Issues

Issue 19 — Spring 2013

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 05:12:00 -0700

now shipping!!!

• Derby Super Foods

• Low Back Pain and Derby

• Goal Setting

• Traveling Light for Derby

• Running a Functioning Organization

• Deaf Skaters

• Plus more, including Yoga for Derby Girls, Tips on Checking Your Gear, Team Vagine Regime, WFTDA’s New Division Playoff Structure

Deaf skaters

Pain Eyre, Border city brawlers

“Water.”

I know this one. The sign for “W.” tap chin. We’re moving through the flash cards quickly and my handwriting is sloping down the worksheet. I’ll be lucky to be able to read it tomorrow. “Hop?” Is that what I wrote? Like jump? Two fingers springing from a flat palm. But this says – “Help.” Right. Stormy raises a flash card and the room gestures wildly. What reminder did I write for “fast?” “Fast” is – I know slow (right hand moves up back of left hand), and attendance (the sign for “d,” tap between spread fingers of the other hand) but not fast. No one’s got it yet. Stormy points to the bristol board at the front of the room. Photos show Paulapalooza and Kim Bash acting out each sign. FAST: Bash makes the “d” sign with both hands, bending fingers toward her in the next shot. That’s it.

What’s the sign for “hot?” One of the fresh meat fans herself with her workbook. Twenty or so of us are crammed into a little community center, ten in white scrimmage shirts on one side of the room and ten in black on the other side. Stormy stands at the front of the room with a stack of flash cards. Which team can remember the most signs? The skaters may be at home, but our teams are just as competitive today. She pulls the card for “jammer” and every person in the room rushes to tap the side of her head.

Since 9 am this morning, the Border City Brawlers roller derby league has been learning about Deaf culture and American Sign Language (ASL) from one of our skaters, Stormy. She’s brought several friends, local Deaf educators, and members of the Deaf community, as well as interpreters, to speak to us about Deaf culture, common misconceptions, and some basic ASL to get everyone communicating. After a quiz, (no, Deaf people do not get parking privileges, and yes, most Deaf people are born to hearing parents), a potluck lunch, and a talk about the art of interpreting, we moved on to learning a few signs for the derby track.

When Stormy joined the league over a year ago, I knew absolutely no ASL. I learned the alphabet when I was ten or eleven in what became a failed attempt to teach myself sign language. While a few letters still clung on in my brain, I was hopeless. One of our skaters had grown up with a Deaf friend and knew some ASL, so she was able to help interpret to some degree. As for me, my communication with Stormy was limited to gestures and awkward smiles, my lack of signing skills getting in the way. “You were all scared of me, I think,” Stormy told me later. A new skater with the league. A Deaf skater. How were we going to communicate? Sure, me and Stormy could skate with one another, build walls, block, do drills, but I wanted more than that. I felt a closeness with the rest of my league, and I wasn’t going to let my inability to sign get in the way of me forming bonds with Stormy. We chatted online and I asked her about learning some ASL. Was there any book she recommended? I was a mess at finger spelling, but I was a mess on skates when I joined derby and that never stopped me.

After practice one night, I logged onto a site that Stormy had sent me and started with lesson one: the alphabet. At least if I learned the alphabet, I could finger spell the words I didn’t know and learn the signs as I went along. I googled Deaf roller derby and discovered that there were Deaf skaters around the world. There were specific signs the Deaf derby community had created for words like jammer and pivot (both of which mimic the insignia on the helmet panties). I went over my ABCs more than a three-year-old and read about Deaf derby until my eyes went buggy from the computer screen.

At the next practice, I showed up nervous about my new letters. When Stormy walked into our warehouse with her gear bag I waved. H-O-W, I finger spelled tentatively, and then pointed at Stormy. She smiled. Finger spelled H-O-W back to me and then made the sign for the word. I repeated. G-O-O-D she spelled, and then signed it. How are you? Good. Over the next few practices my hand got a little more comfortable forming the letters but I still confused P with Q, and mixed up M, N and T. At home, I was learning the first 100 signs, but finding it hard to fit in “cat” and “bird” at practice. Stormy, however, was super patient, figuring out what my confused finger spelling was supposed to mean and showing me each sign slowly and repeatedly until I nailed it. One practice I turned up and fumbled through, “I’m learning to sign, slowly,” but most frequently I just signed “thank you” for all the new words she taught me.

A few other skaters in the league started picking up signs: black (“d” dragged across the forehead), and white (like pulling an invisible shirt away from your chest) helped for scrimmages. Some took to their computers and libraries to learn the alphabet. But the process wasn’t easy. With limited people learning limited signs, the communication barriers still existed. A skater who could finger spell and knew a few words would frantically try to interpret the coach’s spoken directions or the vote for tank tops versus t-shirts for the next bout. With limited vocabulary on the part of the hearing skaters, and no interpreter available for practices, it was difficult and often frustrating for Stormy, whose skating skills were stellar, but sometimes found herself missing important details of drills and strategy. “Deaf people hear with our eyes,” Stormy said, showing our league the truth in this statement with every practice on the derby track. Stormy learned derby by watching: watching drills, watching coaches, watching videos online. She taught our hearing skaters how to be better watchers, as well. No jammer can sneak up on a pack with Stormy blocking. Good derby skaters always look behind them. Where are the jammers? What are the other blockers doing? Stormy constantly watches all around her, communicating with her teammates through touch as well as sound. Still, with hearing skaters chattering all around, nuances of conversations, jokes, casual comments and suggestions slipped by without interpretation. Zebras and officials blew whistles to start jams and drills, sometimes forgetting the need for an accompanying hand signal. Skaters screamed “jammer inside” instead of giving a touch to the thigh or a point in the right direction. Stormy described feeling stuck, being forgotten, and not knowing what to do.

Today, Stormy skates on a home team, and can be seen at practice helping fresh meat and vets alike with their stance, technique, blocking, and confidence. While Stormy admits new skaters sometimes start off intimidated by her, a strong blocker, a Deaf skater, and someone they are unsure they can communicate with, her patience quickly shows them what a great teacher she is, on and off the track. In the ASL learning process, Stormy is the best resource our league could possibly ask for. While interpretation at bouts and meetings is certainly a step in the right direction, all of our hearing members will need to commit to learning to communicate if we want our league to be truly accessible, on and off the track, as skaters, officials, coaches, and of course, as friends. Like our fresh meat skaters, stumbling through their strides and stops, we are ASL fresh meat, and learning will take all the time and passion that derby does; just like the feeling of nailing that first hip check or hitting your 25 in 5, every communication milestone will be more than worth it.

issue 18 – winter 2012

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 19:31:00 -0700

shipping now!

• Pad Cleaning Product Review

• How to Build a Team Bond

• Common Gear Questions and Misconceptions part two

• Derby Burnout part two

• the Dos and Don’ts for Newbies

• Coaching and the Wizard of Oz

• 2012 WFTDA Championships Recap

• Plus more, including a Wheel Review, WFTDA’s Growing Presence in Europe, Defensive Play: Agitators and Enforcers, How Good Video Can Help Your League

volunteer voodoo: why derby cannot live without volunteers

Col Lision, Roc City Roller Derby

“By the skaters, for the skaters.”

It’s the phrase that helped guide the modern roller derby revolution. It represents the DIY, hands-on, roll-up-yer-sleeves-and-get-‘er-done, “Hey, kids, let’s put on a bout” ethic that is so much a part of modern derby. It’s how derby restarted; it’s how we were reborn. But if that’s where we began, we have to admit that, as derby grows up, defining derby as being made up of “just” skaters doesn’t work anymore. It’s not the whole truth; as Bonnie D. Stroir said in a blog post from earlier this year, “It's much bigger than that. We're all much bigger than that.”

What I’m talking about is the importance of volunteers. Those intrepid folks who work behind the scenes – and sometimes center stage – do to help make things happen. They’re not on wheels and they don’t juke or block or pegassist, but they do make those things possible. Maybe they’re your officials; out front helping you skate the best possible game you can skate. Maybe they’re your production staff; organizing venues, setting up hospitality, booking halftime entertainment, announcing their hearts out, and taking care of all of the details so bouts go off flawlessly. Maybe they’re your worker bees; helping with appearances, selling league merch, or attending to one of the hundreds of other tasks that need doing to keep your league healthy and thriving.

