fiveonfive | issue 34 | Winter 2016

WOMEN’S FLAT TRACK ROLLER DERBY MAGAZINE ISSUE 34, WINTER 2016

proud partner of the WFTDA

fiveonfivemag.com

fiveonfive contents 30-31

4-5

advice ask swede hurt and suzy hotrod!

WFTDA A guide to the new WFTDA rules taking effect in Feb 2017.

6-9

business in a world where the fans are in charge make fundraising choices with time as your investment

10-17

health and fitness living with a traumatic brain injury balancing act getting wheely strong

26-29 2016 WFTDA championships

18-29 games and coaching

Read about Rose City’s rise to the top as well as stats and recaps of all the big games during WFTDA’s Championship tournament!

32-33

junior derby 12 step program for parents to be better sports fans

Dave Wood Photography

jam coaching basics hip check 2016 WFTDA championships recap

38-39

rookie tryouts: conquering nerves and getting ahead

sitting on the sidelines Anything can happen on game day... even injury, but being sidelined can still have a silver lining.

48-55 international derby

C Tasmin Brown Photography

40-41

officiating choosing the right officiating spot

42-43

editor phoenix aka stacey casebolt castle rock ‘n’ rollers art director assaultin’ pepa rocky mountain rollergirls contributing writers ms d’fiant angel city derby girls suzy hotrod gotham girls roller derby shimmy coco bop rose city rollers bob noxious brown paper tickets the professor piedmont riot roller derby lindsay gypin denver roller derby clayton edgin santa cruz strength gym catholic cruel girl rocky mountain rollergirls bitches bruze southshire roller derby old xchool northern californian roller derby dave wood rocky mountain rollergirls lois slain dc rollergirls tanya procknow jrda serena royal city roller girls standard steviation lansing derby vixens kate runnels southern oregon roller girls mazel tough toronto roller derby sinead leeds roller dolls shortstack o’ paincakes tokyo roller girls

from the editor Welcome to the 34th issue of fiveonfive!

The busy holidays are upon us! I want to wish each of our readers a joyful holiday season filled with peace, family, friends, and plenty of derby. It may be the off-season for many teams, but that doesn’t mean derby doesn’t stay on our minds and hearts. Not only that, but as Clayton Edgin reminds us in the article “Getting Wheely Strong,” our off-season workouts can be as important as the rest of the year! Read up to get some great tips for making your off-season as productive as it can be.

We have an awesome variety of articles in this issue to help you up your game whether you are a new or old skater, a zebra, or even an NSO! Swede Hurt and Suzy Hotrod are answering reader questions with experienced insight. Shimmy Coco Bop shines a light on a fun, new tradition for Rose City Rollers, Bob Noxious from Brown Paper Tickets talks time as an important investment to monitor, and the Professor talks concussions.

There is great content regarding derby/life balance, bench and jam coaching advice, more great blocking techniques from Old Xchool, and of course, the rundown on 2016 WFTDA Champs! Did you watch as much as you could?

I know my team, the Castle Rock’n’Rollers had a great time crashing our coach’s house to watch all weekend. But if you missed any, be sure to check out Dave Wood’s rundown.

We want to let you know that seasons are changing a little bit for the magazine as well. This will be our last print issue of fiveonfive magazine.

Don’t panic though, we will continue to have the same great content in a digital format!

To those who have been receiving fiveonfive via print, we are sorry for any inconvenience, but know you will find the content continue to be every bit as valuable online... plus, you know, saving trees and all that! (If you are a subscriber, we will send you each new issue directly via email.)

Love and light to all of you readers and may you stay warm and rolling this winter season!

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

Phoenix aka Stacey Casebolt

Castle Rock ‘N’ Rollers 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.

Swede Hurt Swede Hurt has been skating since the fall 2007 and loves blocking more than unicorns. She will jam when told, hence she gets to pivot. Swede has skated, coached, and captained all over the western world, sometimes she claims roller derby ate her soul. She currently skates with Stockholm Roller Derby Allstars.

Suzy Hotrod Suzy Hotrod quit sports at 15, moved to NYC for art school and played in a punk band. She joined Gotham Girls Roller Derby in 2004 because she was a poor self motivator who hadn’t exercised in seven years. She skated on Gotham All Stars 2004-2014, and on two Team USA rosters.

She was the first roller derby skater featured in ESPN The Body Issue. Suzy still skates locally with her home team, Queens of Pain. She travels and coaches all over and locally coaches junior roller derby and recreational skaters.

Bob Noxious Bob Noxious is best known for his 12 years of announcing roller derby and helping derby events around the world. Bob’s “previous life” includes a BA in Business Mgmt as well as many years managing people, projects and designing training within corporate America. He is currently a Doer for Brown Paper Tickets where his time is focused on helping the sport with event planning, business troubleshooting, and teaching basic business acumen.

Lindsay Gypin Sith Lord Lindsay Gypin grew up in Broomfield, Colorado. To financially support her roller derby obsession, she works at the public library. She’s been skating as a jammer for six years, but hasn’t lost hope that her dreams of blocking may one day come true.

Mazel Tough

David Artemiw

Mazel Tough (aka Elissa Hermolin) is a former skater and past-president of Toronto Roller Derby. When not organizing Camp Roller Derby, she is working for non-profit organizations with feminist agendas and/or as an event planner. Elissa is the singlemother-by-choice of a very cool 11-year-old.

Suzy Hotrod

Swede Hurt

Gotham Girls Roller Derby New York, NY

Stockholm Roller Derby Stockholm, Sweden

dear blocker and jammer, Lately there has been a lot of talk about wanting more diversity and inclusiveness in derby. Any ideas on how we can all increase that in our own league?

-TRUDIE INCLUDIE

dear ti, What I have always loved about roller derby is that each skater chose to come to derby because it evoked something in them individually. Everyone has a different personal reason for joining. In Gotham we have never actively recruited players, they have always come to us when derby spoke to them. Many different people from all walks of life join roller derby. As an organized group, we’re extremely liberal, diverse, tolerant, and welcoming in our culture. But yeah, when you take a demographic survey of roller derby, you’re not seeing extremely diverse demographics. So what to do?

Many people join after seeing roller derby in person. Although Gotham does not recruit skaters, we promote bouts, and spectators can become skaters. Your league should strategize how to diversify it’s promotional tactics.

If you are really focusing on diversifying your demographic, promote your events with targeted audiences.

Social media buys can be extremely specialized in their targeting. You can also go the opposite, and make efforts to be extremely broad in promoting – something like a bus shelter ad, for example.

Form a community outreach committee. Gotham has one, and their main focus is the connect with the community to spread our mission statement to different organization in our community. We work with LGBT and urban youth organizations doing events for cross promotion, offering basic roller skating classes with free loaner gear, and offering discounted or free tickets to bouts to these organizations.

Go out and wear your league’s colors. Everyone can get out there and just be seen physically which helps to build brand awareness everywhere you go. We participate in charity walks/runs and parades proudly wearing our roller derby shirts. We always have flyers handy and are willing to talk about derby. Don’t get lazy. If you think for a second that the days of skating around and handing out flyers is gone you are being a lazy fool. You live in a roller derby bubble and the outside world still doesn’t know about roller derby. Always have information to give to a potential fan.

Have inclusive, progressive handbook policies. Gotham worked very hard to create this language, and it took many revisions with thoughtful help from many skaters to come up with inclusive language for our league’s membership protocol. Take the time to do that. It takes time and effort, and while it could be potentially awkward and there’s potential for saying something incorrectly, the whole reason of putting that info together is to be as inclusive as possible.

“The children are our future.” Junior roller derby is important to the future of our sport to grow and be sustainable. Help to make roller derby affordable for all families. Offer opportunities for junior roller derby scholarships or financial aid discounts for those that are interested in applying. (The Willie Mae Rock and Roll Camp does the same thing.) I know there are plenty of adults that also have financial limitations, so you can also think about having financial aid and scholarships for adults too. We have an elected committee of skaters that process and approve the applications confidentially.

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dear ti, Talk about it! If there is something you feel that is missing in your league, bring it up! Inclusiveness and diversity begin with respect and treating each other well, creating a comfortable environment that encourages skaters to be themselves. I think that this is a hard question because I think each league has a different make-up, and there is no universal solution for this.

Roller derby is an amazing sport in the way that it has a tradition of being a place for individuals who might not feel like they fit into a traditional sport. I think it is important to realize that we all come to roller derby for different reasons and with different backgrounds.

That also means that not everyone is aware of what might be offensive to another person. We all have been ignorant at some point, but ignorance will not be cured by being yelled at, rather by being educated.

Diverse perspectives will make us stronger and diversity is awesomeness. If everything fails, invest in a unicorn or two, everyone loves a unicorn.

We see a lot of new skaters come and go.

Any suggestions on how veteran skaters can make them feel more welcome, establish more comradery/friendship with them, and make them want to stick around?

-WELCOME WAGON

JonRosePhotography.com

dear blocker and jammer,

dear ww,

dear ww,

Skater retention is always a challenge. Every year in my league many skaters retire,

Having a Fresh Meat program seems to work

from both new to old. Roller derby is extremely demanding on your life and, oh my, your

well, since it creates a place for the new skaters

time. Retention is more about time commitment than new skaters coming and going

to grow together and encourage each other.

due to lack of camaraderie and friendship. Everyone I know who retires misses the

Inviting either the league skaters to FM practice

camaraderie and the people the most of anything when they reminisce about derby.

or FM to a basic league practice when their

I actually think the proactive way to retain people is to focus on how you’re rolling

skills have improved is a great second step.

(pun!) skaters into your league. Are you setting clear expectations of how seriously

Also having some sort of mentor program

heavy the commitment is? Is your league guilty of driving new skaters into the ground

seems to work from my experience; giving

by dumping giant leadership positions on them that burn them out very fast because

the new skater a veteran skater mentor so

they’re overly enthusiastic to take on new responsibilities? Both of these things are

the new skater has a person to come to

what I’ve seen as reasons why new skaters fall out fast.

and ask questions.

Otherwise, you’ve got to focus on team culture. At the team level is where the most

I also think it is important for the new skaters

direct impact is made. Think globally, act locally. My team has a lot of old guard but

to remember that veteran skaters can be shy

we get new skaters every year, and every year we’re tight with our team. We finish

too, just because someone has played roller

a season and can’t believe we’ve only known those new teammates for one year.

derby for a long time doesn’t mean that they

It feels like they’ve been around forever! We do things together. It’s that simple.

have the greatest social skills (Yes,I am talking

Camaraderie and bonding happens naturally. My team has great team practice

about myself). As I see it it’s a two way street

attendance. You bond with your teammates by straight up sweating together at

where you (as a league) have to create a space

practice. Then we go have food or drinks after once in a while. We don’t do it every

where veterans and new skaters can meet, both

week, we do it when it’s comfortable and easy. Don’t make bonding a burden. Then

on and off skates. We were all new at one point,

once a year we do a pre-planned weekend team outing. I’m pretty sure all derby teams

and it might be a fun thing to have veteran

do this type of stuff, and it really does work.

skaters share their rookie stories with the new

Finally, every individual has their own responsibility to keep the culture friendly

skaters over a beer or soda. Involve new skaters

and welcoming. We’re all volunteers here, so let’s make sure we do everything we

in league work, it is a great way for them to get

can to keep it our “happy place.”

to know the league and other skaters better.

need advice? email advice@fiveonfivemag.com fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2016

5

in a world where the fans are in charge...

S H I M M Y C O C O B O P, R O S E C I T Y R O L L E R S PHOTOS BY REGULARMAN

It’s one thing to watch your favorite jammer shake her stuff on the jam line during a timeout – it’s quite another thing to see the entire team get penalties for NOT dancing during the jam. But that’s what you got when roller derby turned topsy-turvy last December in Portland, Oregon. It was a brief but magical world full of jamming refs jumping the apex in full superhero costumes, derby legends in nude bodysuits, balloons on the flat track, mid-bout shooting the ducks, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria – or what was known as Whose Jam Is It Anyway?, a fundraiser for the Rose City Rollers.

That night things got, um, a little bit crazy down at the hangar warehouse by Oaks Park Amusement Park. It was kinda like a taste of ye old days of derby yore (you know...

2006). We sat down with Rose City Rollers’ development manager, Jodi Bon Jodi (Jodi Kansagor), to hash out the whys and what-fors, and most importantly, the howzits.

First of all, what was the purpose of Whose Jam Is It Anyway?

JODI BON JODI: A lot of people might not know that Rose City Rollers is a nonprofit organization and that we run a number of philanthropic programs, including junior and adult scholarships and Rent N Roll, our gear-lending library offered free of charge to all junior skaters.

To fund these programs, we do what nonprofits do – fundraise! To augment our end-of-the-year fundraising, we decided to do an event that would be fun for our fans and also generate revenue for our programs.

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How did it come about?

Rat City in Seattle had done an event like this in the past [Fantasy Flat Track], which our events director, Nami Bigos, had gone to. The event was really fun and well done, so we figured that we would give it a try in Portland!

What actually happened? The photos look bananas.

It had a lot more going on than any normal bout. Fans had the opportunity to pay for things or “gags” to happen during each jam. Gags ranged in price, so for $10 to $50 you could clear out the penalty box, swap scores between the teams, swap players, skate a jam clockwise, and add minutes to jams. We gave the audience a checklist of gags that they could pay for, but also encouraged them to get creative and come up with their own ideas.

What was the best ludicrousness?

Some of the best moments of the event were because of ridiculous gags that fans purchased. My personal favorites were the dance jams. During the dance jams, skaters had to play derby, all while dancing. Failure to dance penalties were awarded to skaters who did not dance while skating. Hands down the dance jams were a crowd favorite. There was also a “party jam,” when the entirety of both benches played in a jam. That one was ridiculous; it was super challenging for the jammers, but a lot of fun for everyone else!

Are those some oldschool greats I see in the photos? Like Untamed Shrew shooting the duck?

And Soulfearic Acid doing her thing?

One of our goals was to bring back alumni skaters to give them a fun opportunity to skate again. Havana Good Time, Smack Ya Sideways, Scratcher in the Eye, Napalm Beth, Rhea DeRange, Soulfearic Acid, Untamed Shrew, Cadillac, and other retired skaters skated alongside a roster of current Rose City skaters. We did a lot of promotion around these skaters coming back, doing a bunch of “Where Are They Now?” Facebook posts. It was pretty cute and our fans really loved seeing current photos of their favorite skaters of the past.

