The Time Is Now

I wrote this the week of my last bout. Gave me chills. Enjoy. 

Getting out of the car you take a look around. See the sun shinning over head. You walk around the car stretching your legs. Open the trunk and pull out your gear. Walking in the venue a wave of emotions fall over you. Excitement, nerves, fears, thrill. You sign in at the table they lead you to your locker room. Set your stuff down. As you walk around the venue you take in what the floor looks like, feels like, the distance from the walls. You can imagine yourself on the jam line waiting for the first whistle. You see your teammates filing in, you head to the locker room to join them. The team goes through off skates workout. iPod in and your in your own world. Thinking about everything you need to do, remembering all the things you have learned in the weeks prior to this bout. As you head back to the locker room your nerves are in over drive. You start to lace up your skates, put on your pads. Signing along to your favorite tunes. Next is the helmet. You skate out. Feeling the adrenaline rush through your veins. You watch as the other team warms up. Now its your turn. Pushing your teammates. Working on your weak spots. It's now time for the National Anthem. You remove you helmet, you stand with pride. The crowd roars. Heading to the jam line for that first whistle. The NSO yells for the 5 second warning. It's go time.

~Thump-Her

Mental Game

There is a lot that goes into derby. Not just the gear, the game plan, the work outs; the biggest thing you have to prepare for is the mental game. Your mental game will determine a win or a lose almost err time. I always thought I had a pretty good mental game. It hasn't always been like that. In high school I would get so mad when I drew a foul in basketball which lead into a downward spiral acquiring even more fouls. Derby is the same way. If you make a mistake shake it off. Holding on to that last jam is hurting you and your team. 

Ditch the distractions- your mind will always try to find ways to make you think that what you are trying to do is not logical. Don't let that happen. Don't let fear, feelings of not being well enough stop you. Don't let the thought of what someone else is going to think block you. Reach for your goal and never look back. 

Bounce back from mistakes- so the jammer squeaks by you because you were not in derby stance. No big deal. Shake it off and remember that next time she is not getting past you. Holding on to something that you did wrong will only frustrate you and potentially have you make another error. I always liked the quote "Don't look back, leave it all on the track" -Unknown That jam is in the past. Play for this jam and the next jam, not the last. 

Physical, emotional, and mental discomfort- your skate is rubbing your ankle weird, your pants are not fitting right, you have a headache. I have found that once something goes wrong I start finding other things that are annoying me. I almost blame those issues for the way I am playing. You have to over come that. Your skate is fitting weird? Take a minute and unlace, take it off figure it out and put it back on. 

Motivate yourself- this is my number one. If I am unable to motivate myself how am I going to motivate my team. Keep it positive. "You didn't get lead jammer but you jumped that apex like it was your job!" I always have found motivating myself is not such a chore for me. Always want to be better. Never settle for being OK. Be your best all day err day. 

Intensity- playing derby with no intensity is no fun. This along with motivation comes very easy for me. I have always had tons of intensity in everything I do. Keep it up. It's contagious. Pass it to your teammates. No one wants to play a team that is just there skating in circles. 

Your job- remember what your duty is. If you jamming, you juke the hell out of those blockers. If you are blocking use that booty and let no jammer by. Remember that there are 5 other girls out there with you and y'all have a job. If you don't hold your own, that sweep you were going to do, just fell apart. Now if it didn't work because someone from the other team messed it up, that's fine. That's not what I was referring to. 

Get to your happy place- You just got back blocked hard, your on the ground; their jammer gets through and now is lead your team is down 10 points. Your pissed right? I know I would be. As hard as this is. Stop. Take 5 seconds. Use your reset word. We did this exercise at practice. We all had to think of a few words to help us reset and calm down. They can be anything you want. They can be silly, they can be serious what ever you want. Mine are "Luke Bryan" (*sigh* he is so hot!) "Yahtzee" (this is also our team reset word) "Big Booty Judy" (totally fun to say it, try it I dare you) We were encouraged to share this word with some one on our team that could calm us down. You don't want the girl that is just going to add more fuel to the fire try and help you calm down; that's never a good idea! 