Any way you look at it, though, they’re volunteers. They donate their time and talents for the love of the growing, evolving sport called derby – and without them, we could not thrive. So let’s talk about how leagues can foster volunteers as the important parts of our organization.

recruit

Long have our volunteers been pulled from the ranks of friends and family; moms and dads and significant others purposed into duty as need crops up. As the Gospel of Derby spreads; however, there are more and more non-related fans out there positively itching to get more involved with their favorite sport. Give them the chance. First, dedicate some space in your various public communication vehicles – your website, your bout program, your Facebook page – to share clear directions on what opportunities are available and who budding volunteers can contact for more info. Create a central email – volunteers@YourLeague.com – where all interested parties can go to start the ball rolling. And when you have Fresh Meat Info Nights? Take time to talk about volunteer opportunities; it’s often the perfect way for interested folks to get to know the league better, and to understand how derby really works behind the scenes. Treat volunteer recruitment similarly to skater recruitment. That first contact can mean the difference between a lifelong volunteer and someone who just sits in the stands but never takes thenext step.

organize

Being a derby volunteer can sometimes be a tough job – many hours of work, and not particularly glamorous work at that. Support your volunteers by creating an organized league volunteer squad. You can get as formal (regular meetings, dedicated discussion boards, the works) as you like about this, but I’d suggest creating at least a loose “team” identity where there’s a space for online connection and conversation. It helps your volunteers share information and ideas, gives them a place to connect to derby and each other, and instills pride in being part of your league – which keeps them coming back and giving their all as volunteers. Everyone wins.

lead

Every squad needs a leader. In Roc City Roller Derby (RCRD), this is a committee-chair level position: Volunteer Coordinator. I held this position for several years, and this role is crucial for volunteer squad health, no matter how serious or casual a volunteer’s involvement. The Coordinator gives your league a central person to send new recruits and interested parties, and also establishes the “face” of volunteer recruitment out there acting as your champion in the community (pro tip: it helps if this person is friendly, outgoing and has good people management skills – RCRD’s current coordinator, Sinister Minister, is a people person extraordinaire, which serves this role VERY well). (S)he also has a bird’s eye view of what roles and support are needed across your league, and can help track and assign volunteers to help as opportunities pop up. Having a central Coordinator gives your volunteers someone to look to with questions, to share ideas, and to help as they decide to deepen their involvement as well. This is your volunteers’ link to the league, so be sure to invest some thought in how this role is positioned and who holds it.

steward

Once you have your volunteer squad and leader in place, the work is not yet done. Oh no, indeed. Now you need to DO something with those volunteers. First, maintain good records. Keep track of your volunteers’ names, their contact information, and when and where they’ve helped before. Acknowledging key dates like birthdays – maybe with a league-branded card – is a nice touch, too. A spreadsheet is a good place to start and can be easily shared and transferred as the Volunteer Coordinator position changes hands.

Second, stay in contact. During your season, talk with your volunteers regularly – at least once a month. Email is lovely for this. Send not only a call for help/volunteer opportunities, but also share interesting (non-NDA) derby news and tidbits: the latest scores, interesting milestones, a picture or two from a practice or scrimmage... insider information that is well-earned and helps your volunteers feel like they’re really a part of something. In addition, when someone is scheduled to work for the league, be sure to formalize the communication chain: provide lots of clear information about the job description, expectations and details (times, parking info, dress, etc.) to make things as stress-free and smooth-sailing as possible.

Third, give something back. All of our volunteers who work an assigned job at a home bout get free admission to the bout, as well as access to our post-bout hospitality area. You can also implement a basic rewards system. For example, if a volunteer works one job, they get a thank you. After volunteering for three work opportunities, the volunteer gets a bumper sticker. Six opportunities earns a t-shirt; ten or more earns an invite to the end-of-year banquet. These are low-cost investments that yield great returns. Don’t ever underestimate the power of a free league-branded drink koozie. It might say “cold beverage” to some, but to a volunteer it might be a bigger sign that the work they do is valued, acknowledged, and appreciated.

include

Make a place for volunteers in your league. We can say all day long that volunteers are important, but it’s our actions and how we treat and include our volunteers that REALLY tell the story. Create spaces for volunteers to be as involved as they want to be. Maybe they just want to hand out programs once a month; that’s cool, and much-needed. But maybe they want to get down and derby, as deep as they can go. At RCRD, volunteers can be full dues-paying members of the league. I started as a volunteer handing out programs and eventually graduated to being an official attending practices and meetings several times a week, acting as committee chair. I am just closing out a year serving as an elected member of our Board of Directors. How your league does it is up to you, but be sure to create a culture where volunteers are not just helping your league but are a genuine, important part.

thank

I’ve said this already, but it bears repeating: just say thanks. Volunteers love derby as much as you do. For whatever reason, they can’t be skaters, but they darned well want to further the cause. Take the time to acknowledge the work they do – when they say “Great bout!,” you say, “Back at ya!” Because we’re all here for the love of the game, and we all do what we can to make it happen. We all need each other to build modern, strong, growing leagues that do awesome stuff – and, in the end, isn’t that what derby is all about?

issue 17 — fall 2012

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 20:47:00 -0600

• Athletic Trainers: A Good Addition to Your Team

• Derby and Drinking

• Common Gear Questions and Misconceptions

• Derby Burnout

• Junior Derby Training and Conditioning

• How to Be A Good Guest League

• Plus more, including Sk8 the State Multiple Sclerosis Fundraiser, Toe Stop Review, The Evolution of the WFTDA Tournaments, How Photographers Choose What They Publish

how to be a good guest league

John Maddening, Minnesota Rollergirls

In the last issue, we talked about how to be a good host league. Well, you can’t hang out at your house forever. It’s time to stretch your wings and fly!

finding leagues to play

facebook is your friend You’re in luck! When Minnesota (and the rest of the original leagues) started, Facebook was an Ivy League-only thing. Now, you’re likely to have tons of friends on your Facebook page who are in other leagues across the country... and world. Strike up friendships with folks who play elsewhere, and you’ve made your first steps! It makes it much easier when your Board presents you with dates you have to fill if you can open a chat window with your good friend a half a continent away.

tournaments are better

Whether it’s the Big 5, ECDX, Midwest Brewhaha, Rollercon, or any other, tournaments are great places to network. Even if your team isn’t on the track, simply wearing your home league’s t-shirt can lead to high fives, exclamations of “I can’t believe there’s a league THERE!”, and most importantly, invitations to play. Everyone has an open date they’re trying to fill, and they won’t think of you unless you get out there and let people know you’re interested.

be prepared to say no

One thing to be watchful of is trying to please everyone. You have a team, a coach, and a budget that all need different things. Just because another league has invited you doesn’t mean you have to go. The rough economy hits everyone, including derby teams. If your team doesn’t have the money to get twenty people to a town with expensive air service that’s too far to drive to, there’s nothing shameful about saying, “that’s not in our budget right now.” Odds are, the other team’s interleague coordinator has had to deal with the exact same thing. In addition, you don’t get any better by playing teams much worse than you are. Try to use your time to play the better teams, and your team will learn more. You can even check out the rankings on DNN, Flat Track Stats, or Derbytron to see where observers rank your team in relation to others, and schedule accordingly. Of course, predictions have been known to be wrong... from time to time.

hangover bout

To get the most out of a trip, see if you can get a “hangover bout” in the next day before you leave. Often, the league who hosted you on Saturday night would be happy to invite you and another nearby team to play in their practice facility or another venue for a second sanctioned game. These bouts are often (but not always) between teams with more space between them, rankings-wise. It allows the smaller team to get in some well-needed playing time against higher-level squads, and it helps extend your budget.

how do we get there?

flying

Flying is the fastest, but generally the most expensive way to get to another city for a bout. And if it’s farther than 500 miles or so from your home base, it’s usually the only option. Check with airlines about group reservations. Remember, if you’re flying, you have to budget rental cars or public transit on top of those airline tickets.

driving

When we travel within the five-state area, we’ll either rent cars or use our own. This can be dangerous if one car breaks down on the side of the road with four hours left to go, but it is the cheapest way to do it. We have a business discount with a major national car rental company, which knocks about 10% off the rental. It doesn’t sound like much, but when you’re renting five cars or three minivans, it sure does help.

bus it

One of the coolest things ever was when the Naptown Roller Girls Tornado Sirens rolled up to team breakfast in a giant tour bus. Sure it took 10-11 hours to make the trip, but they did it overnight so most of them could sleep on the road. Naptown even has a superfan who is a licensed bus driver, and they saved even more money by not using the bus company’s driver, but by paying for his meals and hotel room for the trip! Above all, get there early! Make sure you budget your time for any delays, breakdowns, or bathroom breaks. Nobody wants to leave another league in the lurch because you didn’t plan for problems.

bring your fans

Nothing can be more intimidating than having 4,000 people boo you when you’re introduced. People love their home teams, and they want to see the invaders defeated. However, one of the most effective counters is bringing your fans along to cheer for you! Of course, you can’t afford to pay for someone else’s flight, hotel room, etc., but there are probably a good number of fans who live and die for your team and would love to join you on the road. The Minnesota RollerGirls are lucky enough to have a pair of sisters – Jeanne and Christine, the MNRG Superfans – who not only have front-row season tickets at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, but also travel along to nearly every away game and tournament! There are also well-known folks such as The Belligerent Nashville Rollergirls Fans, Big Tom from the Texas Rollergirls, and of course Bane-Ana from Charm City! Fantastic fans like this make it feel a bit like home in a strange town after a thrilling victory... or an agonizing defeat. Let your fans know (in email updates, Facebook postings, etc.) about your upcoming trips, and tell them you’d love to have them join you! The vast majority of hosting leagues offer a small number of comp tickets for family and friends who make the trek, and you never know when you’ll run into an expatriate from your home town who wants to cheer for you.

bring merch

I’m always surprised when visiting teams don’t bring merch to sell at away bouts. Packing an extra bag of t-shirts, stickers, and patches doesn’t cost much extra, and can more than pay for itself. Fans, and other skaters, love collecting t-shirts from around the world, and for you, it brings in some much-needed cash to help pay for the trip. Just twenty T-shirts at $15 each is $300 more than you had before! Even in 2012, certain carriers (like Southwest, or Delta if you have their credit card) don’t charge for checked bags, so there’s really no excuse to not bring a little something to sell.

do something non derby related!

