fiveonfive | issue 38 | Spring 2018

WOMEN’S FLAT TRACK ROLLER DERBY MAGAZINE ISSUE 39, SPRING 2018

proud partner of the WFTDA

fiveonfivemag.com

editor phoenix aka stacey casebolt castle rock ‘n’ rollers art director assaultin’ pepa rocky mountain rollergirls

from the editor Welcome to the 39th issue of fiveonfive!

Hello derby world! I hope your skating seasons are treating you well, and all contributing writers swede hurt stockholm roller derby suzy hotrod gotham girls roller derby bob noxious brown paper tickets sarge cajun roller girls rosie peacock auld reekie roller girls glasgow men’s roller derby amber russell catholic cruel girl rocky mountain rollergirls

your bruises are more photo-worthy than painful!

The world may be in chaos these days, but one thing is for sure, derby girls and boys love a good bruise to show off! Another thing that you can count on is that fiveonfive continues to collect loads of fresh content to fill your nonskating hours. This issue is no exception. In this issue Bob Noxious brings derby drama down a notch by showing how to incorporate a Human Resources inspired business plan into your team structure. We all know we

pauly perez edmonton, alberta, canada

could use a little less drama. We also have an article from Sarge, reminding

fiona grapple rocky mountain rollergirls

us of how valuable volunteers are to this sport, with some tips on how to treat

betty ford galaxy rainier roller girls

your volunteers well and keep them coming back for more. Rosie Peacock

tuffy summers hudson valley horrors

talks derby-life balance, and Amber Russel gives us five superfoods to fuel

six feet thunder sacramento roller derby

your athletic prowess. We show off some photos from World Cup, and

punchy o’guts resurgam roller derby

evaluate the evaluation process each team must have in place to rank and

sandra harper brighton, UK

roster skaters. There’s plenty more good stuff that I don’t want to spoil for

cover photo Vinciane Piérart aka NSP189 facebook.com/nsp189

you, so dig in and get your read on in between practices!

fiveonfive magazine info@fiveonfivemag.com facebook.com/fiveonfive fiveonfivemag.com

The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the contributing writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of fiveonfive magazine.

Phoenix aka Stacey Casebolt

Castle Rock ‘N’ Rollers editor@fiveonfivemag.com

fiveonfive contents

30-31

4-5

advice ask swede hurt and suzy hotrod!

WFTDA learn more about how WFTDA is establishing an international culture of diversity and inclusion

6-9

business basic human resource techniques to reduce drama how to keep referees and volunteers

Keith Bielat

10-17

health and fitness the perpetual roller derby balancing act derby super foods

18-23

38-39 Sacramento Roller Derby: the Unification

games and coaching evaluation process World Cup photos

When teams merge. The road to unification for derby in Sacramento.

26-27

gear elbow pads

34-35

junior derby how to start a junior league

40-41

36-37 rookie

Team Structure

27 in 5

How is your team structured?

There are several acceptable hierarchy-based structures that various teams use. Here we discuss these and the benefits and drawbacks to each style and structure.

Brangwyn “GI Jones� Photography

42-45 international derby

editor phoenix aka stacey casebolt castle rock ‘n’ rollers art director assaultin’ pepa rocky mountain rollergirls

from the editor Welcome to the 39th issue of fiveonfive!

Hello derby world! I hope your skating seasons are treating you well, and all contributing writers swede hurt stockholm roller derby suzy hotrod gotham girls roller derby bob noxious brown paper tickets sarge cajun roller girls rosie peacock auld reekie roller girls glasgow men’s roller derby amber russell catholic cruel girl rocky mountain rollergirls

your bruises are more photo-worthy than painful!

The world may be in chaos these days, but one thing is for sure, derby girls and boys love a good bruise to show off! Another thing that you can count on is that fiveonfive continues to collect loads of fresh content to fill your nonskating hours. This issue is no exception. In this issue Bob Noxious brings derby drama down a notch by showing how to incorporate a Human Resources inspired business plan into your team structure. We all know we

pauly perez edmonton, alberta, canada

could use a little less drama. We also have an article from Sarge, reminding

sophie’l the pain gotham girls roller derby

us of how valuable volunteers are to this sport, with some tips on how to treat

fiona grapple rocky mountain rollergirls

your volunteers well and keep them coming back for more. Rosie Peacock

betty ford galaxy rainier roller girls

talks derby-life balance, and Amber Russel gives us five superfoods to fuel

tuffy summers hudson valley horrors

your athletic prowess. We show off some photos from World Cup, and

six feet thunder sacramento roller derby

evaluate the evaluation process each team must have in place to rank and

punchy o’guts resurgam roller derby

roster skaters. There’s plenty more good stuff that I don’t want to spoil for

sandra harper brighton, UK

you, so dig in and get your read on in between practices!

cover photo Vinciane Piérart aka NSP189 facebook.com/nsp189 fiveonfive magazine info@fiveonfivemag.com facebook.com/fiveonfive fiveonfivemag.com

The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the contributing writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of fiveonfive magazine.

Phoenix aka Stacey Casebolt

Castle Rock ‘N’ Rollers editor@fiveonfivemag.com

contributors

Many thanks to our contributors who come from all over the roller derby community and share their knowledge based on their countless hours of dedication to this sport!

Check out additional contributors at fiveonfivemag.com.

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

Rosie Peacock Rosie Peacock has been playing and coaching for over seven years. They are involved in all aspects of roller derby, blocking, jamming, officiating, bench, LUM, announcing... the list goes on.

Recently quit the 9-5 to follow their passion for derby 24/7. Total goofball and coined the term “adorkable.” From National teams to new skaters, they love to teach!

Sandra Harper Sandra Harper is a photographer based in Brighton, UK. She doesn’t have a “my grandad gave me a camera when I was 10” story, but more of a “I picked up a camera in my 30s, liked it, and kept going” kind of story. She documents everyday life visually.

Sarge John (Jack) Culhane Sarge (John Culhane, Cajun Roller Girls) is a transplanted Yankee from New York, finally settling in Cajun Country (Houma, LA). He has been actively involved in derby since 2008 either as a fan or ref. Starting as a derby referee at the age of 50 proved the saying, “you are never too old to start something new.” Sarge is semi-retired as a ref, with the thought of return always on his mind. Never say never. He continues to be one of CRG’s biggest fans, always looking forward to that next game.

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

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

Suzy Hotrod

Swede Hurt

Gotham Girls Roller Derby New York, NY

Stockholm Roller Derby Stockholm, Sweden

dear blocker and jammer, When you first started derby, what was your biggest fear and how did you overcome it?

-FRIDA FEAR

dear FF, Crossovers were pretty scary! When I upgraded to speed skates for the first time from $30 roller skates from the sporting good store, the speed skates were so fast I could barely stand up in them. When I joined roller derby I had only skated at birthday parties in rental skates so learning to skate was a real challenge. Obviously that passed as I have now skated for 14 seasons!

Game play specific, I remember being intimidated by the blocking wall of the Denver team around 2012-2013 when I still played on All Stars. They did a great job of stepping back into jammers and really getting their butts in your way and slowing you down. We played Denver a lot that season and I dreaded it but the more I played them the more I learned to skate against them.

Everything new that roller derby has introduced in its game play, I had to learn just like everyone else.

I’m plenty awkward and unstable when learning new things and I’m the kind of person who needs to practice something a lot before getting it right. (Fine example, the time Shortstop tried to teach us basic Tae Kwon Do moves and my efforts were laughably awful.) As derby evolves my skill set needs to evolve too, so I’m always working through learning new things. Just because I’ve played derby longer than some of the juniors I coach, doesn’t mean I’m not learning new things and still developing as a skater and athlete.

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dear FF, My biggest fear when I started derby was my first practice, I have social anxiety, and walking into a place of complete strangers doing something that I knew nothing about terrified me. I almost didn’t go, I sat in my car outside the roller rink for over an hour pep talking myself.

I knew derby was something cool that I REALLY wanted to try and at the same time I knew I was going to feel awkward and out of place as soon as I stepped inside the rink. And I did, and I am happy that I pushed myself past my own awkwardness and shyness.

I guess another fear appeared when I started bouting.

It was that I wasn’t going to be good enough, that I would mess things up, but that was never something I verbalized, it was an internal struggle. I really had to have several talks with myself about being good enough. I have always been the hardest on myself, I don’t want to disappoint and I always want to improve. Sometimes I just had to “reality check” myself and force myself to look at what I did good, and not the mistakes, we all make mistakes. I had to realize that roller derby is a teamsport and ask myself what I could do to better for the team, rather than to pick my own performance apart. I think coming from an individual sport that was a challenge, but also something that developed me into a better person both on and off the track. On a team you are never alone and you do this together with your team, jammer or blocker, it goes for all of us.

dear blocker and jammer, How often do you clean your gear?

-STANKY Wayne Davis

dear S, Pads: I wash my gear two days before every game I play in, or before I travel for games. In the summer I make sure to wash them at least it once a month. If it smells gross, I wash it. I don’t ever let it get too out of hand. I wash them in the machine with hot water, clothing detergent (or I’ve used Sports Suds if you can find that) and a bit of bleach. Then I air dry them. I’m pretty sure the machine washing shortens their life, but you’re talking to the person who puts ALL her bras in the dryer.

Mouthguard: I always rinse mine after practice before putting it loosely in my helmet. I only use a case for travel. Sometimes I rinse with soap, but you have to be careful to not use too much because it leaves an awful taste, obviously. I soak it in mouth wash the day of a game so it’s minty fresh for bout time.

Wheels: A quick cleaning with water and a little vinegar on a rag before a game if I have the time. Otherwise, my wheels are pretty filthy and I at least try to make sure no tape is stuck to them.