To add in another layer of fun, we used eBay to auction off the coach positions for this event. It was a way to make a little more money in donations, as well as a fun way to involve our fans. In the end, our executive director, Rocket Mean (Kim Stegeman), was one of the coaches, while the other was the father of one of our longtime skaters, a true member of the Rose City family. They played off each other really well and created a fun, yet competitive environment.

There was a lot of work running around in the background of the bout, getting the gags paid for and then sorting them to make sure that they got played at the right time, communicating with our announcers who were letting the skaters, coaches, and refs know what was happening during each jam. It felt a little chaotic at times, but was actually rather well orchestrated.

What went into the planning of this event?

The logistics sound challenging.

Because this event was so different than anything we had ever done before, we had to do quite a bit to educate our fans ahead of time as to what they might expect.

Any plans to do it again?

This year, most of our time allotted to special events was spent planning November’s WFTDA Champs in Portland. I am hoping to get this event on the calendar again in 2018.

We will definitely do this again one day! It was a really good time for our fans, and a fantastic way to raise money.H

Was it successful?

Absolutely. This event was successful, any way you look at it. The league made money that can help support its programs, fans had a really good time, and skaters had a lot of fun. We know that this kind of event is silly. And we also know that we all are serious athletes. Those two things do not have to be mutually exclusive. This event not only was entertaining, but also showcased the skill of our skaters.

They would not have been able to roll with these gags if they were not all seriously talented skaters!

fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2016

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make fundraising choices with time as your investment B O B N O X I O U S, B R O W N P A P E R T I C K E T S

I have the tendency to start many of my blogs, articles, or classroom sessions by saying, “The moment you sell your first ticket, you are no longer a club, you are a business.”

I say this because, as nearly everything derby is a volunteer organization, it’s easy to lose focus on business responsibilities. In this article, I’m going to put a bit of a twist on a common business term that may help you rethink the entire way you manage fundraising within your league.

“Oh no Bob. This will put me to sleep, won’t it?” Hey! Cut me some slack.

Sure, I could write about fun derby adventures and shenanigans. After all, I have 12 years worth of stories, but I choose to make business less “businessy” instead. I promise you this article will not put you to sleep, but help you measure league activities in a way that helps you get more sleep!

Spoiler alert; here is the necessary, boring paragraph.

If you are not familiar with the term “Return on Investment (ROI),” it should be part of your basic business vocabulary. ROI is generally referred to in business investment situations. It’s quite simple. ROI is an easy measure of an investment’s performance. If your league buys an old school bus for $2000 which brings a bar crowd who spends $3000 in tickets and merch that season, your ROI is 50% for that time period. In other words, you’ve covered your investment, and made 50% more that year. Let’s not get bogged down by the oil changes

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and the one flat tire you replaced... someone always has to bring too much reality into my perfect-world examples... as long as you get the point. It’s an easy way to measure the efficiency of money spent and you should use it to measure multiple “bang for your buck” scenarios.

True ROI measures money performance, plain and simple.

It’s simply profit divided by your investment to create a percentage.

These percentages play a part in helping you determine where your money is having its greatest impact.

You should use it to measure everything from the performance of individual merch pieces to your venue options vs. ticket sales. Yet, the one very important thing basic ROI doesn’t measure, is your time!

What if we looked at ROI so that investment wasn’t money at all?

It was time!

In derby, time is our greatest investment. In a paid business,

you can factor time into an investment by including the wages of those contribute to work that goes into a project. In derby, you invest time that’s volunteered.

Everyone’s time is the most important asset invested! So, what if we looked at our business and changed the math to determine return on time invested? Now, let’s look purely at money generated per volunteer hour to measure fundraising efforts.

Fundraising using person hours to determine ROI HEY! Don’t nod off on me yet. This is where it gets insightful. The stats crew and many officials - I’ll even throw some announcers into this statement – may even find it, dare I say, FUN! What if you measured the success of your fundraising or marketing efforts based on return for the number of person-hours invested. Of course, the idea here is to make more with less, right? Here’s an example:

Car washes. Fun? Sure. Worth your time? You decide. You hold a car wash on a beautiful, sunny Saturday for six hours. You staff that car wash so there are always six people helping, or 36 hours volunteered. On a great day, I’d say a car wash will make $400 in that six hours. Your volunteers’ efforts generate nearly $11 for every person hour or $67 per person for the entire day. Was that worth everyone’s time?

That is something YOU need to decide.

This is the simple version, not including the time spent by volunteers getting to and from the wash, supplies needed, which should be subtracted from your money made, nor bad weather. Now, at least, you have a measure.

Each of you only has so many hours to give. The idea is to determine the most efficient use of time so that you work only on fundraisers that produce.

Garage sales, bake sales, and similar projects take a lot of time and produce very little money. Fun? Again, probably a good time for those who

participate. Is it a good use of their time when you will need them to practice, help at charitable events, and assist bout production? Probably not, unless PR or high exposure to the public factors into the fundraiser. Think about it, if you take four volunteers to work the game crowd for a 50/50 raffle, as opposed to just buying tickets at the merch booth, that four hours of total volunteer time will produce hundreds of dollars.

Would you rather put four hours into the raffle or 50 hours into organizing and manning a garage sale that produces and equal or less amount of money? If 50/50 raffles are not legal in your state or part of the world, think about a public appearance where volunteers also sell tickets to your next game and some merchandise.

Don’t limit fundraising to the ideas your members can come up with.

Do a little research. In Madison, WI, where I live, the local soccer club makes money selling concessions at the local arena, helping distribute sales

flyers and coupons at a department store, and gift wrapping presents during the holidays at a local mall.

These are structured, so you don’t have to plan nor do preparatory work.

They pay an hourly wage, and, once you have your foot in the door, are there every year. PLUS, they give you exposure! Wear your league shirt or, if they’ll allow, your boutfit is better yet.

Time is money when it comes to fundraising, but time is also part of balancing life in derby and outside of the sport. I’ve used this statement hundreds of times, “Roller derby is not a hobby, it’s a lifestyle.” This isn’t like playing basketball or volleyball once a week. People need time to maintain friendships, family, and “me time.” The smarter we are about using our time can mean making better money and requiring less fundraising time from our members. This gives you better financial stability and the ability to either shift time back to members or to something else that’s more productive for the league.H

Tracey Johnson

fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2016

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living with a traumatic brain injury THE PROFESSOR, PIEDMONT RIOT ROLLER DERBY

A lot has been said in the past year or so regarding concussions in sports, but I would guess that not many people have heard what I’m about to say. Let me start by saying that I’m NOT trying to scare anyone out of playing derby, football, or soccer (which has the largest amount of concussion risk for females; some studies show that women are twice as likely to sustain a concussion as men). I’m actually trying to do just the opposite, by building awareness so that more teams can be sure they’re taking the right steps when it comes to concussions.

I’ve had 12 concussions in the last 5 years. I have brain damage, memory loss, and cognitive problems that cannot be repaired. I can’t drink caffeine or alcohol. I’m afraid to go to sleep at night because I don’t know who I will be when I wake up... whether I’ll be “concussed” or not. All because I refused to listen and do the right thing. Do I have your attention now?

Good. Let’s talk concussion!

There are two main types of concussion: Impact and Rotational. With an Impact Concussion, the brain will strike one side of the skull and then typically recoil and hit the opposite side. This usually occurs when the head makes impact against another object. A Rotational Concussion occurs when the head rapidly rotates from one side to another, and can occur without any direct impact to the head.

To better understand these injuries, let’s take a step back and clear up a few misconceptions about concussion: • You do not have to have impact to the head to suffer a concussion. In fact, one of the worst derby-related concussions I’ve had was when a teammate hit me as I was looking over the opposite shoulder. That motion made my brain “slosh” when my head snapped, resulting in a rotational concussion.

• It is not a bad idea for someone to go to sleep after getting a concussion. Though it was previously thought to be dangerous, resting the brain has been proved to be vital in the recovery process.

• Just because you feel better, that does not mean you’re ready to resume normal activity. The most serious misconception that I’ve heard is “when I feel better I must be ready to do what I want!” Sadly, this is one of the biggest mistakes I made, and I live with that mistake every day.

• Once you go concussion, you never go back. OK, maybe that’s

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not exactly true. But research suggests that after your first concussion, you are 1-2 times more likely for a second, 2-4 times more likely for a third, and 3-9 times more likely for a fourth. And to make matters worse, the brain isn’t even done developing until age 25, making concussions for those younger than 25 even more serious.

My first concussion came from a serious car accident. I took impact to the top of the head, opening up a large flap that required around 20 stitches, and obviously causing a severe concussion. Fortunately, one of my teammates at the time was a doctor, specializing in sports and head injuries. Unfortunately, I was the idiot who didn’t follow her advice. I didn’t give myself the proper time to heal, and rushed back to my normal activities.

The result: multiple concussions, one after another, each one leaving me even more susceptible to the next. My most recent concussion was this August, when I hit my head on my kitchen counter. That’s right – after years of not following doctors’ orders, I’m now susceptible to concussion from something as simple as even bumping my head!

For those who haven’t had a concussion before, let me try to help you understand some of the many things you may experience. In some cases, it might feel a bit like that level of drunk where you’ve decided it is no longer fun to be drunk; you just feel “off” and foggy because the lights are about to turn out on you. Perhaps it will feel like the worst hangover that you’ve ever had. On top of this you are irritable, emotional, have mood swings, and probably have sensitivity to light, TV/computer screens, and loud noises. You might find yourself struggling mid-sentence for a word you were about to say, but can no longer find in your vocabulary. Writing things down becomes necessary, because when you combine the short-term memory loss with the difficulty of focusing, you’re forced to realize that if it doesn’t get written down, it doesn’t get done. Obviously this can make it difficult to work or study, adding more stress to a situation that may already have you struggling with anxiety and even depression. You may find that you have to give up drinking alcohol and/or caffeine, like I did. If I drink even half of a beer or a cup of coffee, not only does it seem to instantly change my personality, but I can wind up feeling “concussed” for days afterward. And if I haven’t made it sound fun enough yet,

let me add in the migraines, which can be frequent and feel a little bit like an ice pick to the temples. It’s truly a miserable experience for not only you, but also the people around you.

This is some of what I struggle with every day. This is my reality.

And chances are, it will never improve.

After about six months the brain is done healing from an injury. How you spend that six months could very well determine the rest of your life. So what to do when a head injury occurs in derby? Do the right thing! It doesn’t matter who the skater is, what game is coming up, or what game you are currently playing – if a skater suffers any kind of head injury, you need to shut them down. Skaters, if you sustain a head injury, don’t think you are being a “hero” if you try to go back in! Be a hero by taking care of yourself, and leading your teammates by example.

Stop practicing or playing for the night. If there was severe impact involved, a trip to the ER is suggested. A visit to your

Coaching staff help the skater off the track and de-gear. Go through the SCAT 2 (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 2) form with them. This is something that the skater can take with them to the ER or doctor (we record their answers as part of the protocol). I’ve had skaters not realize they were concussed until we went over the form together. We also have a “dos and don’ts” sheet that we send home with the skater. There are things that can be done to help with the healing process and it’s important to start these right away. Avoid caffeine and alcohol (yes, I get lots of funny looks and groans when I suggest this).

The brain pulls priority for blood over the other organs and consumes up to 20% of the oxygen taken in. Consuming caffeine or alcohol will thin your blood and can cause the concussion symptoms to be worse. It’s important to keep with icing on/off every 20 minutes to help reduce swelling. Avoid television, computers (iPad’s especially due to their blue screen)

If you sustain a head injury, don’t think you are being a “hero” if you try to go back in!

Be a hero by taking care of yourself, and leading your teammates by example. regular doctor isn’t a bad idea either. Just recently I had a teammate that felt OK at practice after hitting her head, but confirmed to me two days later that she did have a concussion.

Expect (and accept) being off skates for at least one week after you no longer feel symptoms of concussion, not a week from when the injury actually happened. The skaters of Piedmont Riot sometimes hate to have this talk with me, but they know it’s because we are looking out for their long-term health.

Remember that your decision-making can be skewed due to being in a more emotional state when concussed, so trust the people who are trying to help you make the best decisions.

In other words, listen to your doctor!

In our final game this season, we had to watch one of our teammates get carried off on a stretcher following a nasty fall and blow to the head. Fortunately, this happened in the presence of an EMT. But what if someone suffers a head injury at practice, when there likely isn’t an EMT around? It is crucial to be able to guide them correctly right away. An ice pack to the back of the neck will help with swelling on the brain. (Note: If a skater has sustained a neck or spinal injury, DO NOT MOVE THEM, and call 911 immediately.) If there is impact, ice to that area is important as well. If you didn’t see it happen, ask someone that did. Don’t rely on just the injured skater. I like to track if it was Impact or Rotational for future needs. Have someone from the Training or

and phones as much as possible. These devices put an extra strain on the eyes and brain and can make things worse. There are a number of supplements that can help during healing, such as good quality fish oil, B12, and healthy fats like avocado and healthy butter.

Do you have a concussion protocol for your league?

If not and would like assistance, please contact me at piedmontriot.tc@gmail.com. You should have a policy that addresses at what point during practice or a game a skater needs to be pulled from participation, making sure they seek the appropriate medical follow-up, a plan for checking in on them during recovery, and when the skater should return to normal participation.

I have more to say on the subject of concussion, and plan on writing a follow up in the future. I will keep pushing this until leagues take it seriously. Again, this was not written to deter anyone from participation in derby, or any other sport; it was written with the hopes of prolonging derby careers and protecting the long term health of athletes. I don’t want to see skaters have to retire before they are ready, and no one should have to suffer every day like I do. Please allow your brain to heal after an injury. Be patient, and be compliant with your healthcare providers. Your family, friends, and teammates will appreciate it.H fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2016

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balancing act L I N D S AY G Y P I N, D E N V E R R O L L E R D E R B Y

The moment a woman decides to pick up roller derby, her life becomes a balancing act.

Whether a newbie doing pick-up derby once a week or a Division I jammer headed to WFTDA Championships, roller derby is a huge time suck, and one that the general population does not understand. While derby-life balance looks different for everyone, finding it is as essential to one’s roller derby experience as plow-stopping.