(Wo)man cannot live on derby alone! For a Saturday night bout, MNRG generally arrives on Friday afternoon. We have time to decompress, and have a team dinner if we choose. Saturday morning, we’ll meet in the hotel lobby and break into groups to go out and about. Some skaters love shopping, others museums or tours. Nobody is paid to play, so you might as well have fun while you’re traveling.

treat your hosts well

It’s like going to a party. Your hosts are opening up their home to you, so thank them for their hospitality, follow their rules, and keep your skates off their furniture! You want them to remember your league fondly, and want to play you again!

Issue 16 — Summer 2012

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 01:25:00 -0600

Choosing a Charity That Works
Core Training
Derby Sport Training and Fitness
Integrating New Skaters while Keeping Vets Engaged
Strategic Communication in Coaching
How to be a Good Host League
Plus more, including a review on “Derby, Baby!”, information on WFTDA.tv, skate insert review, plates 101 and more

how to be a good host league

John Maddening, Minnesota Rollergirls

Travel. Not only is it helpful to play other teams, it’s necessary to get ranked! And while some leagues are lucky to have plenty of WFTDA leagues within close driving distance, others make trips of hundreds or thousands of miles to get their games in.

As a hosting league, you have two responsibilities – not only do you want this bout to be great, but you want the visiting team to have a good time, no matter what the final outcome on the track ends up being. These are a few helpful hints gleaned from the past eight seasons of Minnesota RollerGirls traveling and hosting.

contracts

Both leagues – the host and visiting league – need to have a legally-binding document that spells out the particulars of the event well ahead of time. Each league’s contract is different, but generally cover the following: • The date, time, and location of the bout • Compensation paid by the hosting team • Roster and support staff agreements • Venue access and practice time • Program, media, and promotion information • Insurance, waivers, ruleset

Any WFTDA league (especially the league that sponsored you for membership) should be happy to show you a boilerplate version of the contract they use. You can then work with your league to decide what you want to do.

Before sending the contract to the other league’s Interleague Coordinator, be sure to go over anything that might be different from the norm (no outside beverages, a no-video policy), so they’re not taken aback by special rules.

compensation

This league that’s coming to play in your house is spending hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to get there, and you’re the ones who are making money off the bout. Most host leagues pay between $500 and $2000 to the visiting team to offset the cost of travel, hotel, and food. This is generally paid to the opposing league in the form of a check within a couple weeks after the event. I’ve gotten a check as we’ve walked in the door for warm-ups (thanks, Sioux Falls Roller Dollz!), and we’ve also waited for months to get paid. Listing a payment timeframe in the contract will help.

hotels

Most of the people playing your team will have never been to your city before. A list of hotels of varying prices near the venue will be very helpful to your visitors. Make sure these are safe, clean hotels. The last thing you want is a team so angry about their accommodations that they’ll drag your name through the mud, lessening the chance that you can get anyone else to play you in the future!

This is a great place for your league’s Sponsorship Committee to help you out! Hotels are always looking for ways to attract new business, and most will offer reduced rates in exchange for advertising. MNRG actually offers visiting leagues five rooms for two nights in a nice downtown hotel, mere blocks from the Legendary Roy Wilkins Auditorium as part of our sponsorship package. The hotel gets mentions at the bout, and visiting teams get a nice place to stay without the bother of searching for and paying for rooms.

support staff

Most contracts provide for the visiting team to bring support staff, such as referees, NSOs, an announcer, photographer/videographer, and sometimes a medic/trainer.

I may be biased on this point, but the other team’s announcer is a great addition to your production. They know their team better than your announcer does, and can add to the general level of announcing by bringing stats, facts, and anecdotes about the opponents that you just can’t get anywhere else. Most serious WFTDA announcers these days are AFTDA certified, meaning they know the rules of the game, as well as best practices in what and what not to say.

Guest photographers and videographers are also great to welcome to your bouts. They’ll add to the amount of media available to be used after the bout (with their permission, of course) to promote your team. Some of the best derby shots are taken by the opposing team’s photographer. They have a different agenda than your own league’s photographer, and often your skaters, while not the intended focus of their photos, become just that.

sharing info

What fun stuff is there to do in town? While sometimes a visiting team may be on a tight schedule, which does not allow for sightseeing, others have more free time, and would rather not just sit around in a hotel room all day. A list of fun local attractions, such as museums, parks, zoos, and shopping districts, is an easy way to make your opponents more comfortable and happy to play. Brewery tours are quite popular (or so I’m told)!

I provide a link to a Google Map that I customize with locations of the venue, hotel, after party, and anything else that may help visitors navigate your hometown.

welcoming the other team

Do you want to meet the other team before the bout? Some leagues do (Philly puts on an amazing breakfast spread at the home of one of their skaters), while some prefer to... not get too friendly prior to facing each other on the track. You know the psychology of your league better than anyone else, so you’ll have to make that call.

This is another great idea for your friends on Sponsorship – find a brunch place that would like to host a couple teams of hungry rollergirls the morning of or after the bout! In exchange for mentions over the mic or in the program, they can provide you with carb loading before the bout... or a cure for after party hangovers the next morning.

at the venue

Make sure there is someone ready to meet the visiting team at the venue to welcome them, allow them access, and collect any leftover paperwork. The host should give them a tour of the venue, including their locker room, the restrooms, the table where they’ll be selling merch, location of EMTs/medics, and be available to answer questions. After that, leave them alone for their warm-ups. Be available to answer questions and provide assistance, but let them be together as a team.

Providing your opponents the biggest and/or best locker room is just plain good manners. In our otherwise lovely 1923 arena, we give visiting teams the best locker room, or as we call it, “the one with the bathroom”.

bout time

This is where your announcers come in. Your opponents may be ranked lower than you, but they’re in town to give your fans a show. Build them up – make their intro as exciting as yours! The Old Capitol City Roller Girls may have only been WFTDA members for three weeks before they filled in for a canceling team, and they may have been beaten by 300 points, but they left as conquering heroes, not just to the 50 or so fans who made the trip, but to the 3,000+ others in the arena that night because of their never say die attitude. Making them feel welcome is the most important thing.

afterwards

Win or lose, leave it on the track. Everyone is in this crazy sport together, and the girl who knocked you on your ass an hour ago will probably buy you your first drink at the after party.

Make sure your after party is at a location that is welcoming to the opposing team. Walkable would be super awesome, but easily drivable by an out-of-towner is good too. Thank them for coming – they had plenty of choices of places to play, and they chose yours. Make sure they’re okay to get back to the hotel, perhaps appointing a designated driver from your league to ferry any over-served celebrating stragglers.

If you follow these guidelines, you can make sure that when your guests talk to other leagues about you at an upcoming tournament, they’ll be saying they can’t wait to visit you again!

Issue 15 — Spring 2012

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 19:34:00 -0700

World Cup recap
league website tips and tricks
lifting weights for roller derby
yoga for derby
line ups performance analysis
finding the right pads
balancing derby and life
Plus more, including an inside look at world cup, bridging the gap between vets and newbies, post bout depression, can flat and banked track derby be BFFs?

Bridging the gap: how leagues can bring fresh meat and vets closer together

Merry Khaos, Harrisburg Area Roller Derby

Roller derby may be the most unique situation a newbie can walk into. It is a sport that most people have little or no experience with. Walking into a roller derby practice, alone and untried, can be one of the most unnerving experiences of a woman’s life. Finding a way to take the intimidation factor out of the experience can be key to a league’s retention of new skaters.

