fiveonfive | issue 16 | Summer 2012

WOMEN’S FLAT TRACK ROLLER DERBY MAGAZINE ISSUE 16, SUMMER 2012

proud partner of the WFTDA

fiveonfivemag.com

Encourage your officials in their attendance of a WFTDA Interleague or Tournament Officiating Clinic, and join the conversation.

JUNE 9-10

JULY 7-8

AUG. 4-5

Jacksonville, Florida

Marion, Illinois

Portland, Oregon

JUNE 21-22

JULY 21-22

AUG. 11-12

Feasterville, Pennsylvania

Raleigh, North Carolina

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

wftda.com/2012-clinics

fiveonfive contents 34-36

4-5 advice

ask ms d’fiant and suzy hotrod!

WFTDA A joint venture between WFTDA and Blaze Streaming Media, WFTDA.tv brings highquality productions of exciting WFTDA match-ups to derby lovers everywhere.

6-9 business 10-17

health and fitness core training derby sport training derby fitness

Blaze Streaming Media

choosing a charity that works groupon

42-43

18-25 games and coaching

Derby Dad

integrating new skaters while keeping vets engaged strategic communication in coaching

A proud derby dad offers his unique perspective on the impact roller derby has had on his junior derby daughters’ lives.

plates 101 skate inserts

37 junior derby

Steven Hewett

26-32 gear

co-ed junior league

Mama Does Derby More and more moms are taking the track and trying roller derby on for size. Brass Snuggles provides insight into the challenge of balancing derby and motherhood.

38-41 rookie

Ann Yoo

small town derby how to be a good host league

48-50 international derby 52-62 art and media 63 classifieds 68 horoscopes

44-45

editor miss jane redrum fort wayne derby girls copy editor vera n. sayne rocky mountain rollergirls content manager annsanity boulder county bombers art director assaultin’ pepa rocky mountain rollergirls

from the editor Welcome to the 15th issue of fiveonfive magazine!

It’s been two years since I hung up my skates and retired from the Fort Wayne

contributing writers ms d’fiant angel city derby girls

Derby Girls. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. Like most reading

suzy hotrod gotham girls roller derby

practices and bouts, and into WFTDA for six years. After I retired, I found myself

el efino quad city rollers

on the outside. All of my derby friends were still immersed in the culture and too

bob noxious brewcity bruisers

this, I poured my blood, sweat and tears into the business side of the league, into

busy for anything else, just like I was during my tenure as a derby girl. It was a difficult adjustment for me, and it took a long time to figure out how to keep

frida beater rocky mountain rollergirls

tabs on the sport and people I love, while pursuing new hobbies and passions.

heather carlton acsm fitness trainer

More and more derby girls will experience this disillusion as veterans of the sport

catholic cruel girl rocky mountain rollergirls

begin to retire. We can’t skate forever after all, right? Luckily, I get to be a part of the fiveonfive team, allowing me to keep my finger on the pulse of the derby

andy frye mysportscomplexblog.com

community, while also enjoying the freedom associated with derby retirement (no

darth vixen morgantown roller vixens

more Sunday night practices is a godsend). For me, it’s been a great way to fill

coach pauly e-ville roller derby

the void presented by retirement, without having to devote four to five nights per

jodee benavides brewcity bruisers

week to practices and meetings. I’d recommend other derby retirees find a way to stay involved, even if it’s only to volunteer at a bout. As a former derby girl,

la petite mort fast girl skates

you know there are many roles that need filled within a league – many of them

triple shot misto rocky mountain rollergirls

non-skating and much less time consuming. There’s something about this sport

shelly shankya wftda

that makes it impossible to give up completely, isn’t there?

peyton slamming naptown roller girls

Even as a retiree, I find so much value within the pages of this magazine. I was

bang-a-rang faye naughty pines derby dames

especially moved by the “Derby Dad” story on page 42 and intrigued by the

john maddening minnesota rollergirls

WFTDA.tv article on page 34. Though I am not skating regularly, it’s important to stay in shape, and derby skaters and retirees alike can benefit from

jason wollschleger lilac city roller girls

Frida Beater’s article about core training on page 10.

brass snuggles albany all stars roller derby

As always, if you have suggestions for content or would like to submit an article,

ráyn of terror sailor city rollers

contact us at editor@fiveonfive.com. We’d love to hear from you.

junior circle city derby girls pelvis costello boston derby dames kylie of backlash detour derby cover photo nicolas charest nicolascharest.com fiveonfive magazine info@fiveonfivemag.com facebook.com/fiveonfive fiveonfivemag.com

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.

Bob Noxious Bob Noxious, one of the remaining old school announcers, works as an all-around resource for derby leagues in North America as the Alternative Sports Doer for Brown Paper Tickets. He recently joined the BrewCity Bruisers in Milwaukee as one their co-announcers. He is co-founder of AFTDA and can also be heard on Roller Derby Radio, broadcast live in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, UK.

Ráyn of Terror Ráyn began Roller Derby in the Summer of 2009 with the Hudson Valley Horrors Roller Derby League. Her aggressive and lethal booty block gave her a place in every bout in her rookie season. In Fall of 2011, she retired from HVHRD and helped start the Mid-Hudson Misfits Roller Derby League. Soon after, she was invited to travel to Argentina to do some skating, where she quickly fell in love with the people and the city. She is planning to spend some time there skating with the Sailor City Roller Derby League and helping to expand Roller Derby in Central and South America.

Amanda Rieker/Wicked Shamrock Photography

Triple Shot Misto Triple Shot Misto is a wife, a mother of three, a Colorado native, an avid snowboarder, an adventure racer, and a skater for the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls. Misto comes from an extensive skating background, and started rolling around on quads as soon as she could walk. She is in her second season with RMRG.

Progressive Photography

John Maddening John Maddening is in his seventh season as Announcer for the Minnesota RollerGirls, and third season as Interleague Co-Chair.

He was in the original class of AFTDA-certified announcers, and in his "real" life works for a board game publisher.

Jodee Benavides Jodee’s athletic experience includes being a four-year high school wrestler and past submission grappling practitioner. He brings his unique understanding of applying and receiving pressure to an opponent to his derby coaching style. He recently finished his second year of coaching the Brewcity Bruisers Battlestars and started his first year as co-coach of the Brewcity Bruisers.

advice

Suzy Hotrod

Ms D’Fiant

Gotham Girls Roller Derby New York, NY

Angel City Derby Girls Los Angeles, CA

DEAR BLOCKER AND JAMMER, Some skaters come to practice more than others. How do we keep those who don’t attend as often up to speed about strategy without boring those who attend regularly?

-PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

DEAR PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT, Honestly, if you want to improve, you need to get your skaters to make it to practice or you’ve got a far bigger problem than worrying about strategy. You’re missing teamwork time together, developing on-track chemistry. But I get it, we’re not all roller derby careerists. Yet! Anyway, what to do when you’re not seeing the entire team at all practices? Define the first practice of the week as half regular skills practice and second half introducing the new strategy of the week.

Then use your second night’s practice that week to do the same strategy but focusing only on the drills and physical execution of the strategy.

Essentially cover the same idea two times in a row. First night is mostly demonstrations, theory, questions, and light drills. The second night is pounding it in further with tons of drills for a lot longer time. If you can’t make the first night, you can at least drop in and learn physically on the track in action with the girls who did attend the first practice where the theory was discussed at length. I prefer learning by physically doing.

Another idea is to clearly designate strategy practice dates and have it simply be mandatory. It may be a lot less days, but if everyone is actually there, it’s far more productive. I find sending emails to catch up on strategy isn’t really all that hot. You need to be physically there working with each other on the skills and asking questions and learning together. I can’t stress enough that teams lacking consistent attendance are suffering a real blow to team development.

If your league simply can’t get the skaters out consistently, then you need to choose strategy leaders, pivots are a good example, but designate skaters who are always at practice and know all the strategy plans and can run the pack on the floor and be trusted to make the decisions that the rest of the pack will follow. It’s good for everyone to be on the same page, but each pack will need a leader to make those fast decisions when it’s time. This job should go to the skaters who are always at practice and know the plan inside out and backwards.

Remember, the strongest team has one voice that works together.

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DEAR PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT, The way I see it, you have two obvious choices here. Either you don’t roster the person for games because they are unfamiliar with the strategy or you do a lot of pre-planning. I think the ideal solution is a combination of both.

The last thing I want to do is create more work for anyone in roller derby, especially the coaches, but having a well-mapped lesson plan can be very helpful.

Skaters aren’t always missing practices because they’re lazy; there’s this real life business that gets in the way sometimes. Knowing that you missed the building-abridge lesson plan could help a skater brush up on the topic outside of practice.

Yes, homework! Also, try to pinpoint different experts on particular subjects that way one person isn’t always overwhelmed. Usually, our coaches try to have officials teach rules-based lesson plans for the 30 minutes of team practice for the first few months. As the season develops, they’ll bring in experts to discuss strategies, plays and specifics. Most of the time (I won’t lie and say all) the instructor for the night has written up the points of discussion and these should be digitally distributed to the team after practice. Pre-planning will also help your coaching committee ensure topics are getting covered in a timely fashion before games.

Remember that time in the last paragraph when I said we talk about rules for 30 minutes at the start of the season? Know how boring that gets on the fourth or fifth time around? Tell your vets to suck it up, review is good for them too. Also, they can show off during the Q&A portion.

Also, I mentioned this is something we do at team practices. You might find it more effective to approach learning on a team basis. It’s a smaller group and the conversations will be very different based on the skaters experience, ie: the C team should not sit in on a strategy discussion with All Stars, that’d blow their lil newbie minds! It may not be the most efficient approach, but have your newer officials do rules reviews with the less experienced teams. It will help both teacher and student learn together.

To backtrack to my first suggestion, if someone is a chronic attendance abuser, don’t play them. Or institute a peer-based evaluation system as I discussed in the other adjacent column. In our experience, attendance skyrocketed when the team started making the choice on the roster. And because each skater feels accountable to the team, they apologize to the group when they have to miss a practice. It’s a much different feeling when you’re disappointing your sister as opposed to an authority figure.

Nicolas Charest

DEAR BLOCKER AND JAMMER, Our league is very encouraging, but we have one leaguemate who doesn’t respond well to constructive criticism. How do you suggest we resolve this situation?

-FEEDBACK FANNY

DEAR FEEDBACK FANNY, As leaders and coaches, it is your job to always give constructive criticism, whether she is listening or not. Some people just don’t like to hear anything that’s not happy news. It’s funny you should mention this because I recently heard the Philly Rollergirls on a radio show, and they said when they recruit, they look for someone who is coachable. The interviewer asked what that was, and the skaters said it means having a willingness to listen, learn, and take feedback. Well said.

Next, I guess it would depend on the degree of “not responding well” you’re dealing with. Is it emotional? Is this someone who storms out of the room? Or someone who cries or gets very upset? If you have a behavior problem, you need to sit this skater down and inform her that her actions are taking it to an emotional level and what you’re doing is analytical and about technical elements of skill and performance. Tell her she needs to treat her roller derby time like her professional life environment: respect and professionalism for your “co-workers and boss.” If you’re dealing with someone who is quickly emotional, don’t baby her out of fear you’ll hurt her. Being clear and to the point is always the best way. The “compliment sandwich” to me is bullshit, but I will say that all feedback sessions should always cover a skater’s strengths and areas to improve upon and not just the “fix it” list alone.

Then there’s the situation where you feel like you’re wasting time with this skater because she is clearly not listening.

Again, as leadership, it is your responsibility to give your skaters feedback, even if it falls on deaf ears. It’s important that people who don’t respond well to constructive criticism still hear it.

Sometimes there are skaters who have a skewed self perception. I’d like to think that if I’m honest with them, and others are too, maybe it will start to sound so redundant that it will sink in! And if this person truly doesn’t want to hear it from you, still develop yourself by preparing the feedback and delivering it to her no matter what her reaction is. Hold up your end of the deal. Honestly, don’t set out to change this person, so much as I’d recommend remaining steadfast and professional as a coach and leader to give all skaters feedback whether they welcome it or not. It’s their choice.

DEAR DEAR FEEDBACK FANNY, Too much constructive criticism isn’t very constructive.

But first, I believe in very up front and honest coaching. It is so hard to have these difficult conversations, but it’s important that someone from the coaching staff sit down with each skater and give them very honest feedback about their performance. Skaters are human and sometimes the same message delivered from a different person can be more effective. For this reason, it’s probably best for the coaching staff to develop a plan of attack on how to give evaluations.

Or if a problem arises, discuss it beforehand and strategize on the best person to deliver the message.

Messages about a skater’s performance are better delivered by the coaching staff and not by peers. If that’s your league policy, then okay, but I’m not gonna like it. For starters, you need to support each other. Trust is of the utmost importance on the track and if you fear criticism – or worse, your teammates critiquing you together behind your back – it’s not the fertile environment where teamwork blooms. Second, too many opinions will get you nowhere. There’s a hierarchy in this game for a reason.

Coaches and Captains work on strategy and trust their pivots to communicate it at game time. If everyone is giving their .02 cents, then this chain of command is not in effect and conflicting strategies may be at work. Third, each skater should be concentrating on themselves. While you’re watching and noticing problems from another skater, you’re definitely not concentrating on your own development and executing the drill or strategy to the maximum effect.

Alright, alright, lecture over. Just because I don’t think it’s the teammate’s place to give constructive criticism doesn’t mean I think they are completely removed from the evaluation process. A new approach my team has taken this year is a peer review grading scale. We didn’t make it too complicated or ask for specifics. There is a scale of 1 to 10 and you’re asked to rank each skater’s effectiveness based on their impact on the track/team. The caveat is this – there must be a skater placed at each rank.

The coaches were also very deliberate when they chose the wording, because it’s not about who is the most skilled skater. You can have an amazing skater that’s an ass, which brings down morale. Or a killer pivot with great strategy and communication who couldn’t shoot the duck if she tried. This rating is used by the coaches when determining rosters; they are not public record. However, it is a tool for the coaches to have these honest conversations about a skater’s performance when the team is ranking them low. It’s very real when you’re faced with a low score from your teammates and most skaters will be open to seek self-improvement.

Obviously, every coaching system has its benefits and no system is perfect.

It wasn’t an easy choice to open our rostering and chartering to a team decision, but openly engaging the team to make the choice has taken the pressure off the coaching staff and made each skater responsible for her own development.

need advice? email advice@fiveonfivemag.com fiveonfivemag.com | Summer 2012 | 5

business

choosing a charity that works E L E F I N O , Q UA D C I T Y R O L L E R S

Part of what makes derby so rewarding for many of us is many leagues give back a portion of the bout profits to their local community. So you pick a charity, give them a check and done! Right? No. There are several reasons for that “No”. The issues can range from determining who you give money to, who chooses the charity, working with the charity, promoting though the charity, understanding why some charities seem sort of ungrateful or difficult, and so forth.

If your league does not already have guidelines, it is best to think about having them set before there is an issue. Are you giving to only 503(c)(3) charities? What about a fundraiser for someone’s medical bills (that is not an official non-profit charity)? What about a church or a school? Sometimes flat-out dividing organizations that are considered valid options from invalid ones is very hard, but set your rules.

This is different than saying a charity or organization has no value... you are just saying it does not fit the established criteria for a formal donation. People bring organizations to the table because they mean a lot to them. If you donate to a school, what about other schools in the area (not everyone’s children are going to go to that one school)?

If you donate to a church are you going

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to alienate members of the league who are of a different faith (or no faith)?

There is no right way to decide who is going to get the benefit of the donation; however, it is important that your league sets guidelines and follows them every time. If you deviate from your established rules as to which organizations are eligible to receive funds, you immediately fall into the realm of derby drama with hurt feelings and accusations of favoritism.

