fiveonfive | issue 43 | Spring 2019 by fiveonfivemedia

WOMEN’S FLAT TRACK

ROLLER DERBY MAGAZINE ISSUE 43, SPRING 2019

proud partner of the WFTDA

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fiveonfivemag.com | SPRING 2018

contents 4

L ETTER FROM THE EDITOR

C ONTRIBUTORS

A SK A BLOCKER, ASK A JAMMER

ask swede hurt and midge mayhem! B USINESS

Sponsors: make fa$t money

12 H EALTH AND FITNESS

The price to play

14 H EALTH AND FITNESS

Bearing it: take a second for self-care

16 D ERBY RECIPES

Roasted garbanzo beans

FEATURE

CHECK, CHECK 1, 2 PREPPING YOUR ANNNOUNCER SCRIPT FOR GAME DAY

18 G AMES AND COACHING

Derby stance 2018

22 G EAR

32 R OOKIE OF THE YEAR

24 W FTDA

34 D ERBY WORLD

The scuffed toe Q&A with WFTDA Executive Director Double H

2 8 J U N I O R D E R B Y

Learning to fly

Tips for a team tryout

Danish Derby

42 M Y DERBY STORY

Dealing with grief: derby style

44 C ULTURE

#thefannypackishere

46 S POT THE DIFFERENCE

Find 6 differences

fiveonfivemag.com | SPRING 2018

in this issue Welcome to the 43

issue of fiveonfive!

Spring is in the air! But is it in your step? It will be once you read this issue! Midge “Mayhem” Wilhelm and Swede Hurt are back to give great advice on small changes in your training that can make a big impact and how they’ve grown and changed through their derby careers. Shredinger has the tips to help your league’s sponsorship team build better business relationships. As we all prepare our bodies and minds for the 2019 tournament season, now is an excellent opportunity for a fresh look at how we can better care for ourselves in our health and fitness section. Claire Chandler provides fascinating insights into identifying injury trends for improvements that keep players on the track. You take care of your gear, but are you taking care of yourself? The importance of self-care and mental health is a topic addressed by Justice of The Peach. Billy No Skates provides a thorough review of the Rule 56 coaching webinar, Derby Stance 2018, on page 16 which is helping coaches worldwide build better skills. Speaking of leadership, Vile Love It had an interview with the fantastic Double H to offer insights into her many roles and love of our dear sport. Likewise, Alexandra Slamilton shares her appreciation and lessons she has learned coaching Junior Roller Derby. If you’ve got your eyes on trying out for a competitive team mid-season, you’re in luck! Sarge has a plethora of tips for Rookie skaters looking to make the leap on page 31. Explore derby around the world as Minnie Mayday brings us along to Europe for a look at roller derby in Denmark. Amy Jo Moore (aka Bitches Bruze) also takes us on a journey into the world of derby announcing so that you too can announce with confidence and skill. With the renewal of spring, we’re also happy to introduce you to a new department: “My Derby Story.” Our first story is from Hermione Danger as she explores dealing with grief in the derby world. We hope you will share your story with us too! Leslie Nope Photo Editor nope@fiveonfivemag.com

co-captain leslie nope foco roller derby co-captain iona switchblade foco roller derby content editor sue zaynard contributing writers swede hurt stockholm roller derby midge mayhem wilhelm denver roller derby shredinger resurrection roller derby claire chandler justice of the peach rocky mountain roller girls ruby snap long island roller rebels kate runnels billy noskates, leeds roller derby kathy lisborg “vile love it” queen city rollergirls alexandra slamilton happy valley derby darlins sarge cajun roller girls isabella madsen aka minnie mayday smile city rollers amy jo “bitches bruze” moore hermione danger sheffield steel roller girls estrelia diaz – aka diamond drill(h)er arch rival roller derby st. louis gatekeepers cover photo anja wettergren anja wettergren photography fiveonfive magazine info@fiveonfivemag.com facebook.com/fiveonfive @fiveonfivemag 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.

fiveonfivemag.com | SPRING 2018

Justice of the Peach

Derby for me is a lot about a community of teaching and learning. I’m one of the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls trainers and this year I was drafted to Fight Club which has been a proud and terrifying experience. When I’m not doing the wheel shoes I work as a case-manager for homeless youth. I have a cattle dog named Bluebonnet, and lately I’m stuck on YouTube videos of tiny houses. They’re amazing. Soooo many hatches.

Minnie Mayday

Minnie Mayday is a skater, official and coach at Smile City Rollers in Aarhus, Denmark and has been consistently present on the Danish derby scene since 2010. She loves derby so much that she got a BA in Sport Management and wrote her final project about motivation and retention of roller derby officials. When she is not out doing derby stuff, she sometimes blogs about it at minniesderbystories.com.

Billy No Skates

Billy No Skates/Sinéad Garry is an Irish announcer and writer living in Yorkshire, England. She has been announcing since 2011 and writing for roller derby since 2013. Her favourite roller derby thing to do is to interview people and share their stories. She is not good at writing her own bio.

Amy Jo Moore

Amy Jo Moore (aka Bitches Bruze) began announcing in 2008 when she was scheduled to be the scoreboard operator and the planned announcer couldn’t make it due to traffic. Her love for talking about derby kept her on that microphone and honing her announcing skills. She has announced or produced hundreds of games and has been selected as Tournament Head Announcer for a number of regional and WFTDA Playoff tournaments. As a member of the Sports Information Committee, preparing support material for announcers at Playoffs and Championships becomes a full-time job for her during tournament season.

Shredinger PHOTO BY MICHAEL BAKER

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!

Shredinger (Casey Lewiston, pictured here as a viking DJ) is the League Physicist for Resurrection Roller Derby. What that means is unclear, but he’s been involved since 2016 in many roles. Areas of expertise include organizational systems, technology, communications and marketing. He started writing blog posts on those topics under the belief that sharing what we know will make the entire roller derby community stronger. Proud parent of three cats.

Alexandra Slamilton

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

Hermione Danger

I’m an American girl in a British world, and I’ve been a part of the derby community in the U.K. for eight years now. I started skating in a league in early 2016, and never looked back. It’s a huge part of my life, and my whole family is derby-both sisters, and mom and dad. I find derby to be such a brilliant, accepting, and diverse community, and perfect for me!

Diamond Drill(h)er

Estrelia Diaz a.k.a Diamond Drill(h)er is a freelance writer/traveller/derby enthusiast, her pronoun is her/she. She loves her passport, hates bullying and is Stylish AF. Diamond fell in lust with Derby at her first league, then divorced it in all its gloryshe is happily in love with her second Derby coming and believes that readers have this ability too. Diamond also has the most patient Derby Widow in the Derby-verse (even if he refuses to accept the name ‘Captain Fanta Pants’).

fiveonfivemag.com | SPRING 2018

ASK A BLOCKER ASK A JAMMER

Ask a blocker ask a jammer Swede Hurt

Stockholm Roller Derby Stockholm, Sweden

Midge Mayhem Denver Roller Derby Denver, Colorado

DEAR BLOCKER AND JAMMER

What one small change in your gameplay made the biggest impact? Lightbulb moments? —Electric Feels Dear EF,

When I started derby, off-skate was not really a priority, and just realizing the importance of off-skate was a large change. I do think two things really had a large impact on my game play. The first one was to hone my skating skills - to get off the track and just go outdoor skating, to hit up skate parks, to skate on concrete with gravel, to dance on my skates and to do all those things that you can do on your skates that are not just skating left on a track and hitting. Becoming a better skater outside of the track really progressed me as a player and made me able to get where I wanted to go on the track. And with the risk of sounding like a broken record, strength training in combination with plyometrics really is what kept me progressing. BUT my second largest change that I made was RESTING from roller derby, to actually let my body and mind recover and rest, to take a break from impact and turning left, to be able to come back strong when the season started.

fiveonfivemag.com | SPRING 2018

need advice? email us at: advice@ fiveonfivemag.com

Dear EF,

Everything. Having never participated in sports as a child, I did a lot of research (reading, watching videos) of various lifts, circuits, and movements that would help translate to roller derby. As a smaller jammer, building muscle has helped in absorbing impact as well as having more force behind my movements. Building muscle isn’t everything though. I’m constantly watching various exercise videos to see how they might translate to or benefit my roller derby. Explosive movements, quick transitions, increased speed: there are a lot of small movements that can make a huge impact in game play. Skating skills are a must. We play a sport on wheels. Teaching our bodies to work with our skates, to utilize our skates to their fullest potential, is a game changer. Again, the most basic of movements can have the biggest impact. Incorporating movements with speed, balance, and control takes time, but the effort is worth it so that, come game day, you’re able to focus completely on the game. Outside of the physical training, I think the mental training has been the most impactful. Overanalyzing serves as both a skill and a detriment. Learning how to watch footage and games, process the strategy, but not get stuck in my head has been a huge challenge for me, one that I’m sure will be a constant honing for the rest of my life.