Bearings: HA. I don’t think I’ve ever cleaned a bearing. From time to time, I will use a rag to remove excess hair/dust (gross) that gets in there.

In closing, I would say my skates are not as well maintained as they could be but at least I don’t smell.

dear S, HA HA HA, OMG I am the WORST person to ask this.

Pads: I make sure that the pads dry completely between practices. It’s sort of the key, if they keep on being damp, they tend to smell quicker. I do throw my pads into the washer once a month and also after washing them, make sure they dry completely. My elbow and wristguards tend to be washed more often, and then I usually put them in a big bucket of water with detergent and handwash them, and again, make sure they dry before you use or put them away. I think my kneepads might get less smelly by the pure fact that they are very seldom exposed to my bare skin, since I almost always wear capri pants. I do get new pads every year, since pads wear out, and I do want my protective gear to be protective, skating 3-4 times every week is hard on your gear.

Mouthguard: When it comes to my mouthguard... gross. I wouldn’t kiss myself after using that thing. I do change my mouthguard about every three months, and I do keep it in a little case. I can honestly say that I have never cleaned it, except from rinsing it off in the sink, once or twice.

Wheels: I usually just take a damp cloth and wipe them down if they have for some reason gotten really dusty. Once I took my bearings out and dumped them all in a bucket of soapy water. I’m not sure if that was necessary.

Bearings: My bearings are awesome, I really have put them through hell and back, and they still run. The few times I actually have tried to clean them, I think I did more to ruin them than to help. When my bearings that I use for bouts and indoor start to underperform, I usually put them into my outdoor wheels and that is where they roll until they die.

need advice? email advice@fiveonfivemag.com fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2018

5

basic human resource techniques to reduce drama B O B N O X I O U S, B R O W N P A P E R T I C K E T S

Drama is too prominent in the derby experience. It lurks at all levels and, too often the f-word expletive replaces the other (and most important) f-word – fun.

Derby allows individuals to express themselves within a group driven by shared goals. That’s an eloquent way to say the individualism is celebrated and yet the key is to work toward group goals. Based on that statement, conflict in derby is simply inherent in our structure.

take the “personal” out of conflict No one is wired to want to take on conflict. It doesn’t come naturally. With the right structure and rules in place, you can learn how to handle it. Assigning a human resources person to maintain a presence within the league, enforce policies, and smooth out drama puts an end to conflict. How? As you will learn, it removes unattended derby conflict becomes derby drama the issue from feeling personal. Drama thrives when conflict If I have a super power, it’s working with conflict. Most avoid it, is personal. but I’ve learned how to resolve it as a manager and human Pre-planning is key, as nothing can be enforced properly resources director. In general, conflict is without developing expectations. Often, healthy; without it, positive change would implementing a plan is done in retrospect Drama comes from never occur. However, unresolved conflict when the damage has already occurred. spreads through your league, becoming What you need: poor structure, poor destructive and dramatic.

New skater and staff orientation: A practice planning, lack of where newbies are told realistic costs, conflict examples communication expected time commitments and receive • Personality clashes between two honest answers to their questions. Do not and/or not or more people recruit someone without full disclosure; addressing conflict • The power play of one or more they will train for two months and leave. strong-willed, intimidating people, immediately.

One of a business’s greatest costs is including leaders or founders employee turnover. It is the same with derby • Differences in opinions that go unattended league member turnover. Training new people takes a lot of time and eventually divide the league and time is a drain on league resources. Keeping people long term allows focus on other goals and tasks.

Drama comes from poor structure, poor planning, lack A league handbook: Just like the first day on a new job, provide of communication and/or not addressing conflict immediately. a handbook and necessary paperwork to new staff and skaters.

Ever been given the cold shoulder? Asked to leave without The handbook should cover: explanation? Not chosen for the roster team without being • League history and goals told why? I have. I worked with team captains to coach • League structure chart a league’s perennially worst team into the best team • Non-skating participation requirements in the league, helping them win a championship. The • Attendance requirements third season? No call, email, nobody even telling me • Job description for non-skaters I was done. Dropped without any communication.

• Training expectations for staff/skaters It hurt for a long time.

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Pre-planning is key, as nothing can be enforced properly without developing expectations. Often, implementing a plan is done in retrospect when the damage has already occurred.

A League Code of Conduct: This tells members what is not acceptable in the eyes of the league. Could include: • Unbecoming behavior • Representing the league in matters that don’t fit within your role as a league member. Examples: Committing the league to an event without consent of the BOD or proper committee.

• Finding sponsorship opportunities and negotiating terms instead of facilitating communication with the right committee • A no-tolerance bullying policy • Inappropriate or vulgar behavior on the track • The penalty if it’s determined someone broke the code • A tear-away page to sign, date and turn in. This is proof they received all of the necessary information.

The examples above are not detailed. You need detail. If you leave your Code of Conduct or handbook without specific examples of infractions and ramifications, you’re not better off. Don’t interpret someone’s future as they’re standing and waiting for disciplinary decisions. For instance, what would constitute “unbecoming behavior?” Define it! That statement is far too open for interpretation.

If you need to update your Code of Conduct, do so! All you need to do is simply re-distribute and have people sign it.

Mediation is also important to stopping drama. A neutral party, often a staff member without connections to a skater or any teams, is assigned to conflict between peers. They help two parties work toward compromise and don’t take sides.

Keeping your BOD out of these decisions (though they should be informed) makes disciplinary processes less intimidating. The more people there are involved in a disciplinary action, the more defensive the accused becomes. Create a role that reports to the BOD whose job is to run the orientation, interview applicants and hand down repercussions of infractions.

Mediation is also important to stopping drama. A neutral party, often a staff member without connections to a skater or any teams, is assigned to conflict between peers.

how does this keep the derby drama out of your games?

If you address broken rules or clashes among people immediately and according to your handbook and Code of Conduct, there’s nothing to argue about. The personal side is removed and it’s cut and dry. For example, if you have a three-strike rule, each strike must be addressed professionally and calmly. By the third, it’s no surprise that they will be asked to leave. I’ve fired people and shaken their hands because they weren’t mad at me; they knew it was coming. No hostility, no conflict.

nobody is above the rules A multi-tiered system of discipline will not work and different treatment for different levels of “employees” can be against the law. You cannot make exceptions for anyone. Not the best skater, best official, not even the league President. The fallout destroys the checks and balances you developed.

You’re better to let your best skater leave the league than accommodate them.

If they stay, you not only undermine your personal rules, but the malcontent created will tear the team or league apart.

take a morale check Back in the day, I watched some of my best, hardest working, and strongest-willed employees leave for greener pastures because they were not happy. I lost knowledgeable workers, but also lost their attitude of discontent. By not standing in their way and letting them leave, the morale among remaining employees ALWAYS took a turn for the better. In fact, improved morale often made up for the knowledge and work ethic that left with the troubled “key employee”. I’ve seen this in derby when a league acts by terminating a star player who felt they deserved special treatment. Once gone, the league adjusted, worked as a team, and ended up better for it.H fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2018

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how to keep referees and volunteers SARGE, CAJUN ROLLER GIRLS

One scan through any social media listing that involves Derby teams and especially volunteer sites will show just how difficult it is to find zebras and flamingos. Teams are often competing for the same set of volunteers. Looking for refs isn’t easy because it takes a rare breed of human to even want to be a ref.

Players for a team are looking for something different than those volunteering to be refs. And volunteering is a key term.

Although it is true players are not paid to play. They play for the excitement of the game, or the competition, whether against themselves or other players and perhaps for a bit of glory. What makes someone even consider wanting to be a ref? Glory is certainly not a reason. My original reasons for wanting to ref were basically I liked to skate and I felt like I could help out our local derby team when they were in their starting years.

So, know how difficult it is for these lovely people who volunteer themselves to accept scorn. Wouldn’t it make sense to do things to try to keep these people around? A survey of referees and volunteers came back with a number of suggestions. Most of which can be summed up in three areas; Comfort, respect, and appreciation. The head referee is tasked with finding and getting volunteers to your bout. It should be the whole team’s responsibility to make the refs feel wanted and appreciated.

All quotes are from “Roller Derby Refs And NSO” Facebook Group.

Comfort: a little old fashioned hospitality goes a long way.

Sarah Mogore Esmeria, said, “Coffee and tea: details matter. Last tournament, the venue was not so well heated, I was

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scoreboard operator... and a volunteer, from the hosting league, brought to the Score table some hot beverages (according to our tastes) several times during each game: little effort and great effect on us!”

Respect and Appreciation: Thank you is not that hard to say. And mean it when you say it.

Hannah Twitchell “Simple things like wearing back and arm numbers, not dumping water bottles where refs need to skate, coaches agreeing with refs how they want them to interact with any drills and making expectations clear, and inviting refs to join in with any drills that develop transferrable skating skills – all great moves.

Game day stuff is totally important, but remembering the path officials have to tread on their way there and supporting them in it perhaps even more so.”

“Respect officials!” Welmoed Verhagen said, “Some are more experienced, some are newer. Neither is a reason to be rude to them. They are also always learning to be better, just like you are as a skater. Yes, they will make mistakes, just like every other human being. They’re here to allow you to play the game you love, please respect and appreciate that. Write and submit evals!

Also, write something solid on them, and make sure to leave your details at the bottom properly. (eg add your name and the team your linked to, etc.) Organize workshops to train officials.

Allow officials to train ‘their’ situations during practice as well. Eg allow them to give ‘fake penalties’ so they can practice a busy penalty box etc. Congratulate your officials when they achieve things, like Certification. Certification is a big thing for officials. Oftentimes skaters don’t know how hard it is to get certified (especially in Europe I think). Make sure to realize this, and congratulate your officials. One example I like: post about your officials on your social media, tell people where they are going, what position they are doing etc. This can also encourage new people to officiate!”