Though most larger leagues have specific “Skater Tot” programs to guide young snowflakes through the scary world of roller derby, not every league has a system in place. Whatever the case, bridging the gap between impressionable fresh meat and the sea-hardened vets is extremely important for the health and maintenance of your league roster. If new skaters do not feel welcome or encouraged, then it will not matter how wonderful your recruitment campaign goes: the league will inevitably experience a high turnover of skaters who never make it to certification.

Finding a way to allow the fresh meat to mingle and learn from vets, without the vets getting too caught up in teaching to continue learning, is an important balance to strike. You never know which brand new, doe-eyed girl will be the next Rice Rocket. Before we go any further, however...

a note to the vets: you never thought you’d be a rock star, did you?

Guess what, Sugar: you are now. Even if you’ve only recently passed your skills test, as long as you skate on that track with the rest of the team, those fresh meat look at you as a mentor. They take notes on your derby position, attempt to replicate your stride, and long to know how your Hips of Fury can clear a battlefield with a single swipe! Take this to heart: they will watch your behavior, good and bad. They look at how you treat your team mates, your coach, and yourself. Lead by example. Did a vet help you with your plow stop when you first joined? Pay it forward. One act of mentorship can encourage a skater tot for the rest of her career and will keep your roster competitive and healthy.

a note to the fresh meat: honestly, the vet won’t eat you

Just because you have been skating for two weeks and she has been skating two years, it does not mean she is going to feel burdened by answering your questions. In fact, you may have a hard time getting them to stop talking. If you are asking questions and trying to improve, that vet is going to see potential and know you are as dedicated to the sport as she is. Maybe next time, she will make sure to answer a question you haven’t even thought of yet.

bringing them together on the track

Though vets may want to buy shin guards after pack practices with fresher girls, having vets mix it up on the track doing skills and drills one-on-one will seriously improve a learning curve. This can also show the newbie that the veterans are human too, regardless of how super human they may appear with a star on their helmet.

If you are a vet, it is not the coach’s responsibility to be sure you nab a new girl once in a while. For the sake of the team, it is a good idea to team up with a new girl who may be struggling with a concept you are particularly good at. Also, for the extreme body types, it’s extra helpful for a new skater to be paired with a vet shaped like her. For example: a girl who is long, slim, and has natural speed skating talent may have trouble learning from a girl who is shorter and more blocking-inclined. Matching body types can help freshies conquer hurdles that other skaters may not have experienced.

Conversely, if you are a fresh meat, it is completely acceptable to ask a vet to pair up with you. It is not their job to always come and find you. Learning new skills comes easier when you get different perspectives. That vet will be able to direct you through the drill, which is easier than being told from the sideline. Remember, there is no perfection in roller derby, so do not take it personally if she tells you to watch the elbows or get lower. Her job as a mentor is to help you excel.

Camaraderie built on the track is the strongest way to bond two skaters together. There is a special friendship that can form between skaters when booty blocking TOGETHER; regardless of how many weeks they’ve been skating.

bringing them together off the track

Regardless of the size of your league, events outside of Bout Day can help your league bolster the bank account while encouraging friendships. League members mixing it up (with perfume on, and helmets off) at merch tables or promotional events are able to talk on a level not allowed in a double pace line. They can develop chemistry that can then be brought to the floor in unexpected pairs.

“Meet the Meat” events are also invaluable. These League- Only events give everyone a chance to have fun together without [as many] hip checks. Laser tag, rock climbing, or even just a night hanging out (I recommend a night of pizza and bout footage) can get the conversation flowing.

Another great idea? Hold a clothing swap! New girls can pick up some new threads from vets whose bodies have changed through the athleticism of roller derby. Not only will it benefit everyone’s closet, but it shows new girls the health benefits of the sport, as well.

keep it positive

Derby is a highly competitive, high-impact sport. There will be yelling, tense situations, and personal conflicts along the way. Not everyone will master skills on their first try. Sometimes, pace lines will get slow. However, as a vet, if you lead by example by keeping a positive attitude and focused goals, skater tots will be inspired and put forth their best efforts and attitudes, as well. If they do not get 40 in 10 the first time, help them (drag them on your hips if necessary), and the next time not only will they do it, but maybe they will be the one pushing a newbie, as well.

Both veterans and skater tots are members of the same international family, and everyone is there for the same reason: for the love of derby.

Issue 14 — Winter 2011

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 03:17:00 -0700

2011 WFTDA Championships Recap
Merch 101
Concussions
Mental Training
Heel pain
Unsung Heroes: Referees
Should I Upgrade My Plates?
Endurance Practices
Plus more, including Battle of the Nordic Light recap, derby at 15, a handy dandy guide to wheels, WFTDA taking the big 5 to the next level

Concussions

Papa Doc, Windy City Rollers

Concussions are a common injury in contact sports. Individual events of concussion can range from a simple “ding” to emergency medical problems. Importantly, recent medical evidence of the possible long-term serious consequences of repeated concussions forces us to be more careful dealing with our skaters.

definition:

As we currently understand a concussion, the injury is a change (probably chemical) in the brain function induced by acceleration-deceleration and shearing forces on the soft brain inside the hard skull, rotational forces being more damaging than straight linear force. Actual structural changes are not demonstrated by imaging (CT, MRI) in the case of a concussion. Repeated concussions or a single severe concussion have the potential to induce long-term changes in the brain function. On the good side, most who suffer one or more concussions will not have long-term effects. On the bad side, some will. Unfortunately, at this point, we do not have a 100% way of predicting which skater will have long-term consequences from concussions, although amnesia for events before injury suggests a more serious concussion. We are left with careful monitoring and ensuring brain healing has time to take place.

diagnosis:

An event occurs during which the head is violently shaken – the event does not have to involve a direct head blow. The symptoms that can occur in various combinations and severity are: headache, pressure in the head, neck pain, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, blurred vision, amnesia for events before or after the injury, balance problems, sensitivity to light and/or noise, feeling slowed down, feeling as if in a fog, difficulty concentrating, difficulty remembering, feeling fatigued, confusion, drowsiness or trouble falling asleep, more emotionality than normal, irritability, and nervousness. The victim of a concussion will demonstrate difficulty in balance, concentration, mental function, and behavior. Note: a loss of consciousness is not actually a common symptom, resulting in under-reporting of concussions. Please, if you suffer the mentioned symptoms or signs, report them to your medical team.

If there is a loss of consciousness, evaluation in an emergency room (ER) is needed. If there is no loss of consciousness, the severity and number of symptoms will determine whether the skater will need to go to the ER. ALL skaters with symptoms and signs of a concussion must be evaluated by the team medical personnel and be excluded from play that day. Evaluation in the ER may include brain scans and referral to a specialist in neurological injuries. There is a useful evaluation form (SCAT2) that can be used to evaluate and to follow a concussed skater. The whole document is available at nata.org in the Journal of Athletic Training, 2009:44(4):434-448. There is a short, on-the-field evaluation form, as well as a lengthier evaluation form, useful for initial evaluation and follow-up. It is important to remember that other more serious brain injuries can begin with mild concussion-like symptoms and progress in hours to a dangerous situation. That is why a concussion must be evaluated by medical personnel.

treatment:

First, because a more serious brain injury that does not show up right away can start out with symptoms similar to a concussion, the injured person should be monitored by someone for 24–48 hours. It may be necessary to waken the victim every 2–3 hours during the night to ensure their sleep is normal sleep, not unconsciousness. Nausea or vomiting may occur after a concussion, so the injured skater should have a bland, mainly liquid diet for 24–48 hours. Because of possible problems with concentration, confusion, and mental slowness, the victim should not drive or operate dangerous equipment for 24–48 hours, possibly longer.

Prevention of another injury until the brain heals chemically is critical. Second impact injury (another injury to the brain before healing has occurred) can result in dangerous and chronic dysfunction of the brain, including death. The skater must rest mentally and physically until the signs and symptoms have fully resolved and do not flare upon resuming mental and physical activity.

Rest is the only actual treatment for concussion. This means both physical and mental rest. The hardest part is resting the brain, but it is the most important part of “treatment”. This involves not using the brain for anything other than basic life functions until the symptoms subside. Initially for a day or two, a quiet, dimly-lit environment is beneficial. Reading, tasks requiring mental effort and concentration, watching TV, and the like should be avoided until the symptoms subside. Ideally, this involves time off work. Physical rest is also needed. If the symptoms subside but re-occur on resuming mental and physical activity, rest must be resumed.

