THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE WOMEN’S FLAT TRACK DERBY ASSOCIATION (WFTDA) ISSUE 4, SUMMER 2009
fiveonfivemag.com
how to write a press release
facebook, myspace and twitter Free social networking sites abound. These sites not only allow you to post information about your events or bouts, but allow you to invite people to events, send updates via text message, and email thousands of people at the same time. If your league isn’t signed up for all three of these sites, I suggest you do so immediately. newsletter and mailing list software There are many free or inexpensive software programs that allow you to gather email addresses and distribute text-based or HTML-based newsletters to the emails stored in your account. Here are a few to check out: Bravenet, Constant Contact, Send Blaster, and My Newsletter Builder. fan message boards Creating a message board for your fans is not only a great way to market your bouts and events, but it also allows the fans to provide feedback, ask questions and get involved. There are many free message board services. I recommend Proboards and Yahoo! Groups.
A press release is a written statement that is distributed to the media that may announce an upcoming event/bout, results from your previous bout, charity involvement, league news, etc. If you’d like a local media outlet to cover your league, it’s a good idea to send regular press releases. Get your league’s name in front of the right people and be persistent. compose a headline Make sure the headline will grab the reader’s attention yet is brief, clear, and to the point. It should also contain your league name so there’s no mistaking what the press release is about. For example: Fort Wayne Derby Girls draw record crowd on February 14. write the body copy Start with the date and the city in which the press release originated. Make sure the text to follow contains all pertinent details (the who, what, when, where, why and how). Journalists and other media employees don’t have time to sift through your press release for the details, so put the important stuff first and follow it up with a longer explanation if necessary. It’s a good idea to avoid using long sentences. The press release should be compact and straightforward. provide information about your league/organization Title this section of the press release “About (Your League Name).” This section will give journalists the background information needed if they choose to run a story about your league. Make sure you direct readers to your website at the end of this section. provide contact information Who can the journalist contact if he or she wishes to pursue a story or needs further information? Make sure you list the contact name, title of the contact, and their email address and phone number at the bottom of the press release. If a journalist has a hard time tracking you down, chances are they’ll forego the story. other tips • Include a print-quality photo • Make sure the release includes your logo – this helps generate brand awareness • Follow up the press release with a phone call • Send press releases via email • Use formatting sparingly – avoid using many colors and fonts • Avoid jargon or specialized terminology that the typical reader may not understand
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business
delegating responsibilities L O R N A B O O M & I DA S L A P T E R , R AT C I T Y R O L L E R G I R L S
In any community-based organization, a small percentage of
keep it or kick it
the group’s population invariably emerges as the overachievers. These passionate women (and men) maintain business operations, manage league projects and, if they are lucky, still get to strap skates on and play the game that brings us all
Consider the strengths of yourself and your group. What do you
together. Often they take on too much, driven by the desire to see their league and sport successful and determined to make it happen with pure force of will. All too frequently these derby dynamos hit the wall; exhausted, overwhelmed and underappreciated. Most of us have seen this scenario played out in our home leagues as well as on the national scene, but as a whole we have yet to address this challenge effectively. The first and most obvious solution is likely the most problematic for our perpetual overachievers: delegate responsibility. Sounds easy, right? Delegating responsibility can actually be really difficult for people. Delegation can feel like giving away control, especially when we believe our reputation and credibility are on the line. Ultimately, delegation is about trust; in fact, the word delegate means “to entrust to another.” When members feel a sense of freedom and trust, they are more likely to take pride in having responsibility. A league needs the participation of all members in order to function successfully; members that stay informed and involved. The good news is that delegation doesn’t need to be scary. Here are some key steps to help you be an effective leader and an excellent delegator:
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contribute that most helps your league be successful? Keep these! Tasks that can easily be completed by another member should be the first things to delegate or give away. It is helpful to make a list of all the things you do; keep what is essential and kick what isn’t. action plan: handbook Work with a committee, team or the entire league to determine what needs to be accomplished and how it should be done. Delegation isn’t effective unless you can tell someone exactly what you want her to do. Often “nobody can do it as well as you” because they have no idea what you do or how you do it. Documenting processes in a handbook or desk manual allows others to feel more comfortable taking on new responsibilities and ensures that critical steps don’t get missed. Be sure to keep your handbook current so it is a genuine resource and not a snapshot of your league’s history. consider skill sets Don’t expect the skater who has difficulty logging into her email account to design and launch your league’s new website. While our DIY culture encourages members to try new things and expand their skill set, some tasks do require training. Find out people’s background and help fit tasks to people with experience. It is always easiest when a skater with the right skill set is willing to take on new responsibilities, but
