WOMEN’S FLAT TRACK ROLLER DERBY MAGAZINE ISSUE 25, FALL 2014
proud partner of the WFTDA
fiveonfivemag.com
fiveonfive contents 34-37
4-5 advice
ask ms d’fiant and suzy hotrod!
WFTDA
6-9 business
It’s tournament time. Find out what to expect for the coming action-packed season. Who will take home the Hydra?
wave accounting software running of the bulls derby style
10-17 health and fitness plyometrics kinesio tape reducing injuries
46-48 Team Lobster
18-21 games and coaching
The derby community has a long history of rallying for its skaters, coaches, and mentors. Read about Rob Lobter’s touching story and find out how you can help.
order of operations: assists
24-33 gear 38-39 junior derby junior derby changed my life
Your Sunday Best
wheels cheap and easy gear updates
49 RollerCon recap
40-45 rookie
RollerCon is always a whirlwind for those who attend. Check out this recap from one of this year’s attendees and start making plans for next year.
start-up leagues: first year setup welcome packet
Tristan King
56-58 international derby 60-61 art and media
health and fitness
reducing injuries S T UA RT O R R , G R A N D R A G G I DY R O L L E R G I R L S
The primary objectives of our strength and conditioning program are to reduce the likelihood of an injury, reduce the severity if one occurs, and increase the athlete’s performance base on the track. In the case of derby and its combative nature, it is vital that every joint structure from head-to-toe be strengthened in a balanced fashion. We divide the body into five segments: Neck Hip/Thigh Torso Arms/rotator cuff Midsection Notice how neck is at the top of the list. We work the neck first as I believe it is top priority for any combat athlete. One of the most important things I’ve learned from Dan Riley (former Washington Redskin and Houston Texan strength coach) over the years through clinics, emails, and phone conversation is the statement, “If you only had 10 minutes to work with your players and you spent that time training the neck, you’ve done your job.” With concussions at the forefront and the plethora of information available on how to DIAGNOSE/MANAGE concussions, teams need to also implement PREVENTATIVE MEASURES to reduce the likelihood of one occurring. Dr. Dawn Comstock, a professor of Epidemiology at The Colorado School of Public Health, released some important data in early 2013. Dr. Comstock collected data between 2010-2012 on 6,704 high school boys and girls participating in soccer, lacrosse, and basketball. Athletic trainers measured head circumference, neck circumference, and neck length, and employed neck exercises (cervical flexion, cervical extension and lateral flexion left and right). Measurements were taken before the season started and throughout the study. Trainers reported injury data, including incidence of concussions over the two years. After adjusting for gender and sport, neck strength was shown to be a “significant predictor of concussion risk.” The data showed that for every 1 lb. of neck strength gained, concussion risk was reduced by 5%. Nobody is saying that you can’t get a concussion if you train the neck, but Dr. Comstock’s research shows that strengthening this often
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overlooked area shows a “strong potential as a key preventative measure against concussion.” In my own experience training the necks of non-athletic clients, I have also gotten rid of headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain, and even vertigo in a couple cases. modalities for neck work There are many outstanding 4-way neck machines on the market today. I personally own a Rogers Athletic Pendulum 4-way neck piece, which is the best neck machine I have ever used. It has a superb feel and smooth action. If it is in your team’s budget, I highly recommend the purchase of a 4-way neck machine as progression of strength is quantifiable and gains can be tracked over time. However, in this article, a form of exercise called Manual Resistance (MR) will be employed as I assume many teams (and most gyms for that matter) do not have access to a 4-way machine. MR is a strength application where the resistance is applied by your training partner and offers a “no excuses” workout since no equipment is needed and large groups can be trained at once. If you decide to perform the exercises as a team, it is extremely important they be done AT THE END OF PRACTICE. You do not want to take hits during drills with a fatigued neck. Another important point is MR takes repeated practice and is an art in itself. Take extreme care when training the neck musculature, and I urge you to follow these rules: 1. The lifter begins each exercise with the goal of failing around 8-10 reps. This requires pacing, and with each subsequent rep, the effort is increased. 2. The spotter should allow the athlete to perform each rep at the same pace or speed of movement. This will require different amounts of pressure throughout the rep by the spotter due to leverage. The lifter will feel as though the resistance is similar at all joint angles and should feel smooth. 3. The negative, or lowering phase of the rep should be slower than the positive, or raising phase. A good guideline is to raise the weight in 1-2 seconds and lower the weight in 4-5. 4. The spotter should feel more force from the lifter during the lowering phase of the rep.
