NEW for 2009
Training program featuring the REVERSE WHIP

 

 

Our training is inclusive for men and women of any body type and skating skill level

Watch this scrimmage video:

 

FUN Huh... Join us this weekend!

 

NEW 2009:

Learn these falls and stops and track reversals

All our skaters MUST be "hardened" before being placed on a pro-team

 

NEW 2009:

Learn to block/side step!

You MUST be great at this drill

 

 

INTERESTED?  JOIN THE TRAINING: Send email {click now}

 

 

GET THE BASICS UNDER YOUR WHEELS

Your skates and gear are what makes you a confident champion

Today's speed skates and wheels are faster, lighter and sexier than ever

  Recommended by the world renown Bay City Bombers

           |Speed Skates | Bearings | Wheels | Wrench | Guards | Laces | Helmets | Bags | & More |

Professional Derby Association Guidelines. Section P. Player Protection:

Skaters enjoy bringing "personality" to their character and often say this aspect of the team sport allows them to stand out. Many great derby skaters found a look to match their athletic personality.

Be prepared when a photographer or news crew is on hand. Training can be a place to not only learn the skill of roller derby but a place to develop your distinct character.

       

            

Many more styles and products are available, just click and search

 

The first words of advice are simple and we've all heard it before, but are so important it needs to be stated again.

Skaters needs to SKATE.

Skate each day or lace up the skates at home if you can't get out!

Wear your skates at home, walk up and down stairs. Do home chores in your skates.

When you put your skates on at home your feet and leg muscles become accustomed to having skates on! And, your leather skate boots will 'mold' around your foot curvature.

Rental and used skates will NOT mold around your feet and cause serious pain and blisters.
 

2. - Basic Balance:

Some skaters have it and some don't. If you don't have balance you can learn it. This is important as it's always disappointing to see a roller derby bout where skaters trip themselves and fall on their own accord. Unbalanced skaters are a danger to themselves and others. Don't let that be you. PRACTICE SKATING MOVES.

Balance begins with you simply standing on skates. Then progress to slow and easy rolling on your skates. Finally, get into a group of skaters and start the work of mixing it up in the pack.

3. - Body Movement:

While skating, a derby skater moves their body in effortless and graceful movements. Fans can become turned off when they see skaters stumble, wobble awkwardly, loose control and flail about.

If you want to be an athlete, look like one. Get in front of a mirror.

PRACTICE THESE BODY MOVES (no wobbling or out of balance movements please):

Bend over, hunched, while striding (speed skater style).

Bend arms at elbows and move arms back and forth.

Twist at the waist.

Bend at the knee, stoop and duck movements.

Lunge the right leg left, grab the floor and power stride.

Learn from studying great skaters:

4. - BE an Athlete:

Roller Derby skaters develop athletic agile bodies. Take the sport seriously.

Each time you skate, look the part.

Objectively look at these skaters:

Skaters are bent over, crouched, knees are bent, agile body leans forward while skates lunge.

Arms are are bent and swinging, ready for the win! These girls are athletes.

DON'T PUSH SIDE TO SIDE. INSTEAD CROSSOVER:

Watch and study the inline skater ABOVE:

This is a skilled outdoor inline speed skating.

BUT: this is NOT roller derby styled skating.

PUSHING OUT SIDE TO SIDE IS AN AMATEUR STRIDE FOR DERBY PLAYERS - UNLEARN IT

5. - The PACE or 5-STRIDE:

Pacing or learning to do a 5-Stride teaches skaters style, power and endurance. A 5-stride pace is the basic exercise.

Pacing is the required technique used in all flat track speed clubs and short track ice speed skating and derby. The pace develops a power and agility for competition. Pacing is used to develop important muscles for roller derby skating. (These muscle groups can ONLY be developed through roller pace exercises.)

DOUBLE CLICK to watch a 3 minute indoor speed race. (Take note of the foot work)

Most roller derby stars began speed skating at very young ages

Above, roller derby skaters show the 5_stride while they compete.

 

Then, a team warm up displaying the technique. They ride inches behind one another. Each skater speeds down the straight away close to the hand rails, then they CURB the inside of the corner (down the bank) and as close as possible to the inside. Roller Derby skaters are expert in this move too. Learn to pace using crossovers.