DEAR BLOCKER AND JAMMER,

Has where you have found happiness in the game changed throughout your career? —Clap Your Hands

Dear CYH,

It so did! When I started roller derby in 2007, it was about creating a sport, it was play and costumes, it was falling over on skates. But to be honest, I think that for me happiness always has been in the progress and competition, to see myself progress, to see my team progress and the sport becoming more competitive. It is not about winning, don’t get me wrong, I love to win, but if my team outperformed themselves and lost, that is still something positive. When I moved back to Sweden at the end of 2010, the few teams that existed there barley had minimum skills, and I came from playing in championships with Gotham. My goal became to do as much as possible to have the same level of play in Sweden as I had just left in the US, because I thought roller derby was the best thing that had ever happened to me, and I thought that everyone should have that. Encouraging teams to join WFTDA, coaching, writing WFTDA applications, coaching, co-hosting a tournament, coaching, playing, skating, playing, coaching, sitting in meetings, working out, bringing my team to the US, aspiring to become better, moving back to the US to play - all those things for sure brought me a lot of happiness, and a bunch of tears, but more happiness than tears. Roller derby is a creature and spirit of its own, and we are all responsible for what it is and what it is becoming. So I think what I am trying to say is that sometimes you have to adjust your expectations to find happiness in what you do and sometimes you change the playing field.

Dear CYH

Most definitely, yes. I’m thinking about “in the game” as in the sport of roller derby. When I first started playing, I joined because it was something active that also looked fun and challenging. Over the years, I’ve found happiness in working on specific drills and movements, focusing on the athleticism of the sport. The increase in challenge has increased the reward. What hasn’t changed, though, is the happiness in being on skates. I can’t not have fun when skating.

fiveonfivemag.com | SPRING 2018

BUSINESS

Sponsors: make fa$t money KNUCKLE

SHREDINGER, RESURRECTION ROLLER DERBY

LEAGUES NEED MONEY TO RUN, AND SPONSORS are a good way to get it. So in this article we’re going to talk about how to get sponsors and keep them happy. This is learned from personal experience, reading other articles, talking to people who are better at this and going to Rollercon classes. You should definitely do those things to learn as much as you can. We’ll start with one method of reaching out to sponsors, then talk about representing yourself professionally and keeping those relationships alive. What we won’t talk about is making your league worth

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investing in. Make sure you do that and understand what value you can actually offer. SPONSORSHIP OUTREACH METHODOLOGY Here’s the idea: we’re going to track all of the businesses we can, contact everyone we can to make the sale, follow up, then we’re going to keep them happy. This method is a variation of what’s called a sales funnel. Businesses start out as prospects, possible sponsors. If you have more reason to think they’re a match — targeting, conversations, whatever— they become

leads. These can convert to sponsors. I also like to rank them in tiers. High value targets are those that have obvious tie-ins to your league or otherwise seem very likely to sponsor. The prospects, in our case, are all nearby business that aren’t off brand. We’re going to reach out to all of them. How much you do depends on staffing. If you’re one person you might focus on high value leads exclusively, trying to build personal connections. Personal connections and contacts are still the most effective method, as well as in-person networking.

BALLER $PONSORSHIP MOVE 1: $PREADSHEETZ Most organizations fail at step one, which is the hardest and most boring. You’re going to need a database. This could be a spreadsheet, or Salesforce entries if you’re really advanced. How you do it doesn’t matter. The key is to do it. This is critical no matter what your scale is or how you reach out. My example picture is the first part of a document with hundreds of rows. The goal is to list every business in your region. You should have a name, mailing address, maybe email, and notes on your past interactions. Try to flag ones that you think

are especially good fits. You want the process to speak for itself so you can collaborate. If you’re suddenly out of the picture, whoever takes over should know who you’ve talked to, what was said and what the disposition of each sponsor is. It could happen. Maybe you’re a sleeper agent and someone says the code word and you leave. Or you get put under the Imperious Curse and don’t have time to do sponsorship. I’m almost done reading through Harry Potter. It’s getting pretty exciting. I’m thinking the Weasley’s joke shop is foreshadowing, and that they’re going to come up with something to totally stop the death eaters. I’m looking forward to seeing where the twins end up after all this. I can’t imagine them being separated. Anyway, the point is you need to take notes. MAKE A SUPER PROFESSIONAL LETTER What we want to end up

doing here is mailing out a sponsorship packet to every, every, business in town. You can automate this with the help of a print shop. Consider your resources, and do as many as are reasonable. Maybe send mailers to the highest values, and email or call everyone else. The letter should include a quick review of what the league is doing that’s so exciting, how their sponsorship helps the community, what your audience reach looks like and what you’ll do for them. Stay away from saying much about supporting your league as a charity. It’s a bad angle since you’re competing with animal shelters in that space, and it makes you sound desperate. People do business with successful people. Do include benefits to the sponsor, audience demographics and anything else useful. If you have specific things to fundraise for you can mention them here. Attached to this should

be a packet that explains the different levels and a form that they can send in. You want it to be a painless process. Existing sponsors should get renewal requests, preferably discounted. This can also be done via the Internet. FOLLOW UP That stuff you just read? It probably won’t work. Sorry. It won’t work because it can take years to make a sale. But if you follow up you can build relationships and get people interested. So far, you’ve managed to run a direct marketing campaign that gets your brand in a lot of people’s heads, which is a plus. What does follow-up look like? That’s up to you. The best thing you can do is to build street teams that go into every business to make sure they got the mailer and to pass out some fliers for the next event or more information. Members of the street teams should be able to answer questions. If you split into regions, you can

have coordinators schedule this. This is what Humboldt Roller Derby does, and they are by far the most successful league when considering population and local income. If you don’t have that kind of staffing, which almost no one does, you can visit only your most valuable prospects. If that’s too much, you can send out an email or call a few. Remember, them saying no isn’t a loss. It’s something they can spend the year thinking about while they see you in the community. Other Outreach Channels Remain visible and remain accessible. Bring sponsorship packets to outreach events. Have an info table at your game? Same deal. You want business owners thinking about this before their next budget meetings (side note: Do this before their budget meetings, Novemberish). Not included here are the highest tier, most valuable leads — people you know. You should be building those strong relationships

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as you go. All of the possible methods mix together to eventually reach a critical mass where someone gives you money. The mailer is only step one. It augments your other efforts, which should be continuing all season. THE PACKET I assumed that you already have a professional looking sponsorship packet. Before you even think about reaching out to businesses, make sure everything they see sends the message you want. They’ll check out your website next, and whatever comes up on a Google search. So you should, too. Imagine you’re them. Whatever your packet looks like, it needs to be available online. I made a responsive version with Adobe Spark that I rather like, but a PDF gets the job done just fine. All that matters is that it’s no hassle. Some leagues put forms on their websites for sponsors to sign up. I consider that a bit impersonal, but it depends on your needs. They’ll also be looking to see if you represent existing sponsors well. RETENTION/RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT So let’s say you have some sponsors. Would you like them to renew for next year? You have to keep them happy. Want to get new sponsors? All those people you sent mailers

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to are watching you to see how you handle the existing ones. So make it count. WHAT DO THEY WANT? No business pays for ads in a program. You have to understand what they actually want. Is it to drive new customers? Create brand awareness? Add coolness? Get some tickets for their friends and investors? Get invited to your Christmas party (they should be)? I don’t

you warning when they have a new campaign. Your social reach is a force multiplier. Small business owners are rarely marketing experts. It’s good practice to give them some suggestions on how they can best utilize your brand partnership. I’ll leave it to you to think of what those are in your case. But they don’t just want your gratitude. Stay in contact, they’ll let you know what you can do to help them more.

good Christmas party. Added value can be any of that plus padded seats for sponsors, special entrances, catering, whatever else you can think of. Sacramento sets up a VIP catered seating area. You might consider, for very large sponsors, getting into noncompete agreements where they get exclusive sponsor rights for a given industry. I asked Santa Cruz about keeping sponsors happy, and Jenny Lawless gave me this:

We want them to feel as valued as possible and be HAPPY to write us a check, or have us help with their event, or them at ours. —JENNY LAWLESS, SANTA CRUZ DERBY GIRLS know. You’ll need to find out and think through what can get them that thing. This is exactly the same as how you recruit skaters, volunteers and fans. Know what they want, know what you need and what you can offer, meet somewhere that makes everyone happy.

If you have a large membership base, try to encourage your league members to visit the business and report back. Then you can collect the numbers of league members who went there to report to the sponsor at the end of the year, which is an effective strategy Rose City uses.