If you have rules for what is considered a valid charity, who gets to choose? Does your board decide, does your Bout Planning Committee have a say so, or do you throw charity names into a hat and draw? Our league recently started letting members choose the charity based on seniority with the league. Each league member, including refs, gets an opportunity to choose as long as they are still members when their turn comes around. All options for choosing, including the one we use, have the possibility for causing hurt feelings, but at least it’s an established policy.

What happens if people really, really want to help a charity that does not fit the league rules? Depending on when your league rule was established it might be time to reevaluate what is considered valid, but make sure this is not just a knee-jerk reaction to wanting to help, otherwise you are back to feelings being hurt and people taking the decision personally.

If a charity does not fit the rules there might be other ways to help. You could

pass the helmet at a bout and funds that are brought in would be specifically for the “good cause” the league wants to help. Donation baskets or merchandise and/or tickets to raffle are other ways to help raise money for any cause you want to support. Having volunteers is also helpful for many organizations, so if you want to help, you do not always have to give money – the league can give their time.

The fact that some charities are difficult to give money to seems to surprise many in the derby community.

Many times charities don’t get back to you. Why? Just like derby, most charities are generally staffed by volunteers.

Unlike derby, they are not necessarily Type A personalities ready to pounce on every email.

Many charities are also very concerned with protecting their “brand”.

Just like “Coke” or “John Deere” they have an image they work very hard (and spend large fortunes) to promote and protect. It might take several months of their board meetings before some charities can even decide if the idea of them taking money from a female roller derby league fits their image. Now that derby has been getting more positive press, it is becoming easier to overcome the preconceived image of who roller derby players are, but taking their image into consideration is helpful.

A very good approach to working with charities is to have one person in your league be the liaison to and from the organization and try for that person to

send everything to a corresponding individual at the charity – everything funnels to, and through, those two people.

When you first approach an organization, be prepared to explain exactly who your league is and why you want to give them money. If you are clear and informative it is much easier to cut down on much of the back and forth that can develop otherwise.

deadline, be clear in communicating that to them.

Consider how they can help you. That might seem rude... but if possible, the charity should be helping you fill bout seats! Unless your league gives a flat donation, the amount of money you give to the charity is likely determined by a percent of your ticket sales, net or gross profit. The more seats you can fill, the

or two months out, you could easily miss important deadlines and drastically reduce your exposure to the charity base. Be polite but up-front with them if you are asking for them to help promote the bout so you can give them a better donation.

Giving back to the community, whether it be through a monetary donation or through time, is one of

Caesandra Seawell

It is always a good idea to have a letter that can be sent to the charity explaining your league, demographics, community involvement, etc. This goes towards establishing your league as a professional and established entity. If the organization needs to proof anything (or everything) that contains their name or logo, make sure the necessary league committees know this up-front and build extra time into their schedules. If you need approval back by a specific

larger a donation you will be able to provide. Many charities have e-mail lists that (while they will likely not give to you), they can use to promote the bout noting they are the receiving charity.

The organization’s Facebook page is also another good resource for them to use on your behalf.

Plan ahead! Many charities do have newsletters or mailings that go out to their supporters; however, many of these are quarterly! If you are working only one

the best parts of the current derby culture. The way to accomplish this for the benefit of both parties is to have established rules, be clear in what you are asking, respect their image and get them involved helping you help them.

Dedicated community involvement will help your league grow with better media exposure, word-of-mouth, sponsorship, better attended bouts, recruitment and more.

fiveonfivemag.com | Summer 2012 | 7

business

groupon BOB NOXIOUS, BREWCITY BRUISERS

Is deep discounting the answer to filling empty seats?

Regardless of our passion for the game, we are a business first.

We need fans. Derby is an “if we build it, they will come a few times” scenario if you don’t build a hardcore fan base. Groupon provides derby the chance to attract new fans, but be careful, it has to be worth the risks.

Who is Groupon?

Groupon is the most well-known of deep discounters. Just like online coupon services, Groupon similarly puts your product in the front of new customers. That’s, however, where the similarities end. The difference is consumers subscribe to Groupon online or through phone apps and the discounts are large. Groupon users open an account then receive emails advertising a new bargain every day. In addition to the daily bargains, users have a local listing of other discounts offered.

How does Groupon work?

Unlike most coupons, a Groupon voucher represents, typically, 50% off of a product or service. The term “voucher” is significant. It’s different than a coupon, as the consumer pays for this voucher. They agree to the terms of the discount beforehand, make the purchase, and redeem the voucher at the business. It’s simple, as Groupon handles all transactions and mails you a check after sales end.

Groupon’s business model is to pursue bulk business for clients. Groupon helps you determine a minimum number of vouchers that must be purchased for the promotion to even take place! Use 200 seats as an example. Your event would run as a feature e-mail to subscribers, then remain one of the local specials for a specified amount of time.

200 vouchers need to be sold within that time span. If not, those who purchased are refunded, and the promotion never happens. If at least 200 vouchers have been sold, they will be validated and active for your event.

Chances are you will hit your minimum. Many who buy vouchers will Facebook or Tweet friends, multiplying the network of people exposed to the deal. Advertising it on league sites, however, may not sit well with hardcore fans, as discounted tickets are limited. That said, make sure your

8 | Summer 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com

website and Facebook pages are up to date. Groupon customers often look into the event before deciding to purchase. They won’t buy a voucher for an event they cannot verify.

What kind of money can Groupon bring to the league?

Groupon only deals with deep discounts. Again, 50% (or two tickets for the price of one) being the common arrangement.

That 50% has already been “given away” and Groupon exists to provide a service. They are a business too. So the 50% discount is not the final cost of selling Groupon vouchers.

Not by far, though Groupon does a thorough job executing your deal.

Groupon representatives copyright your feature e-mail and handle the entire transaction for you. Their subscribers fill out a certain amount of information on their demographics and interests, so Groupon can more easily target the right consumers. They process the purchase, record the transactions, and compile sales data. The league is mailed a check after voucher sales end. Groupon can provide you with analytics, including locations, demographics of purchasers and purchase activity. All of this information can be tracked on the league’s Groupon Merchant Center (an on-line dashboard). They make things fairly easy, it boosts attendance and gives you an idea about the customers you’ve reached, but costs you 50% of the discounted retail. In simple terms, Groupon keeps half of the voucher purchases, bringing the league’s take down to 25% of the original retail.

So why consider Groupon?

That’s the question! If you run a search on Groupon, you will find thousands of hits to sites telling you Groupon is good for business and just as many screaming the ills of the service, believing the profit loss is too much and the customer wasn’t who they wanted.

The downside Groupon’s purpose is to entice new customers into attending your bouts, becoming repeat fans. However, the truth is using Groupon won’t boost long-term profitability (attendance) if the wrong customer is reached. If Groupon customers turn out to be loyal fans already, it hurts you. They’d have willingly paid full price. If those who buy vouchers don’t come back, the reason

for using Groupon loses significance. And there are some inherent risks. A loyal fan who has paid full-price for their ticket sees a co-worker at the bout and talks about the screamin’ deal they got on tickets. She didn’t.

Plus, running voucher sales too often may turn loyal fans toward the discounted tickets.

Once that happens, the attendance boost is minimal. Now you’re selling a similar number of seats at a lower price or are forced to raise regular prices.

In roller rinks, it may not be for you either. The typical rink holds about 500 fans, so selling Groupon vouchers to fill an extra 50 or 75 seats could backfire. Those seats may be as easily filled by marketing a little differently. And if you get a push at the door that night, having to turn people away, you’ve lost those who were more likely to be repeat customers and 75% of the ticket face.

The upside Groupon has its upside depending on your league, the local environment, and whether you follow through on learning from the experience.

For leagues in arenas and convention halls, capacity is large and most have hundreds or thousands of open seats. Assuming Groupon does reach derby virgins and bring them in, voucher sales could increase your fan base and the 25% of ticket face for seats, generally empty, is a win. Always consider league merchandise and concession sales could get a significant boost too.

Outside factors may influence effectiveness of Groupon Originally, derby stayed away from holiday bouts, skipping December or opting to start after the New Year. In the last few seasons, more leagues are playing in the first half of December.

This is where Groupon can make sense, especially in an arena. If the Groupon sales fill more seats, it’s at the best time of year to sell merchandise and season passes! Being able to skate to

a crowd in December is critical for the cold, snowy states.

December is a good for an audience, weather-wise, and Groupon has helped offset attendance drops by holiday shoppers.

Special events, such as charity bouts, can be another time in which Groupon can help you. Depending on how money is being raised during the bout, the more fans, the greater the donations, silent auction bids and word-of-mouth about your charity efforts.

Success is measured analytics not sales The strength of Groupon is the analytics. The data alone can be of great help. But take that data and compare it to non-Groupon sales data and you learn much more! Did Groupon help you draw fans from new areas? Do the demographics of the voucher holders seem noticeably different to your own demographic data (if you’ve attempted to gather this) or at least from general observation?

Did you get the derby virgins? Here’s a tip... ASK! The most common form of voucher redemption is to check against your Groupon sales printout. Basically, a Will Call list. Leagues need to designate someone to check in Groupon customers. As your volunteer is doing this, have them ask the customer if they’ve attended a bout before. Make a note on the list. If you don’t, how do you know if the promotion did its job? If most had been to a bout before, maybe the promotion cost you money!

Always enter business arrangements knowing what you want and if the result was as expected. Being a solid business is important to having a successful league. There isn’t a right or wrong answer for the use of Groupon. It’s situational. Groupon is not about making a few more dollars at the next bout. Nor is it a replacement for creative marketing and promotion.

Groupon is a hook to build your fan base.

fiveonfivemag.com | Summer 2012 | 9

health and fitness

core training 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

Why would we train our core for roller derby when we skate with our legs and occasionally use our arms to give assists? There are several reasons why strengthening your core will dramatically improve your game. A strong core will allow you to deliver and receive blocks more effectively, improve your skating form, increase your stability on skates, and improve injury recovery. blocking Delivering effective blocks requires three main things: 1. Foot work, 2. Power, and 3. Stability. Strong back and abdominal muscles affect both power and stability.

Although the majority of the power usually originates from the legs, core muscles are important as well. Furthermore, core muscles work with leg muscles for stability. When initiating a block – whether it be a lateral block, hip check, positional blocking, or a swoop – the core acts to stabilize the blocker and allows her to control her body.

Core muscles are even more important when receiving a block. To avoid losing one’s position or falling down when receiving a block, the core must support the skater. When the back and abdominal muscles engage, they create stability and allow a skater to absorb hits. The stronger the core muscles are, the more forceful hits skaters can take. form Perfect speed skating form looks like this: knees are bent at a 90 degree angle, back is flat and parallel to the ground, and the space between the chest and the thighs is minimal. To make the

back flat and minimize the space between the chest and thighs, the core muscles must pull the chest down and into the body.

Some people advocate a different form for blockers skating within a pack. This form has blockers bending their knees at a 90 degree angle and positioning the torso upright so that blockers are ready to give and receive blocks. This position is almost completely dependant on the core muscles. stability A strong core will increase stability on skates. In addition to balance and footwork, a strong core will keep a skater on her feet. injury recovery and prevention I broke my back sometime in the fall of last year and I skated without medical attention until January. When I finally went to the doctor and got an MRI, she was shocked that I wasn’t in more pain. My strong core had stabilized my back and was doing what the bone was intended to do. The doctor sent me to physical therapy and I began an even more intense core strengthening program. The intense core exercises have almost eliminated all of my lower back pain. Strengthening core muscles can have great effects on injury recovery.

core strengthening training for roller derby: classic plank The plank is a great all-around core exercise that works both the exterior and interior abdominal muscles as well as the lower back.

Hold this position for as long as you can in three sets.

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side plank

weighted kayakers

The side plank works the obliques, which are the foundation of powerful hits.

To do kayakers, sit on the ground, lift your feet off the ground and twist your torso from side to side. You can add a weight to make it more challenging.

Hold the side planks as long as possible for three sets.

Do three sets to failure (as many as you can do).

exercise ball crunches

weighted side bends

Exercise ball crunches engage the middle and upper abs. These should be done slowly as well.

Weighted side bends also work the obliques. They should be done very slowly and methodically.

Hold a heavy weight at your side and engage your opposite side slowly as you pull the weight up.

Do two sets of 50.

Do three sets of 20 on each side. Add more weight if you aren’t feeling challenged.

weighted back bends On a back bend bench, hold a weight to your chest and slowly drop down and lift yourself back up using your lower back muscles.

captain’s chair leg raises Captain’s chair raises are one of the best exercises for your lower abs.

Do three sets of 15.

Do three sets of 20.

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health and fitness

derby sport training H E AT H E R C A R LTO N , A C S M F I T N E S S T R A I N E R

Roller derby is an exciting display of athleticism that is gaining rapid attention across the country, especially in strength training and conditioning circles. The sport involves several complex motor skills that both athletes and coaches need to train in order to improve overall skating performance and reduce the risk of serious injury. Among these are rapid multi-directional changes, skating curves around other players, sudden stops, forceful takeoffs, full body contact, falling and returning to action.

Roller Derby uses both aerobic endurance and anaerobic power. Jammers typically train with more anaerobic power when trying to lap opponents and score points like sprinters do when they explode to start, while blockers use more of the aerobic endurance to control the tempo of the game like a long distance runner would. Although most derby players use both energy systems, I want to focus more on increasing the conditioning level in the anaerobic threshold to create a higher performance output and greater results.

An athlete’s ability to rapidly accelerate from a stationary or lunging position and reach high speeds is one of the most important skills in roller derby. Leisurely skating around the track won’t take your game to the next level!

Sure it’s a great cardiovascular workout, but it does little to improve your skating speed, your ability to change directions quickly, to decelerate and then rapidly accelerate around another player, or any other explosive movements, such as hitting and jumping. This type of power production, via the anaerobic energy system, is best trained using explosive movements, such as plyometric conditioning and interval training. Improving the strength of the lower

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body and the core will help to improve your movement power output and top-end skating speed, while also increasing quicker reaction times on the track.

If being able to give or take a hit while maintaining stability is high on your priority list as a derby player, then core strengthening should become a staple in your strength training program. Having a strong core is critical for increasing skating speed, power production, stability, balance and an overall reduction of injury. During a bout, the power generated from the lower body is transferred through the core on its way to the upper body. When an opponent tries to hit you, the core muscles contract to resist the forces produced by the hit and a strong core will help to maintain balance and stability while a weak core will give out, balance will be lost, and you will most likely fall.

Kneeling on a stability ball is a great exercise that challenges the body’s spatial awareness while also training the core muscles isometrically, fixed contraction, the way they are used in derby. To perform the exercise, start by placing both knees on the ball while holding onto an immovable object, such as a rail. Try to balance on the front of the knees while maintaining a straight line from your knees up through the hips to the shoulders. Squeeze the ball using the inner thighs and contract the muscles of the abdominal and low-back to help maintain an upright position. After a series of successful attempts of remaining motionless on the ball, remove your hands from the rail and place them out to the sides for balance. Practice increasing the time spent kneeling on the ball without moving or falling off.

The skating dynamics of roller derby put a lot of skaters at risk for muscular imbalances and injuries to the low-back,

Strength training is critical for roller derby athletes who want to advance their skating performance. hips, knees and ankles are most common. There are several key components of a strength training program that must address the demands of the sport. In roller derby, the lower body and core are used a lot so targeting and improving the strength and endurance of the muscles of the hips, knees and ankles is a high priority, but it should not be the only focus.