6. - Banked Track Videos:

Watch this video for banked track training tips. You'll be on our track in no time and you should have some background knowledge.

Banked Track Video 2

 

Banked Track Training video 3

 

 

NOTE: WE DO NOT RECOMMEND FALLING ON YOUR KNEES!

Always fall on your butt

7. - Develop Style:

Style is how a skaters particular body rolls and moves to the centrifugal force of skating in counterclockwise circles. Style is how your body reacts to the inclines of the banked track or flat skating surface. Style how a skater holds their arms and shoulders as they stride around the track.

Style is how your center of gravity manages the body contact needed to be a roller athlete.

Audiences recognize a skater amongst all the others by the skaters body STYLE.

Skaters learn to swing their arms, hands and move their spine; crouched over, athletic, graceful, rugged or speedy as they maintain balance ready to kick ass and stay gracefully on their skates.

A skaters style is who they are, it is their "nickname".

Skaters can pace or 5-stride on the banked track, at speed clubs, in the parks, on basement and garage floors, or even in the street in order to develop crossovers, endurance, power, style and balance.

Get in front a mirror and practice your own stance. Always put your "game face" on when you skate. Look professional. Be a winner.

8. - Crossovers:

Roller Derby, especially when skated on a banked track, requires a skater to be very comfortable at both left and right crossovers as well as the traditional push off moves.

Roller Derby is skating in counterclockwise circles, using crossover skate lunges.

Skaters learn to crossover counterclockwise at a roller rink and in speed clubs or any 5-stride pace exercise. They practice the clockwise crossover anytime and anywhere, flat surface or on the banked track.

Skate in VERY SMALL circles (counter clockwise) to force you feet to learn the crossover

Skate in the opposite direction (clock wise) to learn the clockwise crossover

Practice crossovers at home, skating in small circles or standing still every day.

A Crossover exercise: Make a lane down the rink or surface with cones on either side and practice going from side to side doing nothing but crossovers both ways, i.e. left over right/right over left until you get to the end, turn around and repeat.

Learn crossovers with us derby style:  JOIN THE TRAINING: Send email {click now}

9. - Developing SPEED:

09) Speed
Each skater is able to manage their speed

09.1  Skater is able to completes 5 speed laps around the track in one minute or less.

09.2  Skater is able to slow down and speed up without flailing off balance.

10. Basic Skating in the PACK:

 

11. - Injuries:

No matter what people think of "any" style of roller derby, it is full of serious injuries.

Some people are injury prone and never escape ongoing hurts and problems.

Other skaters go through an injury phase, usually the first few years of bouting where they are injured often but learn to avoid the injuries over time.

And still others suffer minimal injuries their entire skating career.

Professional Derby Association Guidelines. Section P. Player Protection:

P. 01:  This guideline pertains to training and live events for all flat track, indoor, outdoor and banked track skating. The guideline is intended for beginner, amateur, professional and expert skaters; flat and banked track.

 

P. 02:  Minimal protection for each skater includes wrist guards, elbow pads and knee pads.

 

P. 03:  Optional protection includes butt pads, ace bandages, crash pads and mouth guard.

 

P. 04:  Banked tracks are made to reduce injury to skaters and lower any skater insurance fees. Ask about these factors before you skate on a dangerous banked track or build one with your skaters.

On the lighter side, wrists, hands and ankles are injured often. cracked ribs is a common injury. There are many other injuries. Study the FALLS section of this guide to help you become body aware of falling wit less likelihood of injury.

12. - Breakaway:

This is a simple yet important exercise.

FIRST, the group of skaters should be pacing in a line at an intermediate speed.

SECOND, the leader (trainer) of the pace line blows a whistle or signals, and the lead person breaks away. Sometimes the skater at the rear of the line breaks away depending on the trainer.

THIRD, that lead skater laps the entire field and returns to the rear of the pack. This skater paces at a fast pace, with style, as if racing or Jamming.

This simulates a Jam. It allows the person on the breakaway to develop their speed stride and style. It allows the others to simulate a pack - without blocking.

