I feel like I have been making a lot of good strides (lol) lately this season! I am trying my best to stay positive and I have been doing a pretty darn good job of jamming lately, if I do say so myself. Blocking is still hard but I feel like I can hold my own, for the most part! 

Changing my attitude is a big thing I’m trying to work on. It has been hard for me in the past to think positively of myself and to not compare myself to others, but I feel like I’ve been doing a better job of that lately. I may not be the best jammer ever, but I can get lead jammer and get points for my team fairly consistently, and I’d say that is pretty awesome.

Also, actually traveling to other places with my team has been really fun! I am going up to Sac City next week and it’s gonna be a fun road trip with my girlfriend and teammates :)

I feel like I have been learning so much lately! But at the same time, it’s also really difficult. I’m trying to use different kinds of wrapping/mohawking to get around blockers more, and to wean myself off of using my toe stops so much.

It kind of sucks that one moment, you think to yourself “wow I am an awesome jammer, I just got past that 2 wall so quickly!” but then you come up against a regular 4 person wall and struggle. I just have to remember roller derby is FRICKIN’ HARD and that I can only keep improving from here

I am so lucky to have the privilege of being trained by the amazing Tui Lyon at ACDG! 

The skills we learned at practice last night, super powerful bracing techniques and Victorian Roller Derby’s famous box walls, blew my mind. I’m still working on these things but it was such an amazing practice! These kinds of walls (but walls in general, for that matter) really rely on a hive mind mentality. You have to talk as well but you have to know what position you should be in to be most effective for the wall at any given point. I will keep on working with it along with my teammates!

We’ve been doing a lot of things involving bracing at practice lately, both with practicing as a blocker and how to deal with a braced wall as a jammer. There’s some things that haven’t quite clicked for me, like bracing with just a brace and one other person, or having a wall with two brace and two “butts” (people facing normal derby direction). This is going to be great when it finally clicks though!

And as always, still struggling with my hitting. I might need to try a few things because I still just can’t seem to move people! I don’t have much mass, so I should try to work on using momentum. I’ve been better about getting myself in front of jammers though.

Little steps, just taking my progress one practice at a time!

This season is going to challenge me in the best ways. 

On Thursdays, my team (regional B team) practices with the regional A team, thus forcing us to “play up”. We’ve only had a few weeks of practice since the start of the season, and at first I was very nervous about this, but it has actually been good for me. I feel like I’m learning to take hard hits better and to really push myself. Their walls are still really tough to get through when I jam, but I’ll get through eventually. 

Just trying my best to stay positive and keep on pushing!

New Season, New Goals

The season has begun again after the winter hiatus! Had my first scrimmage last week and we (the B team) got creamed by the A team. My stamina was not great, but hell, it was 10 of us against almost twice that many people. It can only get better from there.

I have some new goals. I am going to really try my hardest to really GET hitting and be more confident with it.

Also I am going to try a couple different things for supplemental training (not to mention the new set of dumbbells my girlfriend and I got. Weight training level up!)

1 - glute exercises. I’m not kidding. If my butt is stronger it can only help the rest of me get stronger too.

2 - possibly trying some Judo. I am a small person. If I am able to learn how to use my body more effectively, I will be a stronger derby player.

Here’s to the new derby season!

New year, new fitness possibilities. My girlfriend and I got some PowerBlock adjustable weights, so we are going to work hard and weight train more! Gonna get even stronger to help my derby game 💪🏼

I’M ON A TEAM!

Yay!!! We got the results of tryouts and last night I found out I’m on the regional B team of Angel City Derby Girls, the Road Ragers! 

The league break has just begun, but I’m going to try and go to some fresh meat practices and scrimmages to keep my skills up. Can’t wait for the start of the season next year!!

Okay, so I have tryouts next week. Although I am still pretty nervous for them, I have to remember that I have grown a lot over the past 6 months, even if I don’t move up to an actual team. I feel more confident in scrimmages and scrimmage scenarios at practice. And although blocking is still hard for me, it is getting easier.

Even if I stay on my current subpool level, I will just keep growing as a player and be more awesome for the next tryout! Trying to think positive about all this :)

Tryouts are coming up in just about a week. Can’t say I’m not nervous as hell about it, but I’m just going to try my best. I’ve definitely come a ways since the last tryout. 

One of my coaches suggested that I try doing offense as a blocker more often to help with my jamming skills. I can see how that would be helpful. It helps you recognize where you should hit the wall and the best possible way to assist the jammer. I’m gonna keep working on that!

Also: I did a couple apex jumps at practice!! It would be so cool to actually do them during a scrimmage or a bout! Someday it’ll happen.

I love doing jammer skills practices! I love toestop work and going fast *_* It’s a nice feeling when your teammates clap for you and compliment your footwork, and you are notorious for doing a certain toestop drill very well. I know I shouldn’t rely TOO heavily on my toestops when I jam, but I just love using them so much. But, juking is a skill I can always stand to practice more.

Now, if only I could convey that same sort of confidence doing blocking and hitting, haha...