Pain treatment for the head or neck pain may be needed. Rest and ice bags will often be sufficient. If not, acetaminophen (Tylenol is one brand) is all right. Aspirin and NSAIDS (ibuprofen, naprosyn, and the like) must be avoided because they promote bleeding. Although bleeding is not a result of a concussion, the concern is that a more serious injury involving bleeding may present with concussion symptoms initially. Sedative and narcotic medicines must be avoided because they mask important symptoms or cause symptoms that mimic head injury such as dizziness, lethargy, or nausea. If the skater is on regular medications (prescription or over the counter) for another unrelated medical condition, a doctor must be consulted as to whether the medicine is okay to continue. Alcohol and hard drugs are absolutely contra-indicated.

return to play (rtp):

Because each concussion is so individualized, the RTP must be individualized for the skater. Blanket rules don’t work well. In general, the milder the concussion, the sooner RTP can happen. The time frame may be a week to as long as several weeks. But it must be under the supervision of the skater’s own physician and the team medical staff working together. The key determinant is that the symptoms and signs must have resolved completely AND must not start up with the resumption of normal, non-sport activities. Once that is true, gradual return to sport-related, but non-contact activities is instituted. If the skater remains symptom-free, then gradual return to contact sport activities can be done. There are instances where the skater will be well and return to contact sport activities but have a relapse of symptoms some days to weeks later even without a new head trauma. This is known as post-concussion syndrome and requires further medical evaluation with a neurologist.

prevention:

It is obvious that complete prevention of concussion in contact sports is not possible. But the use of a well-fitted, well-made helmet and mouth guard helps reduce the likelihood. This is the reasoning behind prohibiting hits above the shoulders and using the head to block. There is evidence that increasing the neck strength may reduce the forces generated in falls by reducing the violent shaking of the head. This is still being investigated, but strong flexible neck muscles are helpful in reducing neck injuries in any case. Preventing the long-term consequences of repeated concussions requires that skaters be honest in reporting symptoms in the first place and following the medical advice carefully. This will give the best chance for the brain to “heal” and allow the best chance for the skater to return to derby safely and soon. Some investigation into using neuropsychological testing before and during the sports season as guides to diagnosing and managing concussion is being done. This is not currently available widely due to the time and expense involved.

In short, “use your head”, report your symptoms, and don’t “lose your head”.

Issue 13 — Fall 2011

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 17:00:00 -0600

Region Playoffs Preview
Derby Specific Training
Exercise Induced Bronchospasm (EIB)
RollerCon Recap
Dos and Don’ts of Stripes
45 Degree Kingpins
And more, including Derby in Europe, WFTDA Meeting Recap, Should Your League be 18 years+ or 21+?

Issue 12 — Summer 2011

Sat, 04 Jun 2011 00:45:00 -0600

Transgender Policies
Returning After Pregnancy
Legal Safety Gear: Protecting Your League On and Off the Track
Pivot Line Strategies
Beta Testing a “No Minors” Ruleset
Rinxter Stats Program
Leather vs. Vinyl Boots
Plus More, Including Stretching, What’s in Store for Rollercon 2011, the Mental Recovery, Tips for Vegan Skaters

Issue 11 — Spring 2011

Sun, 13 Feb 2011 18:00:00 -0700

Media Relations
Derby Weight Training
Knee Down Start
Wheel Regrooving
Boot Sizing
Motivating Junior Derby Skaters
And more, including conquering your fundraising fears, merby, concussions (part two) and WFTDA ref clinics

2010 Photo Annual

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 18:00:00 -0700

Derby News Network and fiveonfive magazine present the 2010 photo annual featuring tons of great photos from the 2010 season!

Issue 10 — Winter 2010

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 18:00:00 -0700

2010 WFTDA Championships recap
Derby Fashion
Tips for Making a Great League Website
Understanding Soft Tissue Injuries
Concussion Testing
Team Building
Writing a Mission Statement
And more, including announcing and audio issues, which wheels are best and mouthguard comparisons

Mission Statements

Jack & Choke, Jersey Shore Roller Girls

When people think of mission statements, they usually think of the ones written by big businesses. You know the type: long-winded paragraphs full of flowery, poetic phrases that sound nice but don’t really explain much. Ironically, this is the exact opposite of what a mission statement should be. An ideal mission statement is a brief, precisely worded definition of why a business exists, and what makes that business unique. In the world of roller derby, your league is your business, and it’s up to you to define it. A mission statement is your chance to do that by plainly laying out your organization’s purpose, goals and core values.

Mission statements serve a number functions, both to league members and to the public. Mission statements clearly outline to everyone involved what the league wants to accomplish, and how it will go about doing this. Everyone knows what’s expected of them, and they have steps they can take to achieve the desired results. An effective mission statement also has the power to motivate those who subscribe to it. When skaters see terms like “dedication,” “sisterhood,” and “superior athleticism” associated with their league, they tend to personally adopt those values, increasing the entire group’s unity and morale.

Mission statements don’t just benefit skaters within the league. They also serve to inform the general public of your league’s varied and unique aspects. How many times have you explained to fans that while yes, you do spend a lot of your time kicking butt, there’s more to being a rollergirl? You’ve probably surprised a few people by telling them that when they’re not skating, girls do promotional work or volunteer in the community. And what skater hasn’t rambled on about how her league is so intelligent/honest/dedicated/supportive? A mission statement does all this public relations work for you. Posted on your league’s website, a carefully planned, precisely worded mission statement makes a great first impression, earning you new fans and more than a little respect.

Mission statements often consist of three key elements. First, the mission statement outlines the purpose of the organization. In derby mission statements, this part of the statement answers the question, “Why does your league exist? What need does it fill?” From there, a mission statement moves to its second component, the game plan. This part states how your league will go about filling its recently defined need. Any goals and action-based ideas should be mentioned in this section. The last piece of the mission statement consists of the organization’s principles and values. Here’s where you highlight the beliefs that drive all your hard work. Overall, jargon and overly dramatic language should be avoided in favor of honest, concise, and specific word choices. Answering the three questions – what’s your business, what’s your game plan and what are your core values – provides a good starting point for an effective mission statement.

There’s a gap between knowing what a mission statement is and feeling confident enough to craft one for your league. Fortunately, many rollergirls have taken the mission statement plunge before you, so you can learn from their examples. In addition to press kits and league constitutions, mission statements often reside in the “About Us” sections of league websites. Let’s take a look at some strong mission statements straight from the derby world.

Suburbia Roller Derby, of Yonkers, New York is a good place to start. Their mission statement is short, sweet and to the point: “To provide a healthy, safe environment (both emotionally and physically) for women, ages 20+, to learn and play the sport of flat track roller derby in Westchester County, NY.”

Right away, they define what their vision is and whom their efforts serve. The rest of the mission statement lays out their action plan and values: “the cultivation of respect, empowerment and athleticism in all their members, the adoption of a DIY-attitude geared toward fostering sisterhood among fellow leagues and the importance of becoming contributing members of the community through local service and volunteerism.” Mission, goals and values, wrapped up neatly in four concise sentences.

Texas Rollergirls, skating out of Austin, Texas, provide a good example of how a mission statement defines the specific nature of unique organizations. Texas has a recreational league, the Rec-n-Rollerderby, which they hold separate from their nationally competing league. To identify Rec-n-Rollerderby as separate from, yet equally as legitimate as the main league, Texas Rollergirls crafted a distinct mission statement for the offshoot:

“The Texas Rollergirls Recreational League, the Rec-n-Rollerderby™ is an athletic and social organization formed to give all women the opportunity to learn and play the sport of Flat Track Roller Derby. In the spirit of a recreational organization, it offers a fun, safe, and competitive athletic environment without the level of commitment or skill that are required of derby athletes at the national level.”

In two sentences, Rec-n-Rollerderby’s mission statement states that it fills the need of women who want to play derby recreationally, that it does this by offering a modified athletic environment and that it bases its decisions on the values of fun, safety and competition. It’s a safe bet that if this mission statement was placed next to that of the nationally-competing Texas Rollergirls, the two would differ in goals, actions and values, even though they are two parts of the same larger organization. These differences illustrate how a mission statement gives a clear identity to a group.

Here are few more samples of leagues stating who they are and what they do:

Windy City Rollers, Chicago, IL: “The Windy City Rollers is an organization that strives to promote athleticism and fraternity among its members and seeks to foster professional, personal, and athletic advancement for all its members.”

Rat City Rollergirls, Seattle, WA: “Our mission is to provide athletic entertainment that improves our member’s individual athletic ability, self-discipline, and character while promoting the roller derby sport.”

At this point, you know what a mission statement is. You know what its key ingredients are. You’ve seen a couple of them up close and they seem pretty swanky. Following are some tips to get you started writing your own mission statement.

Ask yourself the right questions. Writing a mission statement involves some serious league soul searching. Start by asking yourself questions like: What is your league? Who skates for you? What kind of environment do you offer them? What do you expect from your skaters, both on and off the track? Do you serve anyone else, like the community, the fans or sponsors? If so, how? What values are important to your league? How do you promote these values? Base your mission statement on the answers.

