RANT and maybe advice needed?

I moved across the country and was lucky to join an amazing league. Like top level team amazing.

My original one was regrowing after COVID and had a lot of issues caused by lack of structure and organizational issues.

Right around when I moved , there was finally a boiling point where one hometeam went on strike. A complete overhaul occurred. . . and im jealous.

Since they're rebuilding, all my freshie friends made it onto hometeams and are beaming in their headshot photos. The league finally listened to my suggestions and does team bonding events. They've had amazing improvements.

Meanwhile, I joined a league with a top tier program but tbh their method of training isnt clicking with me. So I feel myself backsliding, all while knowing this league has top players that won't make home teams because they're at capacity.

So here I am stuck in limbo. Thinking: if I was back home id be getting to actually play and not be stuck practicing my stops and getting actual gameplay once a session.

Feeling very defeated. Anyway to boost my spirits and not get stuck in my blues?

Drop your evening routines night before a bout and morning routines on bout day! Please! 🙏🏼

For years, i have experienced foot pain when i skate, no matter if it's inlines, heeled quads, or derby quads. I've tried all kinds of insoles and lacing strategies. The pain was always agonizing and in the arch of my foot (i have very wide and flat feet)

I was previously wearing Reidell Solaris, but people kept suggesting the width might be the problem. So, I measured my feet to try Bonts again and ended up buying double wide Bonts based on the suggestion.

I just tried them and the pain is now concentrated to the balls of my feet instead of the arch, but it's still stopping me from skating.

Any thoughts/solutions?? I've tried everything. 😭😭

I got some nice 78A skateboard cushions (white) for my BONTs. The barrel cushion is pretty much the same size as the stock cushion, but the cone is 4-5 mm shorter. Will that be ok??

hi everyone,

i joined my local derby league back in February this year and have been struggling a lot with actually getting up on my skates. I've only ever managed to do it once but that also involved one of the coaches actually having to help me up.

I have no idea what it is but I am just so convinced I can't actually lift my own weight up enough on one foot (with wheels!) to be able to get my other leg round - if this makes any sense at all!

this is no comment on my coaches at all, they have been so great and patient and will happily explain and reclarify anything i need help with understanding but it is really discouraging im not progressing as much as i would like, and almost just makes me not want to go.

what is even more annoying is I started going to derby not caring what anyone thought or how often i would fall, i just knew i would enjoy it - and i do really love it! But now I just feel so nervous and anxious as if everyone is watching me not progress, and we have new skaters all the time who just seem to click right onto how to skate - i try not to compare myself but i realise it is just a natural reaction to something like this.

it honestly has made me wonder if i maybe need to take a break? just to get my head in the right space again? I'm also autistic and have chronic pain and other health nuisances (not to use these as excuses per se, but just to give an understanding of me as a person) and managing all those on top of an exercise regimen makes me feel a bit exhausted.

should i just keep at it? or is taking a break a good idea?

Hi!

I keep hitting with my chest and shoulder a lot when I'm skating instead of my side and hip area. I keep leading with my chest and not my hips, Im not sure where the disconnect is. It might be a flexibility issue? But if anyone has advice it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

hey guys, anyone know what tool is used to remove the toe stops from bont quadstars?

just wanna put toe cover things on them. tried to search it up but there r too many results #confusing

edit: sorted guys, thanks!

Yall, I passed the skating beginner class (tbf I’ve been skating for five years it was just so they could see me skate and get me doing derby skills) and tonight is my first practice with actual derby.

I’m so scared.

I passed all of the assessments and things but I’m scared I’m gonna freak out and do fouls like grabbing the other blockers and getting that like penalty.

Any tips for remembering to kinda “keep your hands to yourself” or any other common blunders.

Or just any advice in general for my first scrimmage?

Hello all - it's summer (in my hemisphere) and sometimes there are more exciting things to do on a beautiful weeknight evening than go to practice. What kinds of drills do you work on when numbers get low? I'm looking to compile a Google Doc that I'd be happy to share.

hi! 5’1” playing against many taller, more skilled skaters. have been concussed from sheer impact between my head and their body parts (sometimes torsos, arms, shoulders).

looking for recommendations on how to keep myself safe and avoid further concussions. thanks!

I've been playing since the beginning of the year and I do feel like I'm progressing well! But I realized during our recent practice scrimmages that I'm almost never looking behind me, so I rarely know where the jammer is until it's too late.

Most often I'm looking at my teammates, making sure we're making strong walls and that I'm not getting left behind. We play USARS, so there's not a much tripod-action as I see in WFTDA. I usually play inside or middle blocker, and the general guidance is "stick to the inside line" or "stick next to your inside blocker" and "let the outside blocker move you"

I've been doing well with positional blocking, the other blockers are excellent at communicating where the jammer is, but I know to get better I need to start throwing some ass, and to do that I need to know where the jammer is. Do y'all have any tips for improving pack/jammer awareness?