I hope some of these tips will help keep you mentally strong. These are not only for derby but can be used in err day life. :) 

~Thump-Her 

Bout Day

Getting out of the car you take a look around. See the sun shinning over head. You walk around the car stretching your legs. Open the trunk and pull out your gear. Walking in the venue a wave of emotions fall over you. Excitement, nerves, fears, thrill. You sign in at the table they lead you to your locker room. Set your stuff down. As you walk around the venue you take in what the floor looks like, feels like, the distance from the walls. You can imagine yourself on the jam line waiting for the  first whistle. You see your teammates filing in, you head to the locker room to join them. The team goes through off skates workout. iPod in and your in your own world. Thinking about everything you need to do, remembering all the things you have learned in the weeks prior to this bout. As you head back to the locker room your nerves are in over drive. You start to lace up your skates, put on your pads. Signing along to your favorite tunes. Next is the helmet. You skate out. Feeling the adrenaline rush through your veins. You watch as the other team warms up. Now its your turn. Pushing your teammates. Working on your weak spots. It's now time for the National Anthem. You remove you helmet, you stand with pride. The crowd roars. Heading to the jam line for that first whistle. The NSO yells for the 5 second warning. It's go time.

5 Second warning. Standing on that jam line. Waiting for the jam whistle to be blown. 10 women all waiting for the same moment. Hearts thumpin, adrenaline high, and shakin' legs. Reading the opposing jammer, anticipating what she is going to do, finding a way to get your jammer out. Holding strong in your wall, knowing your teammates have your back is you start to become weak. Your jammer gets lead. Still holding strong, talking, blocking, recycling to the front. Holding that jammer back, your jammer goes around picking up a grand slam. She hit it and quit it for quick points. The jam ends; and it starts all over again.

Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I Started Derby

• Don’t complain. We look for the strongest, fastest athletes. More than that we look at the skaters with positive attitudes.
• Don’t ever drop out of a drill. Unless you are injured (not hurting- injured) do not stop during a drill. As a fresh meat, I was one of the slowest skaters. I could barely keep up with the paceline. My lungs and body burned the entire time. I occasionally dropped back and skated along the inside of the track. No body ever told me to suck it up and get back. As a current skater, I can see why. People want to see your natural work ethic. When you drop out of drills, skaters assume you’re lazy. No one wants a lazy teammate.
• Come to every practice. Sometimes you have family stuff, work late, or even don't want to come to practice. It's understandable that you can't make every practice, but in the end you will always feel good about going and always feel guilty about skipping.
• You are going to fall..A LOT. There is not getting around it, you are going to fall on your bum, all the time, and you get right back up and TRY TRY TRY again! 

            

• It's OK to spend time pick out your boutfit! The first bout I spent an hour deciding what I was going to wear! It's OK! Now I have a pretty good idea what I am going to wear depending on what color my jersey is for that bout. 
• Practice skating outside of practice...WEAR ALL YOUR GEAR!!! On a nice day go out and take a skate- yeah the sidewalk is bumpy but that will help with your all around skills! ALWAYS wear your gear. I never used to wear my helmet until I had a nasty fall outside and it scared me, I always wear my helmet now. AND be CAREFUL about taking your cell phones on skates- when you fall you can crack your screen (o_O) I have lost about 3 phones due to falling :(
  
• No one wants to hear why you “can’t.” Excuses are, by far, the most frustrating things to hear as a teammate. 99% of the time, whatever your reasoning is for not being able to do something is bull. Think about what you’re going to say and really consider if it’s possibly in that one percent.
• Don’t date in derby. I could (and will) write an entire blog about what a terrible idea this is. For now, just trust me. I have seen it destroy a team.
• Volunteer. Sign up to work bouts and events. It shows us your commitment to the league. 
• Derby is 50% fun and 50% work.Sometimes you have to treat it like a job. Once you become a derby girl the league expects you to take on jobs and perform them professionally. We depend on each skater to make a league run smoothly.
• Make time for your non-derby friends. Derby will take over your life in the most exciting ways possible but it will also take time and attention from your family and friends. Just like you must make time for off-skates training, your 9 to 5 and sleeping, you must make time for your old friends. I barely saw or spoke with my old friends for the first 2 years of my derby career and I wish I had been better about giving them attention.                                                             
• The game is infinitely more mental than you could have ever predicted.Physical exhaustion pales in comparison to the emotional ride derby will give you. Stay strong and remember why you wanted to skate in the first place. I’ve seen women with so much potential turn into ineffective players because they let negative self-image destroy their dreams. I’ve, also, seen women that looked hopeless turn into amazing athletes through perseverance and a positive attitude. Nurture yourself and the women around you.
• Exercise outside practice. Practices will only take you as far as your muscles can. If you don't work out outside of practice- you won't get any better.
• Never let anyone tell you that you are not good enough or strong enough. Prove them wrong every time.
• Don’t let anyone dictate what position you can play based on your size. "Sizeism" exists in the derby universe. There’s no getting around being typecast based on your build. Having a tiny body lends itself to speed and jamming. Thickness lends itself to stability and blocking. That being said, we all play derby because we love it. Why play a position that you hate? Built like an amazon and want to jam? Have fun watching an opposing blocker try to knock down or push out your thickness. Tiny girls, next time someone implies you are somehow inferior based on your size ask them if they’ve ever ran into a pole before :)                                                                     

• Most importantly, believe you are an athlete others will too. If you do not train and behave like an athlete you cannot expect others to treat you as such.