Sometimes even the upper body can become weak and injured so improving upper body strength, particularly the muscles of the shoulders, must also be a priority. A great way to incorporate explosive work into an upper body routine is to perform plyometric push-ups. A total body exercise, push-ups engage muscles of the shoulders, chest, arms, abdominals, hips, legs and even the back. How do push-ups relate to the biomechanics of roller derby? Let’s break it down: when people fall forward, their first instinct is to reach out to catch themselves in order to break the fall. As the hands hit the ground the muscles of the wrists, the arms, the shoulders, the chest, and the abdominals absorb most of the impact while the elbows bend slightly to reduce the force and the abdominals contract to brace the body. This movement is similar to the end motion of the push-up. It is important to have enough strength to be able to perform push-ups while lifting your own body weight, so that you can break a fall safely the next time it comes around during competition. After an athlete can successfully perform push-ups of their own body weight, transition into performing more dynamic push-ups. One of my favorites is the Bosu plyometric push-ups. Begin with the Bosu with the soft side down and the hard side facing you. Take a breath and slowly lower your chest toward the Bosu while maintaining contraction of the abdominals, hips, and legs, then exhale and explosively push your body upward away from the

Bosu as you try to pull the Bosu up as high as possible off the ground and practicing bracing yourself as you fall back down on top of the Bosu.

Strength training is critical for roller derby athletes who want to advance their skating performance. Imagine that you will not only be faster but also more balanced, with increasing explosive power and greater stabilization. Strength training can help correct muscle imbalances due to inflexibilities or weakness, improve power output, and the muscles’ ability to propel the body forward, faster, and reduce weak links in the kinetic chain to aid in injury prevention.

Strength training has its benefits not only in sports but also in life. Exercise not only helps the muscles get stronger but it also strengthens the body’s defense against disease, pain and the aging process, while helping to maintain a healthy body weight and reduce anxiety and depression. Keep training so you can compete not only in derby but in the game of life, as well.

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health and fitness

popsicles!

Catholic Cruel Girl, Rocky Mountain Rollergirls photo by Jean Schwarzwalder

Berry Lavender Pops ingredients: 2 cups fresh blueberries 1 cup fresh raspberries 1 cup white grape juice concentrate 3 tablespoons lavender simple syrup (see individual recipe) Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Pour into ice pop molds and freeze four hours.

Lavender Infused Agave Simple Syrup ingredients: 1 cup agave nectar 1 cup water 1 tablespoon lavender flowers (fresh or dried) Add water and agave nectar in a small saucepan over medium heat until combined. Be sure not to bring to a boil.

Remove from heat. Add lavender flowers and let mixture come to room temperature. Let lavender infuse for at least 30 minutes.

Strain through a fine mesh strainer.

Store in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Minty Melon Pops ingredients: 1 ½ cup watermelon chunks 1 ½ cup honeydew melon chunks 1 ½ cup cantaloupe chunks 3 tablespoons mint infused simple syrup (follow directions for lavender recipe but substitute fresh mint leaves for lavender) Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into ice pop molds in layers to create a striped effect. Freeze four hours.

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health and fitness

derby fitness 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

Argentina All-Stars team member Alisa “Sargentina” dePedro does a lot to stay strong outside of roller derby practices.

Being a great blocker and skater requires a lot effort as flat-track derby evolves into its second decade.

Building and maintaining the stamina to compete on an international level, while holding down a career as a successful business executive, requires that Sargentina hit the weights and regularly challenge herself until it hurts.

“The constant stop and start of the game is the most exhausting part of roller derby,” Sargentina says.

That’s where her choice of Crossfit exercise comes in.

Sargentina took up Crossfit’s approach to strength and endurance training just before her participation in the 2011 roller derby World Cup, where she helped Argentina

overhead squats During a usual workout Sargentina gets started with three rounds of five overhead squats, lifting approximately 65 lbs total. The key is to keep a steady pace with breaks in between.

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to a respectable first appearance and won her country’s MVP award for her efforts and leadership.

With the help of her trainers at Chicago Elite Fitness, Sargentina built a regimen of regular workouts. In keeping with the crossfit training style and strategy, each session includes a warm-up followed by strength work, which culminates with the Workout of the Day (WOD) and then stretching. One day the menu du jour may focus on increasing strength, the next it’s AMRAPs, or “as many rounds as possible” to step up endurance.

She says Crossfit is a great way to gear up for a long season as a part of the Windy City Rollers All-Star squad. Here’s a look at some of Sargentina’s training efforts.

wall balls With a 15 lb. ball, Sargentina does what looks like a more controlled version of a free throw on the basketball court.

Her aim is to hit the circle target about 10 feet above and catch the ball on its descent. With wall balls, she will do either three sets of ten reps, or take 12 minutes to complete a total of 150 wall balls.

overhead snatches Starting in a crouch position, Sargentina lifts 65 lbs. for three sets of five lifts.

After lifting from base, she’ll snatch the bar just under her chin, and then extend above her head.

Another sample approach might be a Workout of the Day consisting of AMRAP in 15 minutes, with a target of 30 wall balls, followed by 30 snatches.

With selected exercises, Sargentina gets a full body exercise that promotes endurance and increased strength without overtraining muscles or putting undue stress on tendons and ligaments.

But Crossfit isn’t the only style of workout for today’s international derby star. Across town at KRU Strength + Fitness, Sargentina often jumps in with her fellow all-stars, Athena DeCrime and Team USA’s Varla Vendetta for more of a core-based workout.

double kettle bell squats Varla grips two 17.6 lb. kettles, doing a series of squats from standing position for a full 60 seconds. Her stance is wide and supportive, with her feet placed just outside the width of her shoulders.

While Sargentina emphasizes the need in her workout regimen for building stamina and explosive power, she and her teammates stress the need to build strength and endurance, particularly in the lower back, legs, and shoulders.

To accomplish this, many top derby athletes use the kettle bell, a cast-iron weight that resembles a small cannonball with a handle. Not only do kettle bells help women build core strength, kettle bell exercises also increase grip strength, which in turn helps improve one’s own ability to workout.

While each of the exercises detailed below can be done in three sets lasting sixty to ninety seconds, another approach dictates one exercise each in an ongoing circuit, with short breaks in between.

dumbbell flyes Working the deltoids sometimes require some good old fashioned dumbbells.

Here, Varla works here upper arms, lats and back gripping a 10 lb. dumbbell.

Supporting her body with one hand flat, she extends the weight outward and up toward the sky for thirty to forty-five seconds before a minute long break, and then switching to her other side.

kettle bell swings Placing both hands on the grip of a 26 lb. kettle bell, Athena does kettle bell swings in an upward, motion.

Swings help work both her shoulders and legs muscles, including calves, quads and hamstrings. The goal is to carefully pace as many swings as possible within one minute.

Usually top-flight roller derby women participate in four-plus practices every week, and more and more leagues have asked their players to hit the weights. In just ten short years, roller derby has gone global. And to keep pace with the competition, Crossfit and core weight training are just a few examples of how the best of the best sharpen their saws.

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games and coaching

integrating new skaters while keeping vets engaged DA RT H V I X E N , M O R G A N TOW N R O L L E R V I X E N S

Bringing in new skaters is exciting. Every league wants rosters full of talented skaters. However, there are challenges to bringing on new skaters: finding and keeping new skaters, integrating them successfully, and keeping veteran skaters engaged in their own growth, while team dynamics shift to accept new members. On the flip side of the balancing act is the time and energy put into running information sessions, boot camps, tryouts and other activities to get those new skaters in place. That process requires a tremendous amount of league resources, and many times the return a league receives on that investment can be questionable. While new skater attrition cannot be completely prevented, there are some practices that can be put in place to minimize it.

Skater recruitment, integration and turnover concerns in roller derby are incredibly similar to the issues of the organizations I work with in the nonprofit sector. All this recruiting, training and drafting of skaters is quite similar to the processes of recruiting, hiring and on-boarding that workplaces use. So I started to wonder... Can anything from the human resources field benefit derby leagues? Absolutely.

Are there other leagues out there that are managing this balance successfully? You bet your ass there are. I did some research and talked to a few coaches to see what could be learned. recruitment Bringing on new skaters is very similar to bringing new employees into an organization. I’m a consultant in the nonprofit sector, which suffers from miserable turn over rates.

I know the kind of drain a revolving door of employees can be on an organization, and I think the same is true of a derby league. You want new skaters who are going to meet your needs AND stick it out through the season (if not longer).

This starts with good recruitment and interviewing. In the derby world, this translates to clarity: clarity in your expectations of skaters and clarity in what you’re looking for from your talent pool.

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Identify what you are looking for in new recruits before holding tryouts. Be sure that all those involved in decision making agree on your criteria, as well as the method by which you will be making the decisions. That could be a point system or some kind of skills matrix to assess potential skaters, etc. Whatever the mechanism, be clear about what you’re looking for and how the decisions to take on new skaters will be made.

Once you know what you’re looking for, you can test for it.

Maybe it’s speed. Maybe it’s confidence on skates. Maybe it’s the ability to take direction and feedback well. Whatever you’re looking for, create situations in your tryout that will demonstrate those qualities. J Roller, Travel Team Coach for the Naptown Rollergirls, advises coaches not to be afraid to make tryouts tough. Nobody has ever gone easy on you because you’re nervous in a job interview, right? There’s a lot of pressure in derby. This is your opportunity to see the raw material you’ll be working with.

In addition, make sure that potential skaters have a realistic impression of what they are getting into. J Roller also advises: “Make expectations really clear – both what you’re looking for in skaters and what derby is really like.” Without clear expectations, potential skaters are ill-equipped to make smart decisions about how derby will fit into their lives. This could lead to a significant loss of freshies, thereby leading to wasted league time and resources. on-boarding On-boarding is a term used by employers and human resources professionals to describe the integration of new employees to an organization. It’s used to describe the process of bringing in a new employee and preparing them to become productive and engaged. Usually this process includes an orientation and additional supports to bring someone up to speed in their new work environment. This idea of on-boarding can be applied to derby leagues, as well.

The first step is to create a defined integration structure (boot camps, tryouts, probationary periods, assessments) throughout

Nicole Dean, Lily Nicole Photography

which newbies are getting support from coaches, trainers, and vets – similar to successful employee integration models that support employees as they find their place in a new organization.

Some leagues have celebrations to commemorate the arrival of new skaters. Some leagues use a mentor model where a vet skater teams up with a newbie. There are as many ways to do this as there are leagues out there, each creating structures that convey their unique organizational culture. The bottom line is: skaters, like employees, won’t stay if they aren’t supported.

A study on employee on-boarding from consulting firm Booze Allen Hamilton highlighted not feeling supported through the first

year of employment as one of the leading factors in employee turnover. While that might be a very complex fix in a company, it doesn’t have to be in a derby league.

Four key pieces to the puzzle of on-boarding new skaters: • Clear expectations. This applies to both the performance expectations of skaters and the league participation requirements. Just as in the tryout phase, clarity is the key to success.

• Access to information. Make sure new skaters have (or know where to find) information on the game itself, league structure and operations, codes of conduct, rules, etc.

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games and coaching

• A point person. Newbies should know who to reach out to with questions and concerns. On the flip side, that person can then provide valuable insight to the league on the experiences of new skaters and help to gauge the successfulness of the tactics being used. • How to succeed. Codes of conduct and league policies outline what not to do. Provide some guidance on what success within your league looks like. keeping veteran skaters engaged In my experience, when leagues are bringing in new skaters, resources can be stretched thin, which affects the level of attention being given to other aspects of the league. This balancing act can cause frustration with veteran skaters.

The needs of vets are changing as they grow and the balance between training newbies and keeping vets challenged can be a difficult one. They’ll need new and different challenges to stay engaged and continue to grow.

One way to facilitate this growth and the on-boarding of newbies is a mentoring program. Many leagues do something like this: a Big Sister program, where a freshie is paired with a veteran skater to learn the ropes. It can be a formal arrangement, or something more ad-hoc that happens at practice. Condoleezza Slice, the Skaters On Tap Wrangler of the DC Rollergirls, implements this concept into practices by pairing new skaters with veterans at every opportunity. This technique provides the opportunity for new skaters and vets to create relationships with one another. It’s a model that many employers use to speed up the integration of new employees into the culture of an organization. In employment settings, mentorship arrangements have been shown to reduce turn over and increase employee satisfaction.

Coaching staff can change the level of engagement for vets, as well. Using veterans as featured trainers to teach the skills they excel at is another way to keep them further engaged. This is a strategy that J Roller uses to tap into the deep knowledge of veterans while providing the challenge of teaching a skill.

Roxy Rockett, Training Director for the Carolina Rollergirls, had some sage advice when I asked her about keeping veteran skaters engaged, “Check the entitlement at the door.� That resonated with my own experience. After my first derby season, I was feeling pretty awesome when the new girls came in.

At that point I was hovering above mediocre. Suddenly I’m no longer the slowest blocker on the track! Not so fast... my team captain coined a new motto, “We’re only as strong as our weakest link.� Effectively making improvement of the freshies the responsibility of the rest of our team, and deflating our over inflated egos to get us back down to track level and get to work.

In talking with representatives from various leagues about their integration practices, I learned that many are using competitive rosters. When skaters are competing for their spots on the roster, not just at the beginning of the season, but all season long, it eliminates any sense of entitlement and maintains focus on your responsibility for your development. Roxy Rockett supports competitive rostering because not only does it put egos aside, but it also holds skaters responsible for their own progress.

As leagues get more sophisticated, it’s not surprising that league operations may start to resemble work places and that strategy for one environment may be applicable in the other.

Roller derby is a demanding sport. By applying structures used for employee retention to our beloved leagues, the time invested in recruitment and training can yield even better returns.

To get some practical perspectives beyond my own experience, I talked to three leaders: J-Roller (Naptown Rollergirls), Condaleezza Slice (DC Rollergirls) and Roxy Rockett (Carolina Rollergirls). They gave the following advice to anyone dealing with the integration of new skaters: • Choose carefully who to bring into your league. Collective instincts are usually correct. • Make expectations really clear. Both what you are looking for and what derby is actually like. • Make tryouts tough. See what skaters are made of. • Rely on vets as secondary trainers. Tap into their knowledge and experience while giving them new roles and challenges. • Make training freshies the job of the entire team. • Don’t put yourself above anyone, leadership can’t be entitled. • Learn how to train for derby. Invest in coaching, get help finding your own answers, reach out to other leagues to get advice, go to RollerCon and other learning events. • Make skaters responsible for their own progress.

Trainers/coaches must be willing to pass them over when they aren’t pulling their weight. • Don’t build a team around one talented skater. • Defined season goals will help teams maintain focus.

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games and coaching

coach’s corner by coach pauly

know your roll

part 16: on the road again

Coaching derby on the road includes many factors. It’s not just organizing, billets, hotel rooms or travel accommodations; those are these easy items to handle. Tournaments and away games seem to add some very difficult obstacles to overcome.

There are three unique factors that impact us going into any away bout: • Venue: floor, bench locations, penalty box, distance to the locker room, ear-piercing sound systems, screeching announcers, gnarly fan participation.

• Climate • Referees Throughout the years, I have seen derby played in some of the most interesting places, from inside bars where the bar itself was the infield to old school skating rinks and old air force hangers. Home field advantage is a wonderful thing.

Knowing the track and all its subtleties can give you a great advantage and hinder your opponent. Now the tables turn and you find you are now that visiting team coming onto a strange track. Depending on where you are going and what kind of surface you are playing on, I would recommend you bring an extra set of wheels. Another quick little action item that you can add to your list is getting everyone together to discuss how the track felt and note where the problem areas are. When the bout starts, it’s all locked in and there are not any slips or injuries. When the refs are warming up their whistles, take the time to see if you can hear them over the music. If it seems like the volume is an issue before the bout starts, imagine the noise the crowd will add once the action ensues, it pays to let the head ref know about this issue.

I have noticed more and more jammers have called the jam off and are skating to their bench while the blockers continue to go at it and ending up with hitting after the whistle penalties.

Having the penalty box between the benches is great but most of the time they are across the track from the bench which makes it a little harder to relay time between the pack and their boxed sisters. Not a big deal, but if you know this ahead of time you can work out a system to deal with the problem.

As with everything there are factors that are unseen that can hamper your game. In Arizona, we played outside at a venue that was not covered so the concrete was blazing hot even after

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the sun went down. Temperature can change how your team plays. Our skaters were used to it, but invite my new league to play in Arizona in August and they would burn to cinders. Likewise, if they came to play us in our training facility, they would freeze their asses off and their lungs would burn from the cold. The same can be said for your wheels; humidity and temperature can have direct effect on your gear.