SOCIAL SHARING When you’re mentioning sponsors on social media, don’t just say “Thanks to our sponsor XYZ Apparel; check out their store downtown!” That’s not going to drive business. I mean, yes, you can do that, but don’t stop there. I try to share posts from the sponsor’s pages covering events, products or something else that makes our reach useful. It’s good to keep an open dialog as well so the sponsor can give

CREATIVITY AND ADDED VALUE There was a really good class at the 2016 Rollercon on sponsorship presented by Rocket Mean of Rose city . It included points on creativity and some added value options. Creativity can include finding in-kind donation options. Things like a hardware store donating track tape. Or thinking of a gimmick before you approach. Bail bondsman for the penalty box, VIP seating for a vehicle dealership when fans have that type of vehicle, things like that. Rocket Mean once secured a huge sponsorship deal for a theater by realizing the company just needed a

“Once we have a new sponsor, we work hard to make them feel part of the family and treat them well, including holding tickets at a VIP entrance, catering to them onsite at games with drinks and snacks, and other perks. We want them to feel as valued as possible and be HAPPY to write us a check, or have us help with their event, or them at ours.” Santa Cruz does very well in sponsorship, considering their population density, and this is why. The transaction doesn’t finish after the prospect responds. You build a relationship and welcome them to your group. CLOSING AND TLDR Target your personal connections, but cover everything for your generic outreach. Sales can take a long time; you have to be visible, engaging and valuable. Keep your sponsors happy, be realistic about what you can offer. And good luck.

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fiveonfivemag.com | SPRING 2018

HEALTH AND FITNESS

The price to play CLAIRE CHANDLER

It is not unusual for roller derby athletes to walk out of games covered in bruises and sore muscles, comparing battle scars over beers at a local bar. They used to go to hospitals. THE HIGH-CONTACT SPORT can leave many injuries if the proper precautions aren’t taken, but over the years, the league and the players have taken important measures to be safe, and have lowered the number of injuries. One important aspect to reducing the number of injuries the players face is to trace back a popular injury to the source and find a solution to stop it from spreading. Fred Deprez, a derby coach for fourteen years, sees it as his responsibility to help figure out what the next injury trend is. “A part of my job is to discuss what trend we are

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seeing and reach out to other leagues in our organization all across the world,” Deprez said. “There are a number of online boards and forums to help up find the cause of the specific injury.” A derby team from London, for example, worked with an orthopedic surgeon who helped develop a better stance for an inverted brace that was causing many shoulder injuries to occur. Immediately after the stance was changed for every league, those injuries were reduced. This same instance also happened with concussions. At first there was a spike in

the number of players getting head injuries during game. This was traced back to the helmets the players were wearing. A change was made to better cushioned helmets to prevent the movement of the brain, and head injuries became less common. The gear is important; cheap helmets and kneepads from Walmart are not designed to take the impact that these players take. This has led to a niche market of derby gear, with companies advancing technology to help prevent injuries from happening. Specialty helmets, knee pads, boots and wheels are now coming onto the market, made by people who know the game and what is required to not only play correctly, but safely. In a match, before they stand up in their skates, athletes must have all of their protective gear on. The gear, combined with the training and conditioning before the players even step

foot onto the rink, is the best equation the leagues have found to prevent injury. In the Arizona League, players are not allowed to take contact without having the foundational assessment testing to make sure that they are a solid skater before adding in the more physical elements of the game. Each player must pass the three eight-week classes and the assessments that follow. If they do not pass the assessment, they must retake the class and take the test in another eight weeks. The first class is purely on falling and how to fall safely, emphasizing the adjustment of the center of balance that players often struggle with. Rebekah Kirk, a Physical Therapist and long-time roller derby player, emphasizes the importance of the stance learned in the first class. “Derby stance,” or “sports stance,” is a crouched position that many athletes from other sports adapt into

the game. It can be seen in football, soccer and baseball. “It increases your center of gravity.” Kirk said. “When you are in derby stance your core is engaged, your hips are locked and your ability to move side to side is increased. You’re not as vulnerable. It is imperative to playing, and anyone who doesn’t practice proper derby stance is more likely to get injured.” Kirk pointed out that derby stance also helps prevent concussions, as it prevents you from falling backwards and sustaining more damage from the head hitting the ground. With the second class cycle, players also must pass a test on the rules as well as the official league rules. The third cycle is learning the game and getting ready to play with the other players. Lynn French, who has played in the league for fourteen seasons, recently had an injury that required surgery and was unable to play for months. Her ACL was torn in a scrimmage match when she locked skates with another player. She immediately knew something was wrong. She was given a choice to either live with her injury or get a cadaver ligament put in so she could skate again. Her doctor asked her if she thought the surgery was worth it in order to keep playing. “Obviously he doesn’t know derby people, and I was just like. ‘Yeah, there’s no other option. That is why I’m doing this’,” French said. She also blames her injury on not conditioning as much as she should have, a reason her ACL tore so easily from a relatively small impact. Keeping in shape and

training the muscles not used while competing is a big aspect of not getting injured. The conditioning is required to help the skater take hits easier and not have it have such a harsh impact on the body. When a skater is lagging on their conditioning, they are more prone to injuries as their body is not strong enough to withstand those hard hits. Conditioning is different for each skater; some prefer running, while other team members prefer high intensity workouts such as CrossFit. Kirk agrees that conditioning is imperative to prevent injury in the intense game. “There are a lot of movements that are often unnatural in roller derby,” she said, “and if you don’t have the proper strength supporting those muscles in the unnatural movement, then you are more prone to injury, and you don’t have the

muscle strength to prevent that injury.” As with every sport, injuries still occur; it is virtually impossible to make a sport injury free. When a player is injured, they usually head to a physical therapist to help them recover, but since these derby injuries are relatively under-researched, it makes it difficult for a physical therapist to develop the right treatment plan for them. Kirk explained that most of the time, a specific plan is created for each case, but since there is not as many derby patients as there are in other sports, the plans are often forgotten between cases. Kirk also stressed the importance of players taking responsibility for their bodies and being advocates when they are not feeling up to rejoining the game, pointing out that many are often

jumping back in too soon after being injured. “I had meniscus surgery two weeks ago and my doctor released me to play when I feel ready. I could very well skate today because she said I could,” Kirk said, “but I know I’m not ready because I haven’t skated in four weeks, and I know that if I did put skates on and go back to what I was doing before, I would probably get injured very quickly.” Kirk makes it a point to educate her teammates with her professional knowledge as a physical therapist to help keep them safe and to understand the importance of knowing their limits. She said, “There are a lot of people who don’t understand that they are doing permanent damage. You only get one body and how you take care of it prior, during and after injury is the most important thing.”

fiveonfivemag.com | SPRING 2018

HEALTH AND FITNESS

Bearing it: take a second for self-care

JUSTICE OF THE PEACH, ROCKY MOUNTAIN ROLLER GIRLS

BEHOLD YOUR ROLLER SKATES: Beloved, fine-tuned. A network of interconnected mechanisms, the smooth fluid apparatuses being reliant, one upon the other. You may spend less money or maintenance on certain parts (bearing shields are less of a priority than say, toe stops) but each part is still vital to the whole, so that you may strap on your wheeled shoes and fly around the track as the best derby superhero version of yourself you can be. Say one of these elements is compromised though. You have neglected to clean your bearings for a few weeks. Or months.

that distinctive squeak and grind sound as you boogie on past. Finally, you carve out some time before practice, after you walk the dog, before you read to your kids or finish your homework. You clearly haven’t done this in while judging from all dust bunny carcasses and floor skin stuck to the wheel wells. This job you’ve been avoiding for ages only takes about 40 minutes to achieve max clean. You notice there is a warm glow of virtue that suffuses your being. The next day at practice, that high pitched girding sound that’s been dogging your strides is gone. You feel that little

people really like to throw around. It’s the concept your boss glibly promotes over their shoulder immediately after assigning you more tasks. Most people seem to think it falls into columns marked, “Take overdue vacation right before imminent breakdown,” or “Treat Yo’ Self,” spending that week’s grocery money on a new purse, phone, or a night at the bar. I hold that self-care falls closer to the mark of general maintenance. Anxiety, depression, exhaustion of the spirit and fears that surround lack of self- care are allowed to bloom when left unattended

Self-care is a phrase people really like to throw around. It’s the concept your boss glibly promotes over their shoulder immediately after assigning you more tasks. Or, shut up; we all know you haven’t touched those puppies in like a year. Gummed bearings won’t seriously impede your progress or make you face plant, but you—and other people—are going to notice

