Fire Drill

Alternative names: None (weaving / pace line variant)

Objective: Learn the basics of a pace line while using some basic upper body movement

Typical length of drill: 5 minutes

Materials needed: One passable object per approximately 8 skaters (Nerf balls recommended)

Skill level required: none

Description: This is a very basic weaving line or, as some might call it, pace line.

I use this drill with the freshest of fresh meat as soon as they are able to skate well enough to keep up with a line, pass someone, and weave between two people.

All skaters line up in a single pace line about two arm lengths apart. The activity of the drill will enforce this.

Distribute Nerf balls through the line about one for every eight skaters. You can use other objects as well. For advanced skaters, weighted medicine balls work. Other objects could be stuffed animals, shoes, swim noodles, cones, other balls. I prefer Nerf balls with new skaters because they are easy to see and they are easy to grab with wrist guards - something new skaters are just getting used to.

As the pace line starts, the balls are passed backward. This stimulates the activity of turning and looking backward while skating forward. It also enforces the pace line spacing without skaters having to think about it too much. Once a ball reaches the back of the line, the skater takes the ball and weaves forward to the front of the line. On reaching the front of the line, they pass their ball back and the drill repeats from there.

Additional notes:
The name, Fire Drill, should be fairly obvious since it is basically a bucket brigade. I believe this was a Pioneer Valley invention because I brought our coaching kit that I made with the Hellions to PVRD and we were looking for something to do with the Nerf balls on a skills practice night. I had bought the Nerf balls to play Dodge Ball on skates (will write that up as a drill soon). If memory serves, it was Pink Panzer who came up with the idea to do this.

While this is a drill designed to help brand new derby skaters grasp the pacing concepts of a weaving line without barking orders at them, this can be used for more advanced skaters as a part of a dynamic warm up routine. Add other dynamic stretches to this for a nice, easy warm up that keeps the mind active and alert while skating as a team.

Coaching Notes
Encourage skaters to pass the balls back in both the right and left directions.

Make sure skaters are making eye contact with the person behind them as they pass the ball. Encourage skaters to turn at the waist and to pass the ball, not throw it.

Especially when working with new skaters, encourage them to be in the right position at the right time. If they've fallen behind when the person in front of them is trying to pass the ball back and now they have to catch up, use this as a learning opportunity of illustrating the need to be where you're supposed to be when you're supposed to be there.

Brand new skaters will get a bit nervous when weaving through the same space as a ball passing backward. They'll get over it.

This drill works in both the derby direction and non-derby direction. I usually run it through in one direction for half the time, then have the line follow a figure 8 to reverse direction and repeat it in the reverse direction.

Side Note
While you have balls out on the track, an added benefit we have at our practices is we throw the balls around while doing warm up or cool down laps. This is not a pace line thing and is helpful for all levels of skaters.

• Develops hand eye coordination
• Develops a sense of learning to aim for where someone will be (especially with slow Nerf balls) not where they are
• Takes attention away from the activity of skating and helps skaters gain comfort on their feet
• Encourages sub-conscious speeding up and slowing down to catch the ball
• Encourages full track awareness (Where are the balls? Is one being thrown to me?)
  
• Helps skaters learn to get low to pick up dropped balls at speed
  

Pack Blood & Thunder

Alternative names: Blood & Thunder, Queen of the Rink

Objective: Fun, hitting, pack awareness

Typical length of drill: 5 to 15 minutes

Materials needed: a marked derby track or similar

Skill level required: contact eligible

Description: Like Blood & Thunder or Queen of the Rink, this is a "last skater standing" game.

All skaters get on the track between the jammer and pivot lines. At the whistle all legal contact is allowed between skaters. In addition to being removed from the game if you fall down or step out of bounds, you are also removed from the game if you are out of play. Generally OOP is considered to be 20' from the bulk of skaters, but as the game winds down to the last few, it is reduced to 10'.

Coaching Notes 

Help skaters recognize when "opportunity blocks" are happening on the track.

• Did a skater not quite fall or go down from that last hit? Can I take the next hit and complete someone else's attempt?
• Is there a skater not paying attention because they just hit someone else down or out that I can put down?
• Is there a skater who is going for a big hit that I might be able to use their momentum to take that skater and their target out by following behind?

