Wolf Pack

This drill is a reader submission from Elsie Thudd, formerly of Steel City Roller Derby, and currently coaching their brand new junior derby league, the Pittsburgh Derby Brats.

Alternative names: One Man Wolf Pack

Objective: To be able to trap and slow a player down, to be able to work with partners/wall to slow down a pack or player, to able able to effectively communicate with your teammates, to learn how to break through walls.

Typical length of drill: Customizeable

Materials needed: A delineated track and 5+ skaters

Skill level required: All, this can be tweaked to be non-contact if need be, but will work with contact as well.

Description: This is a variation on tag.

One person is designated "IT." We like to make it a surprise. We have all of the girls close their eyes and we tap someone to be "IT." 

Everyone begins by skating on the track in derby direction. When she is ready, the "IT" sets out to trap and slow someone down. When she accomplishes this, that person becomes part of her "pack." Then they must work together to trap and slow the next person, who will then join their pack. This continues until they have a pack of 5. Communication is key once the pack forms to identify their target and execute a coordinated attack. For the skaters trying not to get caught, it is an excellent drill for breaking through walls and getting unstuck. When we've done this, magic happened on the track with the free skaters banding together and creating strategies to disorient the wolf pack so they could all get through. It is a great way to practice stop derby and how to counter stop derby and how to counter counter-stop-derby strategies.

Rules:

• The trapped skater is considered in the pack when the "IT"/wolf pack has legally blocked and slowed her down for 3 seconds. 
• If a penalty is called on a free skater, she must exit the track, do a lap on the outside, and re-enter behind the wolf pack. 
• If a penalty is called on a member of the wolf pack they lose a member.
• If a penalty is called on the "IT" before she acquires a pack, she forfeits her "IT" status.
• If a member of the wolf pack goes rogue, or the pack gets separated/split-up/forgets they are a pack, they forfeit a member. 

Make it harder:

• If the "IT"/wolf pack traps and sends a skater out-of-bounds, she may only become part of the pack if they effectively pull her back at least 5 feet....10 feet? 
• Put a time limit on how long the "IT" has to pick up her pack. 
• Only allow positional blocking!

Additional notes: Elsie says, "While conducting performance reviews with my brats I got a lot of feedback that led to [this] drill. I think it would work well for both juniors and freshmeat/rookies. Or all levels just for fun. It seems a little complicated now that I've written it down, but the girls absolutely LOVED it."

Persevere

The following drill is a guest post by coach Nadia Kean (aka "Smarty Pants") of the Texas Rollergirls.

Alternative names: --

Objective: Jammer endurance, playing clean, Blocking: holding a block in a very tight pack, avoiding the need to reset to get more space

Typical length of drill: --

Materials needed: A track, a jammer cover, a stop watch, a ref (if possible)

Skill level required: Skaters should be contact cleared unless you use positional blocking only

Description: This drill was created for a few reasons. The first, my team needed more endurance in the pack. My team also needed to stay clean, even when up against massive walls. My blockers needed to stop running forward when opponents played offense against them. They needed to hold a block for as long as possible, even when their opponent was crowding their space, making it very hard for them.

Set up: pack with as few as 5 will work, but really about 7 or 8 would be best. Have 2 skaters start on the outside of the track, with the remaining skaters starting on the inside of the track. One person on the track will be designated the Jammer. Everyone else on the track is her opponent. The two people starting off of the track will be skating laps around the outside of the track around 85-100% of their ability. Of the two people starting off of the track, one will be the next jammer. The other person is pretending that she just jammed. The whole group will go for intervals. I recommend 60-90 seconds. During the set time frame, the jammer will try to get through the pack, the pack will try to shut her down and the two skaters on the outside will skate laps. As soon as the set amount of time is up, the person who just jammed will start to skate laps, along with the person who wants to jam next. The two skaters who had just been skating laps will jump back on the track. One of them will now be a jammer, the other will now be a blocker (pretending like she just completed he post-jamming laps). While in the pack, blockers should really try to block the jammer while also being completely crowded for space by the other pack skaters.

Additional notes: To see more of Smarty Pants' guest posts, click here.