Nancy Hudak said, “Tell officials – particularly ones you’ve never seen before – where things like food and bathrooms are.

Let them know who is in charge and can be asked questions. Don’t assume they know your protocols. Make sure they have programs. Check in with them from time to time to make sure they are doing OK. And, yes, invite them to your after-bout dinner.”

Shannon Pedit said, “We do an annual reward event for the whole league and make sure to include our volunteers (managers, photographers, announcers, NSOs and refs) in all the non-stats based awards. We also give them a monetary gift based on how long they’ve been volunteering with us, ranging from free tickets for a bout up to ~$150, and a special jacket at the five-year mark.

Tracy Schweetz MacDonald said, “One thing that still sticks in my memory is the head ref skating over, stopping and thanking each of the NSOs. Could be any team member doing the same.”

Laura Jaakkola said, “Appreciate all the officials! The bouts wouldn’t happen without them. As a official, support other teams and try to travel to other cities to officiate. And as a team, when you arrange bouts, remember to give food at least to all of the officials and then give travel reimbursements!”

Jules Doyle

All volunteers are able to access our food room and we give a travel stipend to our visiting officials to offset gas.

For awhile we were the place no one wanted to officiate at. Our skaters were rude and aggressive with their complaints and we lost a lot of in-house officials because of it.

We instituted a ‘zero tolerance’ policy and we worked hard to change league behavior.

It’s still a struggle at times to get officials, but that’s because EVERYONE in Michigan decides to play on the same day. Leagues working together to plan their schedules would help tremendously.”

From my experiences as a softball ref, I knew there was no glory in being a referee.

A referee has to have thick skin to survive.

There is excitement to being a ref in Derby because it is such a fast moving sport.

Certainly much different that softball. But with that fast movement comes extreme difficulty to see what is going on in all that movement. A ref is the bad guy that calls you out for a foul. What me? No way... you’re crazy. Or, You didn’t see that? You’re blind ref. No matter what call a ref makes, one team will like it and one team will not like it.

I used to get paid to be a ref for softball and I finally decided the money wasn’t worth the aggravation. So to be a volunteer, a person has to really have a love for the sport to stay there. Judging by the returns of the survey,

there is definitely a certain disdain for refs and NSOs. When I was training to be a ref for softball, there was a section about how there is a general expectation that refs are supposed to be yelled at and booed when things don’t go a certain team member’s way. It is sort of built in to our society. A look at any professional game, whether football, baseball or basketball, where refs are professionals that get paid well, will show you even they make mistakes. But it doesn’t make it all right to talk badly about them.

Elizabeth Cahill gave a glaringly honest response. She said, “First, don’t down play the positions. This is done with NSOs often, where teams think they can stick last minute volunteers as NSOs. You can, but it shows in how smooth the game doesn’t go. Also, if you want your officials to grow, they need to practice their skills, which means scrimmages and games. Let them know when you have scrimmages. Also, assist them with games. Officials spend an obscene amount of money traveling to get experience and often officiate twice as many games (or more) than players play.

Provide funds for your officials and for visiting officials.

And lastly, the whole “officials suck” thing has to end. The team didn’t lose because of officials. Five hours into a tournament this weekend and I started seeing”refs suck”

posts. Wow. That makes me not want to work with those teams. And people do this with NSOs as well. Your PBox doesn’t know why you have a penalty. They just know you’re coming. Don’t argue with them. Also, don’t abuse your officials. A little while back, when people started to apologize for poor behavior and blame it on derby, I stopped accepting it. I would instead ask them if they react to stress at work the same way. When they said no, I pointed out that they chose to act in an aggressive/disrespectful manner.

And to choose to do that and then expect me to accept an apology is an abusive relationship. And I don’t do that. If they’re actually sorry, I expect to see a behavior change. Anything other than that is bullshit.”

Daniel Alt makes it plain and simple. He said, “The alpha and omega is: “Don’t be a schmuck during the game. Every single other thing is nice, but if you are a jerk to officials who are trying to do their job, you are a bad person, and you will drive away good officials.”

So before you go to post or say those words about how the Refs and NSOs suck. Take a moment to turn it into a positive and be thankful they are there.

And if you are able to as a team, help them become better while you are at practice, just like you try to do.H

fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2018

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the perpetual roller derby balancing act R O S I E P E A C O C K , A U L D R E E K I E R O L L E R G I R L S, G L A S G O W M E N ’ S R O L L E R D E R B Y

One of the main reasons that I am so in love with this sport is that I really do believe that there is a place for anyone and everyone that wants it.

Roller derby can become an influence in every part of your life, and mostly this is a positive thing; stories of people’s confidence growing, feeling empowered, a feeling of belonging, physical and practical skills development etc.

But often this sporting community can become all engrossing, we can lose objectivity, lose the balance and end up resenting the sacrifices we often make for this sport, or experiencing the all too common ‘derby burnout’.

In my experience, I find that like with most passionate relationships, the fire that burns the most intensely burns out the quickest.

Rather than live in this perpetual cycle of intense addiction and cold turkey – how can we find a more sustainable, healthy and rewarding relationship with this incredible sport?

Firstly, I think it’s important to recognize that this sport, or I should say, sporting community, requires so much more than individual athletic performance. The grass roots nature of roller derby means almost all of us will have responsibilities beyond that of our own self; committee work, coaching, volunteering, ensuring volunteers feel valued, public relations, social media, fundraising, running a business, building a fan base, as well as the vital importance of developing officials and other skilled volunteers such as announcers... the list goes on and on... but it’s all vital to the growth and development of this sport we all love.

It’s also certainly worth recognizing the vast array of transferable life skills that this multi-faceted sport can support, it really is a great CV booster to say the least.

So, let’s break this down into some bite sized pieces using diagrams (oh I do love a diagram!).

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You may be familiar with the five areas of fitness that are commonly referred to by personal trainers in terms of athletic/fitness training. These are widely accepted as: 1. Muscular endurance 2. Muscular strength 3. Flexibility 4. Cardiovascular endurance 5. Body composition (body fat%, musculature, etc.)

So if we were to be focusing on the fundamentals, this is what any athlete in any sport would need to work on in terms of balancing these five areas for their own performance. For example a body builder would need to focus much more on body composition and muscular strength than flexibility, these are not evenly weighted for this sport. Likewise a tumbler or floor gymnast would perhaps need a high level of flexibility and cardio vascular and muscular endurance... but perhaps doesn’t need to focus on being able to deadlift 200kg...

For roller derby this balance, even at this pin-pointed level, is not universal. Dependent on the individual athlete, their skating style, their position, etc., these weightings will change. But make no mistake, all five of these are needed to be a top level athlete.

Then we look wider. I have followed the logical path for myself as a competitive skater, but these can be changed to suit your own role. For example, pre World Cup my focus has been primarily on the athletic sport, element of roller derby. Breaking this further down into the elements that make that up and then breaking down further to my own fitness.

(See my awesome high tech diagrams).

However, post World Cup my focus will be much more on reconnecting with the community, coaching and focusing on inclusion/community, etc. Similarly, if I were to pop my ‘ref head’ on for this I would almost certainly have a much larger portion of ‘knowledge/brain power’ than I would physical fitness... etc.

So hopefully you can see how dependent on your current goals and aims how your own personal ‘areas’ of derby will change.

The thing we need to look at more is applying this same principle to wider groups, not just to individual participants (although I do think this is a super useful way to help folks set and achieve goals and plan training, etc.)

So if we have Unicorn Dog roller derby as a league, (the three best things ever, unicorns, dogs, and derby) how can we apply this same method to the league in order to anticipate current or future burnout issues and ensure a long term plan for managing league burnout?

Unicorn Dogs have aimed to host a large sanctioned tournament this season, they have a strong core of officials and their travel team is ranked in the top 50. They have a committee meeting (where everyone can actually attend) and between the various committee heads agree to the plan and focus for the season, all working toward the league’s success at running and participating in this tournament.

The five areas the league agrees to focus on are as follows: (in no particular order) 1. Athletic sport: time and resources dedicated to the travel team for their own performance as a competing team in this tournament.

2. Officials and skilled volunteers: time and resources dedicated to training or bringing in skilled volunteers for this tournament as well as those organizing the army of volunteers in the run up, set up, and tear down on the day.

3. Fan base and events: teams decide how and when to focus on promotion; both in terms of attendees to watch the tournament, but also securing competing teams, media attention, community group link-ins and trying to sort out the fearleaders for half time...

4. Business stability: how much time and resources do we need, can we afford the venue, what is our contingency planning, how do we make sure we don’t go bust trying to make this the BEST EVER!

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5. Community and inclusion: how do we make this accessible for all, is the venue wheelchair accessible? Can we ensure there are toilet facilities suitable for all and enough of them?

Are the cupcakes vegan? What wording do we use to advertise that isn’t exclusionary? And any other important logistical and all encompassing questions that need to be addressed to ensure this event is welcoming for all.

Depending on the discussions around the league the balance for this could be fairly even.

However if more focus is placed on one area it is always to the detriment of another. If we focus more of the athletic/competitive element of our team, will we neglect the needs of officials and volunteers? If we focus too much of making everything absolutely P.C., will we struggle to hit a wider general public audience?

least, are people who have a healthy balance between

The thing I am trying to emphasize is that this tool is a good one to use with others, it can be used for self assessment of individual focus and performance, but ideally, next time you have your board/committee/league meeting... ask everyone how they think things are weighted in your league, and if they think things should be weighted to ensure you all continue to feel the love in this sport. You may be surprised at how different it can feel from one role to the next.

derby and life...

The important bit is this... WHO IS DOING WHAT? If you have the same small group of people trying to manage and

Spring 2018 | fiveonfivemag.com

Seems so simple but it’s really not. If your focus as a league has been weighted towards community, inclusion, and engaging the public, this may be to the detriment of other areas, such as the athletic performance of your team.