 

Help skaters recognize block avoidance tactics

• Maintaining a front of pack but in play position is often the least likely spot to be engaged. Encourage newer skaters to stay there.
• Would disengaging from this skater allow for the hitting skater to continue down or out of bounds while the receiving skater would stay up and in bounds?
• Point out when people have been taken out because they weren't paying attention behind them or were too proud of their last hit (B&T can be a humbling game)

All legal hits include

• Hitting with legal blocking zones
• Hitting to legal target zones
• Hitting while stepping or skating in derby direction
• Hitting while within 20' of "the pack"
• Pushing and leaning
  

As the game winds down to fewer skaters, implement a "shot clock" of 3 to 5 seconds. Have everyone not playing count "ONE one thousand, TWO one thousand..."

Keep the games moving along. Encourage alliances on the track, especially to make sure the last round's winner does not win again.

Additional notes: This pack modification was introduced to the game I play by my derby wife, Will Jettison, when he was coaching the Hellions of Troy back in 2008. We quickly found it made the game more derby-like and used more derby skills while not reinforcing bad derby habits like skating away from the pack. In traditional Blood & Thunder, it can quickly become a game of speed and avoidance.

At Pioneer Valley Roller Derby, where we typically have 30 to 45 skaters at practice, we divide up into three groups, run each group until we're down to 3 skaters, then have a final match of the top 3 from each round. I would recommend packs of no more than 15 skaters.

Squeezebox

Alternative names: None, but this is a waterfall or cycling drill

Objective: To practice waterfalling and communication while programming a sense of track space.

Typical length of drill: 5 minutes

Materials needed: One derby track. A clear inside line is critical while the outside could be cones. This makes this an excellent spatial drill for teams that practice in spaces smaller than a full size track like a gymnasium.

Skill level required: None

Description:
I like to use this waterfall drill as a warm up, then expand on it later in the practice session and use drills which emphasize the motions of the Squeezebox.

I'll describe the motions of this drill, but here's a small Flash video to demonstrate how it works.



Divide your skaters into groups of three (3). You can have as many groups of 3 doing this on the track at the same time as you require. If your group is not divisible by 3, then a group of 4 or a group of 2 may happen and that's fine - the fundamentals are the same. I've seen this work with over 60 people on the track at once, so use this for your mixed skills practice or to warm up for travel team - it's all the same.

The key of this drill is that each member of the group of three needs to know and practice what they should be doing at each key point on the track.

On the Straightaways:
The inside skater needs to be covering the inside line
The other two skaters are spreading wide over the track covering as much width as possible and using eyes and finger tips to keep in communication, ready to move as needed (pretending a bout situation)

Approaching the odd corner:
The wall begins to contract. The middle skater communicates with the inside skater they will have the inside line covered by the apex. The outside skater comes in closer to the middle skater. The inside skater begins to move ahead of the pack.

The inside skater moving faster is a natural occurrence with skating a smaller circle. It is also going to be easier to cover that tight inside corner with a 12.5' radius with two different skaters - one that leaves it and one that pulls in from outside, effectively making it a wider circle to defend.

At the apex:
The inside skater has now fully moved ahead of her teammates. She may receive a small whip or push from the previously middle skater to move straight toward the outside on the even corner. The middle skater has moved to the inside and the outside skater stays tight in that corner moving to the middle and being prepared to defend anywhere on the track coming out of the corner.

Leaving the even corner:
Skaters have shuffled now and should come out of the corner nearly together. All skaters will make minor adjustments in their speed and may assist each other to even up and remember to begin the expansion over the straight away.

If you watch the video or do this drill, you'll find this is the most efficient use of the track distance by a group of three skaters. Over the course of every lap and a half, each skater has traveled the same distance. Speed is not critical here. Skaters should skate in their walls at a comfortable pace. Movement, positioning, and communication are more important than "keeping up".

Adding a few "jammers" to the mix to try to get around the Squeezebox walls while following the Squeezebox pattern will emphasize how it is okay to move off the line so long as it's covered and will reinforce the need for constant communication. Encourage Squeezebox skaters to block while keeping with the Squeezebox pattern. The inside skater leaving the inside line does not have to go in front, she may go in back with blocking a jammer, but must end up in the outside position.