nocklebeast
5. The lifter should continually contract the targeted musculature during both phases of the rep. 6. The spotter should give feedback to the lifter as he feels for constant tension from the lifter and recognizes any relaxation or loss of tension during the movement. 7. The lifter should pause with pressure at the point of contraction. 8. The spotter should ensure the lifter is applying pressure at the point of contraction and then ease slowly into the lowering phase of the movement. 9. The exercise is completed when athlete reaches muscular failure.
I also recommend the following exercises as part of your neck routine:
training the neck
I generally recommend performing the entire routine twice per week with the shrugging movements and rows being performed with any modality including, but not limited to, barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, sandbags, chains, or MR aiming for 8-12 heavy reps. Regardless of your strength and conditioning philosophy, make neck training top priority as the safety of your athletes should be first in line. I don’t care whether you crossfit, kettlebell, use swiss balls, balance on boards, prancercise (look it up) or bootcamp, make the time to train your neck. You will be grateful you did.
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rookie other leagues can use to contact your official interleague point person or persons. It’s okay, and probably desirable, to have an address that more than one person can access. Have a common vision and tone. If more than one person replies from the league’s email, they should sign their communications. Members should know to whom interleague communications should be directed. Often the interleague coordinator is aware of many things in the works the general membership may not be aware of. When starting your new league, introduce yourself to your neighbors. This means finding teams around you and letting them know you exist, what you have to offer, and what you anticipate you might need. Offer to help with their games and be sure to attend them! Not only is it good for new skaters and teams to get the experience of volunteering, it also helps build your new league’s goodwill in the derby community. After general introductions, make a point to reach out to leagues with skaters or teams that can participate in practice exchanges, scrimmages, and even future games. public The face of roller derby has changed significantly since its early years. The public image your league puts out on its very first moments online will impact your league for years to come. League name, logo(s), colors, fonts, photos, and written content all define your league in the public eye.
selecting a name A local derby organization made up of skaters with one or more teams is usually called a league. You will need a league name. Typically league names are related to the geographic area where the league practices, competes, or draws its members from. Teams within a league may or may not use the league name. Some leagues do repeat the league name for their top travel team; such as Gotham All Stars or Central New York All Stars, while others have completely different names; Grade A Fancy for Green Mountain Derby Dames or the Texecutioners of Texas Rollergirls. creating a league image League image includes things like logos, voice, photography, and colors. Keep these open and accessible to the widest possible audience. Logos are best when they are clear, can be printed in one to three colors, are recognizable from a distance, and can be proudly worn by anyone in any gender, age, and cultural spectrum. Skates, wheels, helmets, stars, the track, and profiles of skaters all make images that the world can associate with derby. Add knives, brass knuckles, and skulls and you exit the bigger cultural spectrum and may even have created the potential for merchandise that can’t be worn to grade school. Add fishnets and tits and you alienate some of the gender spectrum.
League colors need not be the same as team colors – but once you choose colors, stick with them in everything you do – online and off. Think of any major sports team. They always have two or three complimentary colors that you can look out into the crowd and see where the fans are sitting. When it comes to photography, you can’t beat having a good photographer, but it’s also good to regularly share snapshots of skaters doing things: practices, volunteer events, headshots, out in the community, and competing. Keep your pictures and always make sure you have the permission of the photographer before using photographs. Just because you found it in a google search or it’s a picture of you and your teammates doesn’t mean you have permission to use it in your marketing. Be a good content user and good photographers will work with you. Steal and make excuses and you alienate one of derby’s best assets. Create content regularly – for your social media and for your web site. This kind of marketing breeds familiarity. A little work every couple weeks will have your media content as robust as a solid 4-wall and as recognizable as a powerful jammer rotation. In the next issue, I’ll cover finances, venue selection, promotion as they relate to starting your league.
adrianvalenzuela.com
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