Make it a team effort. If you are tasked with writing your league’s mission statement, don’t go at it alone. Ask skaters why they skate for this league and what makes them proud to be affiliated with it. The answers to these questions will help you develop the purpose and values portion of your mission statement. Asking coaches and refs how to improve your training will get you started on the action plan section. Getting input from multiple viewpoints paints a fuller picture of your league.

Say what you mean. Clearly state your goals and objectives using language that is easy to understand. Take as much time as you need to get exactly the right words. Be ready to edit and rewrite until the statement is as specific as possible.

And mean what you say. In other words, be honest. A league’s mission statement should reflect its true goals and beliefs. While you may think your league is on the fast track to world domination, too much self- congratulatory language could keep people from taking you seriously. Smack talk is fine for the track, but stick to the facts for a mission statement.

Adopting a solid mission statement can help keep a league focused. A well-written mission statement clearly outlines your league’s goals, values and visions, making it a valuable tool for establishing your league’s identity both with the general public and in the derby community.

Issue 9 — Fall 2010

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:00:00 -0600

2010 Regionals Preview
Writing a Press Release
Blowouts
Endurance
How to Get the Most Out of Your Boot
RollerCon Recap
JrCon Recap
Belts in Derby
Plus league ownership, heart palpitations, rec leagues and more!

League Ownership

Lorna Boom, Rat City Rollergirls

WHO OWNS YOUR LEAGUE?

Most modern roller derby leagues pride themselves on ascribing to a “For the Skater, By the Skater” philosophy. They shun the notion of having a rink manager or a promoter-type league owner. However, many leagues may not realize that their registered business structure may not match their philosophy. Most roller derby leagues are registered as one of several common business types: Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, Limited Liability Company or Cooperative or Non-Profit Organization.

Sole Proprietorship
(Individually Owned – For Profit)
Sole Proprietorships are owned and run by one individual who is personally liable for all debts incurred by the business.

Partnership
(Individually Owned - For Profit)
Partnerships are composed of two or more persons (usually not a married couple) who agree to contribute money, labor, or skill to a business. Each partner shares the profits, losses, and management of the business and each partner is personally and equally liable for the debts of the partnership.

Limited Liability Company or Cooperative
(Corporation – For Profit)
LLCs are formed by one or more individuals or entities through a specially written agreement which includes provisions for membership, management, assignability of interests, and distribution of profits and losses. LLCs are permitted to engage in any lawful, for-profit business or activity other than banking or insurance. Cooperatives differ from the traditional corporate business structure in that they have members who share decision-making authority instead of shareholders who rely on the Board of Directors to make decisions.

Non Profit Organization
(Corporation – Not For Profit)
NPOs are created by one or more individuals and their purpose is typically to further a goal or ideal rather than to generate profit. Many non-profits serve the public interest, but some engage in private sector activities.

Individually owned and operated companies are inexpensive to register, simple to operate, and often enjoy greater flexibility of management (no need for bylaws or complex governance structures), fewer legal controls, and fewer taxes. In contrast, a corporation is a more complex business structure which has certain rights, privileges, and liabilities beyond those of an individual. Doing business as a corporation may yield tax or financial benefits such as limited personal liability, but these can be offset by potential drawbacks, such as increased licensing fees or decreased personal control. Additionally, corporations typically have a clearly defined governance structure, like a Board of Directors, which is responsible for oversight of the company.

As Do-It-Yourself (or DIY) organizations, many derby leagues are formed by would be rollergirls who are hell bent on building a team or league, but who frequently embark on their venture with little or no start-up capital. Registering as an individually owned business is often the quickest, easiest, and least expensive way to establish a business. Unfortunately, many individually owned leagues have not taken steps to protect their league and its members against some of life’s most common financial and legal tragedies.

Risks of Individual Ownership of a Derby League

While it would certainly be a suck-worthy situation if your league’s president were crushed by a bus or decided that she didn’t want anything to do with the league, and it might even be emotionally stressful to the whole league if she were going through a heated divorce battle, the legal and financial ramifications for the league could be extremely serious and should not be ignored. Most state laws do not provide any recourse for the members of an individually owned league in the event that the registered owner gets divorced, dies or decides to dissolve the business.

A disgruntled spouse entitled to half of the business or devastated family members entitled to all of the business are probably not the best thing that could happen to your league. Unless the new owners are willing to give the business to the skaters without any strings, you are looking at finding ways to purchase the league, re-establishing it as a new business entity, or learning to love your new owners. In the later case, you simply have to cross your fingers and hope that they don’t want to participate in making business decisions or expect a cut of any profits. An ideal situation this is not, even in the best of times.

Precautionary Measures

While it is human nature to assume the worst will always happen to someone else, it makes good business sense to take some simple precautionary measures to ensure that the future of your league is as secure as it can be. If for some reason your league is unwilling or unable to change its business structure from an individually owned entity to a corporation, there are a few steps that can be taken to reduce the risks associated with divorce, death or dissolution.

Postnuptial Agreement

State laws on equitable distribution, division, or community property that would otherwise dictate how assets should be handled in the event of a divorce can be overridden with a postnuptial agreement. To ensure protection of your league, the postnuptial agreement must provide that the business interest remains the separate property of the owner spouse even if the non-owner spouse provides help (directly or indirectly).

Buy-Sell Agreement

Buy-sell agreements are a type of contract that deals with the death of a business partner. Under this type of contract, when a business partner dies, her share in the company is sold back to the remaining partners. However, those partners must have the money to make the actual purchase. The most common way to ensure that there are funds available is to purchase a life insurance policy for each of the businesses owners. If a business partner dies, the funds from the policy are used to buy her share of the business from her estate. It is important to note that this type of agreement must be reviewed annually in order to adjust for the current value of the business.

Dissolution Agreement

Any time a partner leaves a business, the partnership is, in essence, dissolved. However, the remaining partner or partners may carry on business as usual after a dissolution agreement is signed. The agreement should set forth terms under which the partner is leaving. It should clearly state any property of the business that the partner is taking with him/her, the rights of the business to retain present customers, any monetary terms agreed upon, who retains the right to the name of the business, and any other key points which would allow the business to continue.

While templates for these types of agreements can be found for free online, only your lawyer can answer your business’s legal questions and verify the types of agreements that are appropriate for your league and its ownership. Having legally binding agreements in place can go a long way toward protecting the skaters of an individually-owned league, and owners who take the time to prepare these agreements clearly are operating their business with the “For the Skater, By the Skater” philosophy taken to heart.

Issue 8 — Summer 2010

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:00:00 -0600

Roller Derby Tattoos
Maximize League Profitability
Dehydration and Heat Injury
Bench Management
Favorite Training Drills from Across the Country
Plus recruiting for a competitive national standing, life as a roller derby widow, and cleaning bearings and wheels

Dehydration and Heat Injury

Papa Doc, Windy City Rollers

“No sweat” means “it’s good,” right? Not the case, when exercising in hot, humid weather, when it means danger. Sweating may be a social problem, but it is a life saving process for you on the track.

The core temperature of your body is maintained in a narrow range (about 97°–100°) in a wide variety of environments. This is necessary because at too low a temperature, bodily functions slow down and cease. At too high a temperature, the body essentially cooks.

The body gains heat from several sources. The major contribution is from metabolism and muscle activity: under most conditions, about 70–90% of total heat production. Radiation from hotter objects in the environment – such as the sun and hot pavement – is variable. High air temperature adds heat, especially with high humidity and no air movement.

Achieving heat loss involves two sets of activities: behavioral and physiological.

The behavioral responses are:

Altering the amount of muscle activity
Reducing clothing
Quenching thirst
Seeking shade

The physiological processes are:

Conduction to colder objects (usually a small loss)
Convection which is dependent on air movement and an air temperature lower than the skin temperature (90°–92°)
Radiation heat loss dependent on clothing and on the heat of surrounding objects
Evaporation (usually the major means of heat loss when the air temperature is the same or higher than the skin temperature)

Sweating accounts for the main evaporative loss of heat; respiration contributes a small amount. The ability to lose heat by sweating depends on the ability to sweat efficiently both in volume and in the water content of the sweat, the delivery of blood flow to the skin (i.e. circulation must be adequate), the sweat actually evaporating (limited in humidity > 60%), air movement and clothing and equipment (the extent of body covered and the type – e.g. non-breathing fabric).

Your ability to lose heat is reduced by poor physical conditioning, high body fat, certain medications, inadequate hydration, alcohol and caffeine, sunburn (reduces the ability to sweat), fever, clothing and equipment, and lack of acclimatization.

types of heat injury

When heat loss is impaired, the body suffers heat stress and eventually actual injury in one of several forms: heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heat syncope and heat stroke. Heat cramps are the mildest form of injury. More severe is heat exhaustion or heat syncope. Heat stroke, when the body’s heat loss functions fail, is the most dangerous. Heat stroke can be fatal. Although the milder forms may warn of impending heat stroke, heat stroke may occur without the less severe stages. Therefore, you must be alert to the warning signs and symptoms.