Additional notes:
Purpose and Intent:
This is a drill I developed with Ballistic Miss L of Pioneer Valley Roller Derby. We combined a cycling drill she had learned from another league with a wall drill I had learned from another league. At first we called this the Accordion Drill, based on the expanding and contracting nature of the wall. After our first attempt, with it being a successful drill, we renamed it Squeezebox for notoriety. What I love about this drill is it is a strategy drill disguised as a warm-up drill.

I use this drill whenever I'm teaching teamwork and strategy as a guest coach. For me this is fundamental use of track space with a wall. It encompasses all wall components:

• Cover the inside line
• Communicate between skaters
• Learn communication styles as a skater and coach
• Effectively and efficiently cover the width of the track
• Helps build muscle memory and awareness of the playing space
• Creates multi-skater defense opportunities on all areas of the track
• Focuses the mind and energy to the competition space

Coaching notes:
Frequently the straightaways are where skaters get lazy. Skaters often need to be reminded to keep the inside covered and to expand wide across the track in this section. Remind skaters to not throw away this 35' of track in anticipation of the upcoming corner.

Encourage strong, positive communication as the middle skater covers the inside line and the inside skater leaves it. This can be physical or verbal, but in real bout situations, we need to know someone will be there before we leave that line. Do not let the repetitive nature of this drill get comfortable and shortcut the communication.

Inside skaters moving to outside from the apex generally should skate straight to the outside of the track. Ultimately they want the shortest distance around this modified oval and to spill the speed they had from inside. If skaters aren't understanding this move, encourage them to envision that jammer who has chosen an outside path around the corner and picking them off at the widest point where they have to convert from turning to straight is the easiest spot to cut them off or hit them.

Assists to move off the inside line and to keep the wall tight between all skaters coming out of the corner are encouraged. Keep in mind, however, this is not a drill focused on assists! Plus, the middle-becoming-inside skater might push the inside-becoming-outside skater as much slow her self down to stay on the line as to help the skater move out. It's okay for the inside-now-outside skater to reach back and assist the outside-now-middle skater to come up with the wall. Assists given should be gentle adjustments and tactile communication, not huge transfers of energy. The natural speed of a skater on the track should take care of most positioning.

For Referees:
Referees who choose not to participate in this drill in the walls, should be encouraged to follow some of the walls from an inside pack or outside pack POV and watch for multi-player blocks and skates going over the boundaries. I would encourage referees to participate in referee groups. The communication of moving around and switching places in tight corners is something I use when I referee on the inside (jam, head, pack). But if they're not comfortable doing so, taking on the challenge of observing as a referee is acceptable as well.

Guest blogging: Bitches Bruze



Bitches Bruze #802


A.D.D.'s next gues blogger is Bitches Bruze of Pioneer Valley Roller Derby, the first league in the U.S.A. to have both a women's and a men's team.  Her bout of guest blogging will be "Back to Basics with Bitches - drills for bringing your team together through basic skating and position skills."

For Bitches Bruze, skating became a part of her life as a little girl and on up through the sneaker skates of the 1980s. In 1985 she was awarded the University of Florida Choir’s award for “Soprano on Wheels” a result of roller skating to every class on campus, and right up to her chair as first soprano three times a week. She traded in those sneaker skates for roller blades in 1990 and, finding inlines to have no soul, hung up her wheels. Fifteen years later, looking for a team sport to stay in shape, she found roller derby through a Wikipedia search and her derby career has been filled with many exciting twists and turns.

 

“I’ve never been your traditional athlete,” says Bitches. “I have a deformity in my right knee which makes speed in skating or running difficult. But I have a lot of strength in my legs and upper body. In high school, I stuck with things like playing goalie on the varsity field hockey team, long jump, triple jump, discus, and shot put. I was also into drama club, writing, and the only freshman on the math league. Really, my derby career reflects that same kind of all around, involved in everything kind of skater.”

 

For Bitches, the complexity of a sport that involves simultaneous offense and defense ignites her love of game and strategy. “This sport really requires amazing all-around athleticism and a sharp, observant mind. For all intents and purposes, roller derby can be classified as a ‘war game’ – and it’s full contact and on wheels.”