Wheels that are sticky in a hot climate are now like glass on a frozen floor.

The one unique monkey wrench that we coaches and players face is that no matter where we travel to play this game there seems to be a difference in how the rules are applied. With every new tournament there are new “Clarifications” that we have to adapt to. I used to work for the Arizona Supreme Court and in my ten years there I gained a great understanding on legislation and enforcement. You are probably wondering what I am getting at... Well simply put, if a law is not passed it cannot be enforced. If it isn’t in the books, you can’t enforce it.

More and more it seems that the sport is being taken away from the teams. They are working on new strategies and innovative game play to evolve the sport. It seems that depending on where you are certain referees forget about the book and focus on their own viewpoints and opinions that are shared at ref workshops.

We all understand there are best practices and so on, but at the end of the day, the players and coaches play to how the rules, are currently written. Until those best practices make their way into a new volume of the rules it makes it hard for the players, coaches, and refs to understand each other. I am lucky to have worked with some great refs in my time, but not everyone has that direct connection. I recommend that if your league has the money to send a ref to a ref camp, please send them to WFTDA camps that are offered all over the world. Go to the source, it is the best way to learn. I know that sounded like a plug but I feel strongly about that. When your refs get back and before any changes are made to the way your league does things on the officiating side, make sure that everyone is clear on any new changes, calls or clarifications. Otherwise it makes for hard feelings on bout night when you are getting called for things that you have never been called for before.

Most people know me as a coach but I spent a lot of time as “the Water Boy” head ref for one of the first WFTDA leagues and I know how much abuse you take and how thankless a job it is. So I want to take this time to thank all of the Officials who make our bouts possible worldwide. I dream of a day when the refs are paid and no matter where you go, you are playing

under the current WFTDA rules and each bout is called by the book in any language.

‘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: monster

Have two full teams hit the track as you would in any ordinary jam. Once they are set and ready to go, add a “monster” who is on neither team.

The monster blocker lives to wreck strategies and break walls and concentration (it’s best to use your heaviest hitters for this job). They can help or hinder your team depending on who the monster decides to attack. Remember that the monster is still bound by the same rules that all blockers must follow. The purpose of this drill is to add chaos, so you can focus on your game play and use every opportunity to your advantage. As for the monster, this drill gives them a workout both mentally and physically.

They can choose to destroy the jammers or work on their blocking skills and run through specific scenarios. Everyone wins.

Nicholas Charest

purpose: focus on your game

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games and coaching

strategic communication in coaching J O D E E B E N AV I D E S , B R E W C I T Y B R U I S E R S

Effective teams must have a vision and must be able to communicate that vision. It must be clear and concise.

The tool to achieve this is the single-minded focus.

A single-minded focus is a mindset, an ethic. It is the core essence that defines a team’s character. A team that does not define its single-minded focus will not succeed in highlevel competition. It must be determined early in the season and intensified and honed as the season progresses. Vince Lombardi stated, “Success demands singleness of purpose.”

His players lived and breathed their single-minded focus without deviation.

I coach roller derby for the Brewcity Bruisers. I have been coaching the Brewcity Battlestars (Brewcity’s B-level travel team) for nearly two years and recently joined the All-stars as Co-Coach. My educational background is in strategic communication. It is a military based communication system developed to complete defined objectives and goals. It is commonly used in marketing communications to drive an agency in brand development.

During my time as coach of the Battlestars, we changed the team from a very small pick-up type team to a full-fledged entity where we always pressed the status quo and tried to be ahead of the curve. That experience culminated in February 2012 with our weekend championship run for the B-Cup trophy in Bloomington, Indiana. I experienced much pride in watching several skaters, whom I consider friends, experience a tournament win.

Bob Noxious of Madison, Wis., a wonderful announcer, astute derby critic, and friend, wrote this about our team’s performance: “After three bouts, it remained impossible to name specific skaters responsible for the newly needed trophy case. ChaZaam is a rookie and had success jamming and in the pack, which ran a defensive clinic its first two bouts. Moby Nipps was 24 | Summer 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com

a cornerstone jamming and blocking, but this was a TEAM in the truest form. Communication, crisp pack play, and veterans like Moby, Madd Mallett, Fidela Castrate, Pound Anya, and The Other White Meat anchored walls and blocking schemes that shut down opposing jammers – even when BCB was shorthanded. Back to basics and execution with discipline made them effective. Every skater was an asset, as all blocker rotations produced the same, stifling result.” This tells me we achieved our mission of playing as a team that values the unit over the individual.

How did we get to that point?

A key part of my communication process to keep the game simple is teaching the value of the unit over the individual.

In organizational communication, we refer to this as synergy.

Synergy is described on Wikipedia as, “two or more things functioning together to produce a result not independently obtainable.” The article states that synergy produces results where the group performance exceeds that of even its best performing individual.

It is interesting to note that the article states effective groups actively looked for disagreement points and encourage conflict, where as ineffective groups immediately looked for compromise.

“Group cohesion is that property that is inferred from the number and strength of mutual positive attitudes among members of the group. As the group becomes more cohesive, its functioning is affected in a number of ways. First, the interactions and communication between members increase. Common goals, interests, and small size all contribute to this. In addition, group member satisfaction increases as the group provides friendship and support against outside threats.”

In another interview, Bob Noxious of Madison, Wis. interviewed Buster Cheatin’, the coach of Gotham Girls Roller Derby All Stars.

When asked how Gotham started to make noise, Buster Cheatin’ stated, “We started to value teamwork, actually, instead of all these individual skills.” These are extremely wise words that are true in every team sport.

Jo

Joe Rollerfan

How does a team create synergy in game play?

In the past, I was guilty of looking negatively at skaters who constantly became trapped in sick antelope situations.

I started thinking about those trapped antelopes and noticed how fear of individual failure was motivating skaters to abandon teammates and run for the hills. I have heard skaters refer to other skaters as “easy to trap”. I watched skaters forced to abandon great defensive walls because they left that weaker skater behind and sacrificed pack definition to their opponent.

The truth is all skaters get trapped, even the great ones. Great teams understand this and work to negate that strategy.

It was easy to blame the trapped skater. That is until I started realizing maybe the problem was the teams that get caught in those situations really play a weak defensive scheme that cannot impede a jammer’s forward progress. How hard is it to roll in front of somebody perpetually? That really is not defense as I understand it. The jammer is still gaining ground.

I decided while I would always coach skaters to fight out of negative situations, I would no longer coach individual responsibility for defensive failure. If a jammer clears a pack, everybody was passed. How could it be one skater’s fault?

Skaters should not be playing defense on an island. I believe the fear of individual failure leads some skaters to prematurely abandon a good defensive stand. I see this manifest itself in the “Do not be a point” strategy.

I coach the “I am not afraid to be a point because as a unit we will punish your ass” strategy.

I communicate to the teams I coach that games are won and lost in the first seconds of each jam. As long as going forward is legal, the team that works best as a unit to stuff the jammer in the beginning of each jam more often than not wins the game.

Once a team adopts a single-minded focus, all training must reflect this adopted identity. Sometimes part of communication is not only telling but showing.

I wanted to develop a drill that would instill this ethic, so I came up with the Meat Grinder drill. The Meat Grinder is the baseline tool used to develop the ethic necessary to achieve a pressure-based, very intense, physically intimidating style of derby. I took the idea of a jammer pass and condensed the space between the jammer and pivot lines to only 30 feet.

Instead of skating away to not be a point, it shows you which skaters really have the strength to hold the fort.

It is a Greek phalanx-inspired defensive philosophy. A battle line is drawn and the defensive wall must be prepared to absorb the initial attack (pass). In a Greek phalanx, the promachoe (the frontliners) had to be physically and psychologically fit to sustain and survive the clash (“Phalanx Formation.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 18 Oct. 2011). Frontline blockers in the Meat Grinder defense must display the same attributes. Instead of running away, they must be willing to stand their ground.

It tells the opposing team that for every pass their jammer makes, she will pay a price. Every time she passes, our entire defense (working as one unified pack) will take something out of her. She is faced by a dedicated unit of blockers ready and willing to lay down the hurt. It teaches and reinforces the concept of team defense. Its effects are directly measurable in game situations.

Creating drills that reflect the mission is just one way to strengthen the single-minded focus of a team. Strategic communication in coaching is about providing a vision for teams to see, believe, and then follow. It is about adopting that single-minded focus that becomes the brand that every skater lives and breathes. It is about all skaters pouring all of their energy in one direction. It is about all involved believing in the power of intent. It is about turning an idea into reality. fiveonfivemag.com | Summer 2012 | 25

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plates 101 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

I’m calling this “plates 101” because it is a basic overview of plates and the differences between the types that are available.

Check a future issue for an in-depth comparison of king pin angles and the pros and cons of each angle.

metal vs. plastic – what’s the difference?

Plastic = Nylon, which is strong yet lightweight. A Nylon plate may flex if the skater is larger in stature or strides particularly hard. The trucks are usually cast aluminum and the kingpins and axles are steel.

Metal=Aluminum, either cast (heavier) or extruded (lighter) will not noticeably flex regardless of the skater’s stride or stature. An aluminum plate can be more responsive because no “pushing” energy is lost in the flex. However, an aluminum plate can feel heavy to some skaters; particularly those of smaller stature.

Bottom Line: There are no weight restrictions or “best and only” plate for everyone. It is the skater’s choice.

26 | Summer 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com

Cast Aluminum is poured into a mold when liquid. It then hardens into the desired shape. Extruded Aluminum is aluminum that is pushed through an orifice. The most expensive plates are usually made with very lightweight extruded aluminum.

7mm vs 8mm axles: Simply put, it’s the size in diameter of the axles on your plates. 7mm was more common in the past with speed skaters who were concerned about reducing the weight of their plates. 8mm is more common. Skateboard trucks are 8mm, and most plates made today come standard with 8mm axles.

ALL plates can break if the right conditions are met. Nylon plates do not break any more frequently than aluminum. In fact, we find they break less frequently than aluminum. Perhaps because they flex. While material, cost, quality and skating style can impact when and if a plate breaks, any plates of any style can break under the right conditions. single vs. double action A single action has one cushion between the chassis and the truck. A double action has a cushion on each side of the truck. In theory, because the double action gives you two cushions instead of one, it allows for more adjustability and a smoother edge. It also gives the skater the option of changing the hardness of the two cushions on each kingpin.

10 and 20 degree vs. 45 degree kingpin 10 degree plates have a smoother, more controlled turning effect and have always had the double action cushions for more

adjustability. 10 degree plates became very popular in the 1970s with the mass appeal of recreational roller skating. “A 10 degree skating plate is designed to place the skater over the kingpin and cushions, creating a more stable skating feel. This type of plate has also been called a Free-Skating plate as it was one of the original designs and allows a skater to be confident and under control in any skating situation. The truck design on a 10 degree plate is typically a more vertical approach, which will help keep a skater more upright, [and is] typically a less aggressive setup” (suregrip.com). The Probe and the Sunlite are examples of a 10 degree plate.

45 degree plates have a faster and sharper turning effect with a much tighter turning radius. “The 45 degree skating plate is designed to place the skater over the pivot pin creating a more aggressive stance and feel. The truck design on the 45 degree skate is designed with a horizontal approach in relation to the

skating floor, typically more sensitive to the skaters movement allowing him or her to change direction faster but still under control” (suregrip.com). A 45 degree angle plate also places the skater’s foot closer to the floor and lowers her center of gravity.

Some skaters however, find that they lose some stability with the gain in agility. The Invader and the Avenger are examples of 45 degree plates.

It could be argued that 20 degree plates are the best of both worlds. The Roll Line plates are typically 20 degree plates. It should be noted that this is the plate commonly used in roller hockey, thus may be a good choice for derby as there is currently lots of stopping/starting and lateral movement, as in roller hockey. Out of Australia, new kids on the block Crazy Skates also have the 20 degree kingpin on both their metal plate, the Venus, and their nylon plate, the Apollo. We have high hopes for this new company’s plates.

On the “short forward” mount: When you use a 45 degree kingpin, the wheel base (distance between front and rear wheels) is further apart than on the same sized 15 degree plate, so the plate is shorter because the base of the kingpins are closer together. Since you have a smaller plate, you need to place it forward off the heel to position the front axle underneath the ball of the foot. Under the ball of the foot has long been considered the proper placement of the front wheels of your skates. The back wheels should be under the ankle bone.

There is another “short forward” mount making the rounds as of late. The short forward mount where you choose a wheel base shorter than is recommended for your boot size, and then also place it more forward on the boot than is recommended (ie, the front wheel is in front of the ball of the foot), was and is still popular with some speed skaters.

Originally, this speed skating style was mostly done outside in a straight line, not on an oval track. There is some debate about whether this setup is useful for derby. We will discuss this concept in more depth in a future article.

fiveonfivemag.com | Summer 2012 | 27

gear

Variant

Mistral

Venus

Apollo

plates – our favorites: Aluminum: Roll Line Mistral (high end) and Variant (entry level).

Why our fave: They are lightweight, precise and durable. These plates are very high end, made in Italy and are commonly used in Roller Hockey. As stated previously, we think that is the closest thing to derby as far as lateral movement, stop and start and sheer wear and tear on your equipment. Keep in mind, however, that these plates are metric, so the mounting hardware, toe stop housing and axles require metric parts and accessories.

We are currently testing Crazy Skate’s Venus aluminum plates and so far, so good! They are very responsive and light, and we had our biggest skater (6’3”, 220lbs) doing high jumps with them and so far they have held up beautifully.

Nylon: Sure Grip Probe – For entry level skaters and any skater who is concerned with plate weight, we find this plate to be

28 | Summer 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com

Probe

Sunlite

Avenger

an absolute workhorse. It is light and nimble, breaks very infrequently (made of DuPont Nylon), and is cost effective.

We also have high hopes for Crazy Skate’s Apollo, but it is just hitting the market, so we are reserving judgment until we test it. The benefit of the Apollo is that it has 20 degree angle king pins, so it might offer more flexibility and sharper edges than the Probe. honorable mentions RC Sports Sunlite: this plate is nylon, similar to the Probe yet reinforced for less flexing. A good entry level, semi-lightweight, durable and cost effective plate.

Sure Grip Avenger: Cost effective and durable light-weight magnesium plates with the newly popular 45 degree angle double action trucks.

Serious Fun.

Weekend Training Camp for Flat and Banked Track Junior Roller Derby

presents

JuniorCon 2012

July 20-22 TXRD Warehouse Austin, TX

register online: www.brownpapertickets.com www.juniorcon.com

Serious Attitude.

gear

skate inserts T R I P L E S H OT M I S TO , R O C K Y M O U N TA I N R O L L E R G I R L S

Did you know the foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles, accounting for ¼ of all the bones in your body? That’s a lot of anatomy crammed into a small area that is used relentlessly, especially in roller derby. When your feet are uncomfortable and out of alignment, the rest of your body will be, as well. Ensuring that your feet are comfortable and strong through the countless hours of practice and games is essential to derby athletes. Though comfort is largely attributed to proper fitting skate boots, the added performance a good replacement skate insole can provide is often overlooked.

30 | Summer 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com

Last year, after my standard skate insole wore down, I suffered a serious infection from a foot blister that left me off skates (and shoes for that matter) for close to three weeks. Not fun! Enter my quest to find the perfect replacement insole for my roller skates. Choosing a suitable insole can be tricky and time consuming. There are oodles of products saturating the market, all with convincing claims. The most important thing to remember when buying insoles is that rigidity is preferred to cushiness.

Your skates are not shoes. Most shoes have pliable soles that allow for flexibility and traction; skates on the other hand, have firm solid soles designed to allow for maximum energy transfer in your stride from your foot to the floor. You do not want to lose any push power to an overly soft insole. Admittedly, I’m no podiatrist, and feet come in all shapes and sizes, but my healthy, standard width, medium arched feet, had some insightful commentary regarding the over-the-counter shoe/skate insoles that I tested out below. It is important to note that there are many serious foot conditions that standard insoles cannot address. In such instances, additional consultation with a doctor/ podiatrist is recommended.