I have skated for a small league in a small town, and for large leagues in the city. I’ve been a committee head, a captain, and a worker bee on several committees. I pour my heart into roller derby, and I’ve always done whatever it takes to improve my skills on the track. When I meet new people, they inevitably ask about roller derby. “That’s so cool that you play roller derby! Wait - you practice for that?” No, I strap roller skates onto my feet and slam my body into other women without practicing it. Of course I practice for that!

Another favorite conversation I once had, in June: Friend: “We should hang out, more!”

Menace: “I know! I’ll be free again in November... let’s hang out!”

Friend: “November... that’s like... five months away...”

Menace: “Yeah... it’s derby season... I have practice always...”

A year ago, I set this grueling training schedule for myself: Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

3hrs derby 1hr crossfit 1hr crossfit 1hr crossfit 1hr crossfit 1hr crossfit 3hrs derby 3hrs derby

Total Derby Training: 14hrs I would fall asleep around 7:00pm on Friday nights because I was so exhausted from the week. My husband was frustrated because I never spent time with him, and when I was free... I was asleep. I was overtraining, my body was exhausted, and I was an unhappy and unpleasant person to be around. This grueling schedule led to divorce, job loss, and eventually a re-prioritization of my values.

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Winter 2016 | fiveonfivemag.com

Recently, my teammate S.H. Long invited me on a long bike ride. I responded “I would love to, but I can’t jam at practice after biking that much. My legs would be shot.”

Her response has stuck with me. “One thing I’ve learned about roller derby, if you plan on doing it for any length of time, you have to find time to do other social activities, or you won’t last.”

This year, I’ve followed this more manageable schedule: Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

2hrs derby

2hrs off skates

2hrs derby

2hrs off skates

2hrs open skate

Total Derby Training: 10hrs I still train a significant amount, but I have stopped training twice a day, and the extra rest has improved my mood exponentially. Having a better attitude at practice has helped me improve on the track as well.

While having my life explode has helped me to re-prioritize and find something of a derby-life balance, I recognize that I still dedicate a significant amount of time to the sport. I work and I skate, and that’s it. Many skaters also attend school, have children, volunteer in their communities, etc.

Adding these pieces to the puzzle can make finding derby-life balance even more difficult. According to Roller Derby Demographics published by WFTDA in 2012, 30% of skaters live with children 18 or younger in their household.

Mother of two and Boulder County Bombers skater Smashalotapus (Smash) finds balance through roller derby.

She says: “It seems like roller derby would throw my life out of balance because of the time commitment, but it doesn’t.

Saturday

Benjamin Mah / benmaphoto.com

In addition to feeling more present at home with her family because of being personally fulfilled through roller derby, Smash also told me: “My husband and I both want our children to have great role models in their lives, and for us that starts at home. We both believe that our children should have role models that are confident, kind, loving, assertive, strong, empathetic, and well-rounded people. We both strive to exemplify these qualities every day.” Sound familiar? Who wouldn’t want their children to grow up with role models who are “Real. Strong. Athletic. Revolutionary.”? For Smash, she not only finds balance through roller derby, but she also embodies the qualities she values in women as an example for her daughters.

Whether you are a working parent or single and ready to mingle, roller derby is a huge time commitment and will turn your life into a balancing act. If you are struggling to find that balance, ask yourself why you play roller derby. What do you hope to get out of your time commitment? Then come Friday Saturday up with a strategic plan to help you achieve your goals.

2hrs family time And remember – it’s okay to give yourself a break when volunteer at kids’ school you need it.H 1hr crossfit

Being a mom and working full time, I need time for me.”

Smash’s children participate in extracurricular activities, and when the family’s days became over-scheduled, Smash would sacrifice her own workout time. “Over time, I started to resent that. I became impatient and irritable. I quit creating opportunities for quality time with my children and that is the last thing I wanted as a mom.” Fortunately, Smash recognized that she needed time for herself and found roller derby. “When I started skating, I started coming home from practice feeling rejuvenated and de-stressed. Finding a competitive outlet through roller derby helped me create goals for myself that I could work to achieve. After practice, I feel excited to see my family. I’m ready to focus on their needs, and be present for them because I have my needs met.”

A typical week for Smash looks like this: Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

3hrs derby 1hr crossfit 3hrs derby

Wednesday

Thursday

family time

3hrs derby 1 hr kids’ gymnastics

Total Derby Training: 11hrs

fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2016

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getting wheely strong C L AY T O N E D G I N, S A N TA C R U Z S T R E N G T H G Y M

Almost every sport takes some time off every year, during which its athletes retire to the gym to rehab nagging injuries and get stronger for the upcoming season. One of the most impactful changes in roller derby over the last few years is the inclusion of an off season for some leagues so its athletes can do the same.

Derby is now at the cusp of becoming so competitive that cross training during the off season is not only beneficial, but mandatory to improve your ranking. New and improved gear makes the sport faster and new skills on skates require strength and balance that don’t exist in most skaters. The gap in strength and skill between fresh meat and the “A” players is growing every year.

Every league has its own program for off season training; however, most typical off skates training programs are insufficient. They’re usually run by well-meaning volunteers who have no experience in the strength and conditioning field. Oftentimes, a local gym will sponsor a league but its group classes have no relevancy to derby. Personal trainers are expensive, and endless circuits of bodyweight HIIT circuits won’t get you strong the way a barbell will. It’s up to you to learn how to get stronger. But I’m here to help!

In order to get strong enough to handle the rigors of roller derby, resistance training with weights is key. Learning the proper techniques for the compound movements like the squat, press, and deadlift will do incredible things to your body and performance on the track. When we lift, our bones and connective tissues get thicker, our muscles grow to handle the weights and to protect the joints, and you develop increased proprioception (aka an awareness of your body’s position). All these things sound pretty relevant to derby so far, right?

This will not only help you on the track next season, but it will ensure that you get to skate for many years to come.

We’re not just talking about performance either; bone density is a huge issue for women as they age and resistance training now will keep you from getting osteoporosis or any number of degenerative bone diseases when you’re older.

Would you rather be the granny who can still skate at 60 or the retired skater at 30?

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Winter 2016 | fiveonfivemag.com

Last season, my gym Santa Cruz Strength sponsored our Santa Cruz Derby Girls and I spent quite a bit of time teaching them the basic barbell movements. The more they squatted and deadlifted, the higher their ranking rose. They began the season at #45 in WTFDA and ended at #22, finishing 7th in Division 1 Playoffs. I started a program called Jam Stronger that shares these workouts with skaters around the country for $19/mo and they’re already telling me what a difference it’s made in their performance.

Today I want to share with you how to prepare your own off skates strength training regimen. To do this, we have to ask a series of questions. This is the same series of questions I go through when coaching high jumpers, powerlifters, strongman competitors, or derby skaters: 1. What are the physical demands of the sport?

2. In what ways does the sport physically prepare the athlete?

3. In what ways does the sport not physically prepare the athlete?

4. What role should injury prevention play in program design?

Physical Demands. There is no doubt that the physical demands of playing roller derby can sometimes be enough to keep you out of the gym altogether. Skating three to four days a week can be exhausting, not to mention all the bumps and bruises you accumulate along the way. But now that the season is over, you can dedicate the time you used to spend on the track in the gym. Your on season and off season strength training programs are going to be a little different but that’s a topic for another day.

Skaters need strong legs to move, strong cores to maintain their position in the pack or change directions quickly, and strong shoulders to hit and absorb hits. They also need strong joints for injury prevention, something I’ll touch on later.

What Derby Builds. You’ve probably noticed little changes in your body composition every year thanks to the demands of derby. That’s great! Skating does a great job of building your calves, quads, butt, and core. What we’re looking to do now is design a strength training program to strengthen the muscles that derby doesn’t already directly build. Derby also does a hell of a job building your endurance, so any off skates program you use might not need to make that a priority.

What a Derby Body Needs. The number one thing I’ve found that skaters benefit from is posterior chain work.

The posterior chain is just a fancy way of referring to all the muscles that work together from the hamstrings behind the knee all the way up to the lower back. The hamstring curl machine at the gym is cool, but that’s for gym bunnies.

You’re not a fluffy bunny – you’re a bone-crushing Viking on wheels who’s going to use the most powerful lifts in the gym to become the most powerful skater on the track.

Perhaps the most under-rated aspect of training for derby is the need for upper body strength. Stronger shoulders and triceps will help you maintain your position in a braced wall with the added benefit of decreasing the risk of injury. The shoulder joint is not a big, strong structure like the hip or even the knee. There are lots of small ligaments and bones intersecting in the shoulder that need to be strengthened to keep it functional and healthy. We do this with a variety of pressing and pulling exercises.

A third consideration for developing a strength training program is core strength. There are 35 muscle groups surrounding our midsection that keep us upright and allow us to move our bodies. Training all of those individually through endless variations of crunches, leg raises, and planks would take far longer than hitting them all at once through squats or deadlifts.

Injury Prevention. I could write so much on this topic alone!

We have to include specialized prehab/corrective exercise work to keep the joints mobile and strong. This will not only improve your performance, but your quality of life after derby.

What? Life after derby?? Get outta here.

Now that we know what a skater needs in their off skates training, we have to find exercises in the gym that are going to serve our purpose and master them. To get the most bang for your buck, stick with the compound lifts like the squat,

bench, deadlift, and overhead press. You don’t skate with just one muscle, so why isolate one muscle during training?

Strength training programs are done in cycles, meaning we do them for a certain length of time and then repeat them again. I recommend a 10-12 week strength training cycle for the main lift that starts with lighter weights and higher reps in the beginning and peaks at the end with heavier weights and lower reps. For example: Main Lift (squat, bench, etc.)

Week 1 – 5 x 10 Week 8 – 3 x 3 Week 2 – 5 x 8 Week 9 – 3 x 2 Week 3 – 4 x 8 Week 10 – 2 x 2 Week 4 – 3 x 8 Week 11 – 2 x 1 Week 5 – 3 x 6 Week 12 – Test 1 Rep Max Week 6 – 3 x 5 Week 13 – rest Week 7 – 4 x 3 Week 14 – start over at Week 1 again On this sample program, you’re performing 50 total reps in the deadlift so the weight won’t be that heavy. Every week, we’re trying to increase the weight on the bar and perform fewer reps. In the second week, we’re deadlifting 40 total reps so the weight can be heavier. Then 32 total reps, etc.

I would start your day in the gym with a dynamic warmup lasting 5-10 minutes. This can either be a low impact activity like rowing, cycling, or your favorite series of bodyweight movements. Then go right into your main lift of the day. After that, choose a couple accessory exercises that compliment the main lift, then set up your HIIT circuit.

After you’ve completed your HIIT circuit, use this cool down time by working on prehab and corrective exercises. You might also choose to do these after your warmup but before your main lifting. The whole workout shouldn’t take more than an hour. If you know somebody who brags about their threehour workouts, you can bet they’re not working that hard.

To get a sense of what your weekly program might look like, I’m including a couple week’s worth of workouts from the Jam Stronger database (see page 21). I have some instructional videos on my YouTube channel featuring skaters and in subsequent articles I’ll be covering the finer points of mastering these lifts.

Resistance training will make you stronger, fitter, and enable you to skate more physically while simultaneously reducing your risk of injury. Learning how to move a loaded barbell will also help you master new skills on the track. It could also be the catalyst that gets you onto the “A” team in your league.

Master the fundamentals and you’ll be unstoppable!H

fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2016

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Rosemary C AT H O L I C C R U E L G I R L ,

Winter 2016 | fiveonfivemag.com

Limoncello R O C K Y M O U N TA I N R O L L E R G I R L S

Limoncello is a classic Italian liqueur served ice cold as an after dinner digestive. The most challenging part about making limoncello is having the patience to let it steep for the proper infusion time.

This recipe calls for a little rosemary which adds a subtle woody flavor. For a floral note use 2 tablespoons of dried lavender instead of rosemary or you can skip the herbs altogether and just go classic style. This liqueur will keep indefinitely in the freezer.

ingredients

18 meyer lemons 2 fresh rosemary sprigs 2 – 750ml bottles of 100 proof vodka 4½ cups sugar

Using a vegetable peeler, gently peel off all of the skin on the lemons. Be mindful to just peel the zest (you don’t want any of the white pith).

Combine the zest, rosemary and 1 bottle of vodka in one gallon glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Let this mixture steep in a dark place for a minimum of 2 weeks or up to 40 days.

After steeping time is completed bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the sugar. Cook until sugar fully dissolves.

Let cool 1 hour.

Add syrup and remaining bottle of vodka to your mixture.

Stir and let steep an additional 2 weeks or up to 40 days.

Strain limoncello through a fine strainer or cheesecloth and bottle for yourself or in small bottles for gifts.

Note: Meyer lemons are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. They have a sweeter, less acidic flavor that a common lemon such as eureka. If meyer lemons are unavailable, regular lemons will work just fine. The finished product will just lack a little finesse.

fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2016

jam coaching basics BITCHES BRUZE, SOUTHSHIRE ROLLER DERBY

The WFTDA rules allow for two bench staff in the team bench area during game play.

The best teams integrate their bench staff seamlessly with the team and they work in partnership, while carrying out their tasks. Traditionally we name those two roles bench coach and jam coach. Bench coaching entails running the roster by organizing the exchange of skaters on the track by skill, strategic partnerships, and response to the game - opponent lineups, penalties, and roster strengths. The jam coach bears the responsibility of the big picture of the game and the team. With time and with their team, jam coaches ultimately grow with and participate in developing team strategy and game play.

New jam coaches start with three basic jobs: implementing and adjusting team strategies, time management, and officiating communication.

TEAM STRATEGIES In order to be a partner in implementing team strategies, the jam coach needs to know the team strategies; what they look like when they’re working, recognize when they’re not working, and being familiar with contingencies for those strategies. Even the newest of teams have a small armament of strategies. If you’re new to jam coaching and working with an advanced team, they’ll help you with this. But if you’re working with a new team, starting this conversation at practices will making using your coaching words in games more effective. Here’s a short list to get you started on organizing a beginning strategy toolbox:

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● Bridges – front and back ● Walls – flat and braced ● How many blockers are on offense, who, and when ● Box management ● On-track partnerships ● Jammer defense ● Calling off the Jam People have written entire articles on each of these concepts, but each team is truly unique working with each of these concepts because each team brings its own unique roster and training regimen and no article will tell you what tools you have. The jam coach looks at these ideas and communicates to the team fine adjustments that need to be made to improve the score.