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lick of self—congratulations again. You’ve done something good for a part of you that you love, something that can now move easier and faster, unimpeded by collected detritus. Self-care is a phrase

while our attention is elsewhere, and it seems our attention is always elsewhere, especially with a sport that will happily eat your life if you let it. Lack of self-care seems best described as absence of focus on the minutia that

surrounds our individual existence, the stuff that might look like icing on the cake in the grand scheme of things, but in reality, is deeply essential. Nobody wants cake without frosting anyway. You know what that is? A bagel. Self-care is what we do to protect our mental, physical and emotional health. Just as it takes attention to the smaller parts of our skates for the whole to work to greatest advantage, so is this true of ourselves. Paying your rent or water bills or going to your dialysis appointments does not fall into self-care. These play too great a role in the functionality of the whole. Not completing such tasks would be like taking your wheels off and yelling “Ok go!” at your skates. No, instead what I see as key are “less important,” acts that I deliberately do for no one except myself. Seeing friends (OUTSIDE OF PRACTICE DAMNIT), eating an actual meal, or even sometimes skipping practice because I need a night of silence. These fall into the general upkeep and enrich-

ment of a human. The question of care is not whether you (or the roller skate) rolls, but does it roll well? Self-care needs to be premeditated, consciously and deliberately done. Sound extreme? Isn’t self-care about painting your nails? Think of your blocks of self-care time as doctor’s appointments for your soul. If you’ve been sick for about a week, that’s when you head in to see your physician. You must arrive on time, you actually have to keep the appointment, and you’re usually getting something accomplished like getting medicine, or at least a stay-home note. Why then, wouldn’t you treat other aspects of your being in the same way? Have you been feeling angry, listless or weeping in the shower while eating Fig Newtons every night after work? Something’s out of whack, and you need to attend to it in the same way as you would a physical ailment. The cool thing is, if you consistently practice nurturing yourself, selfcare becomes more like checkups than tune-ups. They become preventative rather than reactive. The last caveat to selfcare is you must keep at it. Your bearings are clean, you have fancy feet, but if you don’t stay on it, soon you’ll be grinding along again. If this sounds like work, THAT’S BECAUSE IT IS. Unless your self-care has built in whimsy—say if your scheduled, premediated care is catching lady bugs in the park—the act does have more connotations of getting an oil change rather than “follow your bliss.” We tend to bad mouth work, but I’m

S elf-care is what we do to protect our mental, physical and emotional health.

not talking about your job here. Work is practice and getting better at something, devoting time and intention. How did you learn to plow stop, or achieve 27 in 5? Lots and lots of work. I’m not going to offer suggestions for your selfcare (if one more person suggests meditation to me I’m going to push them into the nearest clump of sticker bushes and run), but I do suggest you give some considerable ponderance to what makes you whole. I’ve

discovered that since I’ve started asking this question (to myself included), I’m greeted with blank looks. Do the work, maintain, and be mindful. Decide what fills your soul and make space for it. Write it into your planner. Defend it as rigorously as you do your other “essential,” tasks, because it also is essential in its own right. For if you can attain and accomplish this self-care thing, even just marginally, not only shall you roll, you shall roll well.

fiveonfivemag.com | SPRING 2018

DERBY RECIPES

Roasted garbanzo beans

RUBY SNAP, LONG ISLAND ROLLER REBELS

Derby travel season is upon us and this recipe for Roasted Garbanzo Beans is an easy, protein-filled snack to take on the road. This recipe shows both sweet and savory options, but you can try other variations to fit your taste, i.e. ranch. Roasted Garbanzo Beans are great as a snack on their own or are an easy add-on to a meal. Try the Cinnamon Sugar Garbanzo Beans to top Greek Yogurt. The Taco Garbanzo Beans are a fun salad topping. INGREDIENTS: 2 cans of garbanzo beans (16 oz. each) Sweet: Cinnamon and Sugar 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Savory: Taco 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix PREP: 1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. 2. Open the cans of beans. Drain and rinse using a colander and cold water. 3. Use a kitchen towel or paper towels to dry the beans. Place a towel on the counter and gently pour the beans out onto the towel in a single layer. Use another towel to pat dry. Remove any loose skins from the beans. The beans will roast better if they are dry and have the skins removed. You don’t have to remove all the skins, just remove the obvious ones while drying. 4. Place the beans in a bowl with the oil. Use the olive oil for the savory variation or the coconut oil for the sweet. Toss the beans to coat with the oil. 5. Pour the beans onto a cookie sheet in a single layer. 6. Roast for 30 minutes. Open the oven and gently shake the pan every ten minutes to help the beans cook evenly. Sweet: Cinnamon Sugar Return the beans to the bowl that you used to coat them in oil. Add the cinnamon and sugar and toss or gently stir to coat the beans with the sugar and cinnamon. Savory: Taco Return the beans to the bowl that you used to coat them in oil. Add the taco seasoning and toss or gently stir to coat the beans with the spice mix. NOTES: Vegan and gluten-free

fiveonfivemag.com | SPRING 2018

The Garbanzo beans shrink up a bit when roasting so you may want to make multiple batches if you plan to share with your team. fiveonfivemag.com | SPRING 2018

GAMES AND COACHING

Hydra #56, at the first Derby Stance Summit

Derby Stance 2018 BILLY NO SKATES,

PHOTO BY JASON RUFFELL, ROLLER DERBY ON FILM

LEEDS ROLLER DERBY

Rule 56 is a Yorkshire-based roller derby coaching business that aims to bring together coaching and resources for roller derby, with a view to making resources and support more accessible to coaches, no matter where they are in the world, nor how big or small the league. Over the past 2+ years, Rule 56 has been coaching, blogging about coaching and making spaces for coaches to talk about coaching in roller derby. 18

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BACK IN 2016, Hydra and Ecky Thump of Rule 56 brought a coaching summit to Yorkshire, bringing coaches together from all over the world to talk coaching. More recently, in 2018, Rule 56 ran Derby Stance again, with a difference – this time it was all online. According to Hydra of Rule 56, Derby Stance 2018 provided “an all-virtual space for coaches to come together, meet up, share stories, and learn from some of the best sport and roller derby coaching minds.” This was a considerably different offer from the inaugural, in-person conference that took place in Leeds in 2016. The sessions

took place over the course of 4 days, from 29 November to 2 December, in webinar format, for which attendees bought tickets. While the sessions were live, attendees could raise questions, speak to the presenter and engage with each other. Following the live broadcast, attendees could then access the content again later. This allowed for accessing a session that is impractical to attend in person – the biggest barrier was due to time differences, as the sessions were broadcast from presenters all over the world. Sessions ran with start times from 8am GMT (mostly for an antipodean audience) to midnight GMT (mostly

SCREENGRAB FROM RULEFIFTYSIX.COM

for a US audience), and the programme included a handydan timetable that covered PST, EST, GMT, CET and AEDT for a global audience. Derby Stance 2018 covered 5 basic themes: Just Start Coaching; Strategic Coaching; Mental

Performance; Game Day; and Juniors. In keeping with the inaugural event, the key note and introductory speaker was Smarty Pants of Strong Athletic, which was also one of the key sponsors. Just Start Coaching was the stream that had

the most topics; presenters talked about a range of issues involved in setting out in coaching. The for skaters, by skaters approach in roller derby is at once its biggest strength and its biggest challenge, at least here in the UK where there

is no recognised rollerderby-specific coaching qualification. Many coaches are thrown into the role because it needs to be done, not because they necessarily already have all the skills a coach needs to bring a team together, keep athletes at different levels motivated and remain accessible to people who may have found it difficult to engage in more traditional forms of sport. The stream included topics on the importance of getting the basic skills right, dealing with difficult behaviours, mental health in roller derby and new skater programmes. The Strategic Coaching stream included strategy training for beginner and intermediate teams as well as situational coaching, which looked at preparing for specific games. It also included a topic on cross training and one on exploration versus repetition training, which talked about

fiveonfivemag.com | SPRING 2018

PHOTO BY JASON RUFFELL, ROLLER DERBY ON FILM

allowing teams to work out their own strengths and weaknesses and develop gameplay strategies around their unique style. The Mental Performance strand was the second-most covered stream with topics on building mental resilience and mental strength, but also included an introduction to the mindfulness-acceptancecommitment approach (or MAC approach, for short), which is an alternative sports psychology approach based on cognitive-behavioural skills. The aim of the MAC approach is to improve performance and mental wellbeing in athletes, and is drawn from an empirically supported clinical method. Other topics included mental preparation for tournaments - as more WFTDA top teams squeeze their sanctioned

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games into a couple of weekends, the pressure to perform can be immense. The Junior Derby strand included a topic on sports psychology for junior coaches, as well as one on developing a programme that is suitable for junior skaters. Game Day included the importance of the bench coach and how to be effective in the roll, as well as gameday preparation and the importance of defining roles. The WFTDA also supported the conference with an open session hosted by the WFTDA education outreach officer, Catherine Beat-her Bonez. This was not a presentation, rather a facilitated discussion to identify what educational needs coaches and skaters have, with a view to improving the status quo for leagues

across the world. There were also fringe events happening on the Rule 56 Facebook page, including a session by Miss Tea Maven of Gotham. As well as additional broadcasts, the fringe events created and continued discussion on Facebook, with innovations like coaching tchatch, where Rule 56 would pair up coaches for a virtual coffee and chat, wherever the coaches were in the world. The whole event was a massive undertaking by Rule 56, as presenters contributed to the conversation from Stockholm, Amsterdam, London, Edinburgh, Bradford W Yorkshire, Vancouver and Philadelphia, to name but a few. Participants attended from all the continents in the world with the sole exception of Antarctica, and

I’m not sure what the takeup of roller derby is like on that continent! Timings had to be worked out months in advance, and all presenters needed some training in the webinar software and Microsoft Translate, which magical app translates speech in real time. Tech support volunteers were standing by to deal with internet-related issues, which were thankfully and surprisingly few, given how many I seem to deal with daily in my life and work. Overall, the event was fun, educational and undoubtedly beneficial as it achieved the mission statement of Rule 56, Let’s Keep Talking About Coaching. The best thing is, you can still purchase access to the webinars – go to Rule56.com to find out more.