Dr. Scholl’s Massaging Gel Sport Replacement Insoles Sizes: women’s 6-10, cut to fit Cost: 1 Pair $10.99 Features: shock absorbing, cushions active feet, arch support

The Dr. Scholl’s Massaging Gel Sport Insoles performed much better than I anticipated. Expecting an overly soft feel due to the massaging gel feature of these inserts, I was pleasantly surprised by their overall comfort and structure.

With size guides on the back of the insole, it is necessary to cut the insoles to fit before placing them in your skates.

The marked back lines made them easy to cut, though I did cut them slightly smaller than my actual boot size to get a proper fit inside my skates. These insoles are a bit wider than others I tested and might pose problems in narrow skate boots. The massaging gel feature is only set on the underside of the insole on the heels and toes. At a depth of slightly less than ¼”, Dr. Scholl’s Massaging Gel Sport insoles do not take up much room, though they do lift the heel slightly. These insoles also feature a shell arch support intended to improve motion control and side-to-side stability. I didn’t feel like these insoles changed my skating motion or overall push too much, and they certainly added some comfort. At just over $10, Dr. Scholl’s Massaging Gel Insoles could be an inexpensive and viable replacement insole. drscholls.com Dr. Scholl’s For Her Sole Expressions Insole Sizes: women’s one size fits most (6-10) Cost: 3 pair pack $12.99 Features: slim profile, soft foam absorbs heel shock and cushion ball of foot

I bought these Dr. Scholl’s inserts hoping that their slim profile might fit better inside my skates. The inserts are thin and flexible but do provide light padding, a step up from the paper-thin insole that comes standard in most skates. With a sticker back that easily adhered to the bottom of my boots, these inserts fit nicely inside my skates with no trimming. Dr. Scholl’s for Her Sole Insoles provide little, if any arch support, but they were comfortable under the ball of my foot and did not adversely affect my push. However, my biggest complaint is they did not entirely cover the bottom of my boot.

I could feel the stitching and plate mount hardware inside my skates. These Dr. Scholl’s for Her Sole Insoles are one size fits most and come in a standard length.

I can only imagine that their fit would be much worse for anyone with skates bigger than my size 4.5 Riedell 965’s.

These insoles would work much better off the track with your after-party outfit! drscholls.com ProFoot 2oz. Miracle Custom Molding Insoles Sizes: women’s 6-10 cut to fit Cost: 1 Pair $5.99 Features: custom molding, 2 layer memory fit, sore feet relief

skates. The foam material stuck to the bottom of my boots in all the wrong places and had to be repeatedly reworked into proper positioning. After only a few laps around the track, it became glaringly apparent that these insoles were not conducive to skates.

While they were ultra soft and cushiony, skating in them was akin to running through mud. The ProFoot insoles absorbed a ton of power from my strides, increasing my effort level and slowing me down considerably. The thick foam material also raised my entire foot nearly ½” inside my boot, making my skates way too tight. ProFoot states that the insoles will be custom molded to your foot within an hour. I skated with these insoles for several hours just for good measure, yet my opinion of their compatibility with skates did not change.

These are simply too soft and padded to be effective. profootcare.com Walkfit Platinum Orthotics Sizes: men’s 6-14.5, women’s 5-12.5 Cost: 1 pair w/3 arch support inserts $19.99 Features: massaging heel cup, rigid material distributes weight evenly, customizable arch inserts, washable

easily snap in and out of the Walkfit insole for a custom fit. Despite my medium arches, I elected to try the low arch insert inside my skates. WOW. These inserts were disturbingly stiff and completely altered the placement of my foot inside my skates. It was difficult to stand with these insoles inside my skates, much less skate. The rigid support of the Walkfit Platinum is simply too severe to be compatible inside a skate. While these worked great inside my athletic shoes, I would not recommend wearing them in skate boots. walkfit.com Superfeet Blue

Sizes: men’s 5.5-15, women’s 2.5 -12.5, junior 11.5-4 Cost: 1 pair $39.95 Features: stabilizer and cradled heel cap, XLPE (cross-linked polyethylene) foam provides biomechanical support

The ProFoot 2oz. Miracle Custom Molding Insole claims to be a dream solution for aching feet. As most derby players can attest, sore feet and derby go hand in hand. What better way to combat this than with custom molding inserts? After a painstaking ten-minute

I anticipated that because the Walkfit Platinum Orthotic are made from a stiffer plastic material than most insoles, they might provide a good marriage of support and comfort without stride energy loss. Most notable, the insoles are only ¾” in length and require you to keep a standard insole inside your

Superfeet insoles were recommended to me by a Riedell representative and several other skaters from the speed, derby, and hockey communities. Created in 1977 by the sports medicine branch of one of the world’s prominent podiatry practices, Superfeet Worldwide incorporates ten trim to fit models designed and catered towards use and shoe style. The insole models are differentiated by color and their specific uses are clearly outlined on the company website. Superfeet’s extensive research on feet and biomechanics clearly paid

process of trying to accurately cut these insoles to fit, I hastily attempted to stick the now haggard looking inserts into my

skate to protect your toes. The Walkfit Platinum insole comes with three arch supports: low, medium, and high. They

off, their performance easily lived up to manufacturer’s claims. I first purchased the Superfeet Blue insoles; they were

fiveonfivemag.com | Summer 2012 | 31

gear

readily available at my local sports stores (other colors can only be ordered online). The Superfeet Blue is a multipurpose insole with a low profile for tighter shoes. It has the most versatile insole shape and supports the broadest range of foot types. I purchased the Blue insoles in half a size smaller than my skate boots. Voila, they fit perfectly and felt great! With no break-in period, the insoles provided the spot-on firm support without affecting my stride and perceived effort. In fact, the Superfeet insoles actually improved the fit of my boot. Though slightly pricier than others, Superfeet’s technology is head and shoulders above market

competitors (as evidenced by their extensive website) and clearly worth the extra investment. superfeet.com Super Feet Yellow Sizes: men’s 5.515, women’s 2.5 12.5, junior 11.5-4 Cost: 1 pair $39.95 Features: stabilizer cap, cradled heel cap, antimicrobial, XLPE (cross-linked polyethylene) foam provides biomechanical support Superfeet Yellow insoles were specifically designed for skates and

cycling shoes. The technology behind the Yellow insole rests primarily on their thin profile and heel stabilization maximizing control, finite movement, and energy distribution. Much like the Superfeet Blue, I loved the slim design and firmness of this insole. I’m particularly fond of the “heel-lock” these insoles provided. My foot and heel remain aligned throughout my skating sessions.

Though typically harder to find in stores, the Yellow inserts are readily available via online retailers and are the perfect complement to your roller skates! I’m now a Superfeet devotee. You’d be hardpressed to see me skating in anything but these insoles! superfeet.com

wftda

wftda.tv: Real. Strong. Athletic.

Revolutionary... Live!

S H E L LY S H A N K YA , W F T DA

What is WFTDA.tv?

The Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) has collaborated with Blaze Streaming Media (blazestreaming.com) to launch WFTDA.tv, to offer quality, live coverage of women's flat track roller derby.

WFTDA.tv is an online broadcast channel featuring select WFTDAsanctioned games, including every minute of the WFTDA Playoffs and Championships.

It features monthly matchups of WFTDA contenders and houses a free library of archived footage.

Why WFTDA.tv? Why now?

WFTDA game play represents the premiere

How were early season bouts chosen to be broadcast live?

incarnation of the sport in the world, and

The leagues and bouts featured in WFTDA.tv’s

WFTDA.tv will give fans an equivalent venue

inaugural season were chosen based on the

to follow flat-track action. We believe that

excitement of match-up, venue and technical

the sport deserves to be professionally

specifications, and league experience with

broadcasted, with consistent standards

previous productions.

and parameters. By generating this product in-house, we retain control over the image and assets so they can be distributed in

Who is WFTDA.tv?

Women’s Flat Track Derby Association

a way that respects the skaters and positively

Formed in 2005, WFTDA has become the

promotes roller derby at every level. The

epicenter of competitive roller derby around

WFTDA is “for the skaters, by the skaters,”

the world, featuring the most competitive,

and this endeavor reflects that mission.

most loved teams in the sport. It’s the WFTDA’s mission to promote the sport

Upcoming Schedule

and foster its continued growth and visibility

During the 2012 summer season and

to the public, as well as develop our teams

WFTDA.tv debut, bouts and archives will

and officials by making high-quality game

be available on a regular basis. WFTDA.tv

footage available. At the same time, our

will offer more than 20 bouts over June 22-24

“by the skaters, for the skaters” philosophy

as it brings boutcasts to viewers during

mandates that we maintain control of our

the East Coast Derby Extravaganza (ECDX).

assets and image. We believe that by building

Early Season Coverage: Playoff Coverage: What is WFTDA.tv’s Mission?

• June 22-24

• September 14-16

• September 28-30

• November 2-4

WFTDA.tv plans to present high-quality

ECDX, live from

North Central

East Region Playoffs

WFTDA Championships

productions of exciting WFTDA match-ups,

Feasterville, PA.

Region Playoffs

in Burlington, VT.

in Atlanta, GA.

encouraging new viewers to join us in our

Hosted by the

in Niagara Falls, NY.

Co-hosted by

Hosted by the

derby addiction, and to reinforce the love

Philly Roller Girls.

Hosted by the

the Green Mountain

Atlanta Rollergirls.

Queen City Roller Girls.

Derby Dames and

of the game for all viewers. Proceeds

• July 20-21

from WFTDA.tv are reinvested into the

Star of Texas Bowl,

membership’s programming and will help

Austin, TX.

West Region Playoffs

strengthen our common goals. It represents

Hosted by the

in Oakland, CA.

South Central Region

Texas Rollergirls.

Hosted by the

Playoffs in Lincoln, NE.

B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls.

Hosted by the

our commitment to our member leagues, their skaters and support staff, and all who enjoy the sport.

34 | Summer 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com

• August – TBD

• September 21-23

Montreal Roller Derby.

• October 5-7

No Coast Derby Girls.

Jules Doyle

a high-quality standard for broadcast of our

a league she’s proudly called her home since

contribute insightful, entertaining and pertinent

sport, we set the groundwork for better, greater

2007. She currently officiates with Philly,

commentary for roller derby events. By

exposure of the sport when it is picked up

announces for the league, and serves as the

selecting derby-vetted announcers who make

by mainstream media networks.

Co-Chair of Development on PRG’s board of

relevant on-air calls, who know the skaters

directors. After graduating with a BFA in Film

and the game like the backs of their hands,

Production from NYU, Double H worked as

AFTDA looks forward to working with the

a coordinator on numerous commercials

WFTDA to help set the standard for women’s

and feature films for companies such as

flat track derby broadcasts (aftda.org), while

Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox and Paramount

also building on the cooperation AFTDA and

Pictures. She has taught video and documentary

WFTDA established during the 2011 WFTDA

production to children and adults, has produced

Playoffs and Championships.

Blaze Streaming Media Blaze Streaming Media is the brainchild of Joe Christensen, who has provided clients with exceptional service in the area of professional, live-event broadcasting and online community engagement for several years. His background in Information Technology, along with his

for public television, and has won several grants

unique combination of creative skills and technological expertise, allows him to produce top-notch event media coverage. By investing in WFTDA.tv, Blaze Streaming Media is helping to support the WFTDA in a unique way by helping to produce quality content that, in turn, support's the organization's initiatives.

Joe understands the need for event

for independent documentary production.

Rinxter

WFTDA.tv is a dream-come-true for Double H.

Since 2011, the WFTDA has enjoyed an exciting relationship with Rinxter, run by

Association of Flat Track Derby Announcers

Gotham Girls Roller Derby’s Elliot Napakh.

The Association of Flat Track Derby Announcers

Rinxter offers instant skater stats technology,

(AFTDA) works tirelessly to enhance the sport

and gives skaters and fans an enhanced

of roller derby by providing individuals who can

experience of the sport. Announcer-read stats,

planners to reach out and engage

and eventually integrated Rinxter graphics,

the ever-expanding online audience.

will all be part of the WFTDA.tv fan

As a derby fan for more than five years,

experience this season.

he is thrilled to put his passion for streaming broadcast to work for his

How is WFTDA.tv funded?

number one addiction: women’s flat

WFTDA.tv is funded by both Blaze

track roller derby.

Streaming Media and WFTDA. The seasonlong project represents a significant

Head of WFTDA Broadcast Operations: Double H (aka Erica Vanstone)

financial commitment from both Blaze

Double H first fell in love with

coverage broadcast free of charge, and

women’s flat track roller derby as

the WFTDA Playoffs and Championships,

and the WFTDA, with early season

an announcer for Philly Roller Girls,

which will be pay-per-view only.

Blaze Streaming Media

fiveonfivemag.com | Summer 2012 | 35

wftda In order to make the experience as fan-friendly as possible, WFTDA.tv subscription costs will be significantly lower than rates charged during the 2011 WFTDA Playoffs and Championships. Coupled with sponsorship funds, the project intends to recoup its investment with affordable pay-per-view streaming. Profits from the project will be put toward maintaining the WFTDA.tv website and reinvestment in additional WFTDA projects and programming.

How much will bouts cost to watch?

WFTDA.tv will offer its summer season of live bouts–including ECDX 2012–for free, with event archives available at no charge to viewers.

The live broadcasts of the 2012 WFTDA Playoffs and Championships will be available for pay-perview costs. WFTDA.tv is excited to let viewers know that these pay-per-view costs have been cut by nearly half the rate of the 2011 WFTDA Playoffs and Championships. At only $12 per tournament weekend, WFTDA.tv will also offer free live audio boutcasts for all pay-per-view bouts and free on-demand archives following the events.

Blaze Streaming Media

All-inclusive WFTDA Playoffs and Championships viewing packages will be available for $50, and Championships will be $20 for the weekend.

Where can I find archived bouts?

WFTDA.tv will offer free archives of its productions following the events. Free archives will also be available on-demand after each WFTDA Playoffs and Championships weekend. Throughout the season, viewers will be able to locate all of our great content in one convenient location – WFTDA.tv!

What’s the process for getting a WFTDA league-created bout production broadcast on WFTDA.tv?

WFTDA.tv is looking to include league-produced content on the site, and to offer leagues additional exposure and promotion for the hard work and exceptional production. The site offers the convenience of one location for all WFTDA content. If your league is currently producing video broadcasts we would love to talk to you about working with WFTDA.tv. Please email broadcast@wftda.com for more information.

36 | Summer 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com

Jules Doyle

junior derby

co-ed junior league P E Y TO N S L A M M I N G , N A P TOW N R O L L E R G I R L S

Growing up in the Midwest, my options for after school activities were numerous: sports, dance, theater, music, etc.

These days, kids have more options than ever before, including the growing phenomenon of junior roller derby. One Google search shows leagues forming all over the world for young women to get a taste of the sport before deciding to make the leap to the harder, adult version of the sport.

In Indianapolis, Brutal Junior Roller Derby is taking it a step further – the league offers the experience to girls AND boys. League founder “Psychedelic Sandy” Nelson (a retired member of the Naptown Roller Girls – a member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association) says junior leagues provide a place for kids to get some exercise, make new friends, and gain some confidence.

Sandy also credits members of the Race City Rebels (Indianapolis’ growing men’s derby league) for inspiring her to offer the experience to boys.

“Both genders practice at the same time and participate in drills together,” she says. “However, the downfall to starting an all males league is there is no competition at this time with other leagues.”

She goes on to say, “There are very few junior leagues that bout co-ed. I believe Bakersfield Junior Roller Derby is co-ed.

North Texas’ Rolling Rebellion claims to be the ‘one and only Co-Ed Junior Derby League! (Ages 5-17.5)’”.