Likewise if your focus has been primarily climbing rankings, has this impacted upon your ability to recruit, train and retain officials, etc?

The people that burn out

All these things matter.

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undertake all of this, it’s likely they will burn out, it’s a huge undertaking. If you have committee heads that help manage and keep on top of the jobs to be done, you need an army of league members and volunteers to actually do said jobs.

Anyway... on top of this there is one big thing that I haven’t yet mentioned... it’s important to take breaks. Either take time focusing on one element and then another depending on what makes sense for you, or maintain a balance but then take a full break from the derby world for a short while. Whether this is a week of no committee work, a month during off-season or just an hour a day where you switch off all things derby and play with your unicorn dog instead.

Because ultimately...

The people that burn out least, are people who have a healthy balance between derby and life...

Mind you... I’m a selfprofessed derby addict... so maybe I’m not really the best to be writing about this subject.H

I DON’T SUFFER FROM A ROLLER DERBY ADDICTION. IN FACT, I RATHER ENJOY IT! fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2018

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derby super foods AMBER RUSSELL

five fantastic foods for the new year It’s time to kick start those resolutions with the addition of some powerful foods to your every day routine. So what is a “Super Food”? The term is pretty vague. For me, in order to be “Super” you need to have a little extra somethin’ somethin’. I like to define it as a food that takes nutrition to the next level and has a little something extra that makes it stand out. There are numerous foods that fall into this category. I’ve selected five that are not only easy to incorporate into derby life, but have added benefits that make them ideal for athletes, as well. chia seeds Ch Ch Ch Chia... the pet plant craze that swept the ‘80s is back! Chia seeds have recently exploded onto the nutrition scene. Long before the topiary sensation, Chia seeds were an essential part of the Maya and Aztec diets. This member of the mint family was commonly used by Aztec Warriors during conquests for endurance and medicinally to ease joint pain. The word “Chia” is roughly translated to mean strength in the Mayan language. Currently it is considered one of the best sources of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for keeping your heart healthy. Chia seeds are also a wonderful vegan source of calcium and iron; one serving contains nearly 10% of your daily value of each. Endurance athletes utilize the health benefits of these seeds by consuming a gel composed of Chia seeds and water. Since Chia seeds can hold ten times their weight in water, it is an excellent option to keep your body hydrated. It can also easily be added to smoothies as well. And for my fellow vegan derby gals, add about a teaspoon to three teaspoons of hot water and you’ll get a great heart healthy egg substitute for baking. And if it turns out Chia seeds are not your thing, you can always add some animal shaped greenery to your home décor.

dark chocolate I’m pretty sure there is no need to convince anyone that chocolate is awesome. Let me just add a little more justification for indulging in it. Chocolate is made from cacao beans. These little beans pack a huge health punch! They are high in essential minerals, including iron, which aids the body in transporting oxygen through the blood to your muscles and organs. Cacao beans are also full of antioxidants, which reduce cardiovascular disease, combat signs of aging, and boost the immune system. Cacao also makes you happy. It contains a multitude of stimulating and pleasure inducing compounds that leave you feeling peppy and satisfied. So when the desire strikes to elbow an opposing blocker in the face, reach for a little dark chocolate instead. For the biggest benefit, stick to chocolate bars containing at least 70% cacao. Or if you’re really ambitious, go straight for the source; many health food stores carry raw cacao nibs. They are slightly bitter, but are great on their own or added to granola.

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maca This is a must-add to any smoothie routine. Most commonly consumed in its powder form, Maca has a malty flavor and not only is it tasty, it’s packed full of health benefits, as well. Native to the Andes of Peru, this super root was traditionally consumed by the Inca Warriors before battle for superior endurance and strength (I see some pre-bout rituals in your future). Maca is loaded with vitamins, fatty acids and amino acids which account for its endurance and immune strengthening properties. While this is reason enough to take it, here’s a little something else. Maca is known for its positive effect on sex hormones. This super food has the ability to improve libido, power up sperm counts, and tame menopausal symptoms. In summary, it’s super on the track and in the bedroom! nutritional yeast I’m sure I’ll get a few eyebrow raises with this one, but trust me, these bright yellow flakes are incredible. Nutritional Yeast is deactivated yeast (no rising here) that is grown on molasses. It is a popular nutritional source worldwide and often used to prevent vitamin deficiencies. In the United States it goes by “Nooch”, Ethiopians call it “Yeshi” and if you go down under you might see “Savory Yeast Flakes” on the health food store shelves. One ounce of “Nooch” contains 14 grams of protein, that’s roughly 30% of the daily recommended amount. It is also full of B Vitamins (usually fortified with B 12), which are essential for nerve function. B Vitamins increase energy, reduce depression and anxiety, support healthy brain function, and boost immune function. They also keep your hair and nails looking great!

Nutritional Yeast is also a good source of dietary fiber, which aids in digestion and cholesterol regulation. Sounding more appetizing? Nutritional Yeast has a naturally salty (low in sodium) cheese flavor, making it ideal to sprinkle onto popcorn, kale chips, or whatever you fancy.

I like to use it to make a killer vegan “cheese” sauce by combining it with coconut milk, turmeric, paprika and sea salt. turmeric “The Queen of Spices” is commonly used in Indian cuisine and known for its bright yellow color. This sunny spice is loaded with medicinal properties. Its active ingredient, curcumin, has antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties, making it the perfect cure-all spice. Turmeric is also full of antioxidants, vitamin B6, potassium, and iron. This spice goes well with almost anything; you can throw it in a curry, sprinkle it on potatoes, or even use it in desserts. I love spicing up brownies by combining it with complimentary spices like, cayenne, cinnamon and gram masala. And if you happen to get a little banged up on the track, apply it topically to help stop swelling, ease pain, and heal wounds. It’s also a great in tea form to detox the liver... not like any of us need that, right?

Tasty, nutritious, convenient and just flat out super, these foods are a great addition to the Derby Woman’s Diet. Eat well, hit hard, live fiercely!H fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2018

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ROYGBIV Salad C AT H O L I C C R U E L G I R L , R O C K Y M O U N TA I N R O L L E R G I R L S PHOTO BY JEAN SCHWARZWALDER

ingredients: 2 red bell peppers, de-seeded and chopped Red Orange 3 medium carrots, peeled and shredded Yellow 2 cups frozen sweet corn, thawed Green 1 bunch Lacinato kale, chopped coarsely Blue 1 pound purple potatoes, scrubbed and cut into medium sized chunks Indigo ½ head of a small purple cabbage, de-cored and sliced super-duper thin Violet 1 cup flame raisins (or any purple-ish black variety) White 2 cups navy beans Bonus ingredient – unhulled sesame seeds – enough to sprinkle throughout

Spring 2018 | fiveonfivemag.com

In a medium saucepan place potatoes and enough water to cover generously. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat when a fork can easily be inserted into potatoes. (Be mindful not to overcook. We want them to hold their shape.)

While potatoes are cooking prepare red peppers, carrots, kale and cabbage. In a large bowl combine above ingredients and add the corn, beans, raisins and sesame seeds. Gently toss to integrate all ingredients.

When potatoes are cooked, strain them and rinse with cold water. Pat dry and add to the salad mixture.

ROYGBIV Salad C AT H O L I C C R U E L G I R L , R O C K Y M O U N TA I N R O L L E R G I R L S PHOTO BY JEAN SCHWARZWALDER

dressing: 1/8 cup toasted sesame oil 1/8 cup brown rice vinegar 3 large garlic cloves, minced 3 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper Juice of 1 lemon

Place oil and vinegar in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Add garlic, ginger, red pepper and lemon juice. Whisk some more. Slowly drizzle over salad and toss with tongs until dressing and salad are combined.

This salad keeps in the refrigerator for a good five days so you will have enough for your lunches for the week.

fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2018

evaluation process P A U LY P E R E Z , E D M O N T O N, A L B E R TA

One thing we all have in common is numbers. Whether it’s your credit rating, identification, or shoe size, everyone has a unique number that defines you. In the beginning, I faced some opposition to evaluation, rating, or ranking. People felt that it should be a private thing. No matter who you are or where you are in life, you have been graded, marked, or weighed. In the end, it is what you do with that information that is most crucial. Over the years, I have used and seen many different systems to rank a skater’s abilities. Some are very simple with few categories in which to clearly give an accurate picture to the training staff, captains, and skaters.

On the other end of the spectrum, I have seen some that are so complex it would take years to compile the data and render it down to a usable form. In my experience derby is very transient by nature; skaters come and go so quickly that definitive evaluation is key. I have come up with an evaluation system that provides the training staff and the captains a way to manage each skater’s progress, as well as give everyone a baseline as to where they stand in relation to their teammates.

The evaluation is comprised of 10 specific categories that capture the base elements of each skater’s abilities. Each category is scored on a 1 thru 10 value, 10 being excellent and 1 being poor.

Pack A/C: Pack: Pack awareness and communication is a key element to a skater’s evolution. In a pack, a skater has to be aware of where they are in relation to the pack itself, their teammates, and the strategy that their team is trying to execute. They also have to be able to communicate with their teammates as to where they are and what they are doing in that pack.

Speed: Speed is not just flat out sprint speed. It can be lateral, stepping or jumping speed. The ability to make the opposition miss with quick evasion is a key element to any skater repertoire.

Stride: Stride is power that goes hand in hand with speed.

Smooth confident movement joining physiology to the mechanics of the skate and applying it to the surface to render stability. The ability to adjust stride to compensate for surface conditions also falls under this category.

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Sight A/A: Sight, angle of attack is a two-pronged look at a skater’s ability to see what the opposition is doing and be able to see the best path to action. Some skaters can see the pack strategy but they are not able to do anything to change it. Other skaters can see the jammer going outside and adjust their trajectory and speed to move through the pack and meet their target, hit them out, or suck them back into the pack.