Heat cramps are just that: cramps in the limbs and/or abdomen. If there are cramps all over the body, this is a more serious symptom.

Heat exhaustion and syncope occur when the body is still coping with the excess heat, but is under major stress. The symptoms are weakness, exhaustion, dizziness, confusion, fainting, excessive thirst, cool sweaty skin, cramps, headache, and chills. The pulse will be rapid. The blood pressure will be normal to low. The body temperature is up to 104°. The confusion can interfere with the behavioral activities to reduce heat. Therefore, it is imperative for teammates to watch out for each other.

Heat stroke is a true medical emergency. The body’s protective functions have failed. The symptoms of weakness, dizziness, confusion, headache and/or fainting are present, but the skin is now dry and hot. Nausea and vomiting occurs. Collapse with coma and seizures may occur. The pulse is very rapid and weak. The blood pressure is low. The body temperature is 104° or higher. Death is a distinct possibility when the body temperature is over 107°.

treatment of heat injury

Heat cramps are treated by moving the skater to a cool, shaded environment with cooling measures such as fans or cold wet towels. Removing clothing, stretching the cramped muscles and providing cool electrolyte-containing fluids should relieve the cramps. Your medical team must evaluate the skater.

When you are dealing with heat exhaustion or syncope, cooling measures (fans, cold towels and ice packs) are essential as are electrolyte-containing fluids (if the skater is alert enough to swallow). Medical evaluation and treatment are required.

Heat stroke is an absolute medical emergency. Call 911 while moving the skater to a cool, shaded environment. Immediately begin cooling with fans and ice packs (if available, provide an ice bath) until the emergency medical help arrives. The skater will not likely be able to take oral fluids and will need intravenous (IV) fluids.

prevention of heat injury and dehydration

Acclimatization is conditioning the body to cope efficiently with heat, achieved by slowly increasing the amount of activity in a given climate over one to two weeks. This improves sweating capacity to allow more efficient evaporative cooling with less mineral loss. Acclimatization will reduce the body’s core temperature, improve the thirst response, and increase blood flow to the skin as well as improve the capacity of the heart to respond to the increased demands. You can lose acclimatization “progress” if you are inactive for more than a few days.

Environmental factors can be controlled by reducing or changing clothing, getting to a cooler or shadier area, reducing the physical activity and by reducing the ambient temperature and humidity with fans and air conditioning.

Maintaining adequate hydration is critical, not only for coping with heat, but for physical performance in general. Pre- hydration is a must: drinking 24 oz of fluids two hours before and another 8 oz right before exercise. The type of fluid is important and should be non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic fluids that supply water and electrolytes. Water is the best choice for the first hour or two of exercise. After that, electrolyte- containing, low sugar fluids such as non-caffeinated sports drinks and coconut water are good. During moderate to heavy exercise, about 3/4 to one quart of fluids per hour (usually 8 oz every 20 minutes) is needed in temperatures over 78°. Breaks for water also allow for moving to cooler areas.

The most important electrolytes to supply are sodium (salt) and potassium. Salt is obtained through salting foods and eating salty foods when exercising. When not exercising regularly, a lower salt diet is better. Salt tablets are not recommended. Potassium is ingested through a variety of foods: vegetables, nuts and fruits (especially bananas, cantaloupes, tomatoes and coconut water). Sports drinks should have 15–30 meq/liter of sodium and 2–5 meq/liter of potassium. Lower sugar concentrations (5–10%) are advised, because of weight gain concerns and because higher levels of sugar can induce diarrhea. The maximum daily fluid intake should be no more than 12 quarts.

You can “measure” your level of hydration in two simple ways. First, your urine should be clear to pale yellow. Second, weigh yourself before and after exercise. With adequate fluid intake, you should not lose more than 2% of body weight. You should replace any weight loss by drinking about 24 oz of water for each pound lost.

Other factors in body heat maintenance can be controlled. Improving general physical conditioning will reduce your level of body fat as well. Check with your doctor about any and all medicines you take (both OTC and prescription) and their effects on heat tolerance. Avoid alcohol and caffeine before exercise. Don’t exercise if you have a fever. Avoid sunburn – this also protects against skin cancer. If you are ill, reduce or avoid exercise until you are well. Wear the minimum clothing needed and use moisture-wicking and breathable fabrics.

Sweating can save your life, so “bathe” in it. Wearing deodorant and washing your pads is still OK.

Issue 7 — Spring 2010

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:00:00 -0700

Sponsorship: Developing League Partners
Roller Derby Workout
Balancing Parenting and Derby
The Last Five Minutes: How Not to Lose at Roller Derby
DIY Plate Mounting
And more, including the last interview with Ann Calvello, 2nd Annual Sk808 recap, JRDA insurance and tips on your halftime speech

Developing League Partners

Hambone, Gotham Girls Roller Derby

For many derby leagues the title “Sponsorship Chair” is a hot potato which gets passed from one sucker to the next, season after season. It’s not hard to understand why; no one joins derby to make cold calls. Sponsorship sales can, indeed, be a tedious parade of rejection–but that could be a sign that you’re doing it wrong.

Break down the sales process to give your league the best shot at success. Identify the right prospects, develop engaging ideas, and focus continuously on sponsor retention. Treat sales as relationship development, and you’ll have happier sponsors who are easier to renew–and, hopefully, more skaters volunteering to pitch in.

partners, not sponsors

Why does your league want sponsors? Obviously, you want cash, but treating sponsors simply like bags of money can stunt your thinking and limit your opportunities.

Leagues need cash, but they also need partners. Partners enhance the audience experience with raffle prizes, giveaways, and halftime entertainment. Partners enhance the skater experience, with product samples, drink specials, or retail discounts. Partners enhance exposure for your league with shared media exposure or in-store advertising.

The most desirable partners are those who put their own skins in the game. A partner who simply writes a $1000 check is nice, but a partner who spends $500 on you and another $800 on local radio to advertise their support of roller derby is better. It raises the profile of the league and should add to the cachet of both brands.

So, when initially talking to a prospect, don’t use the word “sponsorship.” You’re not “selling a sponsorship”–you’re “developing a partnership.” Strike the “s-word” from your sales brochures.

finding potential partners

Stock your list of prospects by looking at firms already partnering with similar organizations. Who’s sponsoring the minor league baseball team, or your local college teams? Who’s buying ads in the entertainment weekly? Who do you spot being a good sponsor by advertising their relationships with their other partners?

Focus on the businesses with the shortest decision-making cycles. Don’t spend all your time writing Proctor & Gamble to pitch a partnership with Venus Razors. Instead, stop by a local newspaper to talk to their sports editor or graphics department about co-promoting a photo booth at your bouts.

It’s also fair game to find sponsorship leads hiding in your league’s emailing list. Our league uses ConstantContact to send out monthly updates to our fans, and every few weeks we scan recent additions for addresses from local businesses. Reaching out to an intriguing email address is easy; we already know it belongs to a fan.

Anyone your league buys anything from is already a partner. Evolve those relationships. Turn your league’s bank or accountant or favorite physical therapist into an “official services provider” in exchange for a fee discount. Start small if you must–get permission to put season schedule posters in their office.

Search YouTube for the terrific spots made by ACU (America’s Credit Union) featuring Tacoma’s Dockyard Derby Dames, and let them inspire your thinking in terms of finding local brands to which you can lend your league’s image.

Whether they start big or small, keep frequent exchanges of value flowing. Your partners might not be sending cash to you today, but if you actively manage the relationships, everything can escalate.

what can you do for your partner?

Before calling, visiting or emailing any prospect, do your homework. Flatter your prospects; show them you understand and believe in their brand. Look at their existing marketing efforts. Who are they trying to reach, and how, with what goals? What’s their strategy?

How will partnering with your league further those goals? Will they simply gain eyeballs for their logo? Could they add to their brand by leveraging your league’s image? Do they want testimonials from skaters? Do they want access to your fan contact lists? Do they want to get product samples into people’s hands? Do they want vendor space directly at your bouts?

Work with your new partners to create some goals, like coupon redemption rates, product samples given out, or attendance at a co-promoted party. Reference these goals next season when discussing renewal. You don’t need to set complicated goals–just some simple targets which get you both actively thinking about bringing value to each other.

Perhaps your partner has no specific numerical marketing goals, and simply wants to enjoy the novelty and emotional charge of supporting a derby league. There’s nothing wrong with that! A lot of league sponsors are likely to fit in this category. Find out what rings those partners’ bells, and make it happen in your execution and follow-up.

making a pitch

Be organized and clear about what league assets you have to offer partners, but don’t forget to be creative. Be ready to quote prices for program ads, banners, and announcer mentions, but before talking to an individual partner, have a couple of off-beat and custom ideas in your back pocket.