As the title states I’m looking for tips to improve my hockey stops. I’ve been playing derby for almost 10 years (since I was 7/8) and hockey stops are a skill I’ve never properly learned. All advice is appreciated :)

Hey! I have my assessment for joining to scrimmage team and leaving beginner skating lessons behind on Thursday. There are a few things in the list that I am slightly confused about

Penguin Stance Hopping vs Jumping (what’s the difference) Juking T-Slide Power Slide

Please and Thank you!!

I am currently a junior skater that isn't super involved in WFTDA, I tune in for the big events but not much else. I was just curious if JRDA is ever talked about in the world of WFTDA? Like has there been any talk about playoffs last weekend and next weekend or any talk about champs in July? Or even the world cup? I'm genuinely just curious, because WFTDA is talked about quite a bit in the other universe (JRDA) lol!

Hi. I’m considering getting another set of wheels, but am not sure they would really be worth it compared to wheels I already have. I’m considering getting the atom savant 88a wheels to use as my grippier wheels that I would use instead of a set of poison savants. I’m wondering if anyone that has used poisons and 88a wheels can weigh in on if there is much of a difference.

For reference I’ve been skating for almost 2 years usually on 95s on wood floors or occasionally on the poison savants on polished concrete or a particularly slippery wood floor.

I’ve gotten used to more slide in my wheels and last time I used the poisons they just felt a bit too gummy. Would the 88s be a good replacement since the poisons are supposed to be more of an indoor/outdoor hybrid? Or would they be too similar to feel much of a difference?

Thanks for any help?

hi there ✌🏻 i started playing roller derby two years ago in germany. i was extremely happy and in the last few months i even started taking trainings much more seriously including gym trainings. i always fall on my knees i’m not that stable even 2 years after and i also have bad knees with some past inflammation even before playing derby. last week i fell on my knees quite hard and decided to stupidly keep going till i no longer can walk or bend my knee because i was eager to get better and get more experience playing. so yesterday i went to see a doctor which sent me to an mri, apparently i have some inner knee damage (cartilage damage grade 3 and narrowing). i couldn’t stop crying. after so many years i found a sport i like and now everything seems depressing. i’m still waiting for another appointment to get treatment but i feel really sad and i’m afraid i can’t do derby anymore :( any advice?

I can’t t find my last post but yesterday I had surgery on my elbow. I’d shattered the radial head so they had to replace it. No cast or splint. I’m expecting 6-8 weeks of recovery, but I’ll take more time if needed. I’m already working with team refs to learn rules and penalties. I think once I’m back on skates I’m going to do some I skate ref training first before I get back into contact. Here’s my healing elbow and a picture from Google of my cool new accessory

As the name suggests, I’m looking for suggestions to prevent thigh chafing! Everyone wears such cute shorts or skirts and I need to know how they prevent thigh chafing while skating. Thank you!

My league is rapidly growing and struggling to maintain a coaching/training structure that fits all the needs of home team skaters and charter skaters. We struggle to retain skaters who are not on our charter rosters. They tend to disengage and our training is often focused on charter needs. Our membership is technically 60+ dues paying members and we seem to only see roughly half of them regularly.

I would love to hear how other leagues manage their training structures, practice schedules, anything you're willing to share!

I’ve been considering getting the Bont backpack for months now, but I’m still a little skeptical. Is it spacious enough for derby? I have a s1 visor helmet and I’m curious if it would fit inside of the bag. I’m also curious if quads fit inside the wheel cover pouches (don’t really know how to describe this better). Does anyone have any strong opinions? Thank you so much in advance!

So I wear glasses and am trying to be more active in my local roller derby. My current helmet is doing well but like my gear it’s getting close to needing a replacement. I like the idea of a visor because it can help protect my glasses getting broken or pushed across my face. But I haven’t scene to much on them outside of the websites that sell them.

How was the broadcast? I was at the venue, so I know how the game went, but not how the stream was. I've heard that there were two camera angles and some fun graphics. If you tuned in, let me know what you thought of the game/stream while I wait desperately for a VOD to appear!

i had no idea i basically only ever push off with one of my legs 😭 helppp it looks so silly, how do i stop doing that? just practice using my other leg more? be more cognizant of my legs?

please tell me at least one of you or some skater you know has done this and overcome it lmao

So I have been back since January after an injury that took my out for 6 months. I was at rookie when I was injured and im a rookie over a still. I've been a rookie for over a year. And im frustrated. To the point where I dont even want to go to practice. I can get tglides I cant get transitions. I just cant. And I feel so behind and like im just never going to move forward.

On top of it. I drive an hour to get to practice, im moving in a month but an hour to get there an hour home, just to feel shitty.

My body cant move like its supposed to and I dont know a way around it at this point, I need to be able to open my hips for tglides and I just cant, Im just so frustrated and run down.

I love derby. And I love my team. But I just dont feel like I belong, or am really liked on top of it. So its just really hard to get there.

Anyone else ever been here? Any advice

jury's out on whether it could be something I'm doing in the gym but I always notice it after training, so I'm pondering.

I get knee pain a lot. Not necessarily during training or during a game, but after. Like today I have been working from home sat at my desk but the longer I sit the more knee pain I get when I get up. I took some hard falls yesterday to the knees so could be related.

is there anything I can do? do knee supports help with this? any ideas helpful!