Derby Training is teamwork where everyone is part of one team

 

We Teach Teamwork:  JOIN THE TRAINING: Send email {click now}

 

13. Breakaway and LOOK Backwards:

Professional skaters can direct their consciousness to the other skaters on the track.

Amateurs skaters are focused on their feet, wheels and the ground directly in front of them.

To begin to develop an awareness beyond your own feet and what is directly in front of you, practice the above breakaway exercise, BUT as the lead skater speeds around, that lead skater turns their head and watches the pack or pace line of skaters. The lead skater practices NOT looking directly ahead of them.

Likewise, as the lead skater paces around the field, the pack of skaters keep their eyes on that lead skater.

14. - Duck Walk Exercise:

The Duck walk to run. Start with you feet at about a 45 degree angle. At a standstill.

Keeping your feet at that angle you now begin to run. Move those legs fast, chop chop chop. Pick up speed as fast as you can from the dead stop position.

Run from one end of the rink or skating surface to the other. after a short rest repeat this until you can't go any more.
 

This exercise will enable you to build the proper muscles and help you get restarted faster than anything else.

Repositioning yourself in a game, as a Jammer or fallen skater is important. This is the drill to learn that skill.

15. - Track Walk Exercise:

A skater can walk up and down each square foot of the track (flat or banked track) to get accustomed to the banks, floor and balancing on skates. They can crossover walk up and down the banks trying to keep their wheels from rolling. This teaches great dexterity in their feet.

A professional skaters feet need to be so familiar with those banks, trucks and wheels that they do not think about what their feet are doing.

Loosened front trucks for quad skates - loosen those front trucks! Real loose! This will help a skaters' maneuverability on the banks. If the skater is on flat-track, it allows the skater to maneuver side by side quickly. Avoid fallen skaters, score that point and soon.

Because part of this exercise is a balancing skill, the exercise can be done on a flat surface as well as on the banked track. Do it on slanted surfaces like driveways or skate board parks if you're not near a banked track.

Derby Training, blocking while on skates

 

We'll teach you blocking skills: JOIN THE TRAINING: Send email {click now}

16. - Squat Exercise:

Skaters need flexibility in their body movements so keeping limber and doing exercise is good for training.

While a skater moves at each part of the track they can squat, then stand upright. Squat and stand, and after a while improve their balance and style as they develop their squats.

This exercise can be done on a flat track as well as the banked track. You can practice this at home or on any surface at any time.

17. - Zigzag Exercises:

Roller derby requires skaters to do much more than skating around in a circle. The game is much more than speeding forward.

Skaters need to learn to move sideways, up a bank and then down it or side to side on the flat track.

The movement is a lateral move rather than a rolling forward movement. These moves, when  developed allow a skater to withstand body contact. It will help you absorb blocking moves.

There are many exercises that skaters can do on their own or with others to move up a bank, then down. After time, a skater can add to this rolling movement a small jump so that there is air between a foot and the track or floor to help the skater move up or down a bank quicker.

This zigzagging motion is accompanied by the skater's body movements to develop squatting and extending their body, as if defensively blocking.

Zigzag and other footwork can be done on flat surfaces. Skaters with dance backgrounds will find this part of roller derby training easy and natural. Skaters who just skated inline outdoors will find this type of skating very challenging. Many say, this is why inline skates are not the best for roller derby style of competition.

18. - Jump Exercise:

Skaters need to become used to having air between the floor or track and their skates. They need to be able to jump, take their skates off the rolling surface and then land and continue rolling.

Have you ever watched a bout and counted how many skaters fall over one another. This can be avoided.

The first time a skater tries to jump and get a little air under all 8 wheels, they often loose their footing and crash to the floor once their skates hit the rolling surface. They may wobble out of control. This is how they get hurt in bouts.

As a warm up, a skater can jump over and over again and again at a stand still while on skates. Over time a skater can jump as many times as possible while slowly rolling around the track or floor.

Eventually, these jumps can be incorporated into team skills at higher speeds.

You can jump at home while wearing your skates and cleaning the house! Most of the professional's have worn skates at home at one time in their career or another to help teach them important skills.