Lateral: Our game is played between two ropes and the faster you can cut in between them the better. The ability to cut between boundaries without the need to advance forward on the track is key. If a skater can maneuver from the inside line to the outside and back faster than her opponent the more effective she will be. A mobile skater can cover larger parts of the track and free her teammates up to do their jobs more confidently.

Stamina: Looks at a skater’s ability to recover after multiple jams. Can a skater go from jam to block then jam again?

Can she be knocked down over and over and still get off the ground and perform at the same level? In some ways this category measures a skater’s heart. Can they perform and give their all even though they are spent?

PBJ: Has the skater mastered the idiosyncrasies of playing as a pivot/blocker/jammer? Some skaters are great blockers but they don’t have the leadership qualities to direct the pack. Some skaters are born leaders and have the ability to take control of any situation. Others jam and don’t really care for blocking or leading. Meanwhile other skaters can transition between positions seamlessly.

Recovery: If a skater gets knocked out or down, does she get up and get back into play quickly and effectively? Or does she get knocked down and become an easy target for the opposition to goad her or leave her team down a skater?

Stops: Can the skater stop quickly and effectively? Can the skater use stopping and slowing tactically? Is the skater able to use stopping to evade opposition?

Coachability: Can the skater take training feedback from the captains or coaches and use it to change her game?

Is she able to retain what is being discussed at practice?

Or is all the info lost by the end of practice?

Laurent Robert – Laurentrekk

Each category has depth and value. I like to use drills and game play to evaluate players. Some people set up specific tests to get their numbers. Others draw from the experience each of their teammates has with each skater to get their data. No matter what method you use, take the time to find the numbers.

Each skater should be evaluated based on what they can deliver today not what they have potential to deliver or what they did yesterday. Lives change and so does their status as skaters. So make sure you focus on the skater as she is today. For instance, I have a skater on my team that has had an injury that has prohibited her from hitting. If I was to evaluate her today, I would not be able to give her the numbers that she had before she hurt herself, even though I know she will back to kicking ass and taking names when she has recovered.

With your data compiled, you now have a tool that will allow the coaches and captains to discuss each skater’s growth and development. It allows you to spotlight all accomplishments and give feedback on any deficiencies.

It gives the skaters simple goals for advancing their game.

When I moved to Edmonton, I introduced this system to my new league. We use the evaluation numbers for multiple purposes, which allowed us to engage our skaters as soon as they enter the league. As soon as the skater has passed all requirements for league membership, the training head assesses her and gives her her number. That number is used when they are drafted to a team. It is used to

determine the teams total skill number by adding each member’s evaluation number together. Once we get the team number, we can set the draft order. If a team has a total skill number of 560 and that is the lowest number they get to select first in the draft. The number is also used for our sub pool. Sub pool is something I picked up in LA. They had a sub pool process that I tweaked and introduced to the league. We all know that sometimes our real lives can destroy roster strength. Some leagues find themselves with seven skaters on one team and ten on another; what do you do? In our case, we have skaters that are waiting to be drafted and have passed all league membership requirements, but because of when they came into the league or if they have transferred after the draft, they are in sub pool and can be picked up by roster deficient teams to replace missing skaters. The evaluation number is used by the captains to add players of equal value to the ones they are lacking. If there are not players of equal value, they are able to add additional players to bring the team into a par standing with the opposing team. Captains can also use the number to govern their teams. If a skater dips below a set number, they are told what they need to improve, and if they don’t change, they are removed from the roster and have to retry out for the team or are drafted by another team.

I know some might say that this is subjective and they would be right in some regards. The point is you have to know where you are on the map before you can figure out how to get to your destination.H

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world cup 2018 © Jan Hutter Laurent Robert – Laurentrekk

Laurent Robert – Laurentrekk

© Jan Hutter

© Jan Hutter Laurent Robert – Laurentrekk

Spring 2018 | fiveonfivemag.com

Capobianco Photography AKA Hellslinger

final standings

1. USA 2. Australia 3. Canada 4. England Capobianco Photography AKA Hellslinger

5. France 6. Finland 7. Sweden 8. Argentina Š Jan Hutter

Laurent Robert – Laurentrekk

9. Aotearoa 10. Spain 11. Wales 12. Scotland 13. Germany 14. Ireland 15. Mexico 16. Belgium fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2018 Capobianco Photography AKA Hellslinger

Laurent Robert – Laurentrekk

© Jan Hutter

© Jan Hutter Laurent Robert – Laurentrekk

Spring 2018 | fiveonfivemag.com

DRILL organizing chaos

drill courtesy of Zoom, Rocky Mountain Rollergirls

purpose: increase pack awareness, transitioning

Although this drill may seem confusing at first, it’s an excellent way to encompass many skills: staying in control when things get crazy on the track, reforming and slowing the pack, switching quickly from defense to offense and it works on racing to the front of the pack as a wall. While skating with Team Korea at the 2018 Roller Derby World Cup, I was fortunate enough

to be coached by brilliant Demanda Riot of Bay Area. This is her rendition of a B.A.D./G$ drill that I have been running with my home league.

Set up the first wall of four blockers in any blocking formation. Line up another wall of four blockers 10-20 feet behind the first wall. Line up the third wall 10-20 feet behind the second wall, wearing black. Then add one more line 10-20 feet behind that. For clarity’s sake, number the walls 1-4 and have them wear alternating colors: wall 1 = black, wall 2 = white, wall 3 = black, wall 4 = white. When first learning this drill, start with more space (20 feet) between each line of blockers to give them more time to reset and think. One jammer (wearing any color) is set up behind the last wall.

When the whistle blows, everyone starts rolling at a slow pack speed and the jammer engages the back wall. It is the responsibility of the front walls to look back and make sure they’re maintaining a proper distance from the packs behind them. As the jammer tries to get around the back wall (wall 4), eventually one of two things will happen: the jammer gets stuck behind the wall and is barely moving or the jammer moves wall 4 close enough to run into wall 3. If the jammer gets stuck, allow her to push for 15 seconds and if she still doesn’t get through, yell “Let her go!”. This signals wall 4 that they are switching to offense to quickly play offense against only the wall in front of them (wall 3) while racing to the front of the entire pack, eventually ending up in front of wall 1. Really emphasize fast offense – this is reminding skaters that as you’re running to the front of the pack to protect your point, you can hit someone quickly along the way. The first priority is to get to the front of the pack together, so make your offense fast and powerful so you can still sprint up to the front.

On the other hand, if the jammer is able to push wall 4 within a few feet of wall 3 or is able to get around them, yell “Let her go!” to let wall 3 know they are being activated as defense and wall 4 becomes quick offense. Now wall 3 is actively blocking the jammer, avoiding the upcoming offense and slowing down the pack. As wall 3 gets pushed closer to wall 2, yell “Let her go!” to activate wall 2 for defense and wall 3 switches to offense and running to the front of the pack. This cycle can continue for as long as you want. I usually end the drill if the jammer gets out in front of all 4 lines of blockers or once 1 minute has passed.

It seems very chaotic at first (which is the point!) so run it several times or slow it down until your team begins to understand how the drill works. Once everyone gets it down, it’s such a great drill to work on quick thinking and getting organized when things seem so fast and crazy.

Bob Ayers

fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2018

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FREE domestic SHIPPING WITH THE CODE

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elbow pads F I O N A G R A P P L E , R O C K Y M O U N TA I N R O L L E R G I R L S

Let’s talk about your elbows. Did you know that the superscientific, technical term for that little flappy skin you can pull down on your elbow is called the “Weenus”? You’re welcome.

But seriously, if you’ve ever taken a hard fall and had your elbow pad slip you know how painful it can be. Heck, I’ve still got a little piece of bone floating around in there from a game back in 2007. (Thanks a lot, KCRW!) Over the years I’ve worn quite a few different types of elbow pads, and my preference has evolved over time to an elbow pad that’s protective but not too bulky. We all know how hot and sweaty it gets when we skate, and between big burly knee pads, your helmet, arm bands, wrist guards and elbow pads, there’s not a lot of skin left to breath.

For this article I tested two different types of elbow pads.

Both are considered “low-profile”, in the sense that there are minimal straps, they are shorter, and they offer protection while also considering that the person wearing them doesn’t want a whole lot of bulk.

The first up is the Triple 8 Stealth Hardcap, $49.99 This pad pulls on, has straps at the top and bottom, and contains high density foam padding around the sides. The hardcap is sewn into a Kevlar cover, and the Neoprene fabric is perforated to help dry quickly.

What I liked about this elbow pad: It’s definitely the least bulky pad I’ve ever worn.

It hugs your arm and elbow, and sits flush with no gap. The straps allow you to really crank it down to make sure it doesn’t slip, and the Neoprene fabric did dry out very quickly. I also liked the foam padding on either side of the hard cap. It ensures that even if you take a hit

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that’s not directly ON your elbow, the surrounding areas are still protected. Lastly, I appreciated the fact that all of the edges around the pad are finished, and the hardcap is sewn securely into place. This is a nice detail, and will help make the pad last a long time.

What I didn’t like: It’s almost TOO low profile for me. There’s not a ton of padding behind the cap itself, and while I didn’t take any super hard falls in practice it made me feel a little less secure. I also didn’t love the neoprene padding on the inside of my arm. It’s very very thin, which is great for breathability, but it was pinching the inside of my elbow whenever I bent my arm. I don’t think this was an issue of it being too small, as the pad itself fit very well. I’d also like to see the straps at the top and bottom be just a bit wider, as they tended to roll inward and pinch a bit as well.

