WOMEN’S FLAT TRACK ROLLER DERBY MAGAZINE ISSUE 31, SPRING 2016
proud partner of the WFTDA
fiveonfivemag.com
fiveonfive contents 30-33
4-5
advice ask ms d’fiant and suzy hotrod!
WFTDA Ten things to look forward to for the 2016 tournament season!
6-9
business equal opportunity recruitment playing roller derby made me a better social media marketer
Joe Mac
10-15
health and fitness blisters concussion from the inside
16-24 games and coaching
40-41 How to Begin Officiating Tournaments
the sacred bench changing focus
Some officiating veterans provide insight and advice for newer refs looking to gain some tournament experience.
26-27 34-37
junior derby junior derby gear
Jules Doyle
gear leather repair and maintenance
38-39 rookie
Balancing Sport and Show We’ve worked so hard to be viewed as a legitimate sport, but have we done so at the expense of show?
roller derby 201: playing the pack
40-43
Drew Geraets
officiating how to begin officiating tournaments coaching taught me to officiate with empathy
50-53 international derby 54-57 art and media
46-49
blisters S I N F U L S A L LY, R O C K F O R D R A G E W O M E N ’ S R O L L E R D E R B Y ( R E T I R E D )
blister prevention 1. keep your feet clean, dry and well kempt Easier said than done, but it really does wonders. Dry feet will cause less irritation to the skin than moist feet. Change your socks frequently. Sounds like a chore, but if you keep your feet dry, you have less of a chance to create a spot that will have excess friction. When we do off-skates training at practice, I bring a change of socks to put on before we start skating, and recently, I have started changing my socks at half time of bouts. I’ve discovered that my hot spots don’t develop until close to halftime, simply because my feet are hot and sweaty. With changing socks midway, there is less of a chance that another nasty blister will form. 2. minimize friction Baby power, skin lube, deodorant or Vaseline lightly rubbed on one of your hotspots before putting socks on will reduce friction. Other friction fighters that work well include (believe it or not) duct tape, Blist-O-Ban (SamMedical.com/blistoban) and Engo blister prevention pads (GoEngo.com) and items like Silipo Skate Bite Protector sleeves (Silipos.com) or Clear Clouds sleeves (SkatingSafe.com/ClearClouds) have special gel pads to protect hot spots. 3. wear the appropriate socks The right socks can make or break you. We all want the
about blisters Blisters are simply caused by friction, which ends up separating layers of skin from one another and can fill with fluid. Blisters typically form anywhere there is extra friction, added moisture, or “hot spots.” Moist/warm conditions are perfect for blister harvesting, and anyone who skates derby knows that we could make millions in the blister making business. Blood blisters are more bothersome and irritating. They appear when all layers of skin are irritated and affect the deep tissue, causing blood vessels to rupture. In my case, my past few “friends” have all been blood blisters. They aren’t pleasant, take longer to heal, and are just plain irritating. So what’s a girl to do when prone to blisters?
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C Tasmin Brown Photography
I have a new blister. Its name is Beatrice. I’ve gotten to know Bud, Bruce, Buzz and many others over the past few years. When I was in college, I played volleyball and was an Athletic Training Major (division of sports medicine). My fellow athletic training students dreaded my visits to the athletic training room for daily practice and got sick of looking at my feet during our care and prevention of injuries class. My feet were horrible. At one point, during volleyball season, I had deep “holes” in both balls of my feet from blisters that had ripped open. It was awful and awesome at the same time. Eight years later, I have come to terms with having “Frankenstein” feet. Just 3.5 years of derby have taken a serious toll on my once beautiful and well manicured footsies, and the aforementioned “friends” I have made have taught me more than I ever wish to know about blisters. I’ve been through an endless amount of padding, blister care supplies, and athletic tape. I have bunions, bunionettes, calluses, and of course, the dreaded blister. I’ve tried everything to help prevent them and to heal them quickly once they appear. You could say I’m somewhat of an expert, so I thought I would share with all of you.
newest, most badass socks from our favorite derby apparel website, but many of these socks are made from materials that increase the chance of forming blisters. A study out of the University of Missouri-Columbia showed that 100% cotton socks are the worst for holding moisture and causing blisters. In fact, the study further found that nylon socks help prevent blisters the best. Any runner, marathoner or triathlete will tell you not to wear cotton socks. A blended sock of nylon, wool or polyester will wick away sweat and keep your tootsies dry. My new fave socks are made by SmartWool (not trying to sell the socks, it’s just what has worked for me). I’ve owned these socks for a few years for hiking but just started wearing them for derby within the last six months and have seen great results. If you still want to wear your fun, new knee highs, cut off the foot at the ankle of the sock and make them into “leg warmers”, leaving the foot part open for whatever socks suit your feet best. You can still look cute, but have blisterless feet. 4. wear properly sized footwear If your skate boots are too big, your feet will move more inside of them and cause more friction and hotspots. Make sure, when purchasing your next set of skates, they fit properly. Also, lacing your skate boots properly (based on your own unique foot issues) can be a big help. You can find some great lacing techniques online at IAN’s Shoe Lace website fieggen.com/shoelace. So you have already developed the “Blister from Hell” OR “Beatrice”; what should you do NOW? blister treatment There are so many products out there to help with blister
treatment. What works and what doesn’t can really depend on the person, their skin, their blister (size and type) and your skate boot. I’ve tried it all and below are some of my favorite items that have worked well me. • 2nd skin burn pads (Spenco.com). My number one choice. These come in rectangular, square and circle pieces and can be found at some drug stores. They can be cut to size to fit your blister. They are a bit pricey, but they really cushion a hot spot or existing blister. • Mole skin (DrScholls.com) or felt/foam pads. A contender for best item to use. Both work great if used correctly. Make sure to cut a hole in the mole skin or padding just slightly larger than your blister. The blister will sit inside of the padding and be protected from the inside of your skate boot. • Blister Band-Aids/Advanced Healing Band-Aids (BandAid.com). These work great on minor blisters, but not well with your more involved blood blister. These dressings have a breathable center that will fill with air and cushion your blister as it heals. They are waterproof and meant to stay on the area for several days. Be careful with these though, as you don’t want to have to peel them off before the healing process is completed. If you do, you can end up ripping the blister and making blister treatment more complicated. should I lance the sucker? My personal/professional opinion = NO. It can lead to infection, ripped blisters and more problems; however there are some of you who will do it anyway. *Read as: “I’m not condoning this, however if you do here’s what to do” (you can find it on the internet anyway).