Fresh Meat Testing

Testing will work in the following manner:

Check in will be outside again, gear up, line up and get 2 coloured numbers stuck to your helmet, make sure your colour and number is recorded at the check in table.

Skill are graded 1 - 5 (as per raw meat test). For the purpose of skater selections just passing a skill is not adequate, selection will come down to the level of your passing grading. You will all find out your results on monday night, results will be given in the same method used at raw meat, so gather into your colour groups afterwards.

Grading ratings are:
1 - poor skill not safe
2 - understanding but not competency
3- is competent
4 - is good
5 - is outstanding

Skills stations are:

FALLS
1. single knee slide (knee of your choosing)
2. double knee slide
3. baseball slide
4. single knee and turn (turning on the same knee)

*How stable you are and how quick you get up will also be marked*

JUMPS
Jumping 3" - (over the noodle)

STEPPING
stepping from one foot to the other while moving, retaining balance and derby stance.

WHIPS & PUSHING
(This will be done in pairs with an oldie, NOT a fellow freshie).

1. Give a push
2. Receive a push
3. Give a hip whip
4. Receive a hip whip
5. Give an arm whip
6. Receive an arm whip

*Please note*- arm whips are a development skill, we don't expect you to be perfect straight off the bat, but it's something we still test.

BLOCKING
(This will be done in pairs with an oldie, NOT a fellow freshie).

1. Shoulder check - giving
2. Shoulder check - receiving
3. Hip check - giving
4. Hip check - receiving
5. Booty blocking
6. Be able to take repeated mid range shoulder and hip checks and respond in a safe manner

*Hip and shoulder checks will be tested on both left and right sides.*


PACK SKATING
(as a group amongst a pack of other freshies)

1. bumping
2. leaning
3. clipping wheels
4. avoiding unexpected objects

As a pace line:
1. Adjust speed changes whilest in the line maintaining arms length distance
2. Weaving through pace line adjusting to speed and moving around objects safely.


Remember if you are feeling a bit unsure of things before testing or have any thing you wish to discuss afterwards please seek a member of the grievance team they are: Lula Fortune, Coconut Rough, Pistola Balboa, Miss Whirl, Psycho Fox & Grimy Knickers.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

Extra Skating Opportunities

For those of you who are super keen to get in some more practice before Mondays testing the Parks Rec Centre will be open for skating:

Saturday 1-4pm

Sunday 11-1pm

Fresh Meat Week # 4

Week # 4 saw Gateway Girl as head trainer with helpers Violent Krumble, Kit Cat Krunch, Marshall Stacks, Bride of Skatan, Bam Bam Belial, Pixie Pincher, and Nyx Bellatrix.

This weeks warm up consisted of a recap of previous weeks, concentrating on cross overs, hops & jumps using some pool toy noodles to practice jumping over. After a stretch Kit Cat and Stacks took blocking, concentrating on shoulder hits, hip checks, booty blocks and repeated heavy hits.

Pack skating lead by Krumbs and Gatey focused on pace line weaving, looking & calling numbers while in a pack, moving around in a pack, light blocking, tapping wheels, and un-expected obstacles.

A few pointers when in pace line situation, remember to hold your spacing, be ready & aware, communicate with people around you to adjust distances & speeds.

When in a pack situation remember to hold your stance, use "sticky feet" and again be aware of what is going on around you and communicate clearly.

Falls with Skatan and Bam Bam were a recap of single and double knee slides, baseball slides, and single knee slide with a turn. Finally whips and pushing with Pixie and Nyx covered hip whips, arm whips and pushing from behind.

Frefs this week got to take a practice rules test, observe some pack skating and will next week give an oral presentation on a selected section of the rules.
If you'd like to take a look at a practice rules test you can try this online version.

http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=wftda-40-roller-derby-rules-test


A lot of you have been asking what will be involved for testing next week, trainers are tweaking the details as you are reading this, all shall be revealed on here ASAP!

In the meantime please do not subscribe to any rumours you may be hearing.
Due to the large numbers and such fantastic skating skills you all have, you may all meet the criteria for successful testing, but unfortunately that alone will not guarantee you a position into the league.

All league members undertake behind the scenes duties to make ADRD as wonderful as you see us on bout day. In essence selection is also about how well suited you are to be a "team player" , not just on your team but also amongst the league. So if you don't get selected please don't think you "failed" testing.

Stay tuned for testing details, more to come...
GOOD LUCK!!!!

Fresh, Fit n Fantastic

So the Disco got off her couch and headed to fresh meat training #3 this week. Hooray! Have to admit – pretty super impressed by how much everyone is improving. Keep it up folks cos yr looking great out there. But not only was the disco checking out all the awesome form, she was also doing some more mini pop quizzes. And the theme for the evening was FITNESS. We are all working hard at derby training, but what other exercise are we doing? Do we feel fitter? And what do the seasoned roller-peoples recommend…

Bone Shaker recommends you “get yr #rse on your bike”. She cycles every day, to and from work and also at work and recommends it for developing leg and back muscles strength.

Roller Junky digs bushwalking. Not only is it free but its great for building endurance. She also recommends lap swimming and yoga.

Fury of Fenrir and Grimy Knickers both recommend doing weights, paying attention to different muscle groups in different sessions. They both also enjoy outdoor skating and hill skating to help you get strong.

Grimy and Dee Injuria both are big advocates of the RPM spin classes. I myself am a bit scared of the concept of sitting on an exercise bike having someone yell at you to pedal faster, but am determined to give it a go soon. (Feel free to remind me of this.) Both ladies go to the gym regularly and Dee also combines these workouts with a healthy eating plan as recommended by her food coach. Other advice from roller peoples included: vikram yoga, ice skating, ice hockey and of course the good old recreational skating.