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GEAR

The scuffed toe

KATE RUNNELS

If you’ve been around derby for a long time or are just a beginner, you probably have seen or are beginning to see exactly what I’m talking about when I say “Scuffed Toe.” When, as a skater, you go to a knee and slide along, on one or both, inevitably, you then drag a toe along the skating surface. NOW THE TOP OF YOUR brand new skate boots has been marked! If you have skated enough you have see the scuffed toes then you have also seen what skaters do to protect them. The knitted toe guards, the plastic toe guards, and my favorite, duct tape. All in the name to protect the integrity of the skate boot. Skates are personal things, and they are really the one thing a skater just can’t swap out for another player’s. You can trade knee pads, wrist guards, helmets, but not easily, skates. They are

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precious things. They are very individual to how you skate. Do you want the trucks tighter or looser? What type of plates, wheels, bearings? So much thought goes into this. For myself, I skate on a Riedell hockey skate boot. What that means, is that I have a hard toe and high ankle support with padding around heel and ankle. They look like work boots. But I’ve had these boots some twenty years. I love these boots. They are comfortable. And though hockey isn’t quite as hard on the toes as derby, I have still lost a lot of leather

that covered the hard plastic shell over the years. I have also cracked the plastic on one boot and was using duct tape, usually red, to keep it all together. It really wasn’t the prettiest thing, but it worked and served its purpose. I didn’t care really. And yet, I cleaned my bearings and wheels often, changed laces out when they became worn. Why didn’t I protect my toes? To my mind, it just wasn’t integral to the act of skating. That was fine for me for many years. Then I found myself skating on the converted tennis court rink

– usually alone – so I wasn’t causing any more damage to my already damaged boot. However when someone did happen to come up and we get into a bout or scrimmage, that rough concrete of the tennis court ate at the leather of the boots. Scraping away at it, day after day, like a dog gnawing on a bone until it’s all gone. Then one day I became tired of skating alone, so I joined a derby team which skated out of a national guard armory. There I found I was leaving a trail on the floor like the yellow brick road telling

of where I’d been, only in red. This happened any time I went to a knee in a drill, or as a fall, and dragged a toe. And let me tell you, it was a pain in the ass to clean up or the team would be charged for it by the facility they used. Not wanting to cause undue trouble for my team, I needed options. So started to do some research on what was out there. I noticed one of my teammates had knitted toe guards, in the design of Wonder Woman. I thought that was kinda cool, but I am in no way that crafty. Another had leather toe guards they had purchased of Batman and Robin. Again, cool, but I wasn’t sure I wanted leather over leather over plastic on my boot. These are a great way to show your own unique personality and creativity. These I found online for around $20 to $35 from several different sites. The cheapest I found at $9. But those were very basic and very plain.

I grew up in a rink, pretty much a rink rat, but also a hockey player and so a little snobbish in my attitude toward skates. I hated, and still despise, the brown rental skates, which had the ugly plastic orange toe guards, that protected them from the vagueries of beginning skaters. That plastic toe guard was out of the question. Wasn’t going to do it. Nope, not going there. And yes, I know they have the jammers toe protectors, which are plastic, but those just wouldn’t fit on my style of boot anyway. Those run around $20. A friend of mine – not a skater – wanted to protect his hunting boots and he tried on them something called Tuff Toe. It cost him about $20 dollars and can be found at most stores. I liked the idea of that as you could get the color to match if that color happened to be brown or black. Lucky my boots were one of those two colors. It had to be dripped

on and then left to set for a half hour. It was much better than the duct tape I had been using up to that point, but I hadn’t seen anyone else use it and wasn’t sure how long it would last or if I would need to reapply the stuff every six months or a year. I was determined to find something. It had become my quest. Like searching for the magical sword that would end the reign of the evil wizard king. Except, not nearly so exciting. Lastly, I called up our local LineX dealer. They sprayed it on in one day and I picked it up in time to take them to national team tryouts (for hockey again). It cost me about $25 dollars, so it might be one of the more expensive options but it has lasted now over six months of constant use with very little wear and tear. It is very light, it looks good with the rest of the boot leather. So much better than it was. (but most everything looks better than

duct tape toes.) Peeling off the duct tape, it left strips of leather clinging to it, with large sections entirely missing, showing the hard plastic toe protector in an ugly yellow. And on one boot, the plastic had a large circular crack, a left over from a particularly hard slap shot it blocked. It did its job and protected my precious toes. The LineX people had a little trouble covering that part, but they did a good job and I can barely tell where that crack is. To sum up, if you are looking for some way to protect your boots, there are several options out there: The knitted kit; The leather protector; The plastic throwback; The goo for the few; The finer liner; The spray-on protectron. So think about what you want and get about saving your skates from unwanted damage and just the natural wear and tear that comes from being a roller derby player.

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Q&A with WFTDA Executive Director Double H KATHY LISBORG “VILE LOVE IT,” QUEEN CITY ROLLERGIRLS Erica Vanstone, “Double H” was recently named Executive Director to the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) after serving as interim Executive Director for over a year. She brings to the position her wide-ranging experience of over a decade in many

different aspects of the sport, most notably as WFTDA Broadcast Director. Get to know Double H a little more as we talk about how she got her start in roller derby, why coaching juniors fills her with hope, and the goals she hopes to achieve in this new role.

When did you first get involved in roller derby? I joined Philly Roller Derby as an announcer in 2007 after my friend (Persephone, who is still skating for the Liberty Belles) asked me to come to a game. I thought it was the most exciting thing I had ever seen, and I very much wanted to announce — mostly so I could explain the sport to other people. At the time, I was going through a difficult divorce, and I wanted to stay focused on my son so I didn’t even get on skates until 2011 when I started officiating.

I started the new skater program in Philly in 2013 and graduated in spring of 2014. This year I decided I wanted to push myself to try out for the All-Star 30 roster, and I made it! I am a blocker most of the time, but I enjoy being put in as a relief jammer. I really enjoy thoughtful, solid teamwork, and I work hard to be a calm communicator on the track. We play our best derby when we are focused, and it’s so easy to become unraveled. I love that I can bring that to jamming as well. When I get put on the line and

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Why officiating? I loved officiating, especially pack definition, because it’s the part of the sport that has to run like an app in the background, but it sets the stage for literally every action you want to accomplish as a skater. I loved the cerebral aspect of officiating. Then you decided to play. Why, and what do you like about it? Eventually, I wanted to experience the sport from the skater side to see what contact was really all about.

no one knows what the heck to expect from me, I like being able to use that to create a productive jam for the team. What is it like to watch your son, Catman, play roller derby? He and his teammates are fearless. Watching them overcome the same anxieties about getting hit or learning a new skill that I have in the past amazes me every single time. Our juniors program has also given me a lot of excitement for what JRDA does. I didn’t get to have

PHOTO BY JASON RUFFELL, ROLLER DERBY ON FILM

WFTDA

PHOTO BY LOUISE OROURKE, PHILLY ROLLER DERBY

PHOTO BY DAVID DYTE PHOTO BY KRISTIN REBER, PHILLY ROLLER DERBY

roller derby growing up, and it would have been so lifechanging for me. The Open Division game play has been so rewarding for these kids — and some of the skaters have been turned away from other sports, so to see my son collaborate with non-binary children in a way that’s normalized is so powerful. We’re raising a

whole generation of kids who don’t just accept differences, but celebrate them — and roller derby is the framework for that. You’re coaching your son’s derby team. What has that been like? I coach Catman and the Brawlstars, and the best compliment I ever got was

after a recent game when one of the 12-year-old opponents came up to tell me that she appreciated how nice and gracious our team was to play. The kids really focus on being kind and team-oriented. How do you think these different experiences inform your role as Executive Director? I think it has given me invaluable insight into what different communities within our organization experience. Working as the Interim Executive Director has allowed me to reflect on that on a deeper level by exploring what roller derby is like for marginalized populations. I have also tried not to shy away from my own mistakes and failures but to use them to make positive changes. In light of that, I have been working on an organizational Code of Conduct that we’ll be sharing with the public soon. I am pleased that it has been inclusive of so much

feedback from all corners of our membership. What is the hardest part of your job? The hardest part of my job is that people still don’t think women have any business running a sport, and they are not afraid to tell us that every single day. It comes through in myriad ways — things as seemingly innocuous as complaints about the way the WFTDA manages stats, or claims about how we’re swimming in piles of gold (we’re not). We’re a women-led sport that has survived and adapted without investment from a major league sport, and that is impressive as hell. But taking more moments to appreciate how far we’ve come, and recommitting to eliminating the marginalization so that others can share that feeling too, is the ongoing goal for me. Embracing business leadership shouldn’t be a thing that’s hard for women.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WFTDA

What is the most rewarding part of your job? The most rewarding part for me is when I see evidence that change is happening. We have great things coming down the pike in our Talent Management Committee, for example, in the area of inclusion. In addition, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re revamping our membership structure to lower barriers to entry. Officiating certification was a dream for so long! And now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s real. And I am beyond grateful to the staff and volunteers who pushed ahead to keep the WFTDA running. Another deeply rewarding part of my job is working with our officers, chairs, committee members and board representatives, who put in so much work that is not paid, as well as the WFTDA staff who have pushed through some challenging situations to keep us moving forward. They are amazing people, and I am grateful to know and work with them.

