other team in
the tournament had done previously. They were smart, strong, and incredibly competitive. Although we won the bout (336-33), they were the only team to open any of our weaknesses. We were presented our medals and the World Cup trophy during the closing ceremonies. As I helped hold the Cup in the air, I had an enormous smile on my face. I was full of pride to represent the United States in such an historic event. And to have done it with my amazing teammates and coaching staff made it that much more special. The roller derby was so much fun, but the relationships that we made with our team and with other teams from around the world were really the highlights of the experience for me. Team USA is planning additional bouts and boot camps in 2012 and 2013.
fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2012 | 51
art and media
hello, I’m your derby photographer M O N E Y S H OT, M A S O N I T E B U R N , I VA N N A E X P O S YA A N D M A N Y OT H E R S
We are a secret society of roller derby photographers representing hundreds of leagues, spread across almost all 50 states (and many countries), who all share a love for this crazy sport called roller derby. Our passion for this sport is reflected not only in the final images that you see posted on your websites and printed on your flyers, but also in the unseen hours of commitment we put forth in order to perfect those shots. We take pleasure in sharing this emerging amazing thing called roller derby with you. To get the best shots, we often blend into the background and are often lost in the crowd or the side of a track; we huddle in the crash zones or lurk in the rafters. In the past, we lurked in flicker groups or small collectives chatting amongst ourselves behind the scenes. In 2011, a number of us started to talk collectively and we are now around 250 strong, engaging in collective conversations (and if you are a photographer reading this who doesn’t know about these efforts, contact us – you are welcome to join us). After several months of swapping tales and sharing information, we discovered that many of us have experienced similar questions and issues arising across leagues both old and new. When fiveonfive offered us the opportunity to communicate through their magazine, we jumped at the opportunity. We want to talk with you because we’d like to share our insights and suggestions on how you might make the most of your photographs and photographers. We’ll be running a column here for all of 2012, so order your subscription, pay attention, and get ready to learn! You can also email your burning questions to askaderbyphotog@gmail.com! derby without photography Lets imagine that you just skated your best bout ever and there wasn’t a photographer there to capture your moment – your apex jump, your
52 | Spring 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com
star pass, or the best block you’ve ever made in your life. What if there were no photos for your flyers, your programs or your Facebook page? Thankfully, that was only make believe. We are here, and we are a part of your lives. We help you recruit new skaters, new paying fans, new season ticket holders and new sponsors. That brings you more money for your league. Let me break it down for you. Photography = money for your league. how do you find a photographer? If you are not bombarded by family members, friends, or weird stalkers with cameras, then you can try posting on Craigslist, in a newspaper, or asking around your area. Be clear about what you want and what you’re willing to give in return for their services. Do not expect a professional photographer to jump at the opportunity to photograph roller derby for free. Do not expect a family member or friend to have the experience or equipment necessary to take portrait or action shots that you’ve seen in magazines. Ideally, you will find a hobbyist or semi-professional photographer who is willing to support you in return for advertising and/or a minimal fee (pay for portraits, travel, liquor at the after party). Like most relationships, this is a two-way street. If the photographer isn’t getting anything out of the relationship, then they’ll probably leave you like your ex-boyfriend did with a text message from his new girlfriend’s house. things to consider when choosing a photographer To make this relationship work, both parties need to be comfortable with each other. Photographers can and will get in your personal space. You want to feel okay with that. Check out the photographer’s portfolio. Every photographer has a unique style. Availability of photos to use for promotion, Facebook and league websites are also important. A photographer’s knowledge and ability to shoot fast action in low light conditions is imperative if you want action shots. As you rise towards stardom, you also might want a photographer who is familiar with the legal issues of photography. This will be elaborated in a later column. now that you have an amazing photographer, how do you keep them? Like a shy girl in a new relationship, your photographer may start out as a member of the audience or an outsider who just happens to provide pretty pictures once in awhile. But, if you’ve decided this is a match made in heaven, then the relationship should progress. I am
Derek Lang/Bagelhot
not suggesting you give your photographer an elaborate proposal; however, an invite into the league forum or league meetings would be a mutually beneficial situation. Take advantage of a photographer’s expertise to get the most out of your events. The more your photographer knows about the plan for the environment and the execution of the event, the better result you’ll receive from your photographs. Your photographer could also have suggestions for lighting, entrances, halftime shows, venues, and boutfits that will make the league look their best. A roller derby bout is only one night, but the photographs are forever. Eventually, you should consider inviting the photographer to be a working member of your league. This is a great way to maintain loyalty and commitment and to get the most out of your derby league photographer relationship. This is a big step, sure, but it’s an open relationship. You can still see other photographers! Your photographer can even help you manage media and other visiting photographers. Their familiarity with the league, the venue, and the legal aspects will help protect you from photog creepers and ensure visiting photogs have a positive experience with your league. We are in this together.