Whipper Snapper is Sandy’s daughter. She says she wanted to get on skates after watching her mom play.

“Sometimes I used to skate downstairs in my basement for fun! When my mom made this new Brutal team, I decided to join it and build my endurance so I can one day play for

an adult league,” she says, smiling.

Several junior players in Central Indiana have already made that jump – Killamity Jane (Naptown Roller Girls) and Cassie Khaos (Circle City Derby Girls) both started with Indianapolis’ other junior league, Indianapolis Junior Roller Derby.

Several of the boys who moved to Brutal did so because they wanted to step out of the zebra stripes (reffing) and onto the track to play.

Jakob N. says, “I was a ref with IJRD and wanted to play, so I joined Brutal.”

He says the hardest part for him is playing with a team.

“Most sports I play are individual, like cross country,” he admits.

Serious Trauma joined as a stress reliever. “The hardest thing for me to learn so far is anger management – knowing to hit back legally instead of out of anger.” He says he joined for the level of friendships he has made and the fun roller derby has put in his life. Serious Trauma comes by his passion for the sport honestly – his father, Todd “Trauma Maker” Warren, refs, coaches, and plays for the Race City Rebels.

For parents wanting to learn more about junior derby and how they can get their kids involved, the Junior Roller Derby Association (juniorrollerderby.org) is a good starting point.

Kids wear full protective gear and must have health insurance to play.

Sandy sums it up like this: “Brutal provides a team atmosphere where all kids are welcome, on and off the track. Junior roller derby is great outlet for helping children of diverse backgrounds grow and mature into responsible citizens.”

fiveonfivemag.com | Summer 2012 | 37

rookie

small town derby BA N G - A - R A N G FAY E , N A U G H T Y P I N E S D E R B Y DA M E S

Horses and Roller Derby?

When people think of Wyoming they generally think of cowboys,

Sure, there are a lot of hardships when it comes to running a league in a small Wyoming town, but there are also a ton of

horses, wide open spaces, and rodeos. One thing that people do

positives. For instance, we have an amazing fan base. We generally

not think about is roller derby.

sell out every home bout, and we have fans travel with us to our

The Laramie Naughty Pines Derby Dames changed that when they formed Wyoming’s first ever league in 2009.

There is not a whole lot to the city of Laramie. The heart

away bouts. In a town this small, you get to know these fans, and they get to know you. This way it is very personal and there is an amazing connection between the dames and the fans.

and soul of this town is the University of Wyoming. Without the

We always have kids, and occasionally adults, running around

University, there would not be a whole lot of fresh meat in this

and getting all of the Dames’ autographs. To them, we are

town. Due to the University, and the fact that everyone leaves after

approachable, and not too scary. We are also able to get very

they graduate, there is a very high turn over rate. Girls join for

involved in the community. For a town this small, there are

a year or two – once they realize that there is a league in town –

a surprising amount of events that we do; Farmers’ Market,

and then they graduate and leave. Of course, you have the girls

Homecoming, Jubilee Days, etc. We always do our best to have

that are true Wyoming-ites and they stay with the team as long as

a couple Dames at every event representing the Naughty Pines

possible, but because everyone comes and goes so rapidly, the few

and helping out in any way they can.

that are here for the long haul get worn out. We are constantly

The best part about having a league in a town this small

training fresh meat, we never turn anyone away, and there is

is we have all found a sanctuary of women who are similar.

a very large workload. Being a skater owned and operated

Sometimes, in this little country town, it can be suffocating.

non-profit takes a lot of work from a small group of women.

Not that the people aren’t great, but there is not necessarily

This is something I don’t think is seen as much in bigger cities.

a lot of variety. It gets very overwhelming. But I met all of these

We are only two hours away from Denver, where there are many

amazing women, and I can escape three days a week for two

hours. I can sweat, curse, be completely free and open without different options for a derby girl to pick, and an overflow of derby

girls. In a town of 20,000 people, we do not have many options. fear of judgment. Don’t get me wrong, Laramie and our fans have Another issue that we encounter is lack of facilities. The local

skating rink where the Pines used to skate closed down about a year ago, and since then we skate at the local ice rink. But,

been so good to us, amazing actually. But with small towns, comes

the small town mentality, and sometimes one just needs to escape.

I honestly do not know how I have lived without these women

because it is an ice rink, we cannot use it all year long. And on

and this sport for so long. This may sound cheesy, but now that

October 1st, we get booted. At this point we skate at the local civic

I have found it, I do not think I can ever live without it. People

center, and they are amazing for letting us use their gym, but the

tend to look at roller derby and think it is all about the fishnets

building was built in the early 1900’s, the floor boards are warping,

and bad ass bruises, but there is so much more to it. There is

and we cannot even lay a full track. But hey, at least we have

camaraderie, friendship, and tons of love for each other and for

somewhere to skate. Some of the members have discussed

the sport we love playing so much.

building our own rink, but that takes a lot of money, which takes

And through our trials and tribulations, numerous teams have

a lot of time to raise. There is also a lack of warehouses in

popped up all over Wyoming! It is amazing how many there are

Laramie, so we cannot just buy an old warehouse and throw some

now, in towns even smaller than ours. They are going through the

cement down. It gets very frustrating at times. Between the lack

motions, and getting the ball rolling in the right direction. They will

of skaters and the lack of facility, it makes you want to scream

have to deal, if they haven’t already, with a lot of the same issues,

sometimes. But you know what? We still put up with it anyway.

but in the end it is totally worth it, because we are all doing this for

Because all of us are in love with this sport, and even though

the thrill of playing a sport we love, and spending time with our

it may not seem like it right now, the positives outweigh

new and amazing derby families.

the negatives.

38 | Summer 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com

photo by Nicholas Charest

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how to be a good host league J O H N M A D D E N I N G , M I N N E S OTA R O L L E R G I R L S

Travel. Not only is it helpful to play other teams, it’s necessary to get

The last thing you want is a team so angry about their

ranked! And while some leagues are lucky to have plenty of WFTDA

accommodations that they’ll drag your name through the mud,

leagues within close driving distance, others make trips of hundreds

lessening the chance that you can get anyone else to play you

or thousands of miles to get their games in.

in the future!

As a hosting league, you have two responsibilities – not only

This is a great place for your league’s Sponsorship Committee

do you want this bout to be great, but you want the visiting team

to help you out! Hotels are always looking for ways to attract

to have a good time, no matter what the final outcome on the track

new business, and most will offer reduced rates in exchange for

ends up being. These are a few helpful hints gleaned from the past

advertising. MNRG actually offers visiting leagues five rooms for two

eight seasons of Minnesota RollerGirls traveling and hosting.

nights in a nice downtown hotel, mere blocks from the Legendary

contracts

Roy Wilkins Auditorium as part of our sponsorship package. The

Both leagues – the host and visiting league – need to have a legally-

hotel gets mentions at the bout, and visiting teams get a nice place

binding document that spells out the particulars of the event well

to stay without the bother of searching for and paying for rooms.

ahead of time. Each league’s contract is different, but generally

support staff

cover the following:

Most contracts provide for the visiting team to bring support staff,

• The date, time, and location of the bout

such as referees, NSOs, an announcer, photographer/videographer,

• Compensation paid by the hosting team

and sometimes a medic/trainer.

• Roster and support staff agreements

I may be biased on this point, but the other team’s announcer

• Venue access and practice time

is a great addition to your production. They know their team better

• Program, media, and promotion information

than your announcer does, and can add to the general level of

• Insurance, waivers, ruleset

announcing by bringing stats, facts, and anecdotes about the

Any WFTDA league (especially the league that sponsored you for

opponents that you just can’t get anywhere else. Most serious

membership) should be happy to show you a boilerplate version of

WFTDA announcers these days are AFTDA certified, meaning they

the contract they use. You can then work with your league to decide

know the rules of the game, as well as best practices in what

what you want to do.

and what not to say.

Before sending the contract to the other league’s Interleague

Guest photographers and videographers are also great to

Coordinator, be sure to go over anything that might be different from

welcome to your bouts. They’ll add to the amount of media available

the norm (no outside beverages, a no-video policy), so they’re not

to be used after the bout (with their permission, of course) to

taken aback by special rules.

promote your team. Some of the best derby shots are taken by

compensation

the opposing team’s photographer. They have a different agenda

This league that’s coming to play in your house is spending

than your own league’s photographer, and often your skaters,

hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to get there, and you’re the

while not the intended focus of their photos, become just that.

ones who are making money off the bout. Most host leagues pay

sharing info

between $500 and $2000 to the visiting team to offset the cost of

What fun stuff is there to do in town? While sometimes a visiting

travel, hotel, and food. This is generally paid to the opposing league

team may be on a tight schedule, which does not allow for

in the form of a check within a couple weeks after the event. I’ve

sightseeing, others have more free time, and would rather not

gotten a check as we’ve walked in the door for warm-ups (thanks,

just sit around in a hotel room all day. A list of fun local attractions,

Sioux Falls Roller Dollz!), and we’ve also waited for months to get

such as museums, parks, zoos, and shopping districts, is an easy

paid. Listing a payment timeframe in the contract will help.

way to make your opponents more comfortable and happy to play.

hotels

Brewery tours are quite popular (or so I’m told)!

Most of the people playing your team will have never been to your

I provide a link to a Google Map that I customize with locations

city before. A list of hotels of varying prices near the venue will be

of the venue, hotel, after party, and anything else that may help

very helpful to your visitors. Make sure these are safe, clean hotels.

visitors navigate your hometown.

40 | Summer 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com

welcoming the other team Do you want to meet the other team before the bout? Some leagues do (Philly puts on an amazing breakfast spread at the home of one of their skaters), while some prefer to... not get too friendly prior to facing each other on the track. You know the psychology of your league better than anyone else, so you’ll have to make that call.

This is another great idea for your friends on Sponsorship – find a brunch place that would like to host a couple teams of hungry rollergirls the morning of or after the bout! In exchange for mentions over the mic or in the program, they can provide you with carb loading before the bout... or a cure for after party hangovers the next morning. at the venue Make sure there is someone ready to meet the visiting team at the venue to welcome them, allow them access, and collect any leftover paperwork. The host should give them a tour of the venue, including their locker room, the restrooms, the table where they’ll be selling merch, location of EMTs/medics, and be available to answer questions. After that, leave them alone for their warm-ups.

Be available to answer questions and provide assistance, but let them be together as a team.

Providing your opponents the biggest and/or best locker room is just plain good manners. In our otherwise lovely 1923 arena, we give visiting teams the best locker room, or as we call it, “the one with the bathroom”. bout time This is where your announcers come in. Your opponents may be ranked lower than you, but they’re in town to give your fans a show.

Build them up – make their intro as exciting as yours! The Old Capitol City Roller Girls may have only been WFTDA members for three weeks before they filled in for a canceling team, and they may have been beaten by 300 points, but they left as conquering heroes, not just to the 50 or so fans who made the trip, but to the 3,000+ others in the arena that night because of their never say die attitude. Making them feel welcome is the most important thing. afterwards Win or lose, leave it on the track. Everyone is in this crazy sport together, and the girl who knocked you on your ass an hour ago will probably buy you your first drink at the after party.

Make sure your after party is at a location that is welcoming to the opposing team. Walkable would be super awesome, but easily drivable by an out-of-towner is good too. Thank them for coming – they had plenty of choices of places to play, and they chose yours. Make sure they’re okay to get back to the hotel, perhaps appointing a designated driver from your league to ferry any over-served celebrating stragglers.

If you follow these guidelines, you can make sure that when your guests talk to other leagues about you at an upcoming tournament, they’ll be saying they can’t wait to visit you again!

fiveonfivemag.com | Summer 2012 | 41

feature

derby dad J A S O N WO L L S C H L E G E R , L I L A C C I T Y R O L L E R G I R L S

eyes It wasn’t just that the sport itself was exciting, but rather, here was a group of strong, beautiful, competitive, and sexy women in all shapes and sizes; women who were proud to be women and proud of what they could accomplish. I could see the admiration in my daughters’ eyes. It was that look that convinced me to do whatever I could to get them out on the flat track.

I admit my motivation was partly selfish because I can vividly remember another, very different look in my daughter’s eyes.

I consider myself a feminist, but this wasn’t always the case.

I grew up in a super-conservative, Christian environment that idolized ‘traditional’ gender roles, and it wasn’t until my early twenties that I began to question those roles. But by this time, I was an ordained priest in a denomination that did not allow women to be clergy and I had two young daughters who looked up to me. I remember very clearly when my daughter proudly said that she wanted to be a priest like me. I remember even

42 | Summer 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com

more clearly the look of confusion, pain, and even shame in her eyes when I told her she couldn’t because she was a girl. That look in her eyes shook me to the core and led me to challenge the beliefs I’d already been questioning. I’ve always been worried that in that moment I did some irreparable damage to my daughter’s view of the world and her place in it. In some ways, I see roller derby as the absolution to my sin.

The cure to the disease I planted in her mind.

We were disappointed to find out we had missed the deadlines for junior derby in Seattle, but this was probably for the best since I had just finished my PhD and we were planning to move within the year. So we found a rink that offered skating lessons and soon the girls were invited to a quad conditioning class at the Skate Deck run by Cory Pain and attended by a number of the Jet City Rollergirls. Molly and Marah got to get on the floor and train with adults, good skaters who worked hard. People like Devilynne Syde #666, who constantly pushed herself and set a great example for my girls. They learned how to skate, how to train, and how to work with adult skaters. They learned to appreciate a demanding coach and to leave absolutely everything they had out on the track. By the time we moved to Spokane and the girls joined the Lilac City Roller Girls’ Junior Team, the Pixies, they were ready for derby.

Steven Hewett

It all started with Ms. Anna. My daughter, Molly, was in her first year of middle school in Seattle, WA, and every day after school, all we heard about was her language arts teacher, Ms. Anna.

Did you ever have a teacher who changed everything? A teacher who actually made a difference, who was demanding but caring?

Ms. Anna was that teacher for Molly, and she was a Rat City Rollergirl – Ima Handful #17, team captain of the Sockit Wenches. That year for her birthday, Molly requested only one thing. Not a laptop, not a cell phone, not an ipod touch. All she wanted was for the whole family to go to Rat City’s home opener so she could watch Ms. Anna skate.

I thought we would have a nice time as a family and all cheer for Ms. Anna’s team, and that would be that.

I was wrong.

By the end of that night a few things had become clear: 1. I love roller derby. So much so that I quickly picked out my own favorite skater (in case you’re wondering its Re-AnimateHer) and by the end of the night, I was actively cheering against my daughter.

2. We were going to every home bout for the rest of the season.

3. My daughters, Molly (age 13) and Marah, wanted to do roller derby (or as Marah said, “I want to be a derber”).

4. I desperately wanted them to.

jammer vs. blocker Since joining the Pixies, one of the coolest things to watch is the girls develop their own style and to find a position that fits them.

Molly (age 13), aka Moll-icious Intent, is really fast and she doesn’t enjoy physical contact in the pack. Naturally she has gravitated to jammer. In fact, she won the jammer of the year award for her team this past year. What I love about this is the grit, determination, and sheer competitiveness I see in her when she jams. She fights her way through the pack and pushes herself around the track. My favorite is when she is not the lead

jammer and she’s in the open stretch chasing the other jammer down with the intention of forcing her to call off the jam. The performance she gives while all alone out in the turn or on the straight away and that look – that you will not score on my team look – assures me that this girl can do anything she sets her mind to. She won’t give up, give in, or go down without a fight.