M N I

BY HOTO

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PHOTO COURTESY OF PHILLY ROLLER DERBY

D DA

BY P H OT O

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JUNIOR DERBY

Learning to fly ALEXANDRA SLAMILTON

HAPPY VALLEY DERBY DARLINS

It is a truth universally acknowledged that junior roller derby is incredibly important. OR, AT LEAST, IT should be a universal truth. Roller derby teaches many important lessons, and junior roller derby teaches those lessons at an early age, and allows the players to take and use those lessons throughout their entire lives. This helps junior derby players to be more confident and self-assured, not just in derby, but also in life. Yes, being active is very important for kids. Playing in any sport at all teaches them to be good sports and to try. Not to mention that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good

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for their health. And yeah, that is important. But there are also a lot of life lessons that can be learned by playing junior roller derby. And this goes for the skaters as well as the trainers. One lesson that is learned in junior roller derby is that size does not matter. On my home leagueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s junior derby team, we have skaters of all sizes, shapes and skill levels. The important thing is that everyone is treated the same and are all given the same opportunities to learn and to progress.

ALL PHOTOS THIS PAGE BY MEGAN JOHNSTON

When all of the skaters are given the same opportunities, amazing things can happen. Junior roller derby players, particularly teenagers, can have improved body image, self-confidence, leadership skills and so much more. Junior roller derby provides that in a world that will often shoot kids down. Learning to play on a team is a valuable life skill. A vast majority of situations in life, whether it is school, a job or anything else, requires a person to know how to work with a team. The earlier a person learns how to be part of a team, the better off they will be later in life. Junior roller derby also teaches kids that it’s okay to not do well. Roller derby is not necessarily automatically easy for everyone (it sure isn’t for me). But if we teach our junior skaters that falling is part of learning, they learn to turn their failures into triumphs. It is okay to fail, as long as they keep trying. This is a very important lesson that they can take into their lives outside of derby. Not everything in life comes easily to everyone. But if kids learn early that it’s okay to not get it right away, and they just need to keep trying, they’re more likely to be able to use that in their everyday lives. They will be more likely to persevere and keep working at things that are not easy for them. Along with that, skaters can also learn to not compare themselves with someone else. I know that can be a struggle to learn. And that’s not just true of the junior derby players. Adults can have a hard time learning it as well. It is so easy to think that, if

someone else is a better skater, we should just give up. But the only person we should compare ourselves to is simply that: ourselves. And that is something kids learn with the help of junior roller derby. It is so important to find joy in the journey. Look at where you started and how

ALL PHOTOS THIS PAGE BY MEGAN JOHNSTON

much you have progressed. That’s the most important comparison to make, not just in roller derby but also in life. If you are having fun and learning, you are winning. As trainers, we have also learned that kids just want to be loved, accepted, taught and recognized for the good that they do. It

doesn’t matter what that good is. Maybe they listened to their bench coach and called off a jam at the right time. Maybe they excelled at a drill they have been struggling with. Maybe their blocker line held really well. Whatever it is, they just want to know that someone is proud of them. When

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someone is proud of them, they are that much prouder of themselves. If a child is struggling, one of the best things you can do is point out the good. Focusing on the positives

her to be brave. She talked about stage fright, which I had never considered derby helping with before. According to her, playing in bouts can sometimes feel like there are hundreds of people watching

support them. Working with junior roller derby players, I have learned that kids are some of the most resilient people. Given the right chances and encouragement,

If a child is struggling, one of the best things you can do is point out the good. helps them move past the struggles and keep trying. When a junior skater is given the chance to excel and be proud of themself, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be amazed at what they can accomplish. One of my junior derby players said that derby helps

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even if there are only a few dozen. And a player can feel like they are out there all alone. But junior roller derby can give the skater the bravery and skills to manage feeling like that, knowing that they have their team around them to lean on and to

they bounce back really quickly from problems and setbacks. Junior roller derby gives them exactly those chances and encouragement. Playing roller derby allows a kidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s confidence to just blossom and grow and helps them

out so much in life. Junior roller derby is an amazing thing for the skaters as well as the adult trainers. There are just so many lessons that can be learned by everyone. There are few things as cool as watching a junior skater nail a drill theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been struggling with or break through the pack as a jammer or hold the line as a blocker. And watching the light go on when they understand something is awesome. Adult roller derby teaches a lot of the same life lessons as junior derby, but there is something really special about watching the kids grow and learn and, sometimes, even surprise themselves.

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Tips for a team tryout* SARGE, CAJUN ROLLER GIRLS

Here you are. You have made the decision to try out for a Roller Derby team. You have been watching other players and now you are thinking, “I think I can do that. But how do I get started without looking like a Doof trying out in front of these players that really know what they are doing?” YOU MAY BE HAVING SOME doubts about whether you can do it and make it. “Am I too out of shape? Too young? Too old? Or, Am I a good enough skater?” Or maybe you are a little bit too cocky, and life is about to teach you a lesson. So, what can you do to ready yourself for the first tryout? The first thing to do is

take note of your current physical ability. My experiences with Derby have been that you will be welcome for even wanting to try in the first place. Derby is full of players of all ranges of ability. This sport has taken overweight and/or out of shape people and changed them, through consistent practice, into fighting warrior machines. Or perhaps you

are already in shape and just like the idea of being a skater with the ability to knock another player off the track. Persistence and just showing up are probably the two biggest factors to success. I asked this question of some experienced players: “What advice would you give to somebody starting out new, as you once did?” Advice from Nancy Williams includes, “Don’t compare your level of ability to ANYONE else, this is your journey. People progress at different rates, Work at your own pace, Always ask good questions, if you don’t understand a drill speak up and ask for a demonstration. And give it 110%, if you don’t make it this round, don’t get discouraged. Roller Derby isn’t going anywhere.” There is a lot to learn in Derby for a beginner starting out. It will be a combination

PHOTO BY COURTESY CAJUN ROLLER GIRLS

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

of mental and physical conditioning. Developing a grasp of how the game actually works, along with the rules (of which there are many) and progressing physically at the same time are imperative. Four factors kept repeating from the panel of advisers. 1. PHYSICAL The importance of starting out at the proper level cannot be overemphasized. Karlie Bones said, “Don’t push yourself over your personal limit.” The advice is meant to make sure you don’t hurt yourself, which takes you out of the game. This is not your goal. “Take one little step after another. You may consider starting out as a ref. Reffing is lots of fun and a major game changer in understanding the game.” Build up and stick with it. Derby is a sport, and the

* All quotes are from “ Derby Over Fifty,” Facebook Group.

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PHOTO BY WILL TRAHAN PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO BY COURTESY CAJUN ROLLER GIRLS

players are athletes. Training is important to get you up to a competitive level. J’Sicka Rabid said, “While roller derby DOES make you stronger, remember to play effectively. You don’t play derby to get strong. You get strong to play derby. Prepare your body for what lies ahead. Potential for injuries increases due to lack of strength.” 2. MENTAL Decker Decker offered, “Don’t get into your head. The moment you get into self-doubt you will lose focus. Mental strength is just as important as physical strength.” 3. ENDURANCE Many coaches and players advocate cross training with derby practice. Decker Decker adds, “To prepare physically, go to a good cross fit place for beginners, I’d say endurance training is very useful and necessary. Two minutes can feel like an eternity.”

Alpha Bitch (center) is the last player skating of the original starters of the Cajun Roller Girls. A Veteran’s veteran. She has survived a startup and many changes and challenges in the growth of a Derby Team. If you could sit on the bench and get first class instruction from her, this is what she would say.

4. SPORTSMANSHIP Lauren Casapulla said, “Remember, the coaches have been watching before today and every practice is really a tryout. Treat it like another practice, but dress better,” she joked. But she adds, “Take the high road even is someone else is a douche.” One last important factor for players and teams to consider is age matters...In a good way. Jami Claire has proven that age is a positve factor. She said. “I started at age 61! I’m in training to become a ref! My goal has always been to become a ref. In the meantime, I’ve qualified as a Level 1 NSO in my first year, and I’m the HNSO for my league. Older people may not pick it up as fast because we are not as flexible, and we take longer to recover from the bumps and bruises. but we are frequently more stable and less likely to move on due to ending school or jobs.”