 

In order to better learn and understand the game, Bitches began early in her career getting involved with every aspect of the game. Since she started in the summer of 2007, she has filled every single role in a bout – from skater, head referee, videographer, announcer and every NSO position (except score keeper). She’s worked more than 150 bouts and been on roster for more than 50 bouts. “There isn’t an aspect of working a bout, even outside white board, that doesn’t give a skater a new, more involved, look at the game.”

 

Outside derby, Bitches teaches computer programming and applications at the Community College of Vermont in Bennington, Vermont. “I love teaching. I’ve done so many things in my life and to bring ideas and skills to people is the most rewarding job I’ve ever had.” For fun, Bitches and her husband (who is also now her derby wife), Will Jettison (of the Dirty Dozen) like sailing and pioneering. When they aren’t traveling to some bout somewhere, you’ll either find the two of them on a lake with sails up, or cutting down trees and milling them into posts and beams for their house.

 

Bitches is available for guest coaching and specializes in bringing drills and strategy to teams and leagues in their second year of derby who are looking for cohesion and that next level of play which gets into the complexities of flat track derby. You can learn more about Bitches’ approach on her blog http://promiseofderby.com/ or visiting her on Facebook http://facebook.com/bbruze802.

 

Welcome Bitches Bruze!

 

Fight for the Front

Alternative names: --

Objective: To practice controlling the front of the pack and taking control of the front of the pack; to practice speed control; to learn basic strategy
Typical length of drill: 10-20 mins

Materials needed: A WFTDA regulation-size track (or a taped down track that's as close to the measurements as possible); pinnies/vests or two different colored shirts on your skaters for teaming purposes

Skill level required: None if you choose to make it a non-contact drill

Description: Split your skaters into two teams using pinnies, vests, or different colored shirts.  Have four blockers from each team skate around the track in a pack.  Each time you blow the whistle one of the teams of blockers fights their way to the front of the pack where they can then control the speed of the pack and/or block the opposing blockers from getting up there.  Repeat this multiple times so that both teams get many chances to try to get to the front.  If you wish to make this a bit more challenging, add a pace-setter who skates a few meters in front of the pack so that the blockers have a smaller space in which to try and take control of the front, and so that they have to use speed control and awareness.

This drill can be played in bigger groups as well, you don't neccessarily have to have just two teams of four blockers on the track playing against each other.  It can be quite fun as a 10-on-10 game as well.

Additional notes: I honestly can't remember where I learned this but I'm under the impression that it's quite a common drill among derby leagues all over and I've seen this (and many fun variations of it) practiced and mentioned in multiple different places.  This is a really fun, and a really useful drill.  It's one of those drills that you can also use as filler because the time can be conformed to whatever you have left at practice.  In addition, this is a good way to introduce new skaters to basic roller derby strategies.

Dynamic stretching: Drop Lunge

Alternative names: --

Objective: "To improve flexibility in your hips, glutes, and iliotibal (IT) bands -- thick bands of tissue in either leg that extend from the thigh down over the outside of the knee and attach to the tibia (the larger lower-leg bone)." (1)

Typical length of drill: 3 mins

Materials needed: None

Skill level required: None

Description: "A proper warm-up routine is very important to the health and performance of an athlete. If the body is not adequately prepared for the demands of the upcoming sport or activity, injury is more likely to occur.  In addition, it is impossible for the body to perform to the peak of its ability without warm, flexible muscles. ... Dynamic warm-ups can increase muscular flexibility for the short-term through the neuromuscular system and potentially reduce injury though decreasing reflexive muscle contractions." (Dynamic Flexibility vs. Static Stretching for Warm Up, Therapeutic Associates Physical Therapy)

Drop Lunge

Starting position: Stand balanced with your arms extended.

Procedure: Turn your hips to the left and reach back with your left foot until it's about 2 feet to the ouside of your right foot, your left toes poiting to your right heel.  Rotate your hips back so they're facing forward again and square with your shoulders and feet.  You want your chest up and tummy tight, and the majority of your weight on your right leg.  Drop into a full squat by pushing your hips back and down, keeping your right heel on the ground. Now drive hard off your right leg, stand back up, and repeat, moving to your right for the allotted number of reps.  Switch legs.  Return to the left.