The next pad I tested was the 187 Killer Pads Slim Elbow, $34.95 This pad also pulls on, and has a single strap to secure it at the top. It is a bit shorter than the Triple 8 pad, and has a little more “bulk” to it. It’s still considered a low-profile or slim fit, but definitely has more padding. These have a hard cap on the outside of the pad, attached with rivets, and the fabric is ballistic nylon with industrial-weight stitching. The interior is a high density foam, and the back of the pad is a thick Neoprene fabric.

What I didn’t like: They do tend to slip a bit. I’ve never had it slide down upon impact, but I do catch myself hiking them up and resecuring the strap occasionally. They are also quite a bit thicker than the 187s, and take a longer time to dry. And we all know that gross feeling of putting on wet pads from the

What I liked about this elbow pad: I’ve been wearing these for years. I like that they are shorter (more skin to breath!) and have good thick padding behind the cap. They pull on easily, and the single strap makes it simple and fast to secure. The Neoprene padding for the inside of the elbow is thick and doesn’t rub or pinch when you bend your arm. I’ve taken many hard falls in these, and haven’t had any issues at all. Additionally, for this version the company FINALLY stitched and finished the edges. Previously the pad itself would hold up great, but the Neoprene would start shredding almost immediately. So far this newest one has held up quite a bit better.

Both of these are good quality elbow pads. If super light and low profile is your jam, I’d recommend the Triple 8s. If you like a little more padding around your arm the 187s are a great choice. Either way – your weenus is protected and you won’t have any rando bits of bone floating around in there if you take a hard hit. Skate on!!!H

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establishing an intentional culture of diversity and inclusion T H E W O M E N ' S F L AT T R A C K D E R B Y A S S O C I AT I O N P H O T O B Y K E I T H B I E L AT

Roller derby is more than just a sport.

It’s a community, a lifestyle, a family.

It’s a place of empowerment – a place where a diverse spectrum of identities, body types, and experiences can collaborate and build something greater than ourselves. It’s handing off this unique experience to a younger generation whose lives will forever be shaped by the revolutionary spirit of a few women in Texas. It’s a place where trans, non-binary, genderqueer, and gender-fluid people can see themselves represented and celebrated.

Roller derby is revolutionary, but it isn’t perfect. Despite the values we believe to share, the community hasn’t always felt welcoming to all members, leaving some people to question if the WFTDA is the right place for them. To work towards a more accessible framework and to take action in advancing equality and inclusion in the sport, over the past year, the WFTDA has looked closer at its promise to support the diverse identities of its membership.

In the past few months alone, we’ve worked to address issues of harassment and bullying while taking responsibility for our own actions that have been harmful to members of our community – and taking the necessary steps to rectify. We’re creating a general code of conduct and have released anti-abuse statements and statements reaffirming our commitment to the

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transgender community. We’ve built an Advocacy Committee that will work together with our Diversity & Inclusion Committee to create policy on how the WFTDA responds to and interacts with issues that affect members and the world. We’ve partnered with Team Indigenous and with Athlete Ally, a 5013 nonprofit organization to end homophobia and transphobia in sports and educate athletic communities to stand up against anti-LGBT discrimination.

We share these updates not to pat ourselves on the back, but to recognize that with this progress, we’re still a long distance away from our goals. There is so much work left to be done to make sure our sport is the safe space that we want it to be, and we hope you’ll help us get there.

To quote our anti-abuse statement, which can be found in the Latest News on wftda.com: “To our friends who have been made to feel marginalized, or unsure of your place in the sport of roller derby, you are absolutely valued and wanted.

To those of you who are survivors, we believe you.”

How Can You Get Involved?

Become a part of our Advocacy Committee. We’re actively seeking enthusiastic members. Apply today!

Email diversity@wftda.com.

Join our Online Town Hall Meetings and our 2018 Roller Derby World Summit Round Table Series.

Locations and dates can be found on the forum.

Ask your WFTDA rep!

Take action towards improving and implementing policies at your league level, hold your league accountable, and share your experiences with WFTDA membership. Talk to your WFTDA rep about this!H

fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2018

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

how to start a junior league B E T T Y F O R D G A L A X Y, R A I N I E R R O L L E R G I R L S

Roller derby has exploded from one league to hundreds, with hundreds more just starting. It has circled the globe and been televised. The newest faction to the roller derby scene is junior derby. I am about to answer the million-dollar question – Cliff Notes style.

First, make sure you have the time to commit to this undertaking and the right reasons for doing so – it has to be a venture of the heart. You must strive to always put the kids’ needs first – always.

I recommend reading the book “Positive Coaching – Building Character and Self-Esteem Through Sports” by Jim Thompson.

This book has given me so much insight into the complicated decisions a coach has to make on a daily basis. It can be a delicate balance of being strong and stern with them, as well as being caring and nurturing. It is very important that you take the time learning how to coach and treat kids; it takes an incredible amount of time and energy to start and maintain a junior derby league, however if the passion and resources are in place, the reward is tremendous.

Junior derby provides a place for the kids to build their selfesteem and character, I believe, more so than any other sport.

Many people who join a roller derby league are strong, independent and motivated, but often the type who didn’t fit into conventional sports, and the junior skater often shares these traits.

There is no “one right way” to start a junior derby league.

There are several active junior leagues running in the U.S. at this time and we have all sort of forged our own way and created similar paths to the same goal. I will tell you my experience with the Seattle Derby Brats and try to elaborate on how some of my fellow leagues run.

The number one rule of junior roller derby is to have fun.

Generally, kids play sports not to win or make friends, not to be a star or be on a team, but to have fun. The main reason kids give when they quit a sport is that it stopped being fun.

Gather your group of interested parents and adult skaters who want to help. Start with a mission statement. I started with one early on and it has evolved over time, but when I started by myself it gave me direction and let the parents know what the sport was about.

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Decide early if you want to be a nonprofit or not. Explore the options of being an extension of an adult league or if your league will be a separate entity with support of one or more adult leagues. Often this is referred to as your “big sister” league. Then set up a board of directors right away and get to work on committees.

Below is a laundry list of things you will need to consider: recruit skaters – Get them signed up even if you don’t have a rink or a start date yet. Let the parents know you are forming and get all their information to notify them as soon as you have practice space. Promote at the local rinks to garner interest, advertise at local adult bouts – give a flier to every kid you see there. Once your league has started, organize derby demos and half times at adult bouts to gain more interest. communicate – Create a Facebook page, and use this as a tool to link you to the adult leagues and derby fans in your area.

Start a Facebook Group or forum – use this to communicate with your parents and kids. You can put up schedules, instructions, notifications, and whatever else you need to communicate. DO NOT post practice time or skater info on public forums or Facebook. create a database – Assign a secretary to create a database of all the skater’s information, including parent names, parent phone numbers and emails, home addresses, parent cell phone numbers, skater birth dates, skater cell phone numbers, allergies or disabilities, and emergency contacts. It is also helpful to keep track of necessary documents and required gear, for example: Do they have all their gear? Do they have insurance?

Did the parents sign a waiver? Did they sign a photo/press release? Did the child sign the skater agreement? Make sure you ask each parent if there is any reason their kid should not be in posted photos for safety reasons. Google Docs is a great way to keep a private database and roster where all the parents have access to it privately through an online invitation.

schedule practice time – Find a rink willing to let you train there; if you are lucky enough to live in a warm climate you can use an outdoor hockey rink inexpensively. Check your local parks – often you can skate in gyms or youth centers if there is no rink available. Rink time can be hard to snag if you have one or more local adult leagues, but you may be able to work with them to establish your own practice time. get insured – The type of insurance (USARS, Francis L. Dean, or WFTDA insurance, for example) is not as important as making sure your league is insured. Many rinks require USARS or something of the sort for all skating classes, instructional or derby. get educated – Make sure you and other coaches take a first aid class. You might not always have a medic around. Kids fall, kids cry. You have to help. In any injury situation YOU must remain calm. Take any local free classes for head injury and preventive sports injury. Reach out to a children’s hospital or a local sports injury physical therapy clinic to see if they can volunteer some time to teach you and your new league. Check your local laws about concussions, injured players etc. Example: In Washington State there is the "Lystedt Law” which has protocol around head injuries and concussions that can have legal ramification if not followed.

Steven L. Price (Skippy Steve) sign waivers – Make sure you have a waiver for parents to sign that protects you from liability in the case of injury, death, and loss or destruction of property. Waivers are different from state to state and even from county to county in some cases, so contact a local lawyer and check out the laws within your community. create a skater agreement – Write up a skater agreement and have the kids sign it at the beginning of each season. For example, Seattle’s starts out with “the number one rule is to have fun” and goes into detail about respect, listening and trying hard. create a parent agreement – Have parents sign up to pledge their support and help for the junior league. Without parent support, a junior league will have a hard time surviving. The agreement lets the parents know upfront what is expected of them, and also outlines appropriate behavior at events and practices, including appropriate support and encouragement of their skater. establish dues – Set up a dues schedule ahead of time.

Your league may need to set up fundraising events as well to

completely cover rink time. You may also consider creating a scholarship program for skaters whose parents cannot afford to pay dues, in which the parents will be expected to help out with extra junior league work. organize fundraisers – You will probably need the funds for rink time, uniforms, gear (whistles, cones, timers, etc.) and travel expenses. Search your local derby community for volunteer refs and coaches. There are a ton of great ways to fundraise – common ideas include holding a skate-a-thon, organizing spaghetti or pancake feeds, and selling junior league merchandise. design a logo – There are often many people willing to do free artwork for new nonprofits. Offer bout tickets and a t-shirt in exchange for their help. Make sure your logo is clear and easy to read, and that it looks good at any size. Keep in mind that clear lines and one or two colors will make printing on shirts and buttons cheaper and better looking. form committees – Set up committees right away – it may take a while to get an official board set up, but you will want to get to work on making your league run.