Game time is not the time to be trying a new strategy a team has not practiced. Good jam coaches have been to practice and know what’s practiced and possible. Jam coaches know the team’s or pack’s default and know who can make the small changes and who can’t. For example, if the opponents are forcing a faster pack than the team’s braced walls can manage, suggesting to the pack that’s coming off that switching to partner bracing or flat walls based on what they’re next best prepared for will move the game and improve the team. Encouragement and supportive words when change is needed historically get the best results out of rosters.

TIME MANAGEMENT There are three fundamental strategies to winning roller derby games: scoring points, stopping the opposing team from scoring points, and managing time. Practicing with time is important. This means bringing stopwatches to scrimmages where there aren’t clocks and verbally keeping your team and your jammers aware of period and jam time.

Here’s an introduction to what the new jam coach should work with when coaching. game/period clock There are two 30 minute periods in derby but an undetermined number of jams. Jam coaches can create more game play time by running long jams or less game

Joe Mac

play time running short jams and using timeouts to have more (calling immediately after jam end) or less (calling 29 seconds after jam time) game play time. jam clock Tracking the opposing jammer’s lap, advising the jammer whether another scoring pass is likely, freezing opposing players in the penalty box for better lead jam opportunities, and recognizing winning or losing lineups fall to the jam coach. penalty time Scoring becomes difficult without earning lead jammer consistently. The lead jammer has the ability to influence the lineups of the following jam by either burning time for their own teammates to get out of the penalty box or cutting a jam short to freeze opponents in the box. Using a stopwatch, jam coaches can track the penalty time for their own key players.

time outs Each team receives three timeouts per game. These may be used for resetting strategies, giving skaters a break, and time management. Timeouts stop the period clock at the time they are called.

Each team also receives one Official Review per period which, if decided for the requesting team, may be retained and used a second time. Official Reviews may be used as a timeout and must always last at least 60 seconds. Only the Captain (displaying a C) and the Alternate Captain (displaying an A) may request a time out.

OFFICIATING COMMUNICATION Along with the Captain, the Alternate Captain has the ability to call time outs, and request Official Reviews. As the member most able to see the bigger picture of the game, the jam coach also often plays the role of Alternate Captain as it may be assigned to a skater or bench staff. Every referee crew will have a different manner in which they will communicate with skaters and staff. A jam coach actively listens and appropriately communicates with officials before and during the game. fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2016

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pre-game At the pre-game Captain’s Meeting, the Alternate Captain will provide officiating staff with scorekeeping indicators ideally two wrist bands matching the primary color of the team uniform. The Alternate Captain will also work with the Captain to relay any special needs or questions for the team.

If a team has skaters who are hard of hearing, or have other special needs or wearing notable equipment, this should be communicated to the Head Referee during the Captain’s meeting. Staying aware of regional officiating trends and their impact on a team’s strategy may require clarifications during this time such as availability of penalty counts and Inside White Board, complete boundaries of the penalty box (so the jam coach knows where they may not enter to talk with skaters), and how and when staff may communicate with officials. Being prepared with questions makes for efficient meetings and establishing rapport before the game. during game If a head referee allows communication with officials outside of official reviews it is important the jam coach make any communications as efficient as possible because so many other things are going on during the time between jams.

Generally speaking, quick communications may involve two things – points and penalties. Effective jam coaches are polite and professional. Avoiding confrontational approaches is desired. For example, if it is believed a jam referee missed a box point in the last point pass, run in and ask “does that score include that box point?” Pumping fingers in the air or yelling numbers without providing information may not only be less successful, it may also degrade the positive communication started at the pre-game meeting. Avoid arguing over penalties unless additional information can Bob Ayers

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change the situation. Referees call what they see, but if you can indicate another official (this includes NSOs) may have had a point of view that changes the outcome to your favor, try to quickly establish that connection instead of yelling about an official’s eyesight or assessment of the situation. official reviews As with all other communication with officials, best practices for Official Reviews begins with preparation and has better odds with effective communication. ● Use the proper hand signals to call the timeout ● Move to the inside of the track and wait for your Captain and the opposing team’s representatives ● Speak clearly, calmly, and don’t rush. Limit speaking with your hands ● State the situation as precisely as possible including: ○ skaters involved (by color, number, and position) ○ what point in the jam the incident occurred ○ where on the track the incident occurred ○ what officials, including NSOs, may have information to support your claim ● State the remedy you are seeking (points added, penalty removed, clock adjusted, etc) ● Listen when the Head Referee clarifies or repeats your request ● Thank the Head Referee at the end of the Official Review regardless of the outcome A good jam coach cannot know too much about the rules and procedures of the game. Keep a copy of the rules and all the latest clarifications at the bench. It is okay to bring a ruleset to an Official Review or to cite rules or other WFTDA documents.H

sample two week workout C L AY T O N E D G I N, S A N TA C R U Z S T R E N G T H G Y M

Here are some examples of the way I write exercises: • 3 x 5 = 3 sets of 5 reps. This only refers to the “working sets”, not the warmup sets that got you there.

• 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 = increasingly heavier sets of 3. There are five 3s written here, but you don’t have to stop at 5 sets of 3; keep going until you get close to your limit.

• 5, 5, 5, 5RM = increasingly heavier sets of 5, working up to the most weight you can do for 5 reps.

• Bench press + flies (10 + 10) x 3 = perform 10 reps on the bench then go right into 10 reps on the flies. Rest. Perform 3 sets like this • RPE = Rate of Perceived Exertion. In other words, on a scale of 1-10, how hard was it? 10 being an absolute max effort and not a single pound could have been lifted more, 9 being really hard but I did it, 8 being still pretty hard but I could have done one more, 7 being challenging but doable • Cluster sets = when it says to do, for example, 20 total reps of an exercise, break it down into manageable sets. That might mean doing 5 sets of 4 or sets of 7, 7, & 6. Basically, do as many as you can until form breaks down, then rest as needed and keep going.

When choosing a weight, I’d rather have you choose something challenging but doable so you don’t miss a rep.

In the beginning you should find that, if you started light enough, you should be able to add 5-10lbs per week on the lower body movements and 2-5lbs per week on the upper body movements. At some point, this will slow down and eventually those strength gains will be harder to come by. When this happens, I would rather you increase the reps with the same weight instead of increasing the weight and doing fewer reps.

For example, if your 5 x 5 bench press is stalling out at 85lbs, I’d rather you try to do 5 x 6 the next week at 85lbs instead of you trying to 5 x 4 at 90lbs.

And as always, please hit me up with any questions you might have or send me videos of your form if you want some feedback. Let’s get started!

DAY 1

WEEK 1

DAY 3

WEEK 1

Warmup

Five Rounds (10 minute time cap) 10 calorie airdyne / cycle 10 calorie row - If you haven’t completed all five rounds in the 10 minute time cap, just stop where you are and go into the Strength portion below

Warmup

1200m row at RPE 7-8 (10 minute time limit)

Alternatives

No rower in the gym? Choose a 1 mile brisk walk on the treadmill or 2 miles on the cycle.

Strength

5 x 5 Military Press 5 x 5 Deadlift 2 x Max Rep Pushups 2 x 15 Back Extensions

Alternatives

Pushups from the knees are acceptable as long as your chest touches the ground every rep.

Alternatives

No rower or airdyne in your gym? Cycle between any two pieces of cardio equipment that show calorie output.

No cardio equipment that shows calorie output? Hit four 2 minute intervals at a medium intensity with 30 seconds rest on any method of aerobic cardio (jog, power walk, swim, cycle, etc.).

Strength

Back Squat 5 x 5 Front Foot Elevated Split Squat (“FFESS”) 3 x 8 each leg Glute Reach 3 x 8 each leg

Alternatives

If the back squat hurts your knees, hips, or ankles, try a box squat instead.

This should take the pressure off of your joints a bit.

Conditioning 8 Minute AMRAP Ascending ladder, increasing the reps as many as possible throughout the 8 minute workout.

3, 6, 9, 12, etc.

- Kettlebell swings - Box jumps / box step ups (at least 16” high) i.e. 3 swings, 3 jumps, 6 swings, 6 jumps, etc.

Alternatives

You can use a single dumbbell for the swing instead of a kettlebell.

If you’re not ready to jump yet, try a step up onto a box.

Conditioning 21-15-9-6-3 (perform 21 of each, 15 of each, 9 of each, etc.)

- Situps - Kettlebell Swings (“KBS”) - Side lunges (21-15-9-6-3 both legs combined, not each leg)

DAY 1

WEEK 2

Warmup

Same as W1 D1

Strength

5 x 5 Bench Press 3 x 8 Kettlebell Upright Row

Alternatives

If your shoulders don’t feel great during the bench press, try adjusting your grip narrower or wider on the bar to see if that eases the pain. Otherwise, holding dumbbells with a neutral grip.

Conditioning 12 Minute AMRAP (“AMRAP” means “As Many Rounds or Reps as Possible” in a given time domain) - 8 Box Jumps - 8 Squats @ 60% of 5 x 5 weight - 8 Mountain Climbers

DAY 2

WEEK 1

DAY 2

WEEK 2

Warmup

Five Rounds (10 minute time cap) 10 calorie airdyne / cycle 10 calorie row - If you haven’t completed all five rounds in the 10 minute time cap, just stop where you are and go into the Strength portion below.

Warmup

Same as W1 D2

Strength

5 x 5 Squat-Add 5-10# total to last weight 3 Rounds: - 8 pushups - 12 lying leg lifts

Alternatives

If you’re still not quite ready for the squat with a barbell, go up a little heavier with the goblet squats. If you’re comfortable with the goblet squats, level up to the bar!

Alternatives

No rower or airdyne in your gym? Cycle between any two pieces of cardio equipment that show calorie output.

No cardio equipment that shows calorie output? Hit four 2 minute intervals at a medium intensity with 30 seconds rest on any method of aerobic cardio (jog, power walk, swim, cycle, etc.).

Strength

5x5 Squat 2x Max Rep Dips

Alternatives

Not ready to go into squats with a barbell yet?

Try out the Goblet Squat instead: - Hold a single dumbbell or kettlebell to your chest - Squat as normal

Conditioning Medicine Ball Ladder Complete 10 of each, 9 of each, 8, 7 down to 1 of the following exercises: - WallBalls - Goblet squats with medicine ball - MB Cleans

Conditioning Ascending ladder of 1-10 of the following exercises: - Kettlebell Swing - DB press overhead After each round, perform a 30 second sprint on the rower/airdyne/cycle/elliptical (e.g., 1 swing, 1 DB press, 30s sprint, 2 swing, 2 press, 30s sprint, 3 swing, etc.).

DAY 3

WEEK 2

Warmup

Same as W1 D3

Strength

5 x 5 Bench Press (Add 2-5# to last 5 x 5) 5 x 5 Deadlift – (Add 10# to last 5 x 5) 2 x 12 Dumbbell rows (12 each arm) 2 x 15 Back Extensions

Conditioning 8 Rounds: - 250m row at RPE 8-9 - 1:00 rest between intervals

fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2016

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blocking techniques – hip check OLD XCHOOL, NORTHERN CALIFORNIAN ROLLER DERBY PHOTOS BY OLD XCHOOL

Hip Check: Efficient, quick and can be performed from the inside or outside track position without a lot of special skill or technique.

Skaters often have trouble working their blocks from both left and right sides. But this is exactly what roller derby skaters must learn to do! Like position blocking the hip check is a great setup block and can be used in any combination of blocks thrown in repetition, as a seal block or just a quick get your opponent out of the way check block.

That’s what we are going to talk about: “Quick get them out of the way.” For this article I am visiting the Widow Makers of Humboldt Roller Derby, Eureka California. How’s it done?

1. Get into a good blocking posture and stance, bend your knees, you can get good leverage with this block by just hip checking below the waist of the opponent, take a low stance, step over your opponents inside skate for containment and Drive your hips through your opponent or sit hard on their thigh. Remember every time you block there is a reason and every block may or may not be within the team strategy at the time, for team play (strategy) your block should always be with purpose.

Do not give yourself up just to throw a big block “Not all blocks are created equal!” Know when control is the key to your team play, (strategy). (See Figure#1a, b, &c).

Figure 1a: hip check posture/stance.

Move your right skate inside of the opponent’s skates, to the front (step over). This will guarantee you are in front after completing the hip check block.

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Figure 1b: Step over and get into the control position to drop on top of your opponent’s thigh and/or drive through your opponent with your hips.

Figure 1c: Once in the step over position, driving your hips through your opponent simultaneously sitting on her thigh. You can do what you want with your opponent! Drive her out of bounds or just get on to another block.

This is a good place to clear up some things about this block: This block can be used without the step-over move.

The step over move while sitting (crashing) on your opponent’s thigh will momentarily take away their balance.

This will allow you to hip check or J-block to finish the block with attitude. If the goal is to just get your opponent out of the way then the hip check without the step-over will suffice.

2. When throwing this block without the step over move, hit below the waist with your hips and drive through the opponent, not at the opponent. (See Figure 2a).

Figure 2a: Hitting/driving through the opponent with attitude.

• If you have trouble with the hip check motion. Try the hula dance motion and throw your hips in one direction as you throw your arms in another direction, (See Figure 2b)

Figure 2b: Using a hula dance like motion to cast your hips into the Hip check block.

Skaters ask me: What kind of foot work drills should I do?

There is nothing that will not help you. Do both on and off skates foot work drills. Both will add balance to your game.

Any foot work drill that challenges you is good and will help take your skills to your personal comfort edge. Talk to your coach or go online you will find lots of foot work drills.

Figures 3 a, b and c are basic WFTDA required skills. These skills should be learned and practiced until they are second nature to you. I have foot work drills at every practice three times a week using the inside line, outside lines, pylons, hula-hoops, floor, stair, line-to-line drills and anything else I can come up with that day.

3. Foot work is key to making a good hip check (or any block for that matter!). The approaching foot work, the angle of attack and those last couple of small steps put you in a balanced hitting position.

(See Figure 3a, b, c, and d).

Figure 3a: The cross over step may be the first or middle step in the blocking approach. Note the angle the inside maroon blocker is approaching from! (The crossover; First foot steps across and in front of second foot, second foot step behind and across first foot).

Figure 3b: Shuttle step, may be the first or middle step in the blocking approach again from the inside track position.

(First foot side steps, second foot steps to meet the first foot without crossing first foot and repeat as required to reach your target area.)