“My advice to new skaters, no matter the skill level when starting, is to be a player on the team and own it, not a fan girl. Do not wait for others to tell you that you are good enough to contribute. Do not skip practice because you think you don’t matter. Insert yourself into practices and skills and scrimmaging even if you feel completely overwhelmed and know you will fail miserably. You probably will. Everyone does at some time. Nobody holds it against you if you honestly try. Listen to the critiques on how to improve your form if you are struggling on the skills and then do it. Every. Fucking. Time. Even if it sets you back some, throws you off balance more often than your usual off balance. There is no other way to get there—you are never going to ease into it your way—and no veteran is going to invest time, and effort, and energy in someone who does not listen, who does not first invest in themselves. Also, expect to be relied upon, hold your own ground and own your space. Do not let it be taken from you, but always forgive yourself when you fail the team in a particular wall or scenario (it happens). Learn from it. Learn to play smarter, not harder. There will always be another pass.”

fiveonfivemag.com | SPRING 2018

DERBY WORLD

Danish Derby

ISABELLA MADSEN AKA MINNIE MAYDAY, SMILE CITY ROLLERS IN THE NORTHERN PART OF EUROPE LIES A tiny country called Denmark. In Denmark, you don’t grow up with birthday parties at the roller rink and the weather is often too dull and rainy for casual outdoor skating, so it’s probably not surprising that roller derby is still not widely known here. But I am here to tell you a story about some amazing people who are working tirelessly to

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change that. Roller derby first saw the light of day in Denmark in 2009, when Saboteur from Copenhagen came home from a trip to the US, feeling inspired to make this cool sport happen on their home turf. Saboteur and a few dedicated people got together and skated in a roundabout in the middle of nowhere, and thus Copenhagen Roller Derby

was born. Soon the rest of the country jumped on the bandwagon and new leagues were formed in other major cities. The adventures of Danish derby had now begun. Bringing a new sport to a tiny country where people tend to be a little afraid of the unknown was no walk in the park. Roller rinks are a thing that we can only dream of, so most of us

skate in school gymnasiums or somewhere similar. And I am sure that many European leagues will know the challenge of renting a public space like a gymnasium and convincing the people who run the facilities that we won’t damage the floor with our skates and pads. We will get the late time slots because the more popular sports get first pick. And because of the late time slots, attendance will often be low. Recruitment can be a hassle, because very few adults are willing to commit to the time it takes to learn how to skate along with the

PHOTO BY PETER TROEST

time you have to dedicate to volunteering. But despite the struggles with attendance and training space, we are too stubborn to step down. We want to fight for this, and derby in Denmark still maintains the underground DIY spirit we know from the early days. It is a place for people who don’t fit into boxes. Even now that junior derby is slowly gaining momentum in Denmark, we still have many new skaters who never played sports growing up. And I think that is an important thing to cherish, because derby can provide the social

space that was missing in your childhood. Those of us who were awkward nerds in school can get a second chance to find our own crowd. Our ability to include people from all walks of life seems to have caught the attention of the official governing bodies of Danish community sport. As of 2018, a roller derby committee has been formed as a part of Rullesport Danmark, the Danish association of roller sports. This committee consists of a handful of people who have been active in roller derby for years; some as skaters, others as officials or coaches. Thanks to their hard work, we are getting exposure and financial support through the association and are able to share our experiences with other sports in order to inspire each other. The committee is not here to dictate the rules for everybody playing derby in Denmark; it is here to help us grow as a community. Little by little, we are making progress in cre-

ating a serious and inclusive sporting environment. I have been a skating member of three different leagues in Denmark and I have worked with the rest of the Danish leagues on various occasions. Every league has their own unique challenges and brings a different color to the canvas that is Derby Denmark. But we all have one thing in common – we want more people. We all struggle with burnout and we all hope that someday there will be more of us to share the burden. Personally, one of my greatest joys in this world is when I can pass on my knowledge and passion to someone new to the sport and see their face light up when they talk about derby. As I am writing this, I feel confident that 2019 will be the year where Danish derby will grow stronger than ever. In my league, we had more than 30 people show up for our new skater intake in January. Last year, Copenhagen Ladybugs

became the first league in Denmark to host a Sevens tournament, and this year two other leagues have already followed suit and scheduled their own tournaments. To this day, we have 6 active leagues and a few up-and-coming around the country, which I think is pretty cool considering that the total population of Denmark is less than 6 million people. I feel so immensely proud of everyone involved and everything we have accomplished together throughout the last decade. It hasn’t always been an easy ride - in fact there has been quite a large amount of blood, sweat and, especially, tears involved - but Derby Denmark has always been there for me, no matter what challenges I was facing in my personal life. And that is why I want to give something back and do everything I can to make this community flourish. This is my tribute to Danish roller derby.

fiveonfivemag.com | SPRING 2018

CHECK 1, 2 AMY JO “BITCHES BRUZE” MOORE

ANNOUNCERS EDUCATE, ENTERTAIN, and inform the audience during games on the house (or Public Address) call or on a broadcast. But they can do so much more when hosts prepare materials for the call! The preparation invested in the announcer script is returned tenfold in getting the best information to your fans. WHAT AND WHEN Whenever possible, leagues should get the announcer script to the announcers at least a week before the game and early information to announcers up to a month in advance. Even if rosters won’t be settled until a later date, getting the core information to announcers up to a month before your games allows for preparation and questions. EARLY INFORMATION Every season has an amount of early information, meaning information that won’t change, and leagues know this information well in advance. If we think about the information we give to officials, much of this information should also be

Schedules must be detailed

Make sure your announcer crew knows: Time to start talking The order of pre-game events and the allotted time: • Anthem • Team intros • Officials intros • Demonstrations Time between halves Events and announcements between halves Time between games (if a multi-game event) Timeline of any raffles What to expect with MVP awards PHOTO COURTESY OF AMY JO MOORE

fiveonfivemag.com | SPRING 2018

PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTORM-DANCROWTHERPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

Special Events Including league events like recruiting, related team events (sister/brother/junior leagues),fundraisers, tournaments Timing: Whenever appropriate, but at least one week before event. SAFETY AND TIME MANAGEMENT Announcers provide the first line of safety and schedule to the fans, programs are second. Critical to the success of the event is getting this information out quickly and efficiently. Inform your announcers of the safety information for your venue and the schedule of the event, and they, along with your officials, will keep things running smoothly, safely and on time. For safety, you should provide written instructions on: Emergency

PHOTO BY JÜRGEN ZIEGLER

distributed to announcers. Here’s a list of information that should get sent to announcers when it’s available: Season Schedule Including complete home and away game schedule Timing: With announcer application or as soon as available to rostered announcers Venue Information, Including venue safety information such as emergency exits, venue or league-specific information (such as restroom rules/ accommodations), announcerspecific information such as sound system specs (wireless/ wired), announcer location, game layout - team benches/ penalty box/scoreboard location(s) Timing: With announcer contracts or as soon as available

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Exits, restricted areas that are skaters and officials only, restroom information (location, front-of-line instructions) and emergency management. Emergency management includes things like restrictions on seating or access near play areas and benches, and audience use of EMTs. Much of this information we hope we never use, but better a prepared venue should an emergency occur than lose time or create havoc in not sharing.

trained in proper protocol can listen in on the concern and objectively share that information in proper officiating terms with the audience— skaters involved, approximate time in the jam, location on the track, observed action or non-action, on-track call or non-call, and desired outcome. An announcer can listen in on the officials’ discussion then, after the team captains have been advised of the result, relay the conclusion to the fans.

OFFICIAL WORD Help facilitate communication between your announcer and head referee regarding official reviews. The audience feels more engaged in the game when they know what’s happening during game stoppage. Some referees prefer to make the announcements themselves and some prefer to let the announcer take on this role. An announcer

ROSTERS Too often providing announcers with rosters is an afterthought. This announcer has, in the past, felt blessed when someone printed off the Rosters sheet from the StatsBook. That should be the lowest bar of information delivery to your announcers. The ideal roster sheet provided to announcers will be formatted to include all

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the pertinent team and roster information on one sheet so the announcer doesn’t have to shuffle papers while calling the play by play. I’ve provided an example from ECDX 2018 to show how you can get numbers, names, pronunciations and pronouns on one sheet with other information. Get this information from your visiting team with team spreadsheets or surveys you incorporate into your contracts. Yes, you can have your announcer do the legwork of pronunciation on game day, but this arrangement is less than ideal for all involved. STATISTICS Every game can have preparatory statistics. Do not rely on memory! Once in preparation for a game, this author had already found the past record between two teams of three games, but the Captain informed the author

they’d never played before. They were games that had probably occurred before the Captain had joined the team. Just because an 8-year-old game feels like irrelevant derby history, the fact we’re a sport and leagues with history like this is a storyline that fills out a good announcer call. Check Flat Track Stats (.com) or your own game statistic repository. If you have skater stats from those games, share them as well. If you’re preparing a home game, make sure you get the league information about the visiting team. A good coach would already have prepared this information to prepare the team. These are great tidbits for an announcer to work with and sound professional. Some items to include are where the team is based, what kind of floor they practice and compete on at home, their WFTDA ranking if they have one, and how many years

they’ve been around. Season information for both teams brings color to a game and a good announcer will find opportunities to incorporate this information. Don’t forget to include the bench staff for each team as well. Even if they aren’t included in team intros, there’s opportunity to talk about them during official reviews. When THAing for events, I also like to provide production notes on this sheet regarding the other games these teams are playing or have played in past instances of this event, the information about what is going on on other tracks, and what will happen next on this track. All this information is helpful to derby-aware audiences to plan their days and movement between tracks. If you have access to skater statistics from previous games, share them in your announcer script. If you need a reference of what

that might look like, see the Sports Information Books associated with post-season events at Tournament Central on WFTDA.com. SPONSORSHIP Sponsor reads and game component sponsorship bring in necessary production funds for leagues. Empower your announcers to give those sponsors a positive return on investment by getting those reads to the fans fluidly and without interfering with their enjoying the game. It is worth asking your sponsors if they have a couple short reads about their business or product or shoutouts to skaters. Let them know it should be 1 to 3 sentences but, more importantly, can be read in 10 to 15 seconds which is the amount of time available between jams to tie up the jam, read a sponsor read and introduce the jammers for the next jam.

