First the Husband is coming home by 18:00, then he's not, then he is, then he's not......
In the end I took the kids to training with me, something which I shall do the utmost to avoid in the future, they got bored and started to play about. Nothing naughty, in fact they where very well behaved, but I was worried they would get themselves caught up with another skater and hurt her. I then felt a bit bad because I was more worried for my team mates rather than my children, does that make me a bad mother or an awesome team-mate? and so if it happens again and I cannot find a sitter when the Husband is away on business then am gonna have to miss the session. Something every roller girl in the world HATES, its worse than pad-stink!
Then on top of the small people having to come with, the roads where full of numpty drivers making the UpYourJonesy-Taxi late (I carpool with another girl, not so much carpool more she comes to get me so I can skate) so we get there about 19:20 which isn't too bad. I sit the kids in a corner with their books and homework throw my skates on and start my warm up laps. A few circuits on skates and then some stretches. Right we are ready for the bashy-bashy to start, and boy did we bash this week.
We have spent the last few sessions focusing on what we have termed 'pony-feet' its basically a quick step movement that makes your skates sound like hooves as you hop across the track. It's really useful as it means you can bounce from one side of the track to another, or around the opposition. Its actually faster than skating the same distance once you get it right. Now using a similar movement we are starting to get the girls to 'run' their crossovers that way they get to speed into corners and not only maintain the speed but in some cases increase it as they come out of the corners, easier said than done on Glan Hafren's floor, its a bit too slick for my basic 95a wheels, they like to try and kill me if I go too fast, MUST GET STICKIER WHEELS!!
After about 10 minutes of trying to skate as an individual around the track, pony-stepping past anyone you overtake and running the corners. We came back together to try it as a pack, our pack work is really coming on, and apart from the Rules, I'd say it was the hardest aspect of Roller Derby. Well it is for me anyway, I like to be at the front and at the moment I seem to be a natural Pivot, things can change tho. I may become and awesome Jammer in time, or decide that am happiest as a Blocker, but for now I tend to play Pivot. Which has two main advantages when it comes to pack work.
1: I get to set the pace and I get to shout at people as unlike a few of the girls am happy to skate forwards whilst looking backwards.
But its mostly about the second point, I am at the front. I don't really have to worry about other people's skates getting caught in mine. Which at the moment is a factor, not as much as it was, but it still needs work.
And so we start to skate, trying to remember our pony-steps, and crossovers and keeping an arms distance from the girl in front, and knowing where the rest of your team are, where your Jammer is, where their Jammer is, see there's alot to take in, as well as the rules!
Anyways, the first Jam we played (atm we just go for a full 2 min with no points scored until we a; have enough Refs and b; have NSO's to score us) we did passive blocking also known as booty blocking, where you just adjust your skate position to get in the opposition's way. The 2nd Jam we applied a little more contact, but only assisting your own Jammer and stopping the opposition with Hip checks. The 3rd Jam was a free-for-all in the sense that all contact was allowed, hip checks, shoulder blocks, whips, pushes. Basically if someone was where you wanted to be, as long as it was legal you got to shove them out of the way! THIS IS ROLLER DERBY PEOPLES!!!
Now I have forgotten to mention, we had a visit from a girl called Cat, she wanted to right a piece about us for the Cardiff Uni Magazine, Quench. So Bruise Springsteen got her kitted out and took her through the basics, how to fall correctly, how to stop etc. Then we chucked her straight in at the deep end. Middle of the pack, full Jam! panic not though. We played a very gentle game and she was sandwiched between myself and NiKilla, so if she looked like she was going down we could keep her upright. But she was actually quite steady on her skates, but it still must of been quite intimidating for her.
And now to add to my 'Rhayfen has Hurt' list. Emma I must apologise for that Johnny Crash, although completely legal it is a mean move. Awesome, yet mean.
In my defence though she was the opposing Jammer
And so another training session came to an end, UpYourJonesy and Dotty have come on amazingly well, they are starting to move themselves around the track in a much more fluid and controlled way, Emma and Natalia are proving themselves to be future Jammers-par-excellence. And we are all becoming the Roller Derby Team we had envisioned from the beginning.
Vive La CRoC!!
Derby Love
Rhayfen
xxxx
No comments:
Post a Comment