Suppose you own Toot Uncommon, a musical instrument shop. How would you respond to these two pitches?

“Hi, I’m the sponsorship chair of the Water City Rollers, and I’m calling to find out if Toot Uncommon might be interested in being a league supporter in 2010.”

“Hi, I’m from the Water City Rollers, and our skaters have a fun idea for a fan contest at our next bout, and we’d love to do it to promote Toot Uncommon. We’re planning a halftime air guitar contest, and it would be a great tie-in to award a Toot Uncommon gift certificate toward a real guitar. We would send all our fans to your store in advance to sign up for a guaranteed performance slot.”

The second introduction doesn’t make any scary cash investment implications, and it paints a clear picture of an entertaining program with a winning concept, along with measurable benefits for the store. You can always loop back to explain additional offerings like banners and program ads which bring in the cash. Those offerings are easier to sell when you have a portfolio of partners who appreciate your creativity and understanding of their brand.

Of course, it can be dangerous to over-commit the league’s resources toward partner happiness. Don’t create elaborate custom programs which put a big burden on the league–at least not without a clear reward that your volunteers understand and believe in. Our league had a brief partnership with a beverage whose distributor wanted skater photos, testimonials, and exposure at bouts and parties. But our skaters simply hated the stuff and wouldn’t pose with it for any cash price. If the skaters don’t believe in a partner, or in the terms of the relationship, ultimately the partnership will fail.

quality follow-up

How will your partners know what they got for their investment if you don’t tell them? After every bout or major party, send sponsors a few copies of your program and links to photos. Add a personal note with some engaging details about the game and the fan experience. Send photos of partner banner ads as a backdrop to skating action. (Prior to the bout, assign a photographer to capture these images.)

Is there a strong prospect who you’re disappointed didn’t buy a sponsorship? Send them the same post-bout reports. Tell those prospects you hope they can be part of your league next year, and remind them that your skaters feel very strongly about their business.

Don’t sugar-coat unsuccessful promotions. Agree that something didn’t work, and use that data point as an opportunity to fine-tune and try something else. And don’t leap to take all the blame for a lackluster outcome–a promotion may have failed because your partner didn’t add enough of their own extra support. Is your partner promoting you on their web site?

Major sports sponsors understand that money sent to leagues has to be supported with additional spending. Coca-Cola might spend five million dollars to be the official soft drink of the Olympics–and then another ten million to advertise the investment and to make sure the partnership succeeds. Smaller companies new to sponsorship may need to be directly prodded to take their own responsibility for success of their derby partnership.

developing partners: a league challenge

Organizing sponsorship around long- horizon relationship development creates a side benefit: bite-sized chunks of palatable work for league volunteers. You probably have skaters in your league who detest “doing sales,” but they can still brainstorm ideas, do homework on your prospects, and document what your league is doing for your partners. It might not be as fun as skating (or reffing), but with any luck, sales won’t feel like sales at all–and, better still, you won’t be hearing “no” all day long.

Issue 6 — Winter 2009

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:00:00 -0700

WFTDA Nationals Recap
Announcing: Your Best Marketing Tool
Sport and Spectacle: Does Roller Derby Need Both to Succeed?
Vitamin D: It’s Not Just for Bones Anymore
Lots more, including stretching for roller derby, trials and tribulations of forming a new league and a glimpse into roller derby’s past

Vitamin D: It’s Not Just for Bones Anymore

John Rudoff, M.D., FAC aka Johnny the Knife

Fact of life: rollergirls fall down. A lot. Usually they go splat, but occasionally they go crunch. Your bones take a beating, and so we’ll start talking about vitamin D in the usual way – concerning healthy and strong bones. But we won’t end there. Vitamin D is a lot more interesting than just bones.

Vitamin D (we’ll now just call it D) allows the gut to absorb calcium and phosphorus, and without adequate D, bone is neither dense nor strong. Various conditions can be the result: osteomalacia, osteopenia or osteoporosis. If your circulating D levels are inadequate, you cannot absorb more than 10-15% of the calcium you consume. Without calcium, you cannot make strong bone. Females make most of their bone and bone strength between about ages 16 and 35, and they lose bone strength progressively through menopause and into old age. If you don’t make lots of good bone now, you can’t play catch-up later in life. If you go into menopause with light, poorly-calcified bones, you may be destined for an old age of hip and vertebral fractures, a “dowager’s hump” (that stooped, bent-at-the-shoulder shape of older women with terribly painful compression fractures of the spine), and easily fractured wrists and legs.

Historically, the minimum requirement of D for adults was 400 Units (400 IU). This is far too low. It was calculated back in the 1920s to show how much D was the minimum needed to prevent rickets in children in working-class, cloudy England. This requirement has not really been definitively updated. Women athletes need far more than this “minimum.” The good news is that you can get all you need for a dollar a month.

Vitamin D is produced in a complex series of steps, starting with the effect of sunlight on skin and then involving the actions of the liver and the kidney. This may suggest that diet and sunlight alone provide enough D. They don’t. This is why supplementation is needed – foods are a poor source of D, and, unlike our hunter-gatherer ancestors, we don’t spend enough time half-naked, outside, in the sun, making D (and dying of disease or trauma at 35.) This is a peculiarity of D – calling it a vitamin suggests that it is easily obtained through proper diet or with sunshine alone. It isn’t. 50% of Hawaiian adults receiving three hours of sun per day were D deficient. 40% of south Floridians and 25% of Arizonans were deficient. Dietary sources of D, such as cod liver oil (when was the last time you took that?!), oily fish, fortified milk or orange juice, will not reliably give you anywhere near enough D.

Generally (and there is some disagreement among experts), a D level (this is called 25(OH)D) of less than 20 ng/ml is labeled deficient; about 21-30 is insufficienct, and more than 30 is adequate. Many experts are suggesting a target level in the range of about 35-40, however. This is easily attained.

What types of people are at risk for deficiency? People who live in northern latitudes, like Portland’s Rose City Rollers, who rarely see sunshine from October through April. People who work and/or exercise indoors (flat track derby isn’t an outdoor sport). Black people – the melanin in their skin prevents sun absorption and creation of D. Obese or even overweight people tend to “hide” D in fat, so they need more D to get adequate amounts circulating. Fair-skinned people who regularly use sunblock: even SPF 15 will reduce D production by more than 90%. Much less commonly, people with kidney disease or fat malabsorption syndromes need massive D supplementation; but this is a special issue.

You see, the common factor is lack of sunlight. This is why supplementation of D is important: using sunlight on skin to produce D increases the total lifetime risk of skin cancers (including the lethal melanoma) in long-lived modern people. This is why the American Academy of Dermatology wisely says “…(D) should not be obtained from unprotected exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.”

But that’s all the dull stuff. Now it gets cool. Remember… it’s not just for bones anymore. We’ll talk about cancer, pain, brainpower, arthritis, and (my favorite) heart disease.

Most cells in the body have vitamin D receptors – meaning that D can affect the actions and consequences of most cells in the body. Vitamin D reduces cell proliferation (uncontrolled growth), reduces angioneogenesis (which is the formation of new microscopic blood vessels needed for tumors to develop and to metastasize), and also controls the appropriate timing of cell death. Recent interesting studies (in peer-reviewed mainstream conventional medical journals) suggest that D supplementation, or adequate circulating levels of D, are associated with a reduction in cancer incidence, particularly breast, colon, bladder, mouth, and leukemia. Further, because of the mechanisms of action of D, it appears that people with some cancers (especially colon) who have adequate D are less likely to die of that cancer than are people who are D-deficient.

Chronic pain may be related to D deficiency. (Yes, it may also have something to do with falls, collisions, and workouts.) Severe deficiency is associated with chronic muscle and bone pain, low back pain and possibly with nerve pain (neuropathy) of the sort seen in diabetes. This type of pain may be severe and life-altering, and it is felt in the hands and especially the feet and legs.

D affects heart muscle and arteries, overall heart function, and survival, too. This means that a population which is D-deficient has a total mortality much greater than an otherwise similar population that has normal levels of D – and most of that excess death is due to heart disease. Low D levels are associated with double the risk of heart attack and nearly double the risk of general heart-related death. This seems to be indirect, because D deficiency is associated with all the direct heart-disease risk factors, such as high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol, both diabetes and excess insulin, and heart failure.

So if D deficiency is related to all this misery, and it’s easy to fix, why are so many people D-deficient? Until recently, the metabolic effects of vitamin D were not appreciated, and its effects were thought to be limited to bone production. That’s why I wrote this article.

One question comes to mind: do you need to be tested? It is cheap (about $40-45) and commonly available. Many experts, especially bone gurus, would say that if you