Bambi CrushBone, #13. By Marko Niemelä

Coaching key(s): Turn your hips to drop your leg behind.  Keep your toes pointed straight, with the back toe to the front heel.

You should feel: A stretch in your hips, glutes, and IT bands.



Bambi CrushBone, #13. By Marko Niemelä.



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 months.  Click on Stretching in the column on the right to see the other dynamic stretches in this series.  If dynamic stretching interests you, the most recent issue of Blood & Thunder Magazine just published a 2-page column called "Shirley's Plan" by Shirley N. Sane, covering the topic and suggesting a few different exercises as well.

The Game's Behind You!

The Game's Behind You!

Alternative names: "We've Got One!"/ "Time Ticking Away"

Objective: Help your Jammer score by bringing the pack to her (aka-slow down the pack speed to the pace of a trickle so that your Jammer has less distance to skate when lapping the pack). If it is more challenging for your Lead Jammer to catch up to the pack than it is for her to get through the pack, your team is probably not scoring as many points as it could when you gain Lead Jammer status or when your team has a Power Jam in your favor.

In derby, when we say, "get a goat!" we mean trap at least one Opposing Blocker and pull her away from her team by slowing her down. One reason a team would want to get a goat (if skating under the WFTDA rule set) is so that they can then qualify as the pack- (the largest group of Blockers, skating in proximity (within 10 feet of the nearest skater), containing member from both teams). When you control the pack you essentially have control of the jam.

I remember the first time this concept showed up in games I was playing. My team was playing under a new rule set- WORD (what banked track skaters play under for tournaments) and we had never incorporated grabbing a goat because our home rules simply had a different way of defining the pack. We had our ass handed to us during that game because we simply did not know what to do when getting goated. The other team controlled the entire game. Understanding why we try to get goats and actually getting a goat are two different things. By mid-game my team understood the concept (thanks to the school of hard knocks) but we were unable to turn around and do it to our opponents simply because we had never practiced the tactic. That's why we need to practice most concepts and strategies over and over so that we can implement them on game day.

After reading the following description close your eyes and try to imagine it. It's the last jam of your Championship game and your team is down 2 points. Neither team has anymore timeouts, so this will most likely be the last jam of the game. 45 seconds into the Jam your team finally got your Jammer out of the pack. Your team is skating fast in the attempt to keep the Opposing Jammer in the pack, everyone's recycling and skating fast. Your Jammer skates and skates, but it's the end of the game and she has about 5% of her energy left.

Time is ticking away! The Jam Clock is approaching 30 seconds left until the jam ends. Your Jammer can't catch the pack. If she can't catch the pack she can't score.

How can you slow down the speed of the pack? Is there a weaker skater in the back of the pack? Can you pull her away from her team and slow her down to a trickle? What can you do to contain her? Your Jammer only needs to score 3 points for your team to win the game. Once you get a goat from the other team, if you can put more than 20 feet between the foremost pack skater and the Opposing Blockers the goat you have is worth not only 1 point, but is also worth all of her teammates points who are skating out of the Engagement Zone. What

?

Read rule 8.5. It discusses ghost points. You probably know that as soon as a Jammer passes an Opposing Blocker, she gets a point for each Opponent that is sitting in the box (rule 8.5.1). Did you know that if a Blocker chooses to skate further than 20 feet in front of the foremost pack skater that she too relinquishes her point (rule 8.5.3, 8.5.3.1)? If a Jammer is on a scoring pass and her most fierce opponents are in the jam, wouldn't it be great if she could get their points without having to pass them? If you grab a goat, and contain your goat so well that her teammates keep skating and skating and eventually leave the legal Engagement Zone putting themselves out of play- your Jammer can score their points as soon as she passes their teammate who is in the pack and calls it off while they are still outside of the the Engagement Zone/ Out of Play. That's pretty awesome if you ask me.

Below you will find a combination of two drills:"The Game's Behind You" and "Time Ticking Away," a timed drill that encourages intensity and urgency. TTA can be used in so many ways and in combination with many different drills. Basically take a concept and time the amount of time that it takes to put it into effect or to carry it out. For example, if you're practicing gaining Lead Jammer Status, only give the Jammer 30 seconds to achieve Lead Jammer. Once your Jammers are able to gain LJS in 30 seconds, shave off 5 seconds and only give them 25 seconds. Keep shaving off time so that finally they can get Lead in 5 seconds.

