Skills Test Blues

There are 116 people trying out for Roller Derby this year. That's more people than is currently in the league. Unfortunately this means some of you won't make it through.
As hard as it may seem at the time, it's not the end of your Roller Derby career, it's just putting it on hold for a year while you brush up on your skills to become a better, stronger and more determined Derby girl.

Because the league knows this can be a stressful evening there will be huggers on stand-by for last minute reassurances, a supportive ear, and a shoulder to cry on. They still want to show you that they love you for all the hard work you've put in over the last 3 weeks, all the after hours training you've taken on, and the determination to get back up again when you fall again, and again, and again.
If you feel like you weren't treated fairly and have something you want to raise, remember we have grievance counsellors, Lula Fortune and Cannon Wonderful, you can have a chat with.

Rumours going around at the moment say that if you don't pass the skating test you can still be a ref. Last year they were able to do this because of different testing requirements, a need in the league for refs, and some pretty determined girls who have been an asset to the black and white stripes. However this year they already have more than enough Derby Widows and rule driven guys and gals strapping on the skates to train as Refs. As Wolfe Whistle reminded everyone at training on Monday, if you didn't put your hand up to test as a Ref, you're testing as a Derby girl. There is no changing your mind because you failed.

Karmen Getme was a freshie last year who failed the skills test, however that didn't stop her. She's back trying again this year, and she's brought a year's worth of practise with her. Karmen says:

This year I didn’t qualify to be a Derby girl but I still really wanted to be involved. I was hungry for it. I hadn’t until that moment realised that I
truly wanted to be a Derby girl. So that burning desired flamed my decision that if I can’t play this season I'll come out guns a blazing next year.

Dee Injuria was one skater who refused to say no. She's spent the past year skating when she can, practising in car parks and was able to get onto Team Zebra because of last year's rules. She recalls of what she learnt after failing the skills test last year:

I was devastated when I failed last year’s skills test. I even tried to plead and negotiate my way into being a derby girl – something, by the way, they won’t let you do, no matter how much you cry and beg.
However, I know now that it wasn’t that the roller girls thought that I wasn’t good enough to be part of the league, and it wasn’t that I had lost something that I wanted so badly. I just needed extra time to learn to be comfortable on roller skates. Having the extra year’s practice has meant that I can come back to fresh meat tryouts this year, stronger and faster and more stable than before. I may not make it again – but I will get closer this time, and I’m sure my derby friends won’t love me any less for it.

The league encourages you to keep skating, keep coming along to bouts, maintain the friendships made this year at Fresh Meat, and come back in 2010.

Vader reminds everyone "keep on skating, enjoy our bouts ,cheer loud and bring it full bore next intake!"

More mid week practice

Hey folks,

If your not on the facebook ADRD freshies group go join up NOW!!!....
A few more practice sessions/venues have been organised if your keen:

Ariel Ferrero: Have booked the parks from 9.30am til 11.00am thursday 28th if anyone is interested.

Valentine Falls: puttin a call out to all you freshies in the deep dark dirty south! the noarlunga liesure centre lets me use their courts during the day when its quiet for a minimal amount but they may be down with us booking it for practice sessions. anyone keen?

And they are having a halloween roll event this friday night from 7.30pm to 9.30pm so you can dress up like a vamp or a witch or something while you practice...http://www.noarlungalc.com.au/content.asp?pid=134586

Also Ingle Farm rec centre on friday nights. Public 6-8. Freshies 8:30-10. This week public skate goes till 9 due to Halloween Skate.

Raw Meat- a grilling in process (week 3)

How's everybody feeling after this week???

Yep testings only one week away ARRGGHHHHH!!!!!!
DON"T PANIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*Hits panic button*

So alot of you are probably feeling exactly like me, and not knowing how, when or where you can cram in that extra practice session before testing, fear not there is a solution!!!

Your such a resourceful bunch, Jodie Lee May has arranged practice at
"the parks" for 10.30am tomorrow (Wed 28th) if you want to know more head on over to the ADRD freshies group on facebook (look in the links menu on left hand side of this page) here's whats been posed so far:

"For all you freshies who are not working during 'normal' working hours, the parks stadium can be booked during the week, for $5.70 p.p. the latest booking is 3pm until 4 when it's booked out! There is a creche for the kids to attend for up to 2 hours also."

Or if your unavailable during the day how about joining Audry Apple on Thursday evening:

"Hey there Parkside/Unley/Goodwood etc ladies! A bunch of us are meeting at the Parkside Primary School tennis courts on Young St on Thursday night at 7pm if you want to come along. Might try and do some kind of core work exercise stuff too.. Come one come all!"

Just remember folks, skating outdoors if you've not done it before will be very different to what your used to on the indoor surface. Rougher surfaces like concrete = alot more traction so you'll feel it's alot harder to push along, and take longer to stop!!

So before you think I've forgotten I'd best recap week 3's training session.

Trainers Violent Krumble and Barrelhouse Bessy started last night with an almost obstacle course set up, re-capping those all important skills needed for testing. A long straight run for a T-stop, round the cones and back again for a snow plough. Then over to Bessy's & Wolfie's station for some stepping agility practice, back, forward, left and right. On to weaving thru cones, and exiting Via Mr Hot Rod with a single foot skate to the final station, I like to call "sticky wheels" that's skating without lifting your wheels, using your body sway or figure 8's to propel you along.

Next up 5 big fast laps of the whole room, and some stretching with Krumbs, while Bessy talked about the skills testing. Then she gave us a demo of riding the track, and after that everyone got to do those suicide laps we love so much :P (endurance laps). Once everybody felt human again it was on to some air hostess "stopping" practice T-stops and snow ploughs only. Another quick talk and time to have a drink, Finally some more stations for last minute practice & recap of cross overs, stops, weaving, one foot skating and stepping.

PHEWWWW what a week!!!

Final words of advice from Dee Injuria: "check your wheels!!!" do you know how to adjust them? are they spinning freely? keep them clean by wiping over with a cloth after each training session, and don't forget to clean your bearings every few months too.

Don't forget to check out this weeks photos on the facebook freshy group...
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/photo_search.php?oid=264804635051&view=all

See you all next week, & good luck everyone !!!!