Zombie Tag

So it seems like zombies are the "new" thing. There's zombie this and zombie that, not the least of which is the very popular tv series The Walking Dead. There are a few games on All Derby Drills that are based on the classic game of tag which are very good for warm ups at the beginning of practice.

Alternative names: --

Objective: Get your skaters warmed up for practice. Work on teamwork. Practice putting on the helmet covers while skating.

Typical length of drill: 15 minutes max

Materials needed: Plenty of Pivot and Jammer covers

Skill level required: Basic skating skills. Comfortable in skates.

Description: If your league is like mine, you have a bag full of jammer (JC) and pivot covers (PC). We'll use the JCs as the zombies and the PCs as the survivors. Split your skaters in two equal groups and have them start at the walls of your rink or skating space. I put one group at either end of the length of the rink. Before you start scatter the PCs around the rink. We have a five foot cinderblock wall running around 3/4s of the rink so I put them on top at random places. Give one skater a JC. She'll be the first one "infected". Take the rest of the JCs and stand off to the side. Blow a whistle to start. Whomever the zombie tags, they're now infected and will turn into a zombie. The newly infected will skate over to you, grab a JC, and go out and make more zombies. Once all the JCs are gone, blow four whistles to stop. Now you have a bunch of zombies and a few survivors. Have the zombies line up in the middle of the rink, and split the survivors into two groups, just like at the start of the game. Blow a whistle to start. Now the survivors have to skate out and grab a PC, and when they have a PC on (not in their hand) they can commence to slaughtering zombies. When a PC wearing survivor tags (kills) a zombie, that zombie falls down and stays on the track as an obstacle. The game is over when all the zombies or the survivors are killed. If you can, as an added bonus, play the theme song from the Walking Dead. The skaters will love it.

This is a good drill for teamwork. When I first ran it everyone was out for themselves during the second half and the zombies would always win. Eventually they would team up and make a big group, protecting one or two people who could then grab a PC.

It's also good practice for the mysterious and rare star pass. It's not easy to put a helmet cover on while skating away from a creature trying to eat your brains.

Additional notes: This is another drill written by our guest blogger, Brawl-n-Order.

A Classy Dinner at 7-11?

You've done it. I've done it. I mean really, at some point or another we have all done it. AND, from my experience working as a health coach to derby skaters world wide, many athletes grab dinner at the convenience store more often than not. We run into 7-11 and grab god knows what from frozen pizzas to the questionable tuna fish pita pockets to a Snickers bar or a Power Bar (which has about the same nutrition value as a Snickers bar BTW). We shove it in our face in the car and then get to practice and SURPRISE! We feel like crap. 

Guess what? As an athlete, you are now responsible for what you put in your mouth.Your body is a machine and, as a roller derby athlete, you expect a lot from it. So if you expect to perform, fuel it properly. The skill of pre-planning your day comes with time and habit and a little bit of nutrition know how. I have written a load of posts on here about pre-game meals and proper hydration and all that fun stuff so be sure to get back and read them! Today, we are talking about pre-planning and strategies for success.

Most of us walk out the door in the morning with NO PLAN as to what we are going to eat for the day. As you have heard 100 times in your life for many different reasons, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. When I talk to my clients about pre-planning, the first thing I usually hear is "But Krisssyyyyyyyy, I have a jobfamilykidsresponsabilitesneedtosleepinwatchtvgethometoolate! I CAN'T possibly remember to pre-plan my meals every day!"

Well, here is the deal my friends: YOU CAN if you decide its important to you. Once you have decided that yes, you are sick of dining out at AMPM or swinging through the McDonald's drive-through, then read on for 7 tips and tricks to pre-plan daily so you can feel AWESOME on the track every night!

1. Plan 5-6 small meals for your day
Eat 3 meals and 2 snacks every day. 
Each meal/snack should be a good balance of 1/3 lean protein and 2/3 complex carbs

My day goes like this:

BREAKFAST Formula 1 shake (come on, who REALLY cooks breakfast? And if you are opting for instant oatmeal or carb-y cereals you probably are crashing mid morning)
SNACK mid morning: Usually greek yogurt or deli meats or nuts for protein paired up with a fruit or veggie
LUNCH: Meat and veggies. Usually chicken or turkey over spinach or with broccoli and 1/2 an avocado.
SNACK: Same as in the AM. Today it was a handful of walnuts and some ground turkey that I precooked this week with onions and bell peppers.
DINNER: On practice nights I drink a shake on the way to practice. No one really wants to be burping up dinner all through practice do they? This is also a great way to get easily absorbable nutrients.
POST PRACTICE: Protein and carb for recovery. I either drink a Rebuild Strength shake or I come home and have some MEAT (yes I am a massive carnivore...I even named my dog Meat!) This is him. 

2. Use similar ingredients
I like to keep using the same ingredients but mixed around to make different meals to avoid massive shopping lists. Veggies can be eaten raw as snacks, or stir fried with protein for a hot meal, or made with eggs or added to a salad! My staples are spinach, bell pepper, broccoli, red onion. A few simple ingredients mixed together in different ways can make a variety of yummy meals...I mean look at mexican food. Its basically beans, rice, veggies, and meat mixed together a hundred different ways. 

3. Have a few simple go to meals and snacks
Easy go to snacks help to keep pre-planning low maintenance. Single serving greek yogurts, almonds, or string cheese are good for this. BEWARE: Treats that say "100 calorie pack" THIS DOES NOT MEAN ITS HEALTHY. It just means they are only giving you 100 calories worth of crap.

4. Have a shopping day
I shop on Sunday night for a week's worth of food. This may take a little practice to get the right amounts of everything but once you get the swing of it, your life will be SO MUCH EASIER!

5. Have a cooking day
This is the same day as shopping day for me. I literally cook about 6 lbs of meat at once (to support my 170 lbs of lean mass!). I will pan fry a bunch of lean turkey meat and bake some chicken. Then pop it all in the fridge and use it for salads and wraps or snacks throughout the week.

6. Pack your meals at night
Pre-pack! If you are not a morning person pack your meals/snacks at night. If you are not a night person pack it in the AM but either way, get in the habit of packing a lunch bag...yup, "thanks for the sac lunch," ice pack in the insulated bag PACK YOUR MEALS!

7. Do this for 21 days in a row and it will be a habit!
Bottom line is, we are all busy but here are things we habitually do every day or week no matter what and if you can do those things (ahem, watch your favorite TV shows or shower) then you can learn to pre-plan!

As always, if you have any questions about what to eat or when to eat it or why I love all this stuff so much or you want a free nutrition evaluation or you want to know anything about supplements, Herbalife, or the meaning of life you can reach my at KrissyKrash.Derbalife@gmail.com and I would be glad to help you out!

Pre-Gaming Off Skates

Tigre Force's guest blogging series: 5 drills from the Skater Progression Diagram.

As the topic says, this post is about learning roller derby off skates. All the new skaters are always very anxious about getting to play. But since not everyone of us are talented skaters when we start derby, we must keep safety in mind and make sure we know the basic skills well enough before starting to scrimmage.

Nevertheless, roller derby is a sport that requires multi-talented focus. That is one reason why skaters should start doing pack drills, blocking and all possible derby drills both off and on skates. You can actually play roller derby off-skates as well. Keep in mind that you must learn to do those moves on skates later on, so don't focus on knocking your teammates down like a boss, if you are not able to do such a killer job on skates yet. Rather have your focus on the right technique so that you can build your muscle memory.

Footwork drills are also good to start off-skates before putting the gear on. We just had a practice with Helsinki Roller Derby (Tiina Kimari as our trainer) that we started off-skates, doing jumps on the stairs (after a proper warm up!) and ice-hockey footwork drills before putting the skates on and doing the same drills on skates.

I started this guest blogging series by posting the Skater Progression Diagram (link above) which will help you explain to your skaters why derby takes so much practice before you get to play. I decided to choose five drills to give a few examples of what the different sections could include. So far we've made it to the step three.

1) Basic Skills and endurance - the example drill for this section is the Quick Feet Drill
To this subject I'd like to add another link from the All Derby Drills -blog, and that is of course Showercap Derby aka "Sock Derby". You can do this outside, inside, in any weather!

2) Blocking: positional and contact - check out RMRG's Blocking Drill

3) Pre-Gaming off skates - this is the section that the Human Shield Obstacle Course is for (and I know 2x4 Roller Derby from Argentina has tried this drill out with an on skates variation but I encourage you all to keep it off skates! Murder City Roller Girls from Adelaide, South Australia has also tried the drill out)

Off skates derby with Helsinki Roller Derby

These two off-skates drills are a perfect choice to ease down the anxious skaters who wish to already get to the next level of practicing their derby skills. If you can play derby well wearing sneakers, it will make it easier to get comfortable doing all that on skates.

I will post the last two drill examples of the Skater Progression Diagram soon, so stay tuned and keep following All Derby Drills!

Eat what, when, and why?!?!? My game plan for WFTDA Western Regionals

Most of us have a game day routine that we follow leading up to a bout. I get lots of skaters asking me what to eat on game day so I thought I would share how I got through an epic weekend of skating at Besterns.

Regionals this weekend could have been a challenge if it hadn't been for some good preparations and packing most of what I needed to eat with me.  ACDG had some tough teams to go up against and I wanted to be fueled and ready! I stocked up on Formula 1 sport, Hydrate, Prolong, Prepare,  "Magic liftoff cookies" as Duchess has now coined Liftoff (my healthy energy drink), and some bars and little snacks. This way I knew all I had to find was a healthy meal or two and I was good to go! We skated 2 games Friday (WASATCH and Rose City) with no crashing feeling in between them.  On Saturday we skated against Rocky Mountain and thankfully I had taken Restore Friday night because otherwise I might not have been able to walk the next day. Sunday was our final game against Sac City. Every game was challenging and I am so proud of my team and so thankful for having a kick ass nutrition program to get me through my very first Regional Tournament.

Here are the basics of what I did each day:

It took me a bit of trial-and-error with my diet to come up with a plan that works for me, there are a few key points that all athletes should keep in mind when trying to match their meals and snacks to their activity. Carbohydrates are primarily what the body relies on for energy. The body needs a fairly steady source from the diet, since there’s only so much carbohydrate the body can store – in the form of glycogen – in the muscles and the liver. This doesn't mean carb loading the night before on 7 lbs of pasta is going to make you skate any faster. Keep it healthy the days leading up to a bout but powering down massive carbs the night before is not necessary. It’s important to ‘top off the tank’ with some carbohydrate before an athletic event.  In choosing what to eat, all athletes need to consider how much time they have to digest before they start an athletic performance or event.

Key Points to remember:

• Foods high in fiber and fat delay digestion time so save them for after your bout.
• Light or liquid meals digest more quickly than solid ones.
• During continuous activity that lasts longer than an hour, athletes need to keep the carbohydrate coming in.  Specially designed sports drinks are ideal for this purpose, since they provide fluid and salts as well as the right amount of carbohydrate to keep muscles well fueled; some also provide small amounts of protein that help with muscle recovery.
• Post-exercise, athletes must consume plenty of carbohydrate to replenish the stores in their liver and muscles.  Ideally, athletes should try to eat within 30 minutes or so after their event or workout is over.  Fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans and dairy products are all terrific recovery foods. This is the time to load back up on the higher fiber carbs since digestion time is no longer a concern.
• Whey and casein – proteins derived from dairy products – are also needed after exercise to help promote muscle recovery.  A protein smoothie made with milk and fruit, a sandwich on wholegrain bread with a glass of milk, or some yogurt with a piece of fruit are all excellent post-exercise meal ideas

More than 3 hours before the game.

Planning ahead is key!  Eat a regular, balanced meal no less than 3 hours before the bout.  Just keep it healthy and avoid the heavy stuff.

Between 1 and 3 hours to start time.

If you have only an hour or two before your event, then enjoy a lighter, solid meal, maybe some cottage cheese and toast, or a bowl of low fiber cereal. I usually have a chicken and veggie wrap or snack on a protein bar. If we are getting close to game time I down a Formula 1 sport shake.

Less than 1 hour until you compete?

For athletes who have only an hour or less to digest before an event, choose something that will be easy on your stomach such as a smoothie or a yogurt. I drink Formula 1 sport before my bouts. 30 minutes prior to my game I drink 1/2 a Liftoff with 2 scoops of Prepare.

During the event?
Keep topping up – water and use a specific sports hydration drink are both important. During the first half of the bout I drink water with 1-2 scoops of Prolong to ensure my blood sugar doesn't crash before the second half. Then I drink water or Hydrate for the rest of the bout.

Just completed the bout?
Dig into some healthy snacks like fruit, raw vegetable sticks, and hummus, or a Rebuild Strength.

When you are doing strenuous exercise, paying attention to what you eat – and when – can have a big impact on your athletic performance, so don’t let eating become an afterthought.

This is Krissy Krash, signing off! You can always hit me up with questions, for advice, to give feedback, or for a free nutrition and performance profile at krissykrash.derbalife@gmail.com.  Plus, if you want to try out anything I mentioned above or you are are ready to get your ass in gear, you can get 10% off plus free 1:1 coaching from yours truly by hitting up www.goherbalife.com/krissykrash by using the coupon code AllDerbyDrills.

DO YOU EAT LIKE AN ATHLETE?

Whether you’re fresh meat or an all star, you food choices can have a huge impact on your performance.

When you’re really active, you can burn through a lot of calories – so much so, that it often seems there’s no way to satisfy your appetite.  So many skaters these days cross train, play other sports, and live an incredible active lifestyle. Pre workout and post workout can often be the danger time: when your appetite is out-of-control, it’s tempting to let yourself eat whatever you want – thinking that you will ‘burn it off’ later.  Remember though – even when your calorie needs are high, you don’t have license to eat foods with little nutritional value.

To eat like an athlete you need to think about food as fuel.

Ask yourself about the benefits of a particular food: is it protein or carb based, does it contain the nutrients you need?  You can’t let yourself be tempted by only thinking about the taste, or by constantly giving into cravings for sweet or fatty food.

Getting fueled up for activity means having the right pre workout meals, staying hydrated, and properly refueling after an event or workout.  If you’re a picky eater, vegetarian, or vegan, meeting these goals can be challenging, so think about your athletic aims and keep in mind that that a healthy diet is vital for a good performance.

An athlete’s body is like an engine – one that needs the right fuel to run properly.  Healthy carbohydrates – from fruits, vegetables and grains (like whole grain breads, rice and corn) – are the body’s preferred source of fuel, not beer and french fries... I know its hard to believe.  These good carbs help to not only sustain exercise, but they are needed afterwards to help replenish body stores.

The body also needs healthy lean proteins – from foods like lean meats, poultry, fish, milk, yogurt, eggs and soybeans – to help build and repair muscles after exercising, and small amounts of healthy fats (from foods like avocados or nuts) to help meet calorie needs.

Try these basic tips for healthy eating to keep you properly ‘fueled up’ for exercise:

Before a workout

You need to ‘top off the tank’ with some carbohydrates to provide energy.  The best choices are foods that are easy to digest like a fruit smoothie, a carton of yogurt or a small bowl of cereal and milk.  Keep meals low in fat so they’ll be easy to digest.

During exercise

Staying hydrated is key.  Water is fine if you’re exercising for less than an hour, but a hydration drink is great for extended exercise or when the weather is particularly hot or humid. High or low carb hydration drinks will depend on the duration of your workout.

After exercise

It’s important to refuel muscles with some healthy carbohydrates and protein.  A healthy meal replacement shake is an all-time favorite recovery food since it provides fluid, potassium, carbohydrates and protein – all of which the body craves after activity.  Other great post-exercise foods are sandwiches, fruits, yogurt.

Your body needs fiber, but it’s best to eat high-fiber foods after exercise, rather than before, to avoid stomach distress.  Save the wholegrain breads and pastas for after your game, race or workout.

If you have high calorie needs, make healthy higher calorie choices that are also nutrient-rich like nuts, 100% fruit juices, dried fruits, peanut butter and trail mix.

Click here to contact Krissy Krash with questions, comments, or for more info