Figure 3c -1 & 2: Grape vine, may be the first and last steps in the blocking approach from the inside track position. First foot side steps, second foot steps across and in front of the first foot, first foot side steps, second foot steps behind and across the first foot.

Figure 3d: Step over, the final and last step before the block if containment is the goal. Once you are in position, you may require a small step or two to get the hitting position just right, at that time you step over your opponents closest foot and into the middle of their stride and perform your hip check as you simultaneously sit (crash) down on their thigh.

How many approach steps do you need to take and which

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steps do you use? Depends on your track speed and track position with respect to the opponents track speed and track position. Practice is the key, don’t let yourself become a one dimensional blocker, practice your foot work from all speeds and track positions. Make the above foot work second nature to your roller derby skill set. These blocking techniques govern all roller derby blocking skills. FOOT work, FOOT work, and more FOOT work.

Don’t let all of this Foot work and blocking balance get you out of sorts! Most of this is very instinctive. The key is, use foot work as you set up your blocking attacks.

Foot work will also help you avoid telegraphing your block, Remember rolling into a block without getting your feet into the attack process is slow and easy for your opponent to see. Foot work will get you in and out of your block quickly while maintaining the element of surprise. (If your opponent is not paying attention! Then just rolling in for the hit is acceptable but only when that is the situation).

Joel Giltner

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When you see a skater approaching you with their feet set and their eyes glued on you take evasive action, counter block, or side step her before she gets an opportunity to engage you. I will talk more about how to not telegraph your blocks in a dedicated article later. This would be one of those subjects that require an article unto its self.

If you just want to send a message, clear the way or recycle a skater this is a very reliable technique to use. Watch the Division One skaters work their hip checking techniques on their opponents as they set up combination blocks using their balance and foot work to their advantage. Before I left Humboldt, I had an opportunity to meet and referee a scrimmage with one of the HRD junior teams. HRD is very proud of their Redwood Saplings, the future of their club.

I hope you enjoyed this article about some of the tools and techniques you need, to get yourself to the next derby level.

Good luck to ya and keep the shiny side up!H

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2016 WFTDA championships D A V E W O O D, R O C K Y M O U N TA I N R O L L E R G I R L S P H O T O S B Y D AV E W O O D P H O T O G R A P H Y

The 2016 WFTDA Championships were held in Portland, Oregon this November and featured no fewer than six teams with a legitimate shot at the title. Joining #1 seeds Rose City, Gotham, Victoria, and London were Texas and Angel City, who both came extremely close to earning one of those top seeds in their respective qualifying tournaments.

But in the end, for the third consecutive year, it would be Rose City and Gotham meeting in the championship game.

Early on, it seemed we might not be treated to a third straight championship nail-biter as Gotham jumped out to a commanding 78-32 lead over the first dozen jams. But on the final jam of the first half, Gotham’s ShortStop, who had not been penalized in her previous 45 jams of the 2016 playoff/championship season, gave 2015 Champs MVP Scald Eagle two full power jams. Eagle won that jam 20-3, closing the gap to just 16 points heading into halftime.

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Gotham appeared to regroup at the break. Able to hold Rose to just five points over the first seven jams of the second half, Gotham eventually stretched their lead to as many as 43 points before Rose turned things around. The final 10 jams of the tournament were dominated by the Eagle/Mutch machine, coupled with Rose City’s stellar shutdown defense. Gotham only managed to gain lead jammer status one time during those final ten jams as Eagle and Mutch put up 43 and 37 points, respectively. In the end, the home team won those final 10 jams by a collective

score of 83-20, claiming the Hydra trophy for the second year in a row, 186-166. Tournament MVP went to Rose’s standout blocker, Brawn Swanson.

But Rose City’s tournament could have easily ended much sooner. Their road to the final game was arguably as challenging as any team has ever faced. Before they could take on #1 ranked Gotham in the final, they first had to get past #6 Texas and #2 Victoria. In what would be her final WFTDA game, Texas’ legendary Bloody Mary did everything she could to put an early end to Rose City’s tournament.

But her game-high 78 points and +43 differential weren’t quite enough to stop the Wheels of Justice. Despite trailing by as many as 34 points, Rose eventually pulled off a 186-172 win.

Their semi-final game against the Victorian Roller Derby League would prove to be an even tougher test. This time, it was Rose who came out strong, opening up a 60-23 lead after the first dozen jams. But Victoria trimmed that lead to 18 at the half and after two jams of the second period,

Rose found themselves ahead by just a single point, 77-76.

Continuing their strong second-half showing, Victoria actually led by as many as 27 points and held a 137-115 lead with just five minutes remaining. That’s when Rose handed the star to the struggling Licker*N*Split. Licker had managed to earn lead only once in her previous 9 jams and had scored just 12 points in the game, but she was well-rested at this point and took advantage of two Victoria blocker penalties and a very tired Christy Demons to win the jam 17-0 and shrink the lead to just five points. The next lead jam status went to Victoria’s Lady Trample, but a late call-off cut what could have been a 7-0 win down to a much less impactful 7-4 edge. Rose looked like they might return the favor on the game’s penultimate jam as Scald Eagle nearly allowed the period clock to hit zero before frantically calling off the jam with three seconds left. After a quick timeout, the game’s final jam saw Loren Mutch take on Lady Trample, trailing by six points. Both jammers completed their initial passes before any points were scored, but a track cut by

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Lady Trample during her first scoring pass sealed the deal for Rose City. Rose won the jam 13-4 and took the game 155-152.

Gotham also had much to overcome before taking on Rose for the championship. Despite leading almost the entire game, it took everything Gotham had to get past Angel City in the quarterfinals. The Scarlets of Los Angeles ended the game with a 22-16 lead jammer advantage over the silver medalists, but came up short on the scoreboard by final tally of 197-168.

Things would be even more challenging for Gotham in the semi-finals. Facing a very tough London squad, Gotham found themselves down 143-129 with under nine minutes remaining. Not to be denied, Gotham didn’t allow London

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a single lead jammer status the rest of the way, winning the next five jams by a collective 43-4 before running out the clock with a 17-16 final jam. Gotham took the win 189-163.

Despite nearly taking down the powerhouse from New York, London wasn’t able to put up much of a fight in the 3rd place game against Victoria. A 3-0 lead after jam #1 would be London’s only lead of the day. Victoria quickly opened up a 46-7 advantage and never looked back.

Repeating as bronze medalists, Victoria cruised to a 198-108 win, led by Christy Demons’ 83 points and a perfect 47-0 scoring advantage by Ivy Knivey.

While it was this year’s Big 6 that provided the bulk of the excitement at the 2016 tournament, theirs were not the only close games. The tournament started off strong with

D1 CHAMPS BY THE NUMBERS

a 177-165 win for Arch Rival against Denver. Though they led almost the entire game, Arch Rival saw their lead trimmed to just five points in the closing minutes thanks to an 18-0 jam by Denver’s leading scorer, Wilhelm. In the end, Wilhelm’s +44 scoring differential wasn’t enough to overcome Arch Rival and their leading scorer Bricktator (99 points).

The win was the first ever Champs triumph for Arch Rival who was subsequently knocked out of the tournament by London, 197-94.

Friday’s other competitive D1 game saw Jacksonville come back from an early 21-point deficit to defeat Minnesota, 207-158. Led by Jamsterella’s 94 points, Jacksonville’s win was their second openinground victory in as many years. Their tournament came to an end in the quarter-finals as Victoria took them down 231-98.

The other opening-round games saw Texas dominating Rat City 238-50 and Angel City taking down Montreal 217-116.

The weekend also included a 4-game Division 2 mini-tournament.

Blue Ridge (from Ashville, NC) took home the title with 225-183 and 257-188 wins over Calgary and Brandywine, respectively. Blue Ridge was led by Dr. Octopushy, whose 258 points (129 in each game) were the most points scored by any skater the entire weekend.H

80 - The percentage of Rose City’s points that were scored by Loren Mutch (212) and Scald Eagle (207).

53 - The number of times Bonnie Thunders jammed. No other skater jammed more than 40 times.

112 - The point differential for Rose City’s Loren Mutch. Rose won their three games by a total of 37 points.

-140 - The point differential for all Rose City jammers not named Eagle or Mutch.

14 - The number of penalties called on Texas in their win over Rat City – the lowest single-game total for any team.

48 - The number of penalties called on Angel City in their loss to Gotham – the highest single-game total for any team.

70 - The number of jams played by the tournament’s busiest blockers, Sexy Slaydie (Gotham) and Sarah Gaither (Rose City).

34 - The number of jams played by Rat City’s Enurgizer Bunny in their only game – the most by any skater in a single game.

37 - The number of forearm penalties called in the final two games.

765 - The total number of penalties called (64/game).

1 - The number of penalties called on Jackie Daniels (Texas), CC Boom (Texas), and Kat Von Skratchereyezout (Jacksonville) – the only skaters to play more than 30 jams without earning more than a single penalty.

6 - The number of games decided by fewer than 30 points.

99 - The most points scored by a single jammer in any game (Arch Rival’s Bricktator vs. Denver).

72.5 - The lead-jammer percentage for Rose City’s Loren Mutch (against Texas, Victoria, and Gotham).

4 - The number of jammers who scored 200+ points (Thunders 251, Mutch 212, Eagle 207, Demons 200).

5 - The number of skaters who fouled out of the Angel City vs. Gotham game.

5 - The number of skaters who fouled out of the other 11 games, combined.

Stats Source: stats-repo.wftda.com

fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2016

WFTDA releases February 15, 2017 rules of flat track roller derby The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) has released a new version of The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby, which is an update to the previous edition published January 1, 2015. This is the ninth edition of the rules that the WFTDA has developed and this edition was published under the leadership of the WFTDA Rules Committee comprised of WFTDA and Men’s Roller Derby Association (MRDA) members, and with participation and approval by WFTDA and MRDA member leagues.

The WFTDA is excited to release the rules on a new microsite: rules.wftda.com. This mobile-friendly site was developed by the WFTDA Tech team and designed by Blase Design. It has been built to hold the latest updates and most complete information on The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby, with a text-based design for fast updates, a simple navigation menu, and the flexibility for multiple languages. In the future, it will also house all rules-related policies.

WFTDA has launched an updated version of timeout.wftda.com to collect feedback about the rules and associated documents from Skaters, Officials, coaches, and other interested parties. The committee will also work closely with WFTDA Officiating Education and Skater Training to create education initiatives that will support Skater and Officials’ learning of the new rules and officiating systems.

This new release introduces a significant change in the delivery of the information and contains notable changes to gameplay.

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In addition, many items have been moved out of the rules and into the applicable officiating standards and WFTDA policy documents.

Translated and e-publication versions of The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby as well as a new Officiating Guide and updated WFTDA policy documents will also be released with a February 1, 2017 target date.

Leagues may immediately begin adopting the new rules. All WFTDAand MRDA-sanctioned play will be required to use the new rules by February 15, 2017.

Format of Rules: The February 15, 2017 version of The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby will introduce a new format, with the rules presented via two separate documents: the actual Rule Set (The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby Rule Set) and an accompanying Casebook (The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby Casebook), which complements the Rule Set and presents detailed scenarios and guidance for Skaters and Officials. The Casebook is

easily updatable so the WFTDA Rules Committee can add further guidance and scenarios as needed, without requiring an update to the rules document.

With this new format, the Rule Set will be broken up by principle (what makes something illegal) and impact rather than action.

Penalty determination is therefore based on principle and an impactbased distinction. This concept is carried through into the Casebook, demonstrated by specific scenarios that are to be followed explicitly.

These scenarios are also used as a guide for illegal actions that do not fall cleanly into any specific scenario, based again on the principle and assessment of impact relative to the outlined cases.

It is the intent that this modified format will aid in comprehension, support both current and everchanging game play, and minimize exploitation of loopholes. Questions and concerns can be sent to timeout.wftda.com or sent via email to rules@wftda.com.

Changes to Gameplay and Game Structure: This edition introduces some notable changes to gameplay and game structure, reviewed and developed by the WFTDA Rules Committee with input and guidance from WFTDA and MRDA member leagues, including: • Modifying the threshold for a Cutting the Track penalty (previously Rule 5.11) to allow a Skater to immediately yield position in order to avoid a penalty • Updating the metric for penalty assessment for low blocks/tripping (previously rule 5.3) and use of illegal blocking zones (previously rule 5.4) to be consistent with other metrics for impact • Updating rules related to helmet covers to clarify that covers cannot be hidden and that a helmet cover removed due to game play is not a loss of Lead Jammer status • Modifying Penalty Box rules as follows: (1) allow for entry to the box in any direction; (2) removal of a penalty for leaving the box after completion of penalty time without instruction to do so; (3) allow for teammates and support staff to enter the box so long as they do not fully enter

Changes to Policy and Standards: Many procedures and WFTDA policy items have been moved out of the rules and into the applicable officiating standards and WFTDA policy documents.

The WFTDA will release updates to the following documents with a target date of February 1, 2017: • WFTDA Officiating documents (WFTDA Officiating Standard Practices, WFTDA Official Hand Signals, and WFTDA Officiating Verbal Cues) in a new, comprehensive WFTDA Officiating Guide • WFTDA Track Layout Guide and WFTDA Tournament Track Setup Requirements • WFTDA Statsbook and WFTDA Statsbook Manual • WFTDA Skater Rules Test • WFTDA Sanctioning Policy • WFTDA Risk Management Guidelines (formerly the WFTDA Safety Protocol) • WFTDA Forfeit Policy and WFTDA Expulsion/ Suspension Policy Until this release, guidance for these issues can be found under the current documents, now located at wftda.org, and in the 2015 version of The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby.