Could you leave your announcers to their own devices working only from the program? Sure. But this is taxing on the announcers, and it leads to opportunities to offend sponsors. Take the time to prepare this and work with your sponsors. It makes them feel valued and involved, and it makes everyone sound more professional and on message. GAME COMPONENT NAMING Having sponsors lend their name to time outs, the jammer line, the penalty box and others usually sells some of the highest dollar-value sponsorships. Get this information to your announcers as it comes in. Hopefully you’ll be using this in your social media as well, so the sooner you get everyone referring to the ABC Widget Jam Line, the more easily it will flow and stay on message for your sponsor.

CTRL+P Print out all the information for your announcers. Even if your announcer is known to print their own material or use a tablet, it’s good practice to have backups. I started my announcing career in 2008 because traffic kept the scheduled announcer from making the game, and the team moved me from NSO (scoreboard) to announcer! Announcer scripts are an investment. They put the finishing touches of professionalism and message for your league’s most visible product - your games. Putting this level of work into them is time consuming, but it is the difference between purely amateur and putting the value into your ticket price. Caring about what your announcers say and giving them the tools to excel will also show to these volunteers how much you care about them and how they sound.

PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTORM-DANCROWTHERPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

fiveonfivemag.com | SPRING 2018

MY DERBY STORY

Dealing with grief: derby style HERMIONE DANGER

SHEFFIELD STEEL ROLLER GIRLS

*TRIGGER WARNING: DEATH, GRIEF, MENTAL HEALTH*

WE ALL DEAL WITH GRIEF. It’s a part of life-an unpleasant part, but it’s still there. Recently, my dad, Bollock Obama, passed away. He was my derby hero as well as my dad, and I know that I can’t get him back, and that hurts like hell. However, I feel him with me whenever I’m around roller derby, because he was such an influential character in my derby development. He is the main reason I want to become a ref, and the reason I want to get back into derby. He loved it so much, and he had such an enthusiasm and passion for it that I really want to carry on his legacy of joy in derby. It turns out that roller derby is a safe place for mourning and grief, and nobody will judge you. In roller derby, everyone mourns with you, because you’re a family. Even if your team didn’t know the person who passed away, they know you’re hurting, and they support you and try to help you heal. They don’t force it though. Just like a derby injury, healing from a death takes time. Even months down the line, I feel like I can still turn to members of my derby community and know that they

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aren’t going to act annoyed or bored by my emotions. Nobody tries to trivialize the hurt and pain you feel, which is incredibly helpful because something I’ve realized is that grief (my grief at least) comes in waves. So I might feel totally happy one day, and be enjoying life to the fullest, but the next day I might feel completely weighed down by the pain of missing my dad. Even if my team don’t understand exactly what I’m feeling, they’re ready to empathize with me, or give me hugs, or do whatever it takes to bear the pain that day. Sometimes all you need is a friend to stand by you and tell you that it’s ok to lay on the floor for an hour because the awfulness is literally keeping you on the floor. I’ve found that derby is also a really good place to let out bad feelings. It’s a positive outlet for negative emotions. I am the first to admit I hate exercise, but I know that after two solid hours of throwing myself at training, I do feel better. Also, getting to hit people is pretty good for letting out the aggression I feel at the world for taking my dad. It also helps me develop my

hitting techniques, which is something I’ve always struggled with. I’m too pointy in the elbows, but I’m getting better. In this way, I’m taking the sadness and pain, and turning it into something good. I know dad would be proud of that. He was always trying to get me to do good things with my negative emotions. Derby is something where I’ve found that no matter what, I can always move forward. I’m always getting better, even if I feel defeated and down. I’ve learned to take that kind of thinking and apply it to the rest of my life. Maybe I’m having a day where I can’t get out of bed or move from the foetal position because I miss my dad and when I felt like that and he was alive, he’d be my first call, my first text, my first message. He’d know how to help me work through it. But now, I can’t call him. But if I can count to ten, I’ve made it through ten seconds. I’ve

gotten through that much. Then I do it again, and I’ve made it through twenty seconds. And if I do it twelve times, I’ve made it through the length of a full jam, and the exertion I feel is the same, but the victory I feel is the same too, because look at me! I’ve made it through a

really tough thing that I didn’t think I could. My dad represented strength and courage to people in the derby community all over the world and I know we’re all going to be hurting, but we’re going to be hurting together, because we’re a family. Dad might not know how

agonizing his death would actually be for me (and for everyone), but somehow, I think he knew that I’d be able to make something good out of it. He instilled in me the skills I’d need to move forward in derby and in life, and I think he’s proud of me. #BeMoreBollock

fiveonfivemag.com | SPRING 2018

CULTURE

#thefannypackishere ESTRELIA DIAZ – AKA DIAMOND DRILL(H)ER,ARCH RIVAL ROLLER DERBY

KAYLA WOODWARD IS A dab hand at this roller derby gig. She is currently one of the most feared elite players in the world today and plays for Arch Rival Roller Derby. Kayla (KWoo) loves a good coffee, her two Derby dogs – Tater and Olive – and crop tops. Many of you might not know, but KWoo is also a Meme queen. fiveonfive caught up with Kayla in the middle of a meme-battle in St. Louis for the first installment of #thefannypackishere. We took a peek in her fanny pack - to see if some secrets to success are hidden within… Diamond Drill(h)er: Can you tell us about your fanny pack…. Kayla: I bought this at a local vendor in Soulard (DD: a cosmopolitan part of St Louis) it is the style that goes around your hip and your thigh; I love it as I can fit a lot into it. CAT AND DOG PATCHES KW: I bought those at Big O this year, but my current jacket has no more space for patches, I have to decide what my next patch project will be. MEDICINAL TEA KW: I actually have weak vocal chords and have to prep them. If I am going to be coaching or cheering

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for a particular event, I usually also have tubes of honey to coat and soothe my throat.

DD: Sounds painful. Would you trust them for a derby game? KW: Totally, if I didn’t wear glasses!

PLANE TICKET KW: This is from the clinic that we ran in Pullman, Washington. Roller derby has allowed us to travel the world, and in 2019, we are coming to Derby Fest in Australia. DD: Have you heard of any particular foods you have to try while down there? KW: Yes! We were told to try, “Golden Gaytimes” and “Cherry Ripes.”

OVARIAN CANCER PIN KW: A really special friend in my life, and ex-derby player, was diagnosed with Ovarian cancer. Recently we did a row-a-thon where we rowed for 24.7 kilometres/15.4 miles on a stationary rower. We raised over $1600.

WRIST WRAP – BUT ONLY ONE KW: I use this at cross fit, but of course there is only one. I am always misplacing them.

SILICON WEDDING BAND KW: I wear these when we are playing derby and doing cross fit.

LIPSTICK DD: 8 lipsticks and 2 Chap Sticks? Was this a surprise? KW: I LOVE lipstick. I’m into wearing darker colours at the moment. I’m not surprised, but I have been looking for one of those for a while. My mom gave me one recently that is pushbutton activated. ... AND A SET OF MAGNETIC EYELASHES KW: These were really COOL. There is a tool that you need to pry them apart, and then they snap onto your lash line.

FORK KW: I am really unsure how that got there?

PHYSICAL THERAPY NOTES KW: Working on some strengthening exercises. LIP BAG KW: This originally had the lipsticks in it… now I use it as my wallet, which is probably why there were so many scattered through the rest of the bag. GIANT IPHONE KW: I really wanted this model as it had the portrait mode, but it is so big that it does not fit in my pockets, and my friends are always asking, “Have you got your phone?” to test me.

@THEJETLAGGEDTRAVELLER

fiveonfivemag.com | SPRING 2018

fiveonfivemag.com | SPRING 2018 1. Yellow Jammer’s Helmet Cover inverted 2. Black Blockers #124’s armband to #24 3. Black Pivot’s #26’s armband to #29 4. Yellow Pivot’s Helmet Cover inverted 5. Black Pivot’s Helmet Cover inverted 6. 4 Fans have had their faces swapped PHOTO BY DAVID DYTE

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

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

fiveonfivemag.com | SPRING 2018