WOMEN’S FLAT TRACK ROLLER DERBY MAGAZINE ISSUE 33, FALL 2016
proud partner of the WFTDA
fiveonfivemag.com
fiveonfive contents 30-31
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advice ask ms d’fiant and suzy hotrod!
WFTDA Lois Slain from the DC Rollergirls takes us on a brief but thorough history of the WFTDA Championships, winners, and traditions from year one through 2015.
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business rainy city rebrands derby museum displays
18-25 games and coaching
jules doyle
12-17
health and fitness prolonging physical harm which muscles are you stretching
44-45 derby over 50
blocking techniques rate of score
There is no such thing as “too old” to play derby. Sarge dishes on derby over 50.
26-28 gear 32-35
junior derby junior championships
38-39
lanceson photography
gear bags
rookie advice for new skaters
48-51 we are orlando Quenby Sheree talks community, strength, and how the Psycho City Derby Girls pulled together in the wake of the June 12 mass shooting at Pulse nightclub.
40-41 officiating
quenby sheree
wftda clinics
blocking techniques OLD XCHOOL, NORTHERN CALIFORNIAN ROLLER DERBY PHOTOS BY OLD XCHOOL
Before I start this series of articles on different blocking techniques I want the reader to understand the importance of foot work when blocking. I learned to block on a banked track. This meant that in order to attack from the inside track position one had to move their feet to get position and maintain momentum because you were almost always blocking uphill. Foot work also helped to disguise the block and cover up block telegraphing. Foot work is the key to all blocking techniques! There are some great drills out there to develop good foot work. Which foot drills should you do? Do them all and do them until they are second nature to you. Position Blocking: The most basic form of blocking in roller derby. This technique keeps the opponents behind you, under control and it’s a penalty free blocking technique, for the most part. The biggest challenge when using this technique is staying in play with respect to the pack. For this article I am using my home team NCRD, the Tsunami Sirens out of Crescent City, California. How is it done? Get into a good blocking posture/stance; note black blocker’s shoulders are square to the track and her blocking direction. Keep your back straight, bend your knees and take a posture as if setting on a bar stool (see figure 1).
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Figure #1: Position blocking posture and stance, a wellbalanced stance keeps you ready to absorb aggressive back blocks by stepping or scrubbing foot work motions (foot work!). Take the inside line track position, always understanding how far you can come off the inside line without getting beat by your opponent on either the inside or outside line. This is just one of the tricks to being a good position blocker (see figure 2). Figure #2: Note black blocker’s head position and the inside line track position with respect to the blue blocker’s (opponent) track position. Always looking over your right shoulder maintaining inside track domination while forcing your opponent to take an outside line to try and beat you. Set yourself up to use the angle of pursuit to cut off your opponent on the outside line and maintain track position control (see figure 3). Figure #3: Angle of pursuit. Blue blocker appears to have beaten the black blocker. Note black blocker’s white line, this angle will quickly put her in front of the blue blocker again.
Don’t let your head turn to the inside line as you look for your opponent. Learn where your inside track line is without looking at the line. With a little practice you can master this skill. Feel your opponent when on the inside line, if you cannot see them over your right shoulder. Trust yourself and stay disciplined and square with the track (see figure 4).
Figure #5: Peek-A-Boo. If you let your opponent get your head moving from inside to outside a couple of times and let them go right by you.
Disrupt your opponent’s balance every chance you get by blocking and sticking her knees and thighs with your butt (see figure 6). Figure #4: Head position. Look over your right shoulder and don’t let the opponent turn your head to the inside. (Note: One way to find the inside line if you feel lost is to just pick it up from the corner of your eye without turning your head.) Remember: Do not look to the inside line! If your opponent gets your head moving inside to outside they will Peek-A-Boo right by you (see figure 5).
Figure #6: Disrupting your opponent’s balance. The blue blocker has rolled up on the position blocking black blocker. The black blocker is constantly butt checking the blue blocker’s legs forcing her to back off and fight for balance. Scrub your speed as much as possible and jam up your opponent each time they contact you from the rear. Butt block and move always anticipating your opponent’s
fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2016
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moving on up: some thoughts on change and how to deal with it when it wasn’t your choice SCARLETT O’HARDER, ROLLER DERBY LEICESTER
From the first article I read on roller derby to the most recent, the story has always been the same: roller derby is amazing and changed my life. And although in a lot of ways I echo that sentiment, my experience with the sport has been quite difficult and I felt that for the sake of those struggling, I wanted to write what it’s like to experience the other side of it and how to start again if need be.
I was with my league for around five years when I was expelled. I had been a part of the A team from day one and had a lot of friends there. Or so I thought. The league was my life and I was mostly happy to be awash in it. I say mostly... the problem was that when I wasn’t happy, nobody was happy. I wasn’t very good at expressing my feelings in a constructive way and the league didn’t always manage the individual skaters as what they were: individuals. Feedback given to them was often misconstrued as criticism and with my terrible way of dealing with this, the hole just got bigger. I did things the wrong way which led to the league dealing with things badly and, long story short, after the complete mishandling of my disciplinary, I was out on my ear. Starting fresh elsewhere didn’t happen straight away. I moved to another local league that were much smaller and less experienced but because of the awkward location and lack of car, the travel was ridiculous. Finally I found a league that was further out still but easier to get to on the train. I tried to get my feet under the table while still dealing with the huge emotional fallout of being asked to leave my home league, but it was hard because I felt unable to commit to it. The people had their own inside jokes that I didn’t know. They played different tactics. Everything was different. I didn’t know them and they didn’t know me and after losing
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so many friends from my old team, I was determined to keep it that way. I’d turn up to training and not speak to anyone beyond skating or what we were doing that particular moment. I dodged social situations and avoided answering any questions about my past. It seemed easier that way by keeping them at arm’s length, though it seemed safer at the time, it was only making me more miserable as I completely isolated myself. I repeatedly made the mistake of comparing my old league to the new one, finding the new falling short every time but, it was my mindset that was the real obstacle. Sometimes, for whatever reason, things have to change. Expulsion, a change of address, or even a team break up, and it’s perfectly normal to grieve the loss of something you once held dear. What is not normal, or healthy, however, is to refuse to let go of the past: things will feel unusual at first but before you know it, you’ll wonder why you ever felt like you weren’t part of your new league all along. Believe me, I’ve been there! It’s important to both expect and embrace the changes that come along with a new league. Sure, there will be a lot of similarities, but there are also going to be a lot of differences. Some of them may not seem as a productive as where you came from, but if you keep an open mind you’ll probably find some new ways of doing things that were actually better. It’s like starting a new relationship, if you
Rob Green
spend the whole time comparing your current beau to your ex, not only is it likely you’ll end up unhappy but you’ll also upset your latest squeeze. Nobody wants to feel like second place no matter how alien you seem at first. I know that I still have a long way to go for this league to feel like home but at the same time, I have this wonderful opportunity to a completely clean slate, and who hasn’t felt like they needed that at some point in time?
We’re all a bunch of hardy souls, or we wouldn’t have ended up where we are in the first place. Remember that strange feeling when you met your original team the first time, and how you didn’t feel so confident and everything was new? Well, that didn’t last forever, did it?H
It’s important to both expect and embrace the changes that come along with a new league. fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2016
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