Learn from the pros: JOIN THE TRAINING: Send email {click now}

 

19. - Obstacle Jumping Exercise:

The game of roller derby holds many unexpected situations where skaters need to think on their feet. One of the most common obstacles is a fallen skater who goes down unexpectedly in front of, or at another skater's side.

A downed skater can cause injuries to other players

Cones, chairs or other obstacles can be tossed onto the track or floor by a trainer. The obstacles suddenly appear in the way of unexpected skaters. The skaters, who might be in a pack formation, must learn to react to the unexpected obstacle and avoid hitting it, falling or taking other skaters down.

20. - Sit-Out and Get Up:

It is important that each skater teach their body to fall.

Begin with a basic sit-out.

Start by standing on your skates without rolling. Sit down slowly on your butt. Note how your body works and do not use your hands, wrists or arms to break your butt as it sits to the floor. This sit-out should be practiced often, perhaps hundreds of times until you have NO internal fears and are in complete control of the movements.

The sit-out while rolling.

Start this exercise by rolling forward on your skates slowly and then sit down. Always sit slowly and do not use your hands or wrists. This is a great one way to develop the falling skills needed for a game. When a skater sits down, they should use their butt and not their hands to support their sit out.

Another rule is not to go down on the knees to break the fall, but use the butt or hips or one butt cheek. Put those butt pads in your shorts! A skater can learn to slide out with little harm, unless they wear cheap under things that tear and burn skin.

After I'm Sown:

After a skater is down, they need to tuck their sprawled legs under their seat, stand up and begin or continue to roll and stride again - QUICKLY - with chop chop little steps to regain speed.

On a banked track, falling on the high part of the banks will allow the skater to roll 'down' and pick up speed quickly. You don't want to get scored on.

This all sounds easier than what it is. Because the track is designed with varying angles every foot or so, a skater will find their ability to get up different at each few feet of the track.

For instance, if a skater falls at the highest part of the bank, near the kick rail, and try to get up; the incline will be greatest to pull them down into the infield as they try to roll again. They must learn to overcome the natural tendency to roll down the bank as they pick up speed.

If a skater falls near the lowest part of the high bank, near the infield. Then they must get up and quickly pick up speed. The tendency will be to fight the banks to get up high and roll smoothly again.

On a flat track: Taking a sit out on a flat track avoid those KNEE falls, and save all other joints like wrists. Instead practice slid-outs that avoid the fragile joints (Knee, ankle, wrist and elbow). Favor the sturdier bones and joints, hip, back and butt slide outs.

Team Derby Training: pack management drills

 

Fall without injury: JOIN THE TRAINING: Send email {click now}

 

21. - Falls:

Sit outs and slide outs, when practiced over and over will become part of a skaters natural body movements. A skater may add their own style to the move that fits their body type. Once skaters begin to understand how their body works as they learn to sit-out and get up; they need to develop their falls beyond the basic sit-out.

Spectacular falls are more than just sitting down or sliding.

Great falls can only happen on a banked track

What injury do skaters suffer MOST often? Sprained, cracked and broken wrists. Why? They use their hands to protect a fall. A professional derby skater needs to re-teach their body's natural reaction to use their hands to break a fall. 

Be sure to keep the hands away from trying to break the fall. That's how broken, cracked and hurt wrists and arms occur. A common injury in derby.

We will teach you about falls: JOIN THE TRAINING: Send email {click now}

 

22. - Kick Rail or Rink Limits:

Skaters need to learn to roll into the banked track's kick rail and then let the rail spring their body back into a forward skating direction. This exercise is easy and can be done at any point when a skater is on the track.

Over time a skater learns to be aware of their own body as they hit a rail, spin and then regain their stride.

But the skater must become aware of all the other skaters on the track and reposition themselves appropriately to the other skaters. You don't want to trip someone.

23. - Body Contact:

The game of roller derby is a violent body contact sport.

Skaters must learn to touch and be touched as they roll with one another. This contact is not striking one another with jabbing elbows. Rather it is more like using the elbows to reach out, hook and push off one another. It is a graceful move of taking another skaters momentum.

