Objectives

To help new and intermediate skaters get acclimated to gameplay and learn new tricks and strategies to be effective on the track.

Focus

• Don’t look at your feet
• Bend your knees
• Your arms are unnecessary for roller skating
• Get natural at transitions
• Get comfortable changing levels
• Effective derby playing is about space: creating space, clearing space, holding space
• Do less than you think you need to
• Don’t say you can’t do it.  You can do it, you just haven’t yet

 

Building a base

• Proper Form
  • Updated derby stance (tailbone tucked under, hips low but not too low)
  • Changing levels to complete hits and leans. Opening ribs/sides to maintain contact

 

Fixing Form

• Derby stance
• Targeting and Blocking Form: By targeting certain parts on an opponent’s body you can effectively control their body with very little effort. It’s best to maintain contact with your opponent until you’ve moved them where you want them to go.
  • Chest/sternum: targeting an opponent’s chest or sternum with a solid, sustained push will allow you to move them in the direction you’re pushing. By aiming your hit low and finishing high you can lift them off their base and make them easier to move.
  • Shoulder sockets: aiming for an opponent’s shoulder near where the arm connects to the torso will cause the opponent’s upper body to twist. By following through with the hit you can force the opponent to open their hips and give up their space. This target works both from the front and back, but when attempting this hit from the rear be careful to make legal contact. 
  • Ribs to armpit: When attacking an opponent from the side start by aiming for their ribs with your shoulder and moving the point of contact up towards their armpit. This will lift your opponent off their base and allow you to move them or knock them over.

 

Edging

• Crazy Legs and lateral T push
  • Push from line to line, ending on your edges
• Lunch Money
  • Buddy pushes on your back, you must use your edges and plows to stop them
• Picking up the opponent’s leg
  • From a stopped position, put the top of your thigh under the bottom of their thigh. Position your torso around their waist line. Use your tricep as a brace against their ribs. No pinning of arms or legs. Dip a little, use a small step and stand up to move them out of the way

 

Toe Stops

This is to teach you how to be confident getting from your wheels to your toe stops and back again. To start, break it down into small stages:

• Stand still, drop your toe stops
• Roll forward slowly, drop your toe stops. Use the momentum to take a step if necessary. This is currently about STOPPING, not moving.
• Roll forward slowly, drop your toe stops. Use the momentum to hop straight up. Practice landing on your toe stops or your wheels.
• Roll backwards, reach a foot backwards and grab the ground with your toe stop. Use this momentum to move you a couple steps.

To Practice: Start at the jammer line, push twice, transition onto toe stops for multiple steps, transition back to your wheels. You can practice doing this straight forward, backwards, and also so your body is angled when you’re stepping – transition to your toe stops and turn your chest to the inside of the track to run.

 

Building up the Tripod

• Effective butts: lateral movement, getting hips in front
  • In a tripod formation, the skaters in the two wall need to focus on lateral movement, seaming, and keeping their hips perpendicular to the track. The two wall is the first line of defense when absorbing the jammer’s impact and should attempt to maintain contact with the jammer for as long as possible. Skaters in the two wall should look for offense coming from the front.
• Effective bracing: arms on outside, spreading wings, leaning back, one toe stop, avoiding offense
  • Being an effective brace is about communication, supporting your teammates, and being prepared to make adjustments. The brace should allow their teammates to push into them instead of pushing back into the two wall. This limits the two wall’s mobility and leads to a higher likelihood of direction of gameplay penalties. When bleeding off speed the brace should attempt to use only one toe stop so then can maintain their lateral mobility. The brace should not only communicate where the jammer is moving, but also relay if offense is coming from the rear or sides. If it seems like the jammer will break through or clear the two wall, the brace must be prepared to rotate or break off to catch the jammer and prepare to reform the tripod.

 

Message me at Derbyamerica at gmail.com or Chief at Anxiety83 at gmail.com if you have questions or need further information!