And now for a picture. Every blog must have a picture apparently or it just looks like boring words. This is Pistola Balboa in front of the message tree at the Great Southern Slam derby tournament held earlier this year. She is pretending to do exercise.

But how about you freshies? I squeezed in a few chats with you in between drills to find out ho much your fitness has changed since you all started raw/fresh meant. And this is what you said:

Tracey – “I now fit into that dress!”
Phoebe – “Feeling a lot more toned”
Phil – “Much stronger thighs and I’m aerobically fitter”
Naomi – “Heaps fitter. My endurance is better and I feel faster”
Amber – “I stopped smoking”
Rhonda – “Feels good."
Kyra - "My legs are like steel. Well they might not be made of steel. But it feels like they are. You know what I mean”

I only got to speak to a few. How are the rest of you feeling?? Feel free to post below and let us know!

Cheers my dears - Disco x

Fresh Meat Week # 3

This weeks Fresh Meat recap is brought to you by low laptop battery power & stolen wireless internet access!!!

Head trainer for Fresh Meat week # 3 was Pixie Pincher, with helpers Nyx Bellatrix, Rolla Junkie, Marshall Stacks, Gateway Girl, Kit Cat Krunch and Bride of Skatan.

Warm up consisted of pairing up with some one you hadn't worked with before to practice leaning, then hopping and jumping on the whistle. Next up falls, one whistle for a single knee slide with a turn, and two whistles for a baseball slide. After that was 5 big laps using both tracks, concentrating on stride and cross overs, then split onto the two tracks to "ride the track" and finally a pyramid drill.

The nights main focus this week was whips and pushing.


How to Do Whips & Pushes in Roller Derby

A few points to remember:

Pushing:

Line up directly behind the person you are pushing, place both hands on her back to let her know you're going to push her.

Push her forward using even pressure with both of your elbows straight, so she moves in a straight line and doesn't go out of control in another direction.

Remember your derby stance, keep your own centre of gravity low to avoid falling.

Whipping:

Keep your forearm close to your body to maintain stability during the whip.

Let your team mate grab your arm, and don't grab hers (don't link fingers). While you will be controlling the whip itself, the receiver needs to control the release.

Turn your body forward on the side she's holding onto and give your all to transfer that momentum to the person you are whipping, even if it slows you down or slows you to a stop.

Skaters then had a refresher from the previous weeks blocking, falls and pack skating and finished with a game to warm down and some stretching.

Skating @ "The Hub"

The Hub Recreation Centre.

100 Taylors Road
Aberfoyle Park
Phone: 8270 3900


Sunday 14^th November 11am to 2pm.
It’s BYO skates and only $5 per person.

Fresh Meat Week # 2

Welcome back, if your reading this you've probably just made it though one of the most physical training sessions of fresh meat... Blocking!!!

Fresh Meat week # 2 recap:

Head trainers for week #2 blocking were Kit Cat Krunch & Marshall Stacks, with helpers Vaderella, Pixie Pincher, Gateway Girl, Violent Krumble, Miss Whirl and Dee Injuria.

Warm up consisted of re visiting sticky feet, coasting on one foot, squats and our old "Uncle Candy's" favourite... Roof, window, face and floor punching. Then a quick pyramid drill.

After that Kit Cat Krunch gave an off skates blocking chat & demo with the help of Miss Whirl and Dee Injuria in the "Haz Chem" colour coded suits... red for target zones and blue for blocking zones.


For a more accurate detailed visual of these zones & the rules you can view them in section 5 of the WFTDA Standardised Flat Track Roller Derby Rules. Which you can read online or download from the official WFTDA website http://wftda.com/rules

Blocking consisted of hip checks, should checks and booty blocks.

Remember:

Stable, solid derby stance, don't lift your outside foot when you give the hit.

Don't hold your breath or tense up when you get hit,or give a hit. DO exhale, let it out so you don't get winded. ( Dee Injuria gives a great demo of this, go ask her to show you sometime!!!)


Shoulder & Hip Block discussed here:



Booty Blocking here:


After blocking off skates Gateway Girl & Violent Krumble took pack skating on the 2 tracks, getting skaters to observe the rest of the pack, practice looking behind to call out signaled numbers, avoiding obstacles such as fallen skaters, leaning, knocking wheels and responding to change in pace.

Next up Kit Cat Krunch & Marshall Stacks took some blocking on skates drills.
Snake lines, 2 per track with one person weaving through the rest of the line, and then skating with a partner the length of the room doing booty blocks with another freshy followed by hip and shoulder check with a mouldy.

Frefs- (that's Fresh Meat Referees for you newbies) this week covered blocking sections of the rules and got to observe skaters during the pack & paired blocking drills, looking for contact, falls or out of bounds skating that may incur penalties. They also checked out distances for defining the pack and engagement zones, by part taking in their own skating drill dropping coloured cones (representing skaters) on the track and using rope to measure the distances between the cones.

For more information on pack definition & engagement zones see section 4 of the WFTDA Standardised Flat Track Roller Derby Rules. Which you can read online or download from the official WFTDA website http://wftda.com/rules

Thanks for reading, as a little bonus this week I'm sharing my personal favourite block of all time... The "Slay Ride".... Gotham Girls "Beyonslay" giving Rice Rocket the ride of her life!!!



Oh yeah and look who got to meet her a few weeks ago!!!
(Our very own ADRD referees Rowan De Boate & Wolfe Whistle).