Rules 2017: Changes to Gameplay January 1, 2015 Rule Set

February 15, 2017 Rule Set

Team could go Jammer-less for a jam if they forgot to field a Jammer

Delay of Game Penalty issued to Captain and team gets to field a Jammer

Cuts were assessed as soon as a Skater had both feet back in bounds

Skaters can cede their illegally gained position by immediately exiting the track and re-entering behind everyone required

Contact penalties were not dependent on if a Skater was illegally hit to begin with

A Skater who hits an opponent illegally due to being illegally contacted themselves will not receive a penalty

Skaters did not have to return in bounds except when it was required to form a pack

Skaters are not allowed to maintain an out-of-bounds status after being warned if they can re-enter the track legally without having to skate clockwise

Striking with the knee or elbow is penalized based on intention or impact

Striking with the knee or elbow was penalized based on impact

Lead Jammer status is maintained if their Lead Jammer loses that status (but can regain it by re-donning the cover) if their cover is removed via natural gameplay helmet cover is pulled off by the opposing or is pulled off by the opposing team team or comes off through natural gameplay Helmet covers could be anywhere on a person’s body and not necessarily visible

Helmet covers must remain visible during jams

Tripping someone with normal skating motions isn’t a penalty until it’s habitual

Tripping someone is a penalty regardless of if it’s part of a skating motion

A skater can impede an opponent with their legs as long as it’s not a loss of relative position

All blocking with Illegal Blocking Zones cannot impede opponents

Skaters must enter the Penalty Box from a Counterclockwise direction

Skaters may enter the Penalty Box from any direction

A Jammer may score 0 points on a pass due to illegal actions of the opposing team

At the end of a scoring pass, a Jammer earns all points on opposing Skaters that weren’t earned due to those Skaters’ illegal actions

Jammers sitting in the Penalty Box simultaneously are held for 10 seconds

Jammers sitting in the Penalty Box simultaneously are released immediately

Standing over downed Skaters may or may not be penalized

Standing over downed Skaters in such a way that prevents them from standing is penalized

Teams skating clockwise slowly so the pack is destroyed were not penalized

Teams skating clockwise to destroy the pack are penalized except at jam starts

For a list of changes to game structure, see wftda.com/2017-rules-changes-to-game-structure.

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12 step program for parents to be better sports parents TA N YA P R O C K N O W, J R D A

Roller Derby is addicting, as a skater, referee, NSO, and yes, as a parent. It’s sometimes hard to remember that this is a youth sport. Children are not miniature adults (even when they are teenagers and think they are), so what you do as a sports parent matters to them and may affect their enjoyment and success as a junior roller derby skater now and as adults. step 1: get interested Learn a little about the history of roller derby together and share some thoughts on what that means to the sport today. step 2: get real Be realistic about your athlete’s abilities. Know your league’s policies on fair playing time versus equal playing time. If you are unhappy with how little time your athlete is on the track, take some initiative and speak with your child about what they think they need to improve at practices so they can get more track time during bouts. step 3: get to practice If you get your skater to practice, he/she will get better as a skater and as a teammate. PERIOD. Your skater will provide the team with the confidence that they are there for the good of the team by improving personal skills and giving the team a competitive edge with everyone being on the same page because they paid attention at every practice. step 4: let coaches coach, let officials officiate Screaming or lecturing coaches and officials in a derogatory manner doesn’t help anyone. It distracts your athlete from the bout he or she is playing, maybe even to the point of them NOT wanting to participate next season. If you want to coach or officiate, teams are always looking for volunteers to get more involved! If you don’t want to coach or officiate, there are plenty of off-skate things you can do to help the team, and staying involved may curb your desire to be heard in a negative manner.

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step 5: learn the rules Learning the rules reduces frustration and provides a better appreciation for the fun game of roller derby. You don’t have to be an official to learn the rules. Maybe read through the rules with your athlete and take the same rules test they do so you can both learn! step 6: speak with the coach If you have issues with the coaching staff in any way, you do have the right as a parent to set up something similar to a parent-teacher conference, away from practice or bouts, and away from the athletes – especially your child. step 7: advise the coach about absences The coaches expect everyone at every practice. If your athlete does not show up, it doesn’t help the team dynamic when it comes to bout play. It may effect playing time, and the athletes cannot work on his or her individual skills.

Know your attendance policy. Let the coach know if you are not able to make practice so he/she can adjust the practice plan accordingly. step 8: provide good pre-bout meals Having the athletes eat sugary or fatty foods before a practice or bout is not conducive to performing at their peak levels. Providing a good pre-bout meal will help your athlete maintain energy levels throughout the bout or tournament.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Most athletes arrive to practice or a bout already dehydrated. Make it part of your junior roller derby culture to arrive early and have some protein bars and water and/or sports drinks before the activity begins.

SPORTSMANSHIP 101 What is sportsmanship?

Sportsmanship is defined as: • playing fair • following the rules of the game • respecting the judgment of referees and officials • treating opponents with respect

Rudechix.com

step 9: be on time Please be on time. This shows respect to your facility, coaches and teammates. step 10: curb your habits We know this is roller derby but it’s not ADULT roller derby. Your actions and habits can be passed on to your children. We would like that to be the case with POSITIVE actions and GOOD habits.

Please refrain from the use of tobacco and/or alcohol at your child’s events. Would you take these things to their school? step 11: cheer for both teams Be a super fan and cheer for both teams. A lot of these leagues play each other quite often, and you never know when the situation may arise that you move to that area and become part of that OTHER team. If so, you want to be remembered as a positive parent and be accepted rather than viewed as one of THOSE parents causing your child(ren) to suffer by not being allowed on the team. step 12: support your coaches They are volunteers and have given up their time to teach your child. They deserve your support and appreciation. Even if you don’t agree with everything they do, have faith they are looking out for the best interests of ALL of the athletes under their direction.H

Some people define good sportsmanship as the “golden rule” of sports – in other words, treating the people you play with and against as you’d like to be treated yourself. You demonstrate good sportsmanship when you show respect for yourself, your teammates, and your opponents, for the coaches on both sides, and for the referees, judges, and other officials.

But sportsmanship isn’t just reserved for the people on the field. Cheerleaders, fans, and parents also need to be aware of how they behave during competition. Sportsmanship is a style and an attitude, and it can have a positive influence on everyone around you. (kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/sports/sportsm anship.html) Parents – please make sure when you are saying things on the sidelines that they are POSITIVE THINGS towards all team members on each team and towards the volunteer refs, coaches, etc. Spouting negative comments is not acceptable behavior from anyone.

Please be aware that you are setting an example for the children. We’d like that to be a positive example!

Players – You are here to PLAY THE FUN GAME OF ROLLER DERBY. You are not a coach.

You are not a referee. You will respect those around you and be a team player by: A. Not arguing or yelling at the referees, coaches, or players on any team.

B. Trying your hardest every time you are on the track.

C. Win or lose, you will shake the opposing team’s hands and say “GOOD GAME” and nothing negative.

fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2016

tryouts: conquering nerves and getting ahead S E R E N A , R O YA L C I T Y R O L L E R G I R L S

Unless you are some sort of cyborg derby machine who doesn’t have feelings, there will always be a modicum of nerves that accompany tryouts, especially when you’re a less experienced skater. While the stress of the experience can’t be entirely removed, there are small measures that can make big differences when it comes to minimizing mid-tryout stabs of anxiety. eat well I am a terrible, lazy eater. If I have a choice between a well-balanced meal and a bag of gummy bears, the instant gummy-bear-gratification will win out over waiting 40 minutes for real food to cook almost every time. With this sort of behavior on my resume, it isn’t a great surprise that by halfway through the five minute skate at my first tryout, I couldn’t feel my legs.

Turns out, copious empty calories don’t do great things for one’s performance. I ended up being half a lap short and later learned that this was the issue that kept me off the team. And that should have been enough to teach me a lesson. But I have a short memory and it wasn’t.

A few months later, there was a surprise re-test, and it fell on an evening when my ‘meals’ for the day had all consisted of caffeine and Marshmallow Peeps. This story has a happy ending; I was successful in the five minute skate and I got a new shot at being a part of a team that I love, but my body fought me every step of the way. It was a stupid and reckless decision, and it really wasn’t worth the risk. Derby is hard enough on the body without adding entirely avoidable obstacles.

It’s difficult to strike a balance between too little food and too much food, but experiment and figure out what you need to eat in order to feel like you are in control of your body. Don’t let a lack of energy be the reason you miss out on opportunities to take your game to the next level.

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mental preparation There’s a reason that derby is so often likened to chess.

It is a mental game and without adequate mental preparation, you’re losing out. My first coach taught me to pick three obtainable goals before a game, and then stick with those same goals every game until I achieved them. My first goals were simple ones: • I will not get in the way of my own jammer.

• I will not give up the inside line.

• I will get lower.

The goals will evolve with your skating abilities, but one of the (many) beautiful things about derby is that there will always, always be something to work toward. Going into tryouts and advanced practices with clear goals in mind is just as important as mentally prepping yourself for a game. The next three goals are as simple on the surface as the goals that I set for myself before my very first bout, but they are the reminders I need in order to do my best.

1. When the drill/skill is over, it’s over.

Do not spend another moment thinking about it.

The car ride home can be used to think about what was done well and what needs to be done differently the next time. Any brain power spent thinking about a past skill during a tryout is brain power not being put toward succeeding in the current skill.

2. I am not allowed to think about how I look.

A short time ago, I hit a plateau in my progress. After a few really frustrating practices, I realized that the biggest difference between the current me and me from six months ago was a fear I had developed somewhere along the way of looking ridiculous. I was worrying about stumbling and worrying about not looking like everyone else and worrying about other skaters getting less out of the drill than they should because I couldn’t keep up.

When I catch myself caught up in how I look during the skill rather than focusing on giving it everything I have, I clench my teeth and change the behaviour. I can’t say that it’s easy, but I can say that it makes a difference.

Sometimes, you’re going to look ridiculous. Accept it as part of the journey to not looking ridiculous, and move on.

3. Be a little selfish.

This one is probably the most difficult for me, because being noticed makes me uncomfortable and when I feel out of my element, I spend the majority of my time wishing for a cloak of invisibility. It is, however, important

When one first joins Fresh Meat, the WFTDA Minimums are the recognizable end point. And once the minimum skills test is passed, there comes the realization that minimums are exactly that; a minimum set of skills required of skaters before they can go out into their league and safely begin to build their knowledge of strategy and game play on a deeper level.

It becomes increasingly difficult to be satisfied by the small victories. During Fresh Meat, every skater is, generally speaking, equally terrible at derby. The friends you initially make are all in the same boat as you: madly in love with this newly discovered sport and eager to shuffle clumsily around the track. Every small step forward – from getting wheel locked without falling over to gliding for a few brief, blissful seconds on one foot – is grounds for excitement. It takes so much concentration to do the simple things that there isn’t room to consider anything else. By the time a few months pass and you’re regularly attending league practices where vets dance around the track like they were born with wheels on their feet, it’s easy to get discouraged by the little voice inside your head whispering, “I should be able to do that.”

Defeatist, negative skaters are not remembered fondly, regardless of how skilled they may become. Be the girl who comes to practices and tryouts ready to learn and ready to try, and everything else will follow. to keep in mind. You don’t have to go out there and be a crazy kamikaze jerk on the track, but do not worry about how your pace or performance may be affecting other skaters. If they’re good enough to make the team, they’re good enough to move around you during a five minute skate.

Your goals may differ from mine, but what is important is giving thought to what tends to hinder you and then strategizing to counter it. Your tryout will be smoother for it, and it will save you some regrets after the fact.

I made the team! Now what?

Even once your rookie days are long behind you, you will have the occasional bad practice. And the subjects of attitude and goals that were touched on earlier in this article come full circle when it comes to recovering from an off night on your skates.

Once again, you have to learn to move on. It is undoubtedly discouraging to have your best not be good enough, but remember that “your best” is only your best for now. And it’s better than your best was four months ago.

Players are defined by their attitude; be remembered as coachable. Ask questions. Try and fail and try and fail some more. And if you need to go home and have a frustrated cry about your performance on a particular night, that’s okay.

But don’t dwell on it. Make a list of areas in need of improvement. Go to practice prepared to work on one or two of those things, and make a conscious decision to leave the memory of the last practice off the track with your street shoes.

Defeatist, negative skaters are not remembered fondly, regardless of how skilled they may become. Be the girl who comes to practices and tryouts ready to learn and ready to try, and everything else will follow. Willing skaters make for willing teammates and coaches.H

fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2016

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choosing the right officiating spot S TA N D A R D S T E V I AT I O N, L A N S I N G D E R B Y V I X E N S

Finally, you are confident to “volunteer” for an officiating spot. Whether you are on or off skates, how to choose what position to work? Whether you are a rookie or experienced official, applying to work a tournament or a local scrimmage, picking your desired role can lead to a great learning experience and contribution to the crew or total frustration. This month, I polled several officials to learn how others solve this dilemma.

Katie Ions (KTea – U.K.) “I think firstly you need to be honest to yourself and your HR and know your limits. There are ways to improve but making sure your crew and game doesn't suffer because of it.

For me if you are a strong backwards skater pick the front OPR but don't be a hero if the pack gets away from you allow the other OPRs to help. Now if you are less experienced with skate skills FIPR is perfect. But if you are wanting to improve on speed a rear OPR is great position to get your speed up!

Now for me I love quick footwork and JR is all foot work, speed and quick transitioning!

But it comes down to practice, practice and finally practice.

If you find yourself standing around while your league is chatting about line ups etc. this is your time to take a corner of the hall and get your footwork, backwards and anything else you want to improve on.

There are many Referees in the derby community that if asked would love to share a technique and teach someone what they can do.

To end my knowledge, listen. Listen to feedback, to your league and to any referee that you admire!”

Brian Gadell (Ump Rat City Rollergirls) “Honestly I've rarely either picked my own spot or even lobbied to be staffed in any particular position... but my advice would more be, "be able to do whatever position is required of you, without complaint and with excellence. I don't personally believe in "specialization" so the only time I really consider what someone wants to do would typically be when someone is preparing for a tournament and they want to hone those particular skills.”

Helen Borowski (Helen Bayonne) “To be honest with your question, there are a lot of things to consider but it comes down to personal goals and what would make you happy... If you are thinking about applying for playoffs or other tournaments and the tournament you are applying for is WFTDA sanctioned then you should apply for the role you are ultimately trying to be qualified for down the line... also, you might apply to positions you only *want* to do... some apply to any position because they would just be happy to be accepted.

Sometimes you just want to have fun, or even stretch/ challenge yourself so you can apply to do whatever would fulfill those thoughts. For example – last year I applied to CHR B-Cup because I was never in an official CHR role and that tournament is laid back enough to allow first time CHRs.

Peat S Moke Winnipeg Roller Derby League I have skated each position a lot so am more than comfortable in any position, but my least favorite is IPR. To me, (this position) has the least dynamic skating and so much focus has to be put on pack definition that I feel you see less of the overall game.