Y
X
X
X XX XX XX
Y
Exhibit I: dead space depicted by X Exhibit III: optimal corner lay-in
Exhibit II: track positioning for excellent corner lay-in
the dreaded powerslide – a moment X in which a skater’s wheels skim across the skating surface and drift the skater toward suicide seating in apex or ending section of the corner. The adjustment is to gradually drift outward as you skate up the straightaway. As line X in Exhibit II illustrates, you want to drift outward in order to position yourself to make the most out of the next corner. Exhibit III shows the corner lay-in that ensues following Exhibit II. You may be asking yourself how path X in Exhibit III with its steep nearly 90 degree corner entry is better than path Y. The key distinction is that path X gives you more time and distance to enter the corner. Because this distance is greater than path Y, your momentum will not be as affected, even though the corner entry angle for a brief second is nearly a hairpin turn. common errors when navigating the track First, many beginner and even intermediate players try to start their corner entry too early and line Y of Exhibit III typically results. It’s important to take that extra half-second to move up the straightaway and position yourself for
the next turn. Try this drill at practice: skate twenty laps with good skating technique and body positioning with a marker at the corner entry spot. After the first twenty laps, remove the marker and see if you are able to enter the corner at the proper point for another twenty laps. Another mistake I see frequently is the angle at which players exit corners. As a rule, you should have your head cocked leftward and eyes looking down to the next corner entry point as you exit a corner. This will prevent you from skating out of the corner directly toward the fans and instead force you to skate down the straightaway drifting gradually toward your next corner entry point. Skaters who are familiar with the USARS oval must adjust when they cross and take straightaway strides on the WFTDA track. On the traditional USARS oval, a skater crosses from the corner entry point until halfway through the subsequent straightaway before taking a stride and preparing for the next corner entry. When we consider the WFTDA track, the compact size relative to the speeds we can achieve on roller skates
limits our use of the track. The best roller derby players in the country when accelerating and ultimately “floating” around the track effortlessly adjust their gait. On the WFTDA track, I recommend you begin crossing at the apex of the corner and conclude at the corner entry point. From the corner entry point, you should have enough momentum that you ease your way into the corner with the same line X from Exhibit III. After you’ve eased into the turn, you should be at the corner apex and ready to repeat the process. The reason why this adjustment is recommended is simple. By adjusting your acceleration and deceleration points, you can elongate the distance in which you are accelerating that fits naturally with the compact size of the WFTDA track. Through study and tireless practice, you can master the WFTDA track and use your skills to take advantage of seemingly stronger opponents. It is not always the strongest, but many times the smartest group of skaters that wins. Put in the time today so you and your teammates come out on top.
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games and coaching
off skates workout N O B U O YA G A I , P E R S O N A L T R A I N E R , D E N V E R , C O
Nobuo Yagai is an AFFA, NASM and NCSF certified personal trainer in Denver, Colorado. Originally from Japan, his experience as both a certified jiu-jitsu and karate instructor translates perfectly into the agile and full-contact sport of roller derby.
skating kick out Objective: Builds stabilization and leg strength. Equipment: Stepping stool and yoga ball of equal height. 1. Stand with both feet on the center of the stepping stool with the yoga ball directly behind you. Place one foot on top of the ball with the majority of your weight over the stepping stool. 2. Push out your foot on the ball directly behind you, squatting as the ball rolls. 3. Pull your foot back towards the stepping stool with the ball still beneath you while rising from the squat position, squeezing your glutes and quad muscles. 4. Repeat 10-20 times on each side x three sets. Remember to tighten your core muscles and do not allow your bent knee to extend past your t oes while squatting.
twist lunges Objective: This original exercise builds knee stabilization as well as core and leg strength. Equipment: Dumbbells dependent on conditioning; may begin without weights or with 5 lbs as a beginner. 1. Step forward with right foot; keep your shoulders relaxed. 2. Twist at the hips with your left hip forward. 3. Lunge, making sure that your right knee is stable and your left knee is about 3 inches from the floor. 4. Repeat 10-12 times on each side x three sets. While lunging, keep your shoulder blades back, chest forward and your head up.