The scenario above that I asked you to imagine happens often, so why not prepare for it? The better prepared team is usually the team that comes out on the good side of rule 2.2.2. Wouldn't you like to be that team?

Typical length of drill: However long you want to practice the concept.

Materials needed: 2 timers, jammer helmet covers, an engaged group of skaters

Skill level required: anyone who is cleared to scrimmage

Description: Get 5 v. 5 on the track at one time and follow the variations listed below.

This drill is set up as if you were doing regular jams in a scrimmage.

Version I- "The Game's Behind You" - set it up like a Power Jam or determine before you start which Jammer is going to get Lead (for the first go, just have one Jammer get out of the pack on the initial pass so that you simplify the focus). The team that has the Power Jam or Lead Jammer must grab one of their Opposing Blockers ASAP and start to contain her, slow her down, goat her, etc. The first Blocker to start grabbing a goat needs to yell either, "I've got one!" or "The game's behind you!" to her teammates to let them know that they are going to start getting a goat. Once they get a goat and their Jammer laps the pack reset and repeat with the next set of skaters. Have each team take turns getting Lead and grabbing goats. Feel free to use an expression that better suits your team. If "get a goat!" means nothing but "she's trapped!" makes it happen with in seconds, use that wording instead.

Version II- "The Game's Behind You" + "Time Ticking Away" -the same as Version I, but this time give the Blockers a limited amount of time to grab a goat. At first give them 30 seconds once their Jammer has left the pack, then 25 seconds, 20 seconds, 15, 10, 5. If you are on 30 seconds and they are unable to grab a goat in that time, end the drill and go to the next group. Make sure teams keep communicating with one another by shouting, "We've got one!" "The game's behind you!" or what ever other expression is just right for your team.

Version III- " The Games's Behind You" - similar to Version I, but now the Jammers have to get through the pack normally so it's not predetermined. Which ever Jammer gets out first, her team then needs to get a goat ASAP. If both Jammers get out at once restart the drill with the same group. (If your team is more advanced you can have Jammers go into Jammer on Jammer defense or better yet, which ever Jammer gets Lead have her try to suck her Opposing Jammer back into the pack- I have a drill of this, if you need one).

Version IV- "The Game's Behind You" + "Kill Their Jammer!"- similar to Version III, but with a combination of "Time Ticking Away"- The team whose Jammer gets out first has to A) get a goat and B) keep the Opposing Jammer from leaving the pack. At first the team only has to hold onto their Opposing Jammer for 5 seconds, then 10, then 15, 20, 25 and 30. If you are on the 15 second interval and the Blockers let their Opposing Jammer out at 10 seconds, the jam is called off immediately and you start a new jam.

Version V- "The Game's Behind You" + "Kill Their Jammer!" - you need two stopwatches for this Version. This is a combination of Version III and IV. Split Blockers on the track into two groups: A and B. 2 from each team are in each group so you will have a total of 4 As and 4 Bs on the track at one time. Jammers are still vying to get out of the pack first. As soon as a Jammer gets Lead her 2 Blocker As need to get a goat and her 2 Blocker Bs need to keep their Opposing Jammer in the pack. Blockers A and B are both being timed and competing to see who can carry out their objectives longer. After the Jam is over point out how much longer either A or B was able to carry out their objective. Discuss how their success impacted the Jam. This could help you decide future line-ups based on their success.

Additional notes: If you can, do all the variations of this drill at the same practice. If modifying the drills will better suit the needs of your team, modify away! The above scenarios are simply one reason for when grabbing a goat could be a good strategy for your team. There are so many more what-ifs, buts, ands, alsos, etc. involved in this concept. What is your favorite?

I'll be running these drills at the Blood and Thunder Camp in Florida in August 2011. Go to bloodandthundermag.com/CampFlorida.htm for more information.

If your league is looking for a guest trainer, I'm for hire. Email me and I'll send you my rates and availabilities. coachsmartypants@gmail.com