~Thumpy

Every Bunny Loves Derby

Just because I get bored on a Monday night and start doodling!

~Thump-Her

Roller Derby Music Videos!

Just some fun videos to get you though the rest of the week! There are a lot more on Derby Central's Page I just picked out a few of my top faves! Enjoy!

~Thumpy 

 Fire by: Gavin DeGraw with LA Derby Dolls  

This is one of my personal favorites!  

It' Not You by: Halestorm with Jersey Shore Roller Girls

Another personal favorite song!

I grew up listening to this one! Legendary Child by: Aerosmith 

Skaters from Angel City Derby  and LA Derby Dolls

   

KISS Tried to Kill Me by: Black Spiders 

This is another good one

This is my jam I was working on a remix but DC Roller Girls Beat me to the punch! 

Talk Dirty To Me by: Jason Derulo made into Talk Derby To ME

Derby Confessions

I did a anonymous Google Doc and put it out in the derby world for those who have confessions- lets face it, we all do. Some days just suck. Below you will read real confessions from real derby girls. This was not to pick arguments, it was to see how real people feel about the sport. I know I have a hard time exposing my true feelings about something when I know my name is attached to things. But I really enjoyed these. I didn't post them all but here is a few. I always like to see how other people think or feel about things, it kinda gives me a different mind set. 

• I enjoy silently farting on the track and subjecting my teammates to repeatedly skate through it during pack drills.
• Always commando! ;)
• I have a huge crush on a teammate and we are getting closer and closer and now I can't tell her because I don't want to mess with the team dynamics.
• I hate people who date teammates - once there's a split we either LOSE a teammate or have to choose sides
• I feel guilty for not putting in enough effort to maintain friendships with retired teammates.
• It bugs me when people bring their kids to practice
• I don't hit some teammates as hard as others because their whining shuts the whole practice down for way too long.
• I need to get away from my husband and kids a few times a week so that is enough of a payout for me lol.
• When skaters retire, but then decide to come back the following season (after a retirement ceremony was given). Retire, or take an LOA (Leave of absence) if you don't want to or aren't sure.  I think it messes with the dynamics of the team structure.
• I try to give my 100% at practice but I always feel like I'm letting down the other girls. I never feel like I'm good enough, I know I'm constantly learning and getting better but I always feel like I'm letting my team down.
• I dislike men's derby.  I don't like watching it, and I feel like it takes away from it being a "women's sport".  But I don't tell anyone because I want to get over being "shallow" for feeling this way.
• For me it's a female empowerment/entitlement thing.  Men have football, baseball, hockey, etc which are all really popular for them as having the "equipment" between their legs.  Women's football (unless you count the lingerie leagues), hockey leagues, etc. aren't as publicized or popular as men's.  Why can't women have something that's solely popular for women and be more popular than a men's sport without men coming in and wanting the same recognition? I'm just ready for a women's sport to take over and be women's thing without sub-cumming to the overshadow of men in sports.  
• I rarely wash my mouthguard.
• Being a big hitter is hard. You are hard to take down and always manage to wipe people out, but you always wonder if people think you are a dick. I'm totally not a dick.
• I HATE when teams borrow skaters for competitive play.  I think it's really stupid when teams feel as though they have to borrow skaters to scrimmage with another team, when said scrimmage is only a "practice".  I mean seriously, you have to borrow skaters and stack your roster to practice with us?  Why not have pride in your team and play your skaters?! I'm competitive in playing other teams,especially when the numbers are there for said team to play.  I think it's a form of cheating to bench your team and bring in the best from other teams to play on your roster.  It's lame and I hate playing teams who do this.
• I never think I am good enough. And am horrible at taking compliments.
• I hate when a teammate complains about sucking, when she never comes to practice. Then expects to be but in several lines.
• I don't like being a skater-coach because team doesn't treat me like a team member.

~Thumpy