how do you breakup with your photog? It is with a heavy heart that I write this section. No one likes a breakup. But, eventually, you may come to a point when you need to part ways with your league photographer. Perhaps you’ve grown apart, or your future league goals are going in a different direction. Maybe you’ve just met another photog who has stolen your heart. It happens. Be honest and professional; you are representing your league. You don’t want to be known as the league that treats its photographers like crap. Define the expectations for this change in status. Is the photographer still welcome at bouts? Can you still be friends? finally... Every roller derby league – photographer relationship looks different. This is not meant to be an inclusive list of possibilities. We hope these suggestions inspire you to improve your relationship with your photographer and take it to the next level for everyone’s benefit. Help us continue to promote this awesome sport. If you still have questions about how to incorporate your photographer into your business process, please email askaderbyphotog@gmail.com. The secret society of derby photographers is here to help!
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art and media
derby, baby A N DY F RY E , M Y S P O RT S C O M P L E X B L O G . C O M
“Derby, Baby!” narrated by Juliette Lewis, is a documentary about roller derby and its athletes that are the sport. Co-directed by Dave Wruck and Robin Bond, the film is due to hit screens in Spring 2012. I caught up with Robin Bond to find out what inspired this film, where the game is going and what it is like to work with a twice Oscar-nominated actress. So, what sparked your interest in roller derby, and what was the inspiration behind “Derby, Baby!”? Kids are so smart at spotting the cool stuff! My kids and I saw Whip It right around the same time the roller derby phenom started to hit the local media in Colorado. Our family became obsessed once we saw our first bout. I even thought about trying out, but I wimped out once I learned about the injury risk and time commitment. However my youngest daughter Carly started skating with the Rocky Mountain Rollerpunks. I told my filmmaking partner Dave, “You gotta see this sport.” Of course, he loved it. We didn’t know what the story was, but we just start started filming. Something else that propelled me personally was I had just come off of an assignment where I was filming the players in the NFL’s Lingerie Football League. I’m sure I’m going to piss some people off by saying this, but I had to ask myself, “Which of these two sports would I rather have my daughters involved in?” Of course it was derby.
Tell us a little about working with Juliette Lewis. How did
you connect with her and bring her in to narrate the film? Juliette was an absolute sweetheart, which made it even more thrilling to work with her. She really loves roller derby, as well as the skaters and fans. As far as the video shoot and the voice-over record session, she was a total professional and never made us feel like our film was small. Dave directed the narration read and Juliette worked really hard to give us the perfect delivery. During our on-camera interview with her, she fully explored all the topics we covered in our conversation. As far as how we connected with her? You have to ask Ron Patrick, the marketing and development part of our operation. He makes shit happen. Dave and I had been dreaming of Juliette being involved since we had first seen her in Whip It. We also knew she had a passion for empowerment of girls and women, as evidenced by her outspokenness about the documentary film Miss Representation (about the media’s portrayal of women). And of course, that’s right in line with what this movie is about. It was sheer luck that Juliette was already in Toronto where she is still filming her new series on NBC, The Firm. Dave and I were headed there for the World Cup, but a couple of times it looked like Juliette was going to be too tied up to spend a day filming with us.
on coming so 56 | Spring 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com
Roller derby is said to be the “fastest growing yet most misunderstood sport.” Is derby catching on with the American sports fan, or just certain niche? Slowly it’s getting there. You mention roller derby to anyone who hasn’t been to a bout and they immediately associate the sport with what they saw on TV decades ago, so we’ve still got to overcome that. But the other thing we’re hearing a lot of now is, “Yeah, I’ve got a neighbor/friend/coworker who plays and I’m going to/just went to my first bout.” It seems like anyone who is lucky enough to experience what women’s roller derby REALLY is now are becoming fans. They may ONLY go to their first bout because their neighbor is skating, but chances are they’re gonna get hooked and say, “Wow, this is a cool sport.” That story is happening more and more because there are so many new skaters joining the sport. And it’s not just here in the U.S... When Dave went to Ireland to film the European leagues who were training for the World Cup, the excitement among those skaters was amazing. I mean, just the stories of what they did to get to Toronto. I think New Zealand had to raise like $50,000 to get them to World Cup? That’s amazing. These women are bootstrapping their dream. What other sport would do this? Throughout the two-year filming process, so many of our interview subjects referred to derby as being on “the tipping point” that we actually contacted the “Tipping Point” author Malcolm Gladwell to be part of this movie. He graciously declined, but some of the principles he identified in this book – the intangibles that make an idea catch fire the way derby is – seem to apply here. You’ve got the “Stickiness Factor” which is that hard-to-define quality that makes people stop and pay attention to something. Derby definitely has that. One of the other factors, if you believe Malcolm’s theory, is the “Power of the Few,” i.e., who are those influential/charismatic characters or “rock stars” that are going to drive the sport to the next level?