This is not trying to knock them down, but is a exercise that teaches the balance and body movements to become a great blocker.

Do not use your hands or extend them out when you block

Do not push, shove or hit another skater from behind

In order to train yourself the correct blocking skill, curl your arm up at the elbow.

You can grab grab your shirt or jersey with your hand in order to teach yourself to use shoulders and the back of the upper arm

CONDITIONING:

24. - BRAIN DEAD:

While on the track skaters need to fall over and over again and again.

You need a banked track to perform this exercise.

The falls will hurt, but by getting up right away after the fall and forcing the body to go back into a stride the brain will become conditioned to avoid thinking of any pain.

This is great conditioning and exhausting.

A skater should practice falling as often as possible in one training secession. A skater should do more falls each time than they were able to do the day or training secession before.

Skaters need to be in condition. The sport is very rough on the cardio-vascular system, leg muscles and the body. It's important that skaters take their effort seriously and get their body into tip top condition.

When a skater is not in condition or over weight, they can easily injure them self and others,

FALLING WHEN THERE IS NO BANKED TRACK AVAILABLE:

If no banked track is available, then skaters use gym mats or large pillows and practice the art of falling and jumping up again. Jump in the air and hit the padded floor with your butt. Do not use your hands/wrists to brace your fall.

All those muscles must be conditioned to be competitive

25. - RUNNING:

Almost all skaters use running and dancing exercises to help improve their leg muscle coordination and endurance.

Remember, nothing conditions the body for skating as much as putting the skates on and skating!

26. - WEIGHTS:

Athletes augment their skate training with weight training. Most skaters do not weight train to build mass, but to strengthen and condition their muscles.

Roller Derby stars work on being TRIM and AGILE. Bulky bodies and over muscular ones wrestlers cannot move quickly and endure the grueling pace of derby.

Exercises such as squats and torso and upper arm workouts seem to improve skaters overall abilities greatly.

Many skaters wear ankle weights through out the day. This helps their legs adapt to the heavy skates on their feet so they can pick their skates up and put them down FAST while in competition.

Most importantly, weight training keeps a skater fit and helps to limit the number of sprains, twisted muscles and injuries they may suffer.

 

 

THINK ON YOUR SKATES:

30. - AWARENESS:

New skaters focus on their feet and how their body is out of balance. New skaters generally only look in front of them and their eyes prepare their mind for what their feet or skate are about to encounter.

This is a stage of mental awareness that all skaters go through. It is an awareness that occupies almost all of a new skaters brain activity. This means a new skater cannot really think about the game, their positioning and strategy.

At this stage, a skater is simply mentally focused on their skating and balance. There is no ability to move their mental thoughts or awareness to any other thought patterns.

To look professional, skaters need to break this amateur focus on ones feet and the road in front of them!

JOIN THE TRAINING: Send email {click now}

 

31. - BREAK THE MENTAL FOCUS:

Skaters need to skate in order to start to break this intense focus on their wheels, skates and feet. Skaters need to skate a lot and do every imaginable thing in order to break their awareness from the simple minded focus of balance and wheels.

Sounds simple. SKATE! Then skaters need to learn to look around and behind them. Everything happens behind you in a roller derby game. A skater who cannot learn to glance behind them, and get a picture of the skaters moves and plays that are forming behind them, just is not ready for the actual game.

32. - COMFORTABLE ON SKATES:

Professional skaters are so comfortable on skates that they do not think about their feet or balance. This means that they can use their mental awareness to perform other things, such as bout strategy.

How do you become comfortable on your skates?

It's simple. Skate as often as possible. Skate in any rink, club or activity that helps you to become comfortable. Put your skates on at home, putter around in the driveway. SKATE!

Now that you have a full plate of exercises it's up to you to get going and keep the sport growing onto its new approach towards speed and professionalism.

These are JUST skating skills. There are offensive and defensive plays in the sport. Roller Derby has plays like football. Each of these plays take practice. The skaters themselves must develop these from many live games through experience. Once you've accomplished the basics, you can move onto the excitement of the team strategies involved in the bouts. We share these plays within our league only.

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