Establish a head coach, head ref, merchandise committee, treasurer, event planner, and secretary. You will need to learn how to delegate or you will burn yourself out! cover business details – Go online to your state website to get a business license, which you will need to create a bank account. The bank account should be in the business name before you take in any money. You should add about three to four parents (probably board members) to the account.

Work with a lawyer to set up the 501C3. It can take a while and is really confusing, but be patient. You may be able to find a parent, grandparent or friend of the family who is a lawyer and can help you out for free. Check your local laws and find a lawyer you can trust.

For more information on how to start or run a junior league, check out the several facebook groups that exist. There are many examples of forms, waivers, and drills out there and it is a great way to meet other leagues, ask questions and get plugged in.

Running a junior league takes a lot time, but it is so worthwhile. When you watch those kids gear up to skate, it will just melt your heart and you will know it is time well spent.H

fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2018

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27 in 5 T U F F Y S U M M E R S, H U D S O N V A L L E Y H O R R O R S

Fresh Meat training is described as a (about) three-month process. Which means that on average, it takes people only three months to be able to pass their basic skills test, right? Well, not me.

meat out there that can't pass their basic skills test.

There are most definitely countless more girls who are like me. But when you're in the situation, and you're stuck, you always feel like you're alone. And that's exactly how I'm feeling right now. Like I am the only one in the known derby-verse who cannot yet play an official WFTDA game.

This particular situation, may it be a minority one or not,

I've been fresh meat on the Hudson Valley Horrors for over a year now. I've taken my basic skills test three (actually it could be four) times since I started in October 2016 and For me it's been the laps that have seriously held me back. But, like, can you blame me? Skating twenty-seven laps in five minutes is able to make even a fit athlete tired.

So picture me, a less than five-foot, chubby, asthmatic Italian girl doing this. It's not pretty! By the time I finish my laps I typically collapse on the floor, the sweat on my face is running off in tidal waves, and I almost literally cannot breathe. Like I told you, not pretty.

There is no doubt that any other fresh meat will be able to both sympathize and empathize with me on this. But I'm not necessarily reaching out to those fresh meats that have been able to pass their skills test in ample time. I want to know about the girls that are struggling like me. How many other people still can't do their T-stops perfectly? How many other people still can't transition flawlessly? If you know any of these girls send them my way. I just want to know that I'm not the only one.

Anyway, the basic skills test is hard for everyone. I'm not saying it's just me. I'm not even saying that I'm the only

sucks. It sucks a lot.

Everyone has to do twenty-seven laps in five minutes during the season. Fresh meat, tender meat, vets, everyone! But tenders and vets have already crossed the threshold. Us freshies are still going through the grinder. The laps are a symbol of triumph and failure for us.

So when we are faced with having to perform, it's like staring up at tallest mountain, knowing very well that if you don’t make it all the way up the first time you’ll have to start at the bottom and try again. And then do it again if you don’t make it the next time. Or the time after that.

But you get the picture. It's all a big cliche, I know.

But ah, so is life.

Being a veteran fresh meat on my team, I’ve seen many other girls come and go. Some don’t pass their skills or even practice with us long enough to really learn how to skate, but it seems like so many of them do. So I watch these newbies skate circles around me and feel utterly frustrated.

Here’s the truth about roller derby that I don’t think many people know. It’s a psychological game. Half the battle of playing is getting past your own insecurities and just skating without anxiety.

Here’s the truth about roller derby that I don’t think many people know.

It’s a psychological game. Half the battle of playing is getting past your own insecurities and just skating without anxiety.

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© Jan Hutter

So here’s the other truth. The Hudson Valley Horrors are a

four wheels is natural or easy for our bodies to adapt to. But

small team. I’ve really only seen one fresh meat pass their

I do know that I, myself, my brain, is seventy-five percent of

skills in a shorter time than I could. So yes, I lied to you. But

my problem. And that’s something I will have to continue to

this is what I mean by psychological. My body type is not

work on until the day that I decide that I am no longer

stopping me from passing my skills test. My asthma is not

scared of passing.

stopping me from passing my skills test. And lastly, it is not

I don’t want to make this sound like this is just a “me”

those twenty-seven laps that have stopped me from passing

problem either. Because it’s not! I know it’s not! Everybody

my skills test. It’s me! Surprise!

out there playing derby now (or ever) has looked up at their

So there’s another cliché for you – we are all our own

own personal mountain while they were starting at the very

biggest enemy. I can’t pinpoint what exactly has stopped me

bottom. Eventually they will climb it successfully, but it rarely

from passing, and I’m sure not many other people can

takes just one try. And even if you have to skate those laps

either. There are definitely some physical aspects that may

more than ten times, it is worth it knowing that one day you

inhibit me a little. I’ll admit that. And I will also admit that

will make twenty-seven in five.H

roller-skating is hard! Nothing about putting on shoes with

fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2018

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Sacramento Roller Derby: the unification 2018 SACRAMENTO ROLLER DERBY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

In 2006, Sacramento became home to two roller derby leagues. At the time, the sport and community were young, and disagreements over league culture, business practices, and coaching were the basis for many league splits. But as years passed, our reasons for being separate faded. We were Sacred City Derby Girls and the Sac City Rollers, estranged sisters that knew each other so well, but yet were very distant from one another. We had split apart a decade ago, over reasons that were no longer relevant, and all that remained was competition and a curiosity about unifying.

as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, so combining the two was not as simple as registering a name change. Policies had to be followed, taxes needed to be filed and paid, and of course, each league had rankings and status within the WFTDA to consider. A unification proposal was drafted, and the liaisons and Boards of Directors began coordinating between respective lawyers and representatives in the WFTDA to gather answers to our countless questions.

Meanwhile trackside, coaching collaborated and we began having mixed monthly scrimmages. It cannot be stressed

We had split apart a decade ago, over reasons that were no longer relevant, and all that remained was competition and a curiosity about unifying.

Both leagues experienced incredible successes and struggles throughout their tenure. We co-existed in our city, in practice spaces only five miles away from one another. As time passed, we began to hold annual meetings to plan our seasons and ensure that no major events overlapped. It seems simple, but it was an acknowledgement that we supported each other’s success. This respect laid the groundwork for our eventual unification.

The first step of unifying was to increase communication and build our interleague relationship. This began by increasing the frequency of our liaison meetings. Prior to 2017, communication between liaisons was largely informal outside of the annual season planning meeting. The topic of unifying would come up, but this was always tabled in the midst of season planning, training, traveling, and other league operations. Last season, they began meeting monthly to seriously discuss season coordinating and how a unification would even be possible. It became clear that bringing together two leagues and two businesses would be a huge undertaking, but was worth pursuing. Sacred City Derby Girls was an LLC while the Sac City Rollers operated

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enough that these scrimmages and conversations were instrumental to creating Sacramento Roller Derby.

A quick history lesson, in the ten years since splitting, the two leagues had rarely scrimmaged against one another and league members could count on one hand how many times we had formally played each other. We were going into untracked territory with monthly scrimmages and our schedules didn’t exactly match up. We had over 60 league level, dues paying, skating members who all were expecting, and deserving, to skate during their practice scrimmage.

We needed to be organized, neutral, consistent, and respectful to set us up for success.

We began hosting scrimmages on alternating months at our respective practice spaces and on our respective scrimmage nights. Each league’s head ref was responsible for their league’s scrimmage night as far as staffing and coordinating officials. Scrimmage was structured based on assigned skill level. B team skaters (and those who had not yet been assigned to a team) skated at 7 pm and A team skaters scrimmaged at 8:30 pm. The first half of scrimmage was split, Sac City Rollers versus Sacred City Derby Girls,

and it was as to be expected: cordial but competitive. The key was what happened at the half. The teams were split down the middle. Each line had to have at least two skaters from each league. This is where all of the bonding and true unification began. The second half started with introductions and collaboration about who jams, who pivots, and who likes to be where the track. The communication was heavy and, as derby is designed to do, connections were made and friendships grew.

Over the course of the season, league members started to socialize and mix. Skaters started volunteering more often at the other league’s games and meeting up while out in the community. We felt more connected after months of regular scrimmaging. The feelings of camaraderie were felt strongest that summer. The first weekend of June, Sacred and Sac City participated, together, in the Sacramento Pride Parade while each charter flew to Colorado for Besterns. Our separate brackets facilitated each team dedicating time and energy to cheer on the other Sacramento team. Entire bleachers were packed with support and locker rooms were decorated with signs. Members of each team met up in the hotel gym to exercise together and stretch. Coaches shared words of advice and encouragement. We felt unified in our common goal of representing Sacramento on an international scale.

Last autumn, while other skaters were tuned in for playoffs, the Boards of Directors and Coaching Committees pushed forward with reviewing the Unification Agreement.

Finally, the moment of truth: a league vote. Years of communication and a season of dedicated progress would come down to the skaters. All eligible voting league members would have a voice in the matter. Each league

hosted a Q&A information night to discuss at length what was in the Unification Agreement and ask questions.

Members could submit their questions in advance so that the Boards of Directors could find answers and limit uncertainty.

The poll was open for days, but it felt like years. Both leagues’ futures hung in the balance. We drowned in the “What if’s?” What if one league wants to unify, and another doesn’t? Each league faced the same choices: unify, dissolve one league into the other, table all unification talk for one year, or abstain. We held our breaths as we waited for the poll to close. The wave of relief, excitement, and pride was immediate when we saw that there was overwhelming support for unifying. Now it was time to get to work on implementing the terms of our unification.

The 2017 off-season in Sacramento consisted of nominations for board positions, individuals trying out for coaching, voting for a league name, voting for a logo, and endless conversations full of ideas, passion, and excitement for the 2018 season. Also meetings. Lots of meetings. Over 70 skaters showed up for tryouts in January. Suddenly two leagues with D2 charter teams and local B teams had enough skaters to overflow rosters and group talent to surpass our individual dreams.