Marah (age 11), aka MT Soul, also likes a good fight but she prefers to rough it out in the pack. A girl who enjoys being the center of attention, she was actually surprised to learn that she usually prefers fighting it out in the pack to jamming. She loves the contact. She’d rather lay someone out than score points as a jammer. And she’ll go up against anybody, although she has a special place in her heart for laying out her older sister when they are on opposite teams in a scrimmage! She’s also bossy and smart; so she loves being the pivot, being responsible for holding the pack and controlling the pace. Her leadership, sheer scrappiness, and love of a challenge give me the same confidence about her that I have for Molly. Whether it’s in the pack, in the classroom or elsewhere, Marah makes her presence known and she is a force to be reckoned with. empowerment and community One of the things that I really appreciate about derby is there is not one body type represented. There are rollergirls of all shapes and sizes, and nearly all of them are great athletes. This is especially important to me as I watch my pre-adolescent girls negotiate the trials of social norms, expectations, and body image. As my girls start to find their own position and expression of derby, this has been one of the coolest things about having close contact with the adult skaters in the league. The girls not only found a position and a style of play that fits their personality and body type, but they identify with and emulate adult roller girls who they perceive to have similar builds and strengths, as well. Marah just told me how she’s picked Chief BootyNocka as ‘her’ adult who she

emulates both because of her large frame and her tough but stylistic derby game. Whereas Molly is constantly chasing after Jester, a young, fast, and strong athlete who could probably play on almost any major team. What’s cool about this is my daughters have a broader understanding and definition of beauty than most American girls, and they can easily locate themselves within this spectrum. As a father, this is of utmost importance to me: my daughters have both a realistic sense of themselves, as well of what is beautiful. They also know they are strong, competent, and valued. I don’t know of any other place, sport or group in our society where all of this could happen. This is why I love roller derby and I am proud to be a Derby Dad. Recently, I was watching my daughters practice and I texted my wife telling her I was in love with Dita Von Death Muffin and Baby Face Killer, two of the adult skaters who regularly work with the juniors. They’re both beautiful, curvy, real women who are absolute beasts on the track. They’re amazing athletes who work hard in every drill, constantly push themselves and everyone around them to be better, never give up on anything, and leave absolutely everything on the track. They’ve also significantly invested themselves in my daughters. Just last week, I was enthralled watching Molly sprint laps around the rink after practice just like Dita was doing. That same night, I had watched BFK take time out of her own training time to show Marah some finer points to hitting in the pack. I love that these real, beautiful, strong women have invested in my daughters and that my daughters look up to them. This is why as a Dad who absolutely adores his daughters, I love derby.

I’ve mentioned a lot of specific people in this article – Ima Handful, Cory Pain, Devilynne Syde, Chief BootyKnocka, Jester, Dita Von Death Muffin, and Baby Face Killer. This was intentional. I wanted to emphasize that my daughters have become embedded in a community, a community of strong, brave, caring people. I could go on. I could talk about Joyful Destroyful who has spent time during holiday breaks teaching the girls finer points of skating during open skates at the local rink, or about Coach OrangaTank who gives up his Saturday mornings to coach the juniors.

Recently Coach Tank told the girls that derby was not all there was to their life. Marah told me later that she understood what he was trying to say, but that ‘derby is life’. I can’t help but agree with her. Derby is life. Well, it is at least giving my daughters everything they need to be successful women in life.

fiveonfivemag.com | Summer 2012 | 43

feature

mama does derby We all know how challenging roller derby is; even fans and volunteers get the gist of the effort it takes to be “bout-ready.”

You practice multiple times each week, often at the end of a long day of work.

You put a considerable amount of money toward it and even more time to promoting your league.

Now mix this with the added challenges of motherhood and you wonder how it could ever be possible to do both. Just like derby girls, moms are a force to be reckoned with, and there’s no shortage of moms playing derby out there.

In fact, I never knew just how many moms skated with leagues, until I joined myself. So, what is it like to be a roller derby mama?

A quick bit of background about me: I used to live just north of Seattle, in the land of the amazing Jet City Rollergirls. At one point, I was invited to their recruitment night, but when I looked at the practice schedule I knew I just couldn’t swing it. At the time I was working at least 40 hours each week, my husband was deployed to the Middle East with the Navy, and that left me to be an only parent to our son.

When you have a kid, you realize your life is no longer your own and things like spontaneous weekend trips to Vegas, or even peeing uninterrupted, are things of the past, at least for awhile. So having to say “no” to derby then because I had a kid was disappointing, but it came with the territory.

44 | Summer 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com

Ann Yoo

B R A S S S N U G G L E S , A L BA N Y A L L S TA R S R O L L E R D E R B Y

Fast forward to me living in Upstate New York and getting an email about recruitment night for Albany All Stars Roller Derby. I was now working from home, my husband no longer goes out to sea, and the kiddo is a little older...

I thought it just might work! Thankfully, it did.

When I started coming to practice, I realized how many of my fellow league mates were moms. It was reassuring to know I wasn’t the only one. It’s also been great to receive such a positive response from other moms when I tell them about roller derby. Very rarely do I come across someone who acts like it’s inappropriate or too violent.

One skater who joined just a few months before I did is Katherine Zeta Bones. Her son Tom is in college now, and she wanted to wait on joining the league until he had graduated high school.

Tom was an athlete in high school and she worried derby might take away from being able to watch him compete, plus she is a single mom with a full time work schedule. So she purposely waited

to join until she knew she had enough time to devote to derby, since she doesn’t do anything halfway.

Now Tom gets excited to return the favor and root for his mom at bouts.

“I can't begin to tell you how it makes me feel that he comes to my bouts and cheers for me and my team. He really gets into it. I love it all,” says Bones.

She feels moms who play derby show their kids that a healthy, active lifestyle is important and a good alternative to TV and video games. She also points out, “Roller derby makes strong confident women and that is a plus as a role model for your children.”

Bones recommends seriously looking at the time commitment (like she and I did) before joining full time as a skater. Any player can tell you practicing and playing take you away from your family a lot. This can be very hard to balance if you, and they, aren’t prepared for it.

I imagine watching your mom play derby must be fantastic. These women are amazingly strong and incredibly determined. They demonstrate the best

comes to scrimmages! She has become like a second mom to many of the ladies in our league and she’s a tremendous supporter to all of us, even the Fresh Meat.

Although Honky has been skating for years, Mama Honky never tires of watching her. In fact, she always looks forward to it. She states, “I love her spirit, her drive and determination.” She’s also impressed by her daughter’s dedication to coaching her teammates.

“She offers encouragement and shares her strategies.

Some may find that pompous; but her desire to want a teammate to improve is actually noble. I find that admirable.”

I think showing your child the importance of giving something your best effort every time you do it is great.

If you are thinking about playing and your mom is feeling a bit apprehensive, here’s Mama Honky’s advice, “I’d recommend that derby moms go to as many bouts as possible, manned with homemade signs touting their daughters’ derby names in BIG letters. When their

Ann Yoo

in what teamwork is really all about, and that women are capable of being just as tough (even more so) than a man. Derby is about strategy, communication, control, attitude and most of all... fun.

I think showing your child the importance of giving something your best effort every time you do it is great. It’s important for them to be able to watch you do something you love, something that is completely disconnected from the normal routine of the family. It’s also an important lesson for them to see you cry with frustration after practice, but return two days later. It is one thing to say “Don’t give up,” but it is entirely different to show it.

Ovary Obnoxious’ 12-year-old daughter Victoria has this to say about her mom playing derby, “I think it's really cool to see my mom doing roller derby, because then she can tell me about all the cool stuff she sees, feels, and does on the track, and I can tell her about things she might not have noticed.

It's fun to watch her be so successful, even when the other team wins.” Also, watching her mom at practice has taught her to “never give up and that it's okay to be yourself even though you are working with a team.”

Although Tom, Victoria, and other players’ children come to bouts, I couldn’t possibly write about “derby moms” without mentioning that several moms of players always attend our bouts too.

Many moms get to enjoy watching their kids play sports when they are younger, but few get the privilege of seeing their girls be athletes as adults.

Mama Honky, mom to player Big Headed Honky, never misses the opportunity.

Mama Honky really is our biggest fan and never misses a bout. Heck, she even

daughter is on the track, she should hoot, holler, and fist pump. Having a camera to take pictures afterwards is always good for making great memories.”

My 7-year-old son thinks roller derby is pretty cool. It makes me proud to imagine him someday telling his friends, “Oh yeah, my mom used to be a rollergirl!” I hope some of what he’s seen at practice resonates with him like it does for Victoria too.

Recently I’ve had to take a step back from playing derby to wear my “momhat” more often. I realized my first full season really took me away a lot and I needed to readjust my schedule a bit. Just like Bones, I don’t do anything halfway, and although derby will always be there, these years with my son will go by quickly.

Making time for my family is a clear reminder that as tough as you have to be to be a derby girl, you have to be even tougher to be a good mom. In the end all I know is that I’d rather be a derby mom over a soccer mom any day of the week.

fiveonfivemag.com | Summer 2012 | 45

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international

derby around the world: argentina RÁYN OF TERROR, SAILOR CITY ROLLERS

el viaje a Buenos Aires

curious about the stickers on my carry-on luggage. I told her that

Any opportunity to play roller derby rocks; having the chance to

I play roller derby and I was on my way to Buenos Aires to skate

go abroad to play roller derby in a beautiful country, rocks harder!

and do a roller derby boot camp. Immediately her eyes lit up and I

In January 2012, I had the pleasure of taking my skates on a trip

thought to myself, I hooked her in! She was from the Midwest and

to Buenos Aires. As most people have the tendency to hear

wondered if there were leagues there, which I assured her there

“Buenos Aires” or “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” from the Evita

were tons and told her that she should check out a bout when she

soundtrack playing in their heads whenever they hear someone

returned to the States. We chatted a bit more about derby and life

speak about Argentina, I will give you a few seconds...

and soon we were descending.

Rule number one when flying with your derby gear (which is

lost and found

well known throughout the derby world) is... ALWAYS CARRY

I lost something in the airport. It was something not very significant

ON YOUR GEAR! Which I did, though it was a bit heavier than

but it was something symbolic. I had recently retired from my

anticipated. The lady at the counter, after I tried my best in

league and though in my heart I knew that it was for the best,

Spanglish (I was nervous!), understood that I played roller derby

I was still holding on. I had moved on and helped start a new

and my gear costs a lot of money and if I lost it, it would defeat

league. I had people that I had developed a relationship with

the purpose of my trip, winked at me and waved me through.

and I was worried that once I was gone, I would no longer have

Apparently, there are a good number of people out there who think

that with them. I lost my hoodie. It had my name on it and the

it is just badass that roller derby is alive and kicking, because after

logo of the old league and it was one of the few things that kept

going through security (yes they opened my bag), a security guard

me connected with the league. After leaving customs and security

said, “I wouldn’t mess with you. You give and take a beating for

check, I realized that it was gone and as I met with my friend

fun!” It made me feel awesome that I did something that most

who was picking me up from the airport, I took one look back

others dare not to do.

and realized that it was okay for me to let it go. The friends I

The plane ride was a bit less eventful, though, on the way there,

had on that league, if they were truly my friends, would always

the plane passed over a lower section of the Andes and I was in

have a place in my life... and I knew that in Buenos Aires I would

awe. I couldn’t believe I was witnessing this majestic mountain

meet new friends and make some new memories. Losing my

range. I got a little emotional realizing how significant this journey

hoodie in the Buenos Aires airport was a sign about the

was in my life. Then it hit me, “Holy crap! I’m going to Argentina!”

opportunities that were yet to come by letting go of the past.

Before I got there, I had to change planes in Lima, Peru. I can’t

meet, greet, skate and beer

begin to express how beautiful that country is from the air! Islands

So as a New Yorker, I pride myself on being able to drive

off the coast that looked to be flat enough to build a derby track

ANYWHERE. That is until I got to Buenos Aires and saw my very

on... I was in heaven. My seatmate on this leg of the trip was

life flashing before my eyes while driving on a major highway

Nicholas Kremenchuzky

48 | Summer 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com

Ness

Nicholas Kremenchuzky

from the airport into the city. Cars were so close, driving at very

served about eight to ten mugs of beer and it cost about $10.

high speeds, that I could reach into the car next to me and pick

So within the first few days of visiting Buenos Aires, the Sailor City

up the newspaper that was in the lap of the passenger in that car.

ladies had introduced me to skating outdoors in some serious heat

EVERYONE drives like this and after day two I was used to it.

and then rewarded that hard work with some beer. I could

The plan was to meet with the girls from the Sailor City Rollers

definitely get used to that!

Roller Derby league to get to know them and for them to get to

boot camp de Ráyn of Terror

know me a little. I was a little nervous because I know that my

I was humbled by this experience because I don’t consider myself

personality is pretty daunting at times and I can come across as

a major contender on the roller derby front. I wasn’t a player that

mean, but that wasn’t a problem. The girls were very welcoming

had made her mark on the national arena, let alone regionally,

and nice and made me feel at home immediately. Upon our

and that didn’t matter. The fact that I came to Buenos Aires just

meeting, they came to hug me and give me a kiss on the cheek

to skate and share derby love was sufficient. They wanted some

(customary). Again, as a New Yorker, I am friendly but not that

derby knowledge and I wanted to help spread roller derby in any

friendly, so it was something I had to get used to doing.

capacity I could. It definitely helped that Latin America was my

The park where we were meeting with the girls was as big

concentration in college and that I had studied the region and had

as Central Park and had an oval shaped configuration to it. What

a pretty good grasp on the language. Also, I had always wanted

left me in awe was there were hundreds of people casually skating

to visit the region that I had learned so much about.

in the middle of the afternoon when it was 95 degrees (plus

Through interactions with me, Ezequial Lopez Fuentes (former

humidity). This was apart from the girls who were there for roller

trainer for the Sailor City Rollers) and the ladies on the Sailor City

derby. I was told that this was normal and that more people would

Rollers, the boot camp was coordinated and had a very good

be showing up at dusk. Roller skating is a norm in Buenos Aires.

turnout. The leagues represented at the boot camp were: Sailor

What I also learned was these gals and their trainers skated almost

City Rollers, 2x4 Roller Derby, Buenos Aires Roller Derby (B.A.R.D),

every day for three to four hours. I called them skating junkies,

Mambas Negras Roller Derby and Alianza Rebel de Roller Derby.

because though we Americans had some beautiful facilities that

There were about 40 to 45 girls attending the boot camp and the

we could skate in, some of us barely made it to our practices two

level of skating experience varied from fresh meat to women who

to three times a week.

had skated in the Roller Derby World Cup. Since there were so

I am personally not a fan of skating outdoors, but when in

many attendees, for some of the drills I had to split up the groups.

Argentina, do as the locals do! And I did and enjoyed it immensely!

I had a trainer, Ezequial Lopez Fuentes, and a coach Jonathan

Imagine an outdoor track with speed bumps. It served as an

Pujol, assisting me with warming up the girls through on/off skates

amazing place to practice agility.

conditioning and endurance drills.

After a day of skating and training in the park, I was taken to

The first two days, we went through some very basic skills

a bar/restaurant that I wanted to live in. First, I like a good beer.

(including a run through of the WFTDA minimum skills) and then

What I like even more is a good beer with awesome presentation.

we moved on to pack work. Pack work for most leagues is a skill

The moment the waitress brought out beer in a three and a half

that takes some time to learn and for the most part, this proved to

foot container with its own cooling unit so that the beer wouldn’t

be a challenge. Toca tres! (Touch Three!) was a concept that I had

get warm, I knew I was in love with Buenos Aires! I believe it

them get familiar with and because this was many of the gals’ first

Nicolas Kremenchuzky

C. Alvarez

Nicholas Kremenchuzky

fiveonfivemag.com | Summer 2012 | 49

international

time in a tight pack situation it was definitely a learning

process of helping a new derby league in New York, I missed

experience. Once they were familiar with skating in a pack

actually being able to get out there and play. I began to remember

situation, we moved on to “Endless Jammer.” Now I set

the pleasure I received from playing derby in the few years I had

parameters of what they could and could not do while doing

been playing. I regained my derby happiness. I shed the

this drill: no hitting allowed. Only booty blocking was allowed.

disappointment I had on my way to Buenos Aires and found joy

I wanted them to get used to not always going in for the hit

while playing with girls who were so into derby, other things didn’t

and conserving their energy by booty blocking... Well, let’s just

consume them while they were playing; the drama, the politics

say this is something we will all continue to work on. On the third

and most importantly the trials and tribulations of life itself.

day, the girls scrimmaged, and boy oh boy did I want to jump on

While at derby, they lived in the moment and capitalized on

one of the teams and scrimmage, but I needed to help make calls.

every moment they had to play the game. That is the lesson

On the third day, we also talked about the World Cup. Since there

I learned in Argentina, and I realized I had something to offer

were a few girls that were on Team Argentina at my boot camp,

those who were as much in love with roller derby as I was:

I felt that it was a good opportunity to discuss it. All in all, the

passion for the game.

boot camp was fun and informative.