With that said I usually take whatever position the event organizer feels they need me in. If I get to choose I will often take OPR because the faster and more dynamic my skating has to be helps me really get into the game. If the teams have really good Jammers then I really enjoy JR for the same reason as it pushes me to elevate my game. When I have to pick crew for tournaments or games I try and group people that I know will work well together as good communication elevates the game.

I really enjoy working with a strong OPR crew but on the flip side I get frustrated when I can't do my position properly as one or both of the other OPRs are out of position.”

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Jules Doyle

Norby (Landin Flat Missoula MT) When I am requesting a particular assignment, I generally look at two things – where will I learn the most, and where will I have the best opportunity to teach or mentor. If I know there is a more experienced referee whom I respect either working the game or planning on watching, I will usually ask to be placed where I can receive feedback on the position I'm working on (currently and frequently IPR). If it appears that I will be the most or one of the most experienced refs in a game, I will try to be in a position where I can give the most feedback (also usually IPR/HR). Where frustration occurs is usually when I'm JRing with a very inexperienced inside crew. Having to keep track of points while calling blocker penalties missed by the pack refs is ok, but I always wish I could be having more thorough conversations with the IPR team.

Ian Huston (Julius Seizure) “I always just did where I was put. And typically leaned towards JR when I had a choice. Or HR when I was staffing.”

Does this differ with level of game?

“Nope, not really. I do consider staying well rounded. Both for the positional upkeep and playoffs consideration...”

“So, I can’t say what I would get out of a WFTDA clinic as a seasoned official. I went when I was just getting into serious NSOing, and it was a fantastic investment of time and resources. For an NSO coming from an area without many other high level NSOs, it was the first place I was exposed to the tricks that people use to have more consistent and detailed paperwork and perform the positions beyond just basic competence. I was exposed to the certification process for the first time, too. It gave me clearer goals and process for how to improve and work toward higher proficiency...”

“As a seasoned official... it would be to have more (detailed) conversations about rules, standard procedures, and some of the less common situations we might encounter in derby... and also a chance to practice more NSO positions that I don’t often do in a low pressure situation... I believe that there is always something to learn. So while I might not get as much out of the clinic as I did the first time, I am confident I would still walk away with a better understanding of the positions and how they interface.

As well as new things that folks are trying in bigger leagues with more robust officiating crews.”

Doug Dunn (Victor Von Refenstein) “If you are a rookie, don't apply to tournaments. Apply when you are ready. The term "Learn-a-ment" is false. Skaters don't want “learning officials” at tournament level play and you are more likely to get barbequed in evaluations if you are not ready for that level of play.

If you are ready to apply for cert (if it ever comes back) then you should be ready to work any position. So you should apply for all of the positions.

If you are already on the path to certification or going for renewal then you should apply for the positions where you need evaluations but tell the THR on your application that you are applying for those positions for that reason but you can work whatever is needed.”

Digesting these different perspectives, continual selfassessments are vital for officials. Keep pushing to improve.

Once you feel you are master at a given position and level of game-play, move to the next. When you finish the rotation, start over again! As you work through each of these positions, you learn how connected they are and how the group dynamics are inter-related. Focus on the details.

Consider your goals, strengths and weaknesses. Ask who else is on the crew and work through communication.

Hope these perspectives help you and good luck in your next assignment!H

fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2016

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sitting on the sidelines: injured skaters K AT E R U N N E L S, S O U T H E R N O R E G O N R O L L E R G I R L S

Game day.

Two simple words.

Two simple words that that between them have only seven letters. Those seven letters in two simple words, evoke so much within each of us. They contain so much within them, of excitement, of adrenaline, of winning or losing and all the competitiveness of the day. But also holding the nervousness, the worry, and all the preparation that has gone on before and even that day.

So it’s game day.

You take deep calming breaths to sooth the nervousness as you lace up your skates. Glancing around the impromptu locker room at the faces of your teammates as they go about their own pre-game routines; tense or smiling, focused or relaxed.

It’s game day.

Skating out onto the track, all preliminaries concluded, you are warmed up, with adrenaline flowing through your veins. You feel the thrill of competition, the expectation of a win, that fear of defeat.

The shriek of a whistle brakes the harsh quiet that settles before the start of the game; that shriek opens a floodgate of sounds. The chatter and screech of wheels, the communication between teammates, the yells of coaches and crowd all pound into the ears. But your mind and your focus is on the game, on this jam or the next.

The whistle releases all of that was

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contained within those two simple words. All of your anticipation is now gone, freed into motion and action.

All of that potential is now set loose at kinetic. You make the cut, or the hit, never knowing it might all end in a moment.

It could happen that jam, ten minutes later, or within seconds of the game ending, you’ve twisted an ankle, dislocated a shoulder, hit your head.

That inescapable Something and you are injured – sidelined.

It was game day.

The excitement and all of that wonderful adrenaline has fled from you leaving you in pain. Which is throbbing, or shooting, and you may sit there in shock. If you are lucky, I use that term lightly, you may only be out for the game and perhaps the next practice. If you are unlucky, you could be out for months.

Mentally, it is one of the toughest things I have had to endure. To sit there on the bench, while in pain, and watch the game continue on without you.

Mentally, it is one of the toughest things I have had to endure. To sit there on the bench, while in pain, and watch

the game continue on without you. Win or lose, the game goes on and you have no influence over its outcome. I have been there so many times. There are those times I can’t endure from the sidelines. I had my coach in Argentina jerk my shoulder back into socket after it had been dislocated, because I knew this would be my last game. It may not have been the smartest thing I have ever done, but it was my last game in the country and I was glad to finish out what ended up as a memorable game.

In any sport injury is possible; in a contact sport even more so. You can’t play derby without knowing you will get injured; it will happen, it only changes by a matter of degree. Bruises are one thing, but a twisted ankle will keep you out a few weeks, a broken bone, a little longer. Concussions... concussions are a different matter depending on severity.

Our league recently had a player break her arm, not once, but twice. The second time the break occurred almost directly over the first break and only a after a month after getting back on her skates. The frustration was almost seen clinging to this skater; emanating from her like stink lines on Pepe le Pew or any cartoon character. She also happened to be part of our training committee. So even injured it was necessary for her to keep coming to practices. It was then the frustration became more palpable, as she hated not being able to put her skates on, but

C Tasmin Brown Photography

she was there with one arm in a cast and a kid on her hip.

We have all been in that place, of not wanting to go to practices because of the injury preventing us from skating.

Don’t let that stop you from going to practices.

Because of her forced non-skating, she learned a lot from being off skates.

She helped with the beginning skaters, directing them and focusing more on the correct way to fall. So when that cast finally came off and she put her skates back on after being cleared, she was a better skater for it.

A different skater tore the ligaments in her knee and when she was able put her gear back on, she said she felt excited and giddy being able to skate again. However, she spent her time off skates helping as a line coach.

In that moment, when the pain is intense and you are left watching, it is difficult to not be depressed, but she said to me, “Don’t give up on yourself.

It’s not over; it doesn’t have to be over.”

We all have lives and other things besides derby. It is difficult in those times to rationalize to yourself, and to others, why you need to keep on going to practices injured, knowing you are unable to skate. An understandable feeling, however, try to persevere – take over coaching beginners – or watch

from the bench and help devise strategies – or stand in the middle and help as a ref. There are never enough refs.

“While I’m in the pack, it is so confusing, I never saw that opening.”

Or “Now I understand why you have us do those drills.” That is what I hear from those injured skaters when they have taken on the task of coaching or refereeing. They see these new things because they are taken out of the immediacy of the drill or the game and view it from a different perspective.

Injuries are hated. Universally hated.

I have heard the tear of ligaments and tendons and muscles as they give out, no longer supporting me. I have heard the pop from dislocated shoulders during games. I have heard the crack of my own bones breaking.

I have seen the stars dance and the darkness descend from getting hit on the head. I have sunk into the pit of despair from those injuries – I have fought and struggled and forced myself back. I have done all of this and more.

I have sat on the bench, injured. It was in those times, I thought, “if only...”

“If only I hadn’t gotten injured, I could have helped to win the game.”

“If only I had zigged instead of zagged, I would never have gotten injured in the first place.”

“If only I had seen the other player in time...”

“If only I had trained harder...”

“If only...”

But it happened. And in the here and now, there was nothing short of building a time machine and going back into the past that could have prevented it. So review the game in your mind, go through the if onlys, learn from them, but don’t get stuck wallowing like a pig in the mud by latching onto them for too long.

When injuries happen again to me which invariably they do, I help coach from the bench, spotting details others may miss by focusing on the overall game. I help ref, refining my knowledge of the rules and the game.

I help with our new skaters and it refines my ability in the basics. I help those on the brink of a breakthrough to push themselves and achieve that breakthrough. I listen as others instruct and find new ways to impart my knowledge; new ways to approach people, because we are all different and learn in different ways.

Injuries will happen. Don’t give up on practices because of them; help yourself and your team become better and come back stronger and more knowledgeable in spite of them.H

“You mustn’t confuse a single failure with a final defeat.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2016

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why derby people do summer camp best MAZEL TOUGH, TORONTO ROLLER DERBY AND CAMP ROLLER DERBY PHOTOS BY ELISSA HERMOLIN

Until recently, summer camp was enjoyed exclusively by children. Then this novel idea of “adult summer camp” began to grow in popularity over the past five years or so.

It became clear that adults today, who frequently seek ways to escape their worlds of “adulting,” are pretty good at going to summer camp. But there was one theory that needed to be tested: Do adults in roller derby win at going to summer camp? After two very scientific case studies called Camp Roller Derby, I can confidently say, yes! Roller derby people do summer camp best, and here are the top five reasons why.

For starters, here are some basics about Camp Roller Derby: • It’s a summer camp experience for derby people, not a roller derby training camp.

• It has taken place over a weekend in August for the past two summers at a traditional children’s summer camp in Haliburton, Ontario, Canada, surrounded by a beautiful calm lake, trees, rolling hills, nature and wildlife.

• The program has run from Friday to Sunday and consists of traditional summer camp activities like crafts, canoeing and camp fires, combined with derby specific or slanted activities like workshops on league development, injury prevention and the history of roller derby strategy. we get community building Camp Roller Derby is not affiliated with any league and is located in proximity to roughly 20 leagues of varying sizes.

People have come to Camp as individuals or in small groups of league mates. Before people settle into their cabins on the first night, it becomes hard to tell who came with whom.

In many ways, this is the magic of summer camp that has

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been occurring for decades. You take people and put them together in cabins in nature and they just connect. Of course, what makes roller derby people best at this, is we build community constantly, within our teams, our leagues, our sponsors, our fans, our competitors. We truly get it, and furthermore, we know the value of it. As soon as you get us together, there are a million and one things to talk about, to share, to commiserate about, and we tend to just cut to the chase when we have the opportunity. This happened at Camp pretty much instantly. gosh darn it, we know how to have fun This should be no surprise to anyone. But there’s something about the kind of fun you have in nature that feels so good. Maybe it’s the fresh air that makes that midnight dunk in the lake so much more exhilarating, or that 1:00 a.m. prank, where two campers moved the inflatable mummy (adorning the cabin decorating contest award winning Halloween themed cabin) from its place to the main lodge, so much more hilarious. It didn’t matter what was happening at Camp, day or night, there were laughs to be had, sometimes so much it hurt. And the kind of fun where you just smile thinking about it later on, or

there’s something about the kind of fun you have in nature that feels so good that code-like word or two said from one camper to another to set off a memory that instantly takes you both back to that happy place. we are joiners at heart Maybe we don’t all like to admit this, but come on, we are joiners. Some of us even make joining cool. Nothing makes any camp better than a big ‘ole pack of joiners! And this is yet another example of why derby folks do camp best. I challenge anyone to find another camp, of kids or adults

where absolutely everyone is eagerly willing to take part in things like an old school relay race (planned by Roller Derby Athletics), where we had more than a couple of wheelbarrow race injuries. We get in there, sacrifice our bodies and have fun doing it. roller derby and crafting, a match made in glittery heaven The only thing that is more synonymous with crafts and summer camp, is crafts and derby. Outsiders don’t know this little secret, but we do. We have all painstakingly glued

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We work hard and we put our bodies through a lot, sometimes we need a break. items together to make that perfect MVP or end of season award or ended up covered in glitter often having no idea why or how, on several occasions. We may not have anticipated or expected it, but if you’re in derby, you’re in crafts. So again, when we go to summer camp, we are way ahead of the game. We craft like it’s a sport. At the most recent Camp Roller Derby, we held a workshop on tie-dying and t-shirt cutting that resulting in some fantastic new scrimmage shirts (hosted by Monster Muffin). sometimes, we just need a break and some rustic pampering We work hard and we put our bodies through a lot, sometimes we need a break. But let’s be honest, most of us aren’t the spa retreat type. At Camp Roller Derby you can enjoy the kind of relaxing that includes a nature walk, a beach side treatment from our on-site physiotherapist (courtesy of Foundation Physiotherapy), kicking back with

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a drink you worked hard not to spill while getting a top the water trampoline, or simply eating a meal someone else prepared and will clean up the dishes from.

We also work hard for our teams and our leagues. In creating Camp Roller Derby, I recall thinking about all the great people I’ve met through derby and how I mostly would see them across the track, at meetings or amid the chaos of bout day. I imagined this Camp as an opportunity to have a weekend of communicating through camp fire chats instead of emails and connecting with these great people in a place totally removed from the warehouses or arenas where we usually meet.

The reality that has been Camp Roller Derby these past two summers has so far exceeded my imagination; it’s hard to give it justice through words. But I hope you can see that when it comes to summer camp, the derby community scores all the points.H

watch for Camp Roller Derby 2017 at camprollerderby.ca

fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2016

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across the pond S I N E A D, L E E D S R O L L E R D O L L S PHOTOS BY JASON RUFFEL

The internationality of flat track roller derby has been growing in strength for several years. As with any nascent sport, the revival saw North American teams dominating the rankings: North America was where roller derby was born and it looked for a long time as though nobody would ever be able to catch up to those leagues that essentially reinvented flat track derby. The WFTDA set the standard that other leagues aspired to play to, and their rules were followed throughout the world, long before the Association first opened its doors to an international league: MontrĂŠal joined the WFTDA in 2009, and other leagues followed in their footsteps. At the time of writing, WFTDA represents more than 2,000 leagues worldwide.