Baby visit Derby ook! on faceb
Your film profiles some individual stars of the sport. What intrigued you about the skaters as individuals and athletes? In addition to their great personalities, which I hope younger girls will take note that these women are great athletes who also have day jobs, families, busy lives, yet they are still willing to dedicate this much time and energy
to something they don’t get paid for. A lot of the skaters – I’m thinking of the skaters on Gotham especially – are taking the same approach to physical and mental training that you would see at the Olympic level, yet they’re doing it all with their own resources. Tell me about how you and your co-director, Dave Wruck, combined your skills and experience to tell this story. Dave’s too humble to brag about his depth of documentary experience, but he’s got countless Emmys and trophies for films he’s worked on. Documentaries like Haze with Robin Wright-Penn, The Oscar Brown Story, Ripples Cross. Also, he’s worked on cult films like Alice in Wasteland and the forthcoming Creep!. AND he’s traveled the world with an organization called Peace Jam, shooting stories with the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. When I first met Dave twelve years ago, his editing talent blew me away. I was always dragging him in to work on my TV commercials and business videos. Dave would say, “Why don’t you do documentary?” And I was like, “I could never love one topic enough to work on it for two or three years. I’m too A-D-D for that.” That all changed when we found derby. So what did you bring to match Dave’s expertise? I’m good with the business end of things and won’t take no for an answer. This film wasn’t about just following one person around. We’re following an entire movement around. Also, I’m so passionate about this story. I like to think that all of the video storytelling we do at Robin Bond Media involves people who are passionate about what they do. But roller derby is off the charts when it comes to how the participants feel about their sport. And of course I want to tell “girl-power” stories, for my daughters. After spending the last two years on “Derby, Baby!” have you got a better sense of where this sport is going? No. We have our hopes and dreams, but it’s really up to the women who are playing it. Lots of people have compared the current women’s roller derby movement to the rise of skateboarding back in the day. And the trajectory may be similar. But where this sport goes is ultimately in the hands of the skaters. And it will also have something to do with the current environment for women and for women’s sports.
fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2012 | 57
art and media
Jere Adametz
roller derby art show M U R P H Y ' S O U T L AW, C T R O L L E R G I R L S
I started skating for the CT RollerGirls in 2008. I will be honest
talk about derby in class, showing off battle wounds, talking
and say when I signed up for roller derby tryouts I was thinking,
about teammates, and passing out flyers, she suggested I try
“This will be a great way to burn some calories and let out some
a few figure studies of skaters on my league. I did just that.
steam.” My intentions were good, but little did I know that derby would “have me at hello.” (Pardon the Jerry Maguire quote.) I never dreamed a sport could make me feel so fulfilled and
Every time I drew or painted another skater, I was not only painting examples of a strong, physically fit and confident women, I was painting friends. As I painted, I could hear their voice yelling
a group of women could make me feel so supported, encouraged,
in the pack; I pictured their family in the crowd; I recalled memories
and included. I was motivated and inspired by the passion and
of road trips I took with them to away bouts around the country
dedication of my teammates. They worked or went to school all
and felt genuine admiration for every one of them. I realized that
day and came to RollerMagic skating rink to practice into hours
I found the perfect subject matter for my thesis exhibition. For two and a half years, I
of the night when most people
painted, resulting in a solo exhibition
would be tucking themselves and families into bed. They were
entitled, “The Women of Roller
not only interested in making
Derby,” that took place November
themselves the best they could be
4th, 2011, a night I will always have
at the sport; they were also there
very fond memories of. No sooner
to help each other grow. Though
did the clock hit opening time was
balancing derby with my full-time
the room filled with people from
job teaching middle school art
all parts of my life colliding in one place. I have never felt so
while studying for my Master’s Degree was at times very tough,
Marc Santos
overwhelmed with support.
the late night practices and long bout weekends brought me
Teammates that I have looked up to, tried to mimic in practice,
a balance I had not expected something so time consuming could do.
and clung onto in the pack, were standing in front of their paintings
As a skater, I eventually climbed the ropes from fresh meat to
taking photographs and mingling in fancy dresses. The visualization
B-team to A-team. I learned passion and determination. I learned
of that still has me choked up. My support system: my family,
that if you love something, you can figure out how to fit it in your
my boyfriend, my friends, my colleagues from work, my professor
life and keep balance and peace... and there is nothing like the
all standing around a body of work that I hope spoke to them
passion of roller derby skaters to inspire you and be there to help
the same way the inspiring subject matter spoke to me. No
you make it through anything. In my student life I was at the point
“artist’s statement” could ever put into words how I felt or what
of needing to decide on a subject matter for my research paper
I wanted others to take away from the exhibition. The artwork
and a theme for my body of art work. I let the words of my advisor
and atmosphere in that room spoke for itself.