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fabulous updates from last year Thought it couldn’t get any better than 2008? Well this year promises to be the best yet! • Get ready to beat the blistering Las Vegas heat with indoor, air-conditioned skating all day and night at the Las Vegas Sport Center (sportcenteroflasvegas.com). • Bring cash – there will be even more awesome vendors and cool stuff to browse, so you can pick up a souvenir for your jealous leaguemates who missed out. • The Spectator Pass will let you bring your derby widow, mom, BFF, or anyone else without the guilt of leaving them in the hotel room to watch cable while you are having the time of your life. • There will be super rad indoor coaching sessions from some of roller derby’s greatest – check the website for details! • MVPs will feel even more valuable with expert off-skates training and free massages!! EVENTS workshops – this year will bring even more on and off-skates training sessions at both the Imperial Palace and the Las Vegas Sport Center. Workshops and roundtables will cover everything you could possibly want to know about being on a roller derby league. Check the website for a detailed schedule. challenges, bouts and scrimmages – Challenges and bouts are both organized ways for teams and skaters to take each other on. Challenges let individual skaters join a team with a roster of girls they may never get to play with normally and may have fun themes like Strickly Dickly vs. The Vagine Regime or Speed Skaters vs. Art. Don’t let the silly themes fool you though – rivalries run deep and these challenge bouts still tend to draw crowds. Both WFTDA sanctioned and non-sanctioned bouts will be scheduled for the rest of the derby community to get together and cheer on
their personal favorites. Scrimmages are much more casual – they are outdoor pickup games at night. Be sure to bring both a black and a white shirt so you can play on either side (the white line is always shorter so keep that in mind if you want more play time!). Register early for challenge bouts – contact challenges@rollercon.com ONLY after you have your full roster planned. Challenges will be scheduled on a first come, first serve basis.
CONTACTS AND INFORMATION New passes at your suggestions: rollercon.net/register/rollercon-pass Online registration at the IP hotel: rollercon.net/register/hotel-reservations Sponsor-discounted travel! rollercon.net/register/ traveling-to-rollercon New contact info: rollercon.net/contact
MAKE ROOM FOR REFS Check out all the zebra-themed activities: off-skates workshops – rules overview with Q&A session, rules implementation, controversial calls, positions and methods, head reffing and ref and announcer relations are just some of the topics of interest to stripy ones. on-skates workshops – hands-on activities includes ref mentors at scrimmages, reffing methods at scrimmages and ref skating skills. certification – information sessions as well as rules and skating skills tests will be available. all-around fun stuff – a very special ref treasure hunt and a referee mixer are in the works! DERBY DUDES RollerCon is all-inclusive and male skaters are welcome to participate in co-ed scrimmages and challenges. Participation in workshops is up to the discretion of the trainer. If you are a supporter and not a skater, see the Spectator Pass to tag along with your favorite rollergirl(s) to the welcome banquet, Black ‘n Blue Ball, LV Sport Center, and to catch a ride on the shuttles.
– FOR SKATERS – Overview of updated training and on-skates stuff this year: rollercon.net/about/skating-at-rollercon Updated skater skill definitions: rollercon.net/about/skater-skill-levels Pre-registration and advanced, capped-class info: rollercon.net/register/ training-workshops-pre-registration Online info and purchase of USARS day passes: rollercon.net/register/ skating-eligibility/usars
– FOR VOLUNTEERS – Updated compensation schedule and new jobs: rollercon.net/about/help-wanted More detailed description of what it takes to book a seminar: rollercon.net/about/help-wanted/ seminar-leads New info (and a new compensation package!) for on and off-skates athletic coaches: rollercon.net/about/help-wanted/ coaching-workshop-leads
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