Every merger is unique and the terms are dependent on the needs and history of each league. It was important to us that we entered our unification as equals joining forces with mutual goals, not one league taking over the other.

We were stitching a community back together and that process does not end when the votes are cast. For Sacramento Roller Derby, this unification is not over; it’s just beginning.H

fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2018

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team structure 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

When modern roller derby leagues began, they created home teams because it was the only way a game could happen. There were very few leagues and they were spread across the U.S. Having home teams ensured the precious game time and experience every skater sought.

As more cities and towns birthed derby leagues, there was less of a need for home teams because, just a couple hours away, there was another team to play. A team didn’t have to play another team on their league in order to get game time.

Some leagues, in addition to having home teams, added A/B teams. Some leagues dissolved their home teams and moved to the A/B structure. Other leagues began their league with an A-team and added a B-team as the league grew. Today, you’ll find leagues structured in various ways for various reasons.

Home teams are intraleague teams that play each other within a home season. They train separately and develop their own strategies and plays. Each team consists of skaters at various skill levels, with captains and coaches who lead each team. Players are drafted from a pool of skaters who pass the minimum skills requirement as determined by the league. Most leagues with home teams have at least three home teams, so each team has more than one other team to play. While many skaters view themselves as competitive players, home teams are typically the least competitive team on a league. This is because new skaters are immediately drafted to a team, rather than trying out, and most home teams allow for equal playtime.

Advantages: This structure offers all skaters, regardless of skill level, an opportunity to belong to a team and play games. It offers an opportunity for a young skater to earn the experience needed for a more competitive team and a home for skaters who are not interested in traveling and/or high-level competition. Also, having home teams can build a larger fan base for your league, as locals build loyalty with a team.

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Disadvantages: Home teams can be a costly endeavor for a league because they require significant resources. You need money to afford team practices for each team. You need the resources to host several home games within a season, and you need strong branding and marketing to establish and build a local fan base for each team.

An A-Team is comprised of the league’s most skilled players and plays home and away games. The team consists of up to twenty skaters, fourteen of whom can be rostered for a game. To be eligible for team placement, a skater must consistently demonstrate a set of skills and qualities predetermined by the team. A try-out is held to determine membership. Captains and coaches choose who is placed on a roster and how much playtime each skater is allotted.

Their decision is usually based on a predetermined set of qualities (skill, attendance, attitude) and the unique collection of skaters needed to secure a win (specific type and amount of jammers or blockers that stack up well against the competition).

Advantages: The existance of an A-team creates a hierarchal system in which skill and dedication are rewarded with game play. It also develops healthy competition among skaters. This model is widely used in amateur and professional sports, so it’s easier to research information about the structure.

Disadvantages: The A-team model can feel exclusionary to young skaters who are developing their skills. Because of a subjective or seemingly subjective path from new skater to team member, some skaters develop a feeling of entitlement, asserting that they’ve earned their spot on the team and have been purposefully denied it.

Brangwyn “GI Jones” Photography

The B-team operates similarly to the A-team, but on a less competitive scale. It is the league’s JV team and consists of skaters who have passed minimum skills.

Some leagues immediately place a skater on the B-team after they’ve passed, and some require skaters to try-out for the team.

Advantages: The B-team is a home for skaters with various goals. It can serve as a place for new skaters to acquire the experience and knowledge needed be considered for the A-team, and it’s a home for skaters who don’t want to compete at a higher level. Additionally, it adds to the hierarchal system to foster healthy competition within the league.

Disadvantages: Without constant, clear communication about how the hierarchal system works, the league can fall into unhealthy competition, which can lead to entitlement, which can lead to league drama.

When choosing a team structure, a league should consider its mission and purpose. How many teams do you need to provide playing opportunities for all your skaters?

What level of competitiveness should each team operate at?

Do you need to provide teams with various levels of competitiveness in order to retain skaters?

Aside from answering those questions, the size of the league impacts the success rate of a team structure.

Assuming a healthy team consists of 12-20 skaters, leagues with 10-20 consistent skaters would house only an A-team.

Leagues with 21-30 skaters would support the A/B team structure. Leagues with 31-40 would extend the A/B structure to include a C team, which functions the same as the B-team, but at a lower competitive scale. Leagues with more than forty players could incorporate a structure that houses A/B teams and home teams.

This, of course, isn’t a system that’s strictly adhered to.

You can have a league of thirty skaters and create three home teams. It’s risky and definitely not ideal, but you can play a season with ten skaters per team. It’s all about finding what works for your league. Skaters always seem to find a way to make the impossible happen, don’t they?!H

fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2018

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three days with the Mexico City Roller Derby all-stars S A N D R A H A R P E R , B R I G H T O N, U K

I was lucky enough to spend time with and photograph the roller derby team based in Mexico City!

Day 1: Evening, Parques America, Mexico City Today’s training ground was a hard concrete enclosure in a park. The dimly lit park surrounded by palm trees sits in an affluent district of the city. There, the team called the ‘Mexico City Roller Derby All-Stars’ consist of two home teams called ‘Catrinas’ and ‘Quadticues’. The MCRD is the Mexico City Roller Derby who is a league member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).

One member, called Carolina, became my unofficial translator and introduced me to the rest of the team.

Earlier that summer, I went to my very first roller derby match in my home town and so I had some vague idea how it was played. The enthusiasm for a contact sport that displays feats of athleticism, teamwork, and finesse intrigued

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me. Carolina kindly briefed me about the team that varies in age from mid-teens to thirties.

Friendly and welcoming, they gave me the indication that they are very good friends on and off court as they greet each other (and myself) warmly. They chatted and joked while going through their sessions of stretches, sprints, and push-ups under the guidance of their physical trainer, Gerardo. Warming up completed, out come the helmets, skates and pads. For the next hour under the cover of darkness all you can hear is the clatter of roller skates on the course ring as they blocked, jammed, and hip checked.

The group maneuvered between the shadows and light with such ease and confidence. They continued as such until the sounds of the storm and flashes of lighting took over the city and the first signs of raindrops hit the ground.

Day 2: Saturday morning – Deportivo Guelatao (sport centre) Weekend training takes place in a large basketball court of a local sports centre, located in the city centre. The team members are also larger in number than that of the previous evening as they included members who are new to the sport. Today they have the opportunity improve on their newly acquired skills too.

The rest of the team prepares themselves through a routine of warm-ups with Gerardo at the helm.

Now is time to move on to some resistance training.

The members, all grouped in pairs, with the front skater pushing against the belt-size resistance band that is placed across their waist. The back skater imposes the opposing

force as they are holding on to the band ends tightly whilst being dragged around the court. Not an easy feat on four wheels and endurance and stamina are vital here.

However, the pairs make it look easy as they glided around the smooth surface of the court.

Soon it was time to recuperate, catch their breath whilst allowing the coldness of the floor to bring relief to their skin.

Before long they are back on the court to continue with a series of blocking and jamming drills. Jammers are forming a queue, each repeatedly attempt to get past a single blocker. This was soon followed by some series of short bouts to conclude the day’s training.

All focus is now on the match taking place the next day.

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Day 3 : Sunday morning – Guelato Sports Centre, MCRD All-Stars v Disorders The team arrived at the sport centre with a kitten in tow.

Paws maybe too small for roller skates but does make a very cute MCRD mascot!

They are competing against an all male team called the ‘Disorders’, affiliated with the Mexico Roller Derby (MXRD) league.

Male v female matches are not uncommon, all that is required is an all-level playing field with passion and tenacity for the sport. Everyone is equal and of course, everyone wants to win.

MCRD All-Stars are in their team blue vests emblazoned with their roller derby names such ‘Dan-nie Darko’(captain), ‘Slow Death’, ‘Muerte Chikita’ to name a few.The Disorders wore black and white t-shirts. Aptly named ’Azul’ (Blue) v Negro’ (Black) on the scoreboard.

They start with a quick warm up and then a brief chat on tactics and strategies and the match begins.

The matches are as expected; fast paced, a blur of black and blue around the basketball court. Bear in mind, although

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this is a friendly match, the knocks and tumbles are still as painful.There was a point where MCRD member ‘Muerte Chikita’ successfully jammed her way through the pack and jubilantly raised her arms in joy. Next, she was sitting on the bench, nursing her hip with pain etched on her face. Nothing personal of course – just the nature of the sport. She took it in stride and was back in the game soon enough.

Both teams showed great resilience mentally and physically as time went on. However at the end of the match the visiting team, Disorders, were the overall victors.

The teams congratulated each other with a succession of high fives and hugs. For the Disorders team there was an extra cause for celebration as it was one of their player’s birthday.

Laughter and smiles filled the court ( and there was of course a huge chocolate birthday cake) and despite fatigue both teams somehow summoned enough energy for a ‘birthday ‘pile-up’ on the player.

Now that is a great way to end a match on a Sunday afternoon!H

I would like to thank Mexico City Roller Derby for allowing me the opportunity to hang out and produce some great images of your action (if I do say so myself).

Me gustarĂ­a aprovechar esta oportunidad para agradecer a MCRD por permitirme la oportunidad de pasar el rato y producir algunas excelentes imĂĄgenes de su acciĂłn (si lo digo yo mismo).

Link to more images of the Mexican City Roller Derby all-stars can be found at: sandra-harper.com/pasando-la-estrella-passing-the-star

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1. Jammer’s shin guards have changed color. 2. Blocker #42’s tattoo is missing from left leg.

3. Blocker #42 is missing number from armband. 4. Jammer is missing number from armband.

5. Logo is missing from blocker’s knee pad. 6. Jammer is missing white lines from pants. 7. Referee is missing WFTDA patch.

Sean Hale

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