at Central Connecticut State University guide me. After hearing me
58 | Spring 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com
For more images of the exhibition visit kellysartspace.com.
fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2012 | 59
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horoscopes P R OV I D E D B Y Y O U R D E R B Y P S Y C H I C , K Y L I E O F BA C K L A S H , D E TO U R D E R B Y
PISCES
VIRGO
February 20-March 20
August 23-September 22
It can be tempting to use gossip about a foe as a way to solidify your place in a desired group – don’t. One of the best things about Pisces is their natural compassion and acceptance of who that are different than the norm. And while it may seem like a good idea at the moment, the bad karma will come back to you quickly and harshly.
Jealousy is a nasty companion. Don’t let it take over your being. Sure, some people have better skates or better skills or more time to practice. But who cares. You are wasting precious time dwelling on something you have no control over. Focus on what you can control – yourself. Set the bar high, commit yourself to reach it, and you will.
ARIES March 21-April 19
You’ve never questioned your instincts. You’ve never had to because they have always been right on target. But one bad choice has you over thinking every decision. The good news is the mistakes concern only you. No one expects you to be perfect all the time, and no one thinks less of you for making a mistake.
TA U R U S April 20-May 20
Your need to bring every task to completion will help keep you focused while the chaos swirls around you. While it’s very hard for you to sit back and not engage in the problem solving within your beloved league, it will be better use of your time to help with the minutia of day-to-day work and let others work on the big issues. This will leave time for you to concentrate on your life outside derby – that is where you will be needed the most.
GEMINI May 21-June 20
When you are constantly sad, it’s easy to keep asking for a boost from those around you, but your family and friends can only do so much. Get yourself together and find your lost ambition and self confidence on your own. Gemini’s are known for their cleverness – use it and fake it until you make it.
CANCER June 21-July 22
It’s time to get prepared. It will take a lot of mental hard work to stay above the problems that others seem to be constantly bringing your way. Give them your honest opinion. Or don’t. It doesn’t really matter what you say to them. What matters is keeping their whining from bringing you down. After all, their troubles are not your troubles.
LEO July 23-August 22
It’s amazing how the direction of a life can change so quickly. But a last minute decision by an outside source has kept your life from turning completely upside down. Enjoy the peace and stillness while it lasts because it’s not going to be this way much longer. 68 | Spring 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com
LIBRA September 23-October 23
Everything in your life is under construction – literally and figuratively - and it’s driving you crazy. Let out the aggravation by attending every practice and scrimmage you can. Worst case scenario, for a few hours you won’t have to look at or think of the mess waiting for you. Best case scenario is your derby skills will get that much better due to all the extra time on your skates.
SCORPIO October 24-November 22
It’s been an exciting couple of months! Many items you thought were long lost have been showing up. In reality, you’re just paying more attention to small details and finding joy in your entire surroundings. Inspiration for a big project comes by continuing to keep your eyes and ears open.
S A G I T TA R I U S November 23-December 21
It’s very much part of your nature to be introverted and not share much of yourself with others. And now that you’ve finally opened up to some people you thought were trustworthy – it backfired. Don’t let the betrayal be a reason to shut the world out again. There are good people, true-to-their-word people, people who are worthy to be your friend. Don’t lose faith in that.
CAPRICORN December 22-January 19
Now, with spring upon us, it’s a good time to clear the gunk from your mind. (It wouldn’t hurt to clean the gunk from your bearings as well.) Make a to-do list and pick one thing every day to complete. Even if it’s something simple like long-overdue maintenance on your skates or getting the dishwasher unloaded before needing the dishes, the sense of accomplishment will help bring an air of lightness and contentment to your days.
AQUARIUS January 20-February 19
You recently caught someone very close to you in a lie. Many lies, actually. What frustrates you so much is that there were plenty of chances for them to come clean. Whatever decision you make in regards to this relationship will be a hard one. Know there are friends you can still trust and who have your back. Lean on them. Let them support you. You don’t have to do this on your own.
Encourage your officials in their attendance of a WFTDA Interleague or Tournament Officiating Clinic, and join the conversation.
MARCH 24-25
JUNE 9-10
JULY 7-8
AUG. 4-5
Auckland, New Zealand
Jacksonville, Florida
Marion, Illinois
Portland, Oregon
MARCH 31-APRIL 1
JUNE 21-22
JULY 21-22
AUG. 11-12
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Feasterville, Pennsylvania
Raleigh, North Carolina
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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