* • Clean the area thoroughly. • Sterilize a needle and allow it to cool. • Create a SMALL pinprick, as you don’t want to create an open space for infection or cause any tearing of the top layers of skin. • Drain the fluid by pressing on the blister with a sterile gauze pad. • Dress the newly deflated blister with antibiotic ointment and cover with a Band-Aid or other sterile dressing. Remember that the above is only a last resort. I’ve been a Certified Athletic Trainer for eight years and I’ve lanced a blister only once or twice when really needed. Take care of your hooves... happy blister free skating.H
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the sacred bench P U N C H Y O ’ G U T S, R E S U R G A M R O L L E R D E R B Y
The bench. Some people think of it as simply the place they sit until they get to play roller derby. For the skaters hoping for a chance to go in, the bench can be a holding cell. For the players who are getting their ass beat, it can be a much-needed place of rest. For a coach, it can be unbridled chaos. The bench is none of these things. It should be a sacred and focused space. Preparation and communication are crucial elements of developing a focused bench. Everyone on the team has responsibilities. If you are not in the jam, you should be discussing the plan with the other teammates who are going in the next jam. If you aren’t written in many (or any) jams, you should be analyzing the jam in play – counting points to make sure your team receives them all, watching penalties and ref calls, and observing how your opponents are successful and how they can be shut down. There is no time for bullshit. When you are on the bench, you must be just as focused as if you are in the jam. If a coach knows there are some skaters on the bench who will not be playing, they should assign them a job, so each skater is actively participating in the team’s success. Success, however, must be clearly defined and communicated through a set of goals. “Win” is not a clear goal. “Win by 50+ points” is better, but should be followed up with a solid plan of how to do that. Does that mean that you will be running jams for the full two minutes at times? Does that mean that you will be changing your lineups often to counteract your
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opponents? Every person on the team must know what the goals are and how to achieve them so there are no disagreements about what is supposed to happen. Arguing on the bench is a HARD NO. It should never happen. If everyone knows their job and is clear about their goals and how to achieve them, there should be nothing to argue about. Being prepared for a game is just the foundation of creating a focused bench. Many people can agree to their responsibilities but get caught up in the mental, emotional, and physical impact of the game. I’ve been on a bench where everything went to complete shit. Teammates were yelling at each other, the bench manager was kicking chairs, and the coach was arguing with officials. Loudly. Not only
Success, however, must be clearly defined and communicated through a set of goals.
is this incredibly embarrassing, but it also cost us the game. I’ve also been on the other end of that in which I’ve seen my opponent’s bench unravel and the point spread grow larger and larger in my team’s favor. No one can focus if the bench is not calm. Keeping a calm bench starts with strong leadership. The coaches must lead by example. If the coaches are yelling and complaining and getting heated, the players will feel that things are out of control. Some may feel that they need to make decisions on their own, which breaks the team unity. Coaches must stay calm and focused, especially when under pressure, so that they model the behavior they seek from the players. Some of the most common unwanted behaviors are having a bad attitude, yelling at officials or teammates, and individual playing (going against the team’s plan). When I’m coaching, I make it clear what I expect of players: everything you do should help the team in some way. If that is unclear, ask yourself before making a decision “will this harm or help the team?” Does complaining on the bench about the
Evan Shanks
officials or the opponents help the team? Does throwing a fit in the middle of a jam help the team? Does it help the team when you say nasty comments to your teammates? Does it help the team when you are shouting over your coach? Does it help the team when you argue with an official about the penalty you just received? No, no, no, no, and NO! Any time a skater engages in these behaviors they are making that moment about themselves and not about the team. They risk infecting their teammates with their shitty, toxic attitude. A coach must have a zero tolerance policy for behavior that harms the team. This means that you quickly deal with problematic skaters before they infect the bench. Sometimes that means sitting them when they were supposed to be playing, and sometimes that means asking them
to leave the bench. This includes your strongest players, who can quickly become the team’s worst nightmare if they are focused on themselves rather than the team. You are better off
are a contributing member at ALL times. Be grateful that you are part of the team, and be respectful of the team. There is no place for ego. Only teamwork. Work out your shit before you put on that uniform. The bench is the sacred space where individuals come together with a shared goal. It’s where you communicate, refocus, and connect. It’s the home base of operations, where everyone has responsibilities and must work together to succeed. In short, bench etiquette goes like this: Coaches (captains or whoever is the designated team leadership), you must communicate goals, give everyone a job, lead by example, and handle shit immediately. Skaters, you must stay focused, do your team job, and don’t make it about you. Just take your Act Right, and everything will be smooth and professional!H
The bench is the sacred space where individuals come together with a shared goal. It’s where you communicate, refocus, and connect. It’s the home base of operations, where everyone has responsibilities and must work together to succeed. removing the skater than allowing them to infect the team, otherwise, you may spend your focus and energy on dealing with one skater than doing your actual job, which is coaching the whole team. If you are a skater who is guilty of bad behaviors, it’s time to recognize how you negatively impact the team and how you can change so that you
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