As the sport has continued to grow and change, there has in effect been a plateau of skill that is seeing more and more intercontinental teams competing at a level of ability equal to that of the founding foremothers of flat-track derby. In 2013 London Rollergirls broke the glass ceiling and made their way to the WFTDA championships, breaking into the top 10 rankings. Victorian Roller Derby League had a similarly meteoric rise, getting to Champs in 2014 and in 2015 taking away the bronze medal – the first non-US team to come away with metalwork from the tournament.

Since 2015, LRG and VRDL have been consistently in

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the top 5 rankings, and the end of the 2015 season saw teams from 3 continents in the top 3 positions, an unprecedented achievement. The increased diversity in Division 1 and 2 has been welcomed worldwide, and at the time of writing, there are 11 teams from outside of North America in the top 60 teams.

But what does it take for non-North American teams to make it to playoffs? All WFTDA teams have to play four sanctioned games throughout the season in order to qualify for playoffs, and these have to be in time to fall within the top 60 ranked WFTDA places by the 30 June deadline. This means that, for intercontinental teams, choosing opponents requires a thorough understanding of the rankings system and algorithms, as well as openings such as strength factor challenges that allow them to play teams far above or below their rankings levels without the fear of losing ranking points. Because a lot of European teams are in a similar situation, they are ranked at a similar level. The downside to this is that, in order to move up the rankings, they need to play North American teams, which can be ruinously expensive. The cheapest, least difficult way to do this is to take part in an invitational tournament, and try to get all four sanctioned games in one weekend.

Leeds Roller Dolls is one of the leagues that has been following the WFTDA ruleset since its inception in 2007. The first roller derby team in Yorkshire, their road to being within skipping distance of D2 began when they joined the WFTDA as full members in 2013, and in May 2015, they played their first US tournament, Beach Brawl. They had to do a lot of fundraising to get to Beach Brawl, and all of the skaters had to self-fund. However, from that tournament they came away with a point differential of 934 across the 3 games they played, and subsequently jumped up the rankings.

Leeds carried on their determined path in 2016 and this time rocked the house at Mayday Mayhem (ironically taking place in June, although they got the Mayhem bit right). This time around Leeds were forced to travel with a roster of 11 skaters, for the best and worst of reasons – captain Livid Doll picked up a tri-malleolar fracture to her ankle while playing in a Sur5al tournament to raise funds for the travel team to get to Colorado. On a happier note, Miss Tricksy was unable to travel (boo!) because she was getting married to her wife, Sam (yay!).

Livid Doll explains: “The financial side [of getting to the US] is always the obvious [problem] – not all of the squad could commit to another trip to the States. We’ve not really known anything other than a short roster, for the last 3 years. I genuinely can’t remember the last time we fielded 14 skaters.

Luckily, that final 12th skater agreed to come to the States – if she hadn’t, then me breaking my ankle would have utterly goosed up our system. As it was we had enough to play 3 jammers, 2 full packs, with 11. That system went out the window a bit when we had unavoidable expulsions / foul outs / penalty spirals, but we dealt with it well.”

Financial pressure is not the only challenge facing the teams travelling across the pond, and training for a tournament brings its own issues. Livid says, “We changed our entire system in how we trained and played games and ran our lineups because we knew we had to be smart with it to make the most of the few months that we had ahead of Mayhem.”

Leeds brought in Chuck as a guest coach (former captain of VRDL) who helped them prepare for the games. Between the captains and the coaching squad, they got down to business

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early in the season and trained hard, sacrificing some of their home season in their commitment to make Mayday Mayhem work for the league. Livid says, “Adding fundraising requirements to a rigorous training schedule and the fact that a lot of our team members were working hard to navigate lots of change in the club as a whole, including constantly rising venue costs – it puts a lot of mental pressure on people, especially when you have a short roster and resources are already sparse.”

LRD had been promised 4 games but Mayday Mayhem actually saw LRD get in 5, because they made it to the semifinal. The first game was a bruising, close-fought defeat to Omaha, 172-163. The second saw a convincing win against ICT, 312-103, and the third another bruising contest against Ithaca where Leeds came out on top 183-157. This took LRD to second place in their group and on for a chance to play in the final.

LRD took on NW Arkansas in the quarter final, and this was again a thoroughly brutal game, with Leeds coming away with a comprehensive 272-56 win, which was a real high point for Leeds, as Livid explains: “I was confident that we could squeak a win and progress to the next stage but we ended up completely dominating the game. That was the game where I really saw all the hard work coming together, everyone calm and confident, pulling off all of the strategy that we’d learned, working well with our bench manager... just doing the thing.

When you make a trip like that, it’s always at the back of your mind – should we be here? Are we good enough? Is this the right thing to do... and that was the game that put all of those doubts firmly to bed.”

Somewhat typical of the Roses, though, most of the team had secretly expected to be beaten, so some of them hadn’t brought any food to eat in between games. There was a mad scramble to get fed and to recharge batteries afterwards to prepare for the semi-final, against Oklahoma.

“The final game against Oklahoma VD was a bit of a killer, as the team had already played 4 really physical games and

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a bunch of them were carrying injuries,” Livid says.

“That’s the real issue with a short roster, for me, because it puts pressure on people to play and train when they probably shouldn’t. Roo suffered a pretty bad concussion in that last game, so we were down a jammer really early on and it had a knock on effect throughout the game. But we had a great lineup in Ecky Thump, whom everyone loves and trusts, and who reads our players well.

And we had a fantastic bench manager in Saul Good who we borrowed from Denver Roller Derby for the weekend – he totally got us and knew how to get the best out of everyone.”

Careful manipulation of the WFTDA rankings system has enabled LRD to capitalize on the invitational tournament bandwagon and climb 121 places from 184 in April 2015, to 125 in June 2015, to 88 in December 2015. By April 2016 they had landed at 81 and continue to climb. At the time of writing, they stand at 63 in the WFTDA rankings, a mere 3 points outside of the magic number 60. So what’s next for Leeds Roller Dolls? I asked Livid. “Well, the day after the tournament we found out that we had lost our training and bout venue back home. That really threw any plans that we had for continuing the momentum of our training and success out the window. Things have settled down now but we are focusing a lot on our B team games and training needs and trying to build a sustainable future for the club. We have lost a lot of members over the last few months as a result of the chaos and changes that needed to be made, so we will focus on getting bigger and better and stronger.

“One thing we’re pretty good at is always coming back stronger, no matter what the world throws at us. We’ve improved steadily over the last few years and I think that the rankings rise has given us real confidence that we are ‘doing the right thing.’ Training is still happening, training is good, training is fun and skaters are improving all the time and we have to keep that at the heart of what we do, amidst all the organizational chaos.”H

herbal derby

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By detailing their medicinal properties along with some entertaining facts and applications, users of this book begin to understand how our food can become delicious medicine.

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Japan open roller derby tournament 2016: one skater’s perspective S H O R T S TA C K O ’ P A I N C A K E S, T O K Y O R O L L E R G I R L S PHOTOS BY ROADIE PHOTOGRAPHY

The first Japan Open Roller Derby tournament happened in March 2016 in Okinawa, Japan. This was the very first international tournament to be hosted in Japan and featured 10 teams over a 2 day period with 10 WFTDA sanctioned games and 4 regulation games being played. The tournament was open to the public, was live streamed and broadcast on WFTDA.tv. The tournament was put together to spread the word of Roller Derby across the Asian-Pacific region and to bring some more experience to some of the isolated teams in the Asian-pacific region. This piece is being written from one skater’s experience and perspective of the weekend.

I was honored to play at this tournament with the Tokyo Roller Girls All Stars (TRG). This was my first tournament and TRG played 3 games. For me it was hard fought every single time. During seasons past we have only had the privilege of being able to practice together as a team twice a month as our league is comprised of 4 home teams spread out over the Kanagawa Prefecture on mainland Japan. Sometimes it can take up to 1.5-2 hours travel time just to be able to practice together.

I had played in Okinawa before but this was the first time that we had played at the Okinawa Comprehensive Sports Complex. When a big event happens the Japanese like to ensure that everything is pristine and clean. So they did the logical thing and they waxed and polished the hardwood floors just days before everyone’s arrival. The floor was very clean and polished and anyone that’s skated on hard wood floors knows that this can be a recipe for a very slick ride.

The day before the tournament was to start the hosting league gave a 1.5 hour time where people could test out the floors and to my suspicions the floor was slick, very slick. I had brought with me three sets of wheels all with different hardness and none of them were working. Thank goodness

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there was a skate shop that had traveled all the way from New Zealand and they were selling some of their merchandise. They had the morph wheels 84/88 that I snagged. Still, the floor was slick but I had no choice but to skate on and hope I had enough grip to push through three games over the next two days.

Our first game on day one was against Adelaide. They had traveled all the way from Australia to play in this event and were ranked #143 according to Flat Track Stats. We lost a hard fought game 423-46. They had tight walls and quick on their feet jammers. I was rostered as a primary jammer for this tournament even though I block and jam. Blocking is what I have grown to love. Putting the jammer star on during

this game was getting mentally tougher and tougher. I was used to getting lead and scoring. Not being able to get lead or score during this game for me was a very humbling experience and I took a lot of lessons away from this bout as did the rest of my team. While on the bench waiting for my next jam I noticed in the stands that Copenhagen was watching. They were studying us, and I wasn’t used to playing in front of a large crowd.

(which is what Adelaide had scored against us) and we were going to try and score 50 points (which gave us more points than the game before) This would help the point spread and hopefully help where stats are concerned). Every time I stepped up to jam again it was mentally draining, again.

I was losing my will to fight because I was just not able to get through their tough walls. They had strategy, they had defense, and they had offense. They were the full package, and I felt like fresh meat again playing my first game against the vets. One of the things I noticed about them was their ability to stay calm on the track. They were able to talk calmly, keep each other calm. This reflected in their gameplay which was controlled and precise. I finally asked my coaches put me in as a blocker, because at least I felt my contribution to the game would have been better served blocking then not getting through as a jammer. They finally agreed and I was elated. When the final scores were up it was 424-48. We hadn’t completely succeeded in our plan in terms of score but we fought hard, we didn’t give up and we were close enough in our goal that it was a victory for us.

Playing two games in one day can be exhausting not to mention playing two games against teams that were far more experienced then you can be physically and mentally

We only had a few hours to rest and then prep for our second bout which was going to be against Copenhagen.

We had watched this team play earlier in the day against the Kokeshi Roller Dolls and they were very intimidating. We all had our eyes on one of their blockers the name on her jersey was Jelly and she wasn’t jiggly like jelly, she was sturdy like a brickhouse and was knocking people over left and right. Watching her was magical and I knew trying to jam through her was going to be tough.

With some recuperation and some pep talk we were ready for our next game. It was no secret that Copenhagen Roller Derby (#214) was a tough team especially after the hard game we had played against Australia. We had a plan, we were going to try and keep them from going over 423 fiveonfivemag.com | Winter 2016

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draining, so what’s a player to do. ICE BATHS!! My roommates #sorrynotsorry, Postlewaight, and I opted for ice baths to help heal our muscles and attempt to refresh ourselves for our next day’s bout. I don’t know how much it helped, but I wasn’t sore the next day and it was a fun experience. I think it will be something regular when I play another tournament.

Day two was our final game of the tournament against Juneau Roller Girls (UNR). This team was fierce, and they had come to play with only six skaters. Having already won their first game against Devil Dog Derby Dames in a close 155-132 we were feeling pretty confident that we were finally playing a team that was evenly matched for us. I jammed and blocked during this bout and I have to say my confidence for jamming came back. I find for myself feeling great having a fine balance of both blocking and

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jamming, I tend to get burned out if I do just one or the other. During this game we learned that these six skaters were endurance beasts. We played hard, we were cohesive and we scored. We ultimately lost 156-117 but this was our best game yet.

A surprise sanctioned game was added to this tournament on the last day. Copenhagen Roller Derby was to play Adelaide Roller Derby. I was so excited to watch both formidable teams that I had played against, bout each other.

The stands were full of all the other teams and spectators eagerly awaiting the start of this bout. From the time the first whistle blew to the last it was a bout full of excitement, great blocking triangles, awesome apex jumps, star passes and amazing hits. It was a nail biter up until the end but ultimately Copenhagen proved they were far under ranked and took the win 126-108.

I had a blast at my first tournament. I met so many new people and I got to watch some amazing skaters from around the world compete.

It was an experience I was delighted to be a part of.

I came back home feeling defeated and a little down about my play and I was pretty upset with my individual performance. I self-reflected and told my coaches I didn’t want to jam anymore, it was hard for me to get over not being able to get lead or score points (not realizing until now that I write this that we were playing teams that far outranked us). I have since gotten over my uneasy feeling about jamming and decided that if I am going to continue jamming I need to figure out a better strategy for getting through tough walls. I have been watching footage, practicing strategy, and cross training more. We have upped our All-stars practices hoping that the next time we meet any team on the track that we will be a force to be reckoned with. My final take away is not to beat yourself up when your game play isn’t going the way you want it to. Learn from the experience and apply those lessons to things that will help you to be ready when you face those challenges again. No one said roller derby was easy, but I promise it will be worth it.H

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Winter 2016 | fiveonfivemag.com 1. Logo is missing from banner in back. 2. Pivot on white team is missing ankle tattoo. 3. Fourth skater from the right is missing name on helmet.

4. Fourth skater from the right’s wristguard tape has changed color. 5. Pivot on blue team is missing a number from armband.

6. Coach in back is missing armband. 7. Center skater’s sock has changed color.

Brangwyn “GI Jones” Photography

THERE ARE SEVEN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE PHOTOS – FIND ‘EM!

COLOR JAM ROLLER DERBY COLORING BOOK A coloring book for the most colorful sport

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remembering those we have lost Coach Ice Toni Rockalicious #13 aka Toni (Antoinette) Frances Isbelle 1978-2016 San Diego Roller Derby

Tim Warder 1968-2016 Kansas City Roller Warriors

Nikki Brixx #0.3006 aka Nicole Tillotson Capra 1977-2016 Rocky Mountain Rollergirls

Wes Bailey 1973-2016 Iron Range Maidens

Pixie Tourette #i

Violet Femme #37

aka Jennifer Nalley 1977-2016 Texas Rollergirls, Jackson Hole Juggernauts

aka Rodian Barrett Steindl 1970-2016 Carolina Rolllergirls

Zamma Sin #12 aka Patience Zamucen 1973-2016 10th Mountain Roller Dolls

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you will never be forgotten!

Winter 2015 | fiveonfivemag.com

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