I plan to return to Buenos Aires to live and skate (for a year or

going home

so) while I travel around Latin America assisting leagues however

So after ten days in the lovely city of Buenos Aires, I had to return

I can with their roller derby journey. Next on my travel list is

to the frigid winter of New York. I didn’t want to leave since I had

Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, and I can’t express

bonded so much with the people I had met. Though I was in the

how excited I am about that trip! Viva el roller derby!

Photo: Michael Nig

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art and media

photographers love roller derby JUNIOR, CIRCLE CITY DERBY GIRLS

Roller derby loves photographers, mostly.

You see us at almost every bout; men and women with exotic looking camera lenses and flashes who help us show every apex jump in frighteningly wonderful detail. It’s a fun scene, athletic, but from edgier roots than basketball or football.

I shoot for a medium-sized league based in Indianapolis, the Circle City Derby Girls. I was with them before they even had a name. I’m also a rarity in the derby photo community, a professional photojournalist who’s been around the block a few times. Most of my friends and contacts who shoot for derby leagues are truck drivers or baristas or office workers with little formal photo training.

Here is where the mostly part comes in. Most of the photo community who gives images to the derby community is well respected. Most... but not all.

Just like other volunteers like medics, NSOs and coaches, photographers help keep everything running smoothly. But the main difference is that our photos and video live on. They get tweeted and pinned and posted and liked, long after the bout ends.

Heck, skaters aren’t usually legal experts or creative professionals, and when things go awry, the phrase photographers hear is, “I didn’t know.”

Here is a typical scenario: Skater Punky Cold Medina loves a photograph that her league photographer shot. Punky is a star jammer, and Skate Company X

52 | Summer 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com

approaches her and says they want to use her image for an advertisement.

(You see where this is headed?).

When the photographer sees her image of Miss Punky on a web ad for a hot new set of plates, she blows her stack and reads the board of directors the riot act.

Here is an image I made during a recent intra-league scrimmage. I always plop a little watermark at the bottom, in a place that doesn’t distract too much from the image:

This is happening all the time.

I have to admit that part of the blame is on the photographers themselves.

Many of us just show up and produce images that get used in a variety of ways by our leagues like posters, web sites and hand bills. We fail to educate skaters and support people about the right ways to love our work, and the wrong way.

Take a look at the image from last November. It’s a shot of Gaygan, previously of the Chicago Outfit, now skating with the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls.

But, what if some hypothetical pen company snatched this image, cropped out my watermark and did this?

A videographer at last year’s excellent WFTDA Monumental Mayhem tournament pointed a camera at her and she quickly flipped down her tights to show the camera her cool eco-ink.

It’s just a quick feature photo I made during a break in an exciting bout with the Dairyland Dolls.

Junior

Running this image with this article is 100% fine. It’s purely editorial usage, and there was no need for me to ask or notify anybody in the frame for permission or a waiver.

But, if some company says, “Hey, that’d be a hip [pun intended] image to use to promote our line of recycled stuff,” they would need to contact me for permission. Also, Gaygan would have to sign off on the project via a model release, as would Mack the Knife, the Dairyland skater who’s clearly identifiable in the background. If the potential advertisement were large enough, all three of us would receive some sort of payment from the company.

Derby Photographers who are reading this right now – if you haven’t already – draft a letter to the league(s) you cover that lets them know these things: A. I own my derby work.

B. I am excited to help my league(s) grow and evolve, but my work is only to be used to promote the league(s).

C. If anybody gets a query about using images I make for something else, please put them in touch with me, ASAP. D. If there are any questions, please call or email me.

Then, take the letter and send it to the most calm and rational person you know (maybe your mom, or your best friend) and have them read it and edit it so it doesn’t come across as preachy.

Skaters and derby peeps who are reading this right now – if you haven’t already – memorize these things:

A. If I start a derby business, I should ask the photographer before I use his work.

B. If a company/publication/anyone outside of the league contacts me about using a photo of me for any reason, I will always contact the photographer ASAP and explain what’s going on.

C. The photographers – or their employers in some cases – own their work. This is protected by U.S. law (Copyright Act of 1976). This means that if you push the button on a camera and make a photo, it doesn’t matter if you make a cell phone snap, or push the shutter button on a fancy camera, it’s yours.

We all know the web is sometimes a free-for-all. Photos get posted and reposted, often without any care for who actually made the image. We are in the beginning of a long era of roller derby.

In the future, these early bout photos of our legendary skaters will be worth more than we realize. Photographers are starting to realize this and are increasingly asking skaters and leagues for model releases that let us make a few dollars off our hard work for uses other than editorial (i.e. newspapers, magazine articles, etc).

Organizations like WFTDA are doing a great job of making sure that photographers are well respected.

They are currently working on a set of guidelines for its leagues that makes sure photographers are treated well and own their images.

I have no doubt that in the near future, much of derby will take WFTDA’s lead and not seek to grab rights from photographers who are sometimes ill-advised in how to deal with incursions like this.

Even a year ago, some of the biggest tournaments demanded that photographers – all photographers, even ones working for large media outlets – sign rights-grabbing documents that asked them to turn over their images to the organizers for whatever ends they saw fit.

Photographers who are usually hobbyists signed these rights-grabs.

Shooters with a little professional seasoning often didn’t sign and stayed home, or worked with the organizers to figure out a solution that didn’t impose on their work.

Going forward, the onus rests on the backs of derby shooters to educate leagues and skaters. Most of us don’t spend a lot of time thinking about whether 88 or 90 durometer wheels might be best on Saturday night, so we shouldn’t get too upset when skaters don’t think much past, “I get to be in an advertisement!!!”

And, when that awesome clothing company comes knocking for that image of you trucking some hapless jammer with a wicked Sheriff block, give the photographer some love, let him or her know about the request, and hopefully they can make a few dollars off their hard work.

fiveonfivemag.com | Summer 2012 | 53

art and media

derby baby!

P E LV I S C O S T E L L O , B O S T O N D E R B Y DA M E S

We’ve all had the challenge of describing derby.

Explaining the sport to our uninitiated friends and family is often met with glazed-eyes and a supportive, if clueless smile. How does one perfectly encapsulate not only the sport of flat track derby, but also its ever-growing community that has its own built-in fashion, commerce, and subgroups in an easily comprehended message? Derby, Baby!, the newest film to tackle Women’s Flat Track Derby, takes on the Sisyphean task of documenting the present state of derby worldwide.

The film begins with a series of beautiful shots of rental skates and empty venues, along with an uplifting voiceover about how derby is all one skater wants to do for the rest of her life. Then, in a unique move for derby documentaries, we are brought into one of the earlier practices of Team Ireland.

The decision to focus on the international side of derby first is a decent twist on the formula of other derby documentaries that place us with an already well established, if not famous, league. In Ireland, derby is still an underground cultural phenomenon, much like it was in the States almost ten years ago. For those of you who haven’t been around that long, it’s an interesting echo of how it used to be for the veterans who began the first leagues in the USA.

56 | Summer 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com

The narrative of the movie provides us with the history of roller derby, and it’s here we get the engaging history lesson of how Jerry Seltzer’s father founded the sport, which became an institution on early American television. Time and financial woes put roller derby into stasis in the 1970s, and with the exception of some flare-ups, it wasn’t until the 2000s that modern flat track derby exploded. The history portion of the film covers more than just the modern revival in an attempt to provide the necessary context for those who don’t cheer you on at home or travel games. It’s effective, though it’s an aside that is juxtaposed with the love letters of derby insiders Val Capone, Chip Queso, and podcast extraordinaire, Megatron, to name a few.

What the filmmakers do well is they handle everyone in the film with the same level of respect and attention. Following the sport for two years allowed them to interview subjects through the surge derby received after Whip It hit the theaters, and Juliette Lewis’s promotion of the sport comes off with sincerity and an awe that proves she’s a fan of the game. Chuck Morris, the promoter for the Denver Roller Dolls, is convincingly in love with derby while musing on

the future and how it will be a viable, profitable sport. Regardless of what side of the debate you take, Robin Bond and Dave Wruck give you a look at the different schools of thought about derby’s financial and professional future without choosing a side, which is certainly the right move for any documentarian.

Viewing the movie, I was taken in by the wide range of characters and places that Bond and Wruck put before the lens. From the young and hungry Team Ireland to the stalwart veteran, Suzy Hotrod, the interview subjects are a derby fan’s scavenger hunt of our international players, promoters, and founders. And yet, the giddiness I felt about seeing Val Capone, Estrogeena Davis of Team Finland (now on the Boston Derby Dames) and DeRanged made me wonder about the film’s intended audience. Is this movie for the world of derby, a loveletter from a creative team that gets us, or is it looking to tell this story to the general public? If it’s the former, this film is a masterful time capsule of derby’s climb and suggests a future that contains skaters who have been competing since grade school. But, if it’s the latter, the problem with the film is that it fails to identify a unique and compelling thread for the non-derby fan.

The cinematography, while beautiful, can only hold the attention of a viewer so much without providing a solid understanding of why the story needs to be told by the chosen interview subjects. Had there been a caption under each interview subject giving their name, league,

and profession, it would have given more weight to the answers these talking heads provide. Even being familiar with many of the people in the movie, there were times I was lost. I found myself wondering who someone was and why I should care about her opinion on private companies owning teams.

Waiting until the credits to get the names of everyone didn’t help. The intent to show the diverse players in our universe is appreciated, but there is something to be said about less being more. It’s here where Derby, Baby! echoes the problem that plagues the sport as a whole, “What does it want to be?”

Ultimately, the documentary’s mission to show almost all sides of Women’s Flat-Track Derby is a noble one. The final act of the film centers around the World Cup, where it’s obvious Team USA is going to win, and that the teams from other nations are just overjoyed to play. Couple that with a truly brilliant shot of young girls playing the sport on their neighborhood street and you’ve got a beautiful final ten minutes. It’s there where I applaud Derby, Baby!. And yet, I feel that the wide stretch of this film makes it nearly impossible for it to find an audience outside of derby. This is a movie for the skaters, by the filmmakers. It’s certainly a great nod to those of us inside the bubble, but like the arguments over our future, is it enough for general audiences? If that’s unimportant to you, then I heartily recommend the film as fun viewing for you and your league mates.

fiveonfivemag.com | Summer 2012 | 57

art and media

Henry Stinson Henry Stinson’s world is not a world of black and white. His is a world dripping with bold, bright colors in richly textured shades of allegorical meaning and humor. His uncanny ability to milk a life-changing metaphor from a fire hydrant, a model’s mood, or a toy robot is priceless in today’s world. Gifted with the body of a power-lifter and the heart of a child, Stinson likes to do things larger than life and says his first real painting at the age of ten had been of a vampire. He’s moved on from vampires to his current series on roller derby women.

Stinson lives with his family in Pullman, Washington, and gardens with the passion of a zen monk. Meditation and narrative messages of hope beyond the world of the physical senses lie hidden in his paintings.

A near-death experience with electrocution (behind his family’s living room couch at the age of five) left Henry’s perception of reality forever altered. Moses went to the mountain and was touched by God. Henry says that he was touched

58 | Summer 2012 | fiveonfivemag.com

behind the plastic covered yellow couch of his parents’ home.

That touch was enough to inspire reverence for all life and foster Stinson’s artistic gift to see the sacred in the mundane.

Stinson has taught drawing and painting for the past 24 years in numerous colleges and privately owned schools and is currently teaching national workshops. He is a gifted instructor, noted most for his unique ability to create vivid color on canvas in a manner which inspires and supports the ideal learning situation for painting students.

He maintains an active painting studio and continues to exhibit throughout the United States. He has shown his work in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Florida, Washington, and Oregon, as well as the United States Embassy in Geneva, Switzerland. His work is popular with private collectors both in the U.S. and abroad.

To view his current work, please visit facebook.com/pages/Henry-Stinson/134400483248418

fiveonfivemag.com | Summer 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

GEMINI

S A G I T TA R I U S

May 21-June 20

November 23-December 21

It is very important to keep your focus this summer.

Your awesome pack awareness skills will come in handy in the non-derby world when distractions are coming at you fast and furious. Resist the urge to hip check your co-worker, even though they could probably use it as a wake-up call for not paying attention to the task at hand.

With your love of changing things up and curiosity about how others live, it would be easy for you to conform to what you think is “the look” of someone who plays roller derby. Don’t. Derby is about being true to you and having a great time doing it. Your teammates will appreciate and love you for who you are, not who you pretend to be.

CANCER

CAPRICORN

June 21-July 22

December 22-January 19

Inspiration won’t always smack you in the face – especially when you have a tendency to charge ahead with ideas and not listen to other possible thoughts on the matter. Sit and be quite for awhile or more. You’ll be pleasantly surprised when insight sneaks up on you.

When someone gives you a compliment – take it.

Capricorns are easily distrusting, expecting every kind word will require a favor in return. This is not the case.

However, in turn, give voice to the praise you have been keeping inside for others, even if they haven’t given you a compliment. Everyone needs to hear they are doing well or excelling at something near and dear to them.

LEO July 23-August 22

Communication is a vital part of life both on and off the track. While you can get by being an introvert off the track, you must talk with your team. It’s essential for them to know what you are doing and what you see.

Don’t be afraid of possible mistakes, it happens, but it will happen more without good communication.

VIRGO

AQUARIUS January 20-February 19

Funny how sometimes it’s easy to believe the magic is in the totem, but really it’s all you baby! You have the strength, the power, the natural ability to handle anything life throws your way. If the charm makes you happy, keep it around, just remember that the magic is in you.

August 23-September 22

PISCES

You can continue to bounce from team to team, but it’s not going to fix what you feel is missing. You have to give your all or you won’t move forward. Being honest with yourself about your skill level is the first step.

Listen to what others have to suggest, watch what other skaters are doing and don’t give up.

February 20-March 20

LIBRA

ARIES

September 23-October 23

March 21-April 19

It’s so tempting to look around at your teammates and wish you had what they have – speed, better agility. If you would ask the one you envy, though, I’d bet you have something they want – an amazing Zen-like ability to stay calm on the track when things get chaotic, the uncanny ability to turn into a brick wall when hit, and even the way your tush looks in booty shorts.

The injuries might be small, but they are keeping you from doing what you love. Your impatience to get back on the track is just going to cause more to pile up. And you most certainly don’t want a derby career-ending injury. Instead of pushing through you need to rest and work on strength training to keep in shape. Once you’re back in full strength you’ll be glad you let yourself heal.

SCORPIO

TA U R U S

October 24-November 22

April 20-May 20

Being the bearer of bad news is not the best job of the bunch, but you do it with such class and grace that people don’t feel like the news is an attack. Your positive attitude and supportive comments help your teammates want to get better. Keep up the compassion even when it gets tiring. Your support is necessary to the whole team.

With so much going on this summer you’ve become a little bit self-absorbed. Okay, a lot self-absorbed. That is okay once in awhile, but a friend has been asking for your help and opinion on something important to them. Stop ignoring the request because you see it as trivial. Your time and patience will come back to you when you need her help later on.

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Your skills are growing by jukes, controlled stops, and giving amazing hits! Take pride in your progress, just don’t get lazy. Use that strong will you are known for to keep pushing yourself. It will hurt, it will be frustrating, but it will be well worth it.