Great Wall of Ghina

Alternative names: n/a

Objective: To strengthen defensive walls

Typical length of drill: Repeated in 2 min increments

Materials needed: jammer panties, WFTDA track

Skill level required: must be cleared for contact

Description: Blockers pair up and stagger around the track. Jammers enter anywhere on the track at the starting whistle. Only one jammer at a time attempts to skate past/through a wall. Blocker walls skate at a slow pack speed and try to stop each approaching jammer.

Additional notes: The wall's inside skater must protect the inside line so no jammer escapes through it. She only steps as far away from the line as she can, knowing she can quickly return and stop the jammer. The wall's outside skater does most of the dirty work by swinging to the outside and back to her partner in order to stop the jammer on the outside. Remember to skate low and wide as to take up as much of the track as possible. The Great Wall of Ghina is not great unless it's large and in charge.

Baby Gazelle

Alternative names: Goating/Trapping Drill, Four-on-One

Objective: Two parter: One is to work with your teammates to trap an opposing blocker and slow the pack; the other is to practice getting out of a trap.

Typical length of drill: 10 minutes

Materials needed: WFTDA track

Skill level required: must be cleared for contact

Description: Skaters are divided into groups of five and staggered around the track. Four skaters trap the baby gazelle (the fifth skater) and try to keep the pack at a slow to near-stopped pace while keeping the gazelle trapped. The four must work together and communicate to hold the gazelle and keep from speeding the pack.

The gazelle attempts to free herself of the trap. She must juke, weave and constantly keep her feet moving to free herself. If she's not able to get through, she should never give up. The more she struggles to get free the more she speeds the wall of four.

After 2 mins, a coach blows a whistle and another skater in the group takes a turn as the baby gazelle. Continue for 10 mins, so every skater of the group gets to be a gazelle and gets to work on gazelling.

Additional notes: The term "baby gazelle" was coined by Polly Gone (of Gotham Girls and Maine Roller Derby).

The Homewrecker

Alternative names: n/a

Objective: Two parter: One is to offensively break up a strong partnership/wall, the other is to strengthen partnerships/walls

Typical length of drill: 6 mins

Materials needed: jammer panties, WFTDA track

Skill level required: must be cleared for contact

Description: Blockers split into groups of three and stagger around the track. Two of the blockers will be partners, while the other (the homewrecker) tries to break them up. The partners do everything they can to stay together. They can skate behind or in front of the homewrecker, and they can temporarily split to get around the homewrecker and reform. They do not want to race away from the homewrecker, as that defeats the purpose in the drill. The homewrecker’s goal is to use contact or positional blocking to keep the partnership from staying together. Every 2 minutes the whistle is blown and a new skater in the threesome serves as the homewrecker.

Additional notes: Increase the level of difficulty by adding roving jammers. The partnership attempts to stay together and stop every jammer. The homewrecker tries to keep the partnership from walling up to stop the jammer.

Dynamic stretching: Calf Stretch

Alternative names: --

Objective: "To increase flexibility in this very often-neglected area." (1)

Typical length of drill: 1-2 mins

Materials needed: None

Skill level required: None

Description: "Current research work [Medicine & Science in Sport and Exercise 33(3), pp354-358 and Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol 15 (1): 98-101] suggests that the use of dynamic stretches - slow controlled movements through the full range of motion - are the most appropriate exercises for the warm up. By contrast, static stretches are more appropriate for the cool down" (from BrianMac Sports Coach).

HRD fresh meat Ronja.

By Marko Niemelä.

Calf Stretch

Starting position: From the pushup position, place your right foot over your left heel.  Your weight should be on the ball of your left foot.

Procedure: Pull your left toes up toward your shin while you push your left heel down toward the ground with your right foot.  Exhale as you lower your heel.  Hold for a one count, raise your left heel again, and repeat.

Coaching key(s): You're pulling your toes up toward the shin at the same time you're pushing the heel to the ground.  Then push back through the new range of motion.

You should feel: A stretch in yor calf and ankle.

Progression: Bend the knee of you working leg to shift the emphasis to your Achilles tendon." (1)  Shown in image #3.  For maximum effect our volunteer could straighten out her left leg, the one resting on top of the leg with the bent knee.

Repeat 8 times on each leg.
  
Additional notes: All text from Core Performance by Mark Verstegen and Pete Williams (1) unless otherwise noted.  This is part of a series of dynamic stretches that we have been posting over the last few days/weeks.  We are now half-way through the series.

Guest blogging: Punchy O'Guts

Punchy O'Guts, Maine Roller Derby

Punchy O'Guts is a skater for Maine Roller Derby. She joined the league when it began in 2006 and has skated with the Port Authorities, the league's all-star team, since its inception in 2008. She is a team captain, serves on the league's training committee and works as the league Marketing Director. Prior to joining roller derby, Punchy's athletic background includes a few years of gymnastics in grade school and playing tennis in high school. She plays the pivot position and will talk strategy until her lips fall off.

We are super stoked that Punchy O'Guts will be gracing All Derby Drills with her presence for the next few weeks!  While guest blogging Punchy will be writing about themed practices focused on breaking walls and how to improve awareness.

Welcome Punchy O'Guts!

Figure of 8

Alternative names: --
Objective: To practice being mindful of what’s going on around you; to practice skating smoothly and in control in chaotic situations.
Typical length of drill: 5-10 mins
Materials needed: None
Skill level required: This is non-contact, open to all levels.
Description: To skate in a figure of eight around the hall avoiding other skaters in the middle. The skaters form a long line. Then the one at the front starts to skate in one big figure of eight around the hall. All the other skaters follow. As the skaters approach the middle of the hall they have to identify the gap in the skaters traveling across them in which they wish to pass. The skaters need to speed up or slow down accordingly. Ironically speeding up to go through a gap is usually the best option as you will spend less time in the middle and therefore spend less time in someone else’s way.

Video:



Additional notes: During the dynamic stretching series we're sprinkling in some on skates drills to keep things mixed up.  This drill and video were recently submitted to All Derby Drills by Reckless Rowly of Helsinki Roller Derby.

Dynamic stretching: Sumo Squat-to-Stand

Alternative names: --

Objective: "To improve flexibility in your hamstrings, groin, ankles, and lower back." (1)

Typical length of drill: 1 min

Materials needed: None

Skill level required: None

Description: For a great, easy-to-understand article on dynamic stretching, check out "Dynamic Stretching Routine and Tips" by Taylor Tollison on Stretching World (which, by the way, is a really great resource!).

"Starting position: Stand tall, with your feet outside your hips. 

Procedure: Bend at the waist, grabbing your big toes.  Keeping your arms straight and inside your knees, pull your hips down until they're between your ankles, and lift your chest up.  Then tuck your chin and try to straighten your legs, holding on to your toes as you straighten out your hips and knees. 

Coaching key(s): Hold on to your toes at the bottom of the movement.  Pull your chest up and your shoulders back and down, and try to drive your hips forward to get your torso vertical, not horizontal.  As you lift your hips, keep your back flat. 

You should feel: A stretch in your groin, glutes, lower back, and, to a lesser degree, ankles." (1)

Kata Strofi, #10. Photo by Mick Dagger, Helsinki Roller Derby.

Repeat 8 times.  I also have a personal "coaching key" to add and that is tell your skaters to try to keep their eyes on the same spot on the wall the whole time.  This will be difficult but the stretch can be felt much better if they try to keep their eyes forward the whole time, rather than looking down at the ground when they stand up.  Our fantastic volunteer is doing a good job of it here!

Additional notes: All text from Core Performance by Mark Verstegen and Pete Williams (1).  This is part of a series of dynamic stretches that we are posting over the next few days/weeks.

Our volunteer is shown here wearing skates because this is one of the few dynamic stretches that you can actually easily and safely do while wearing skates.  Try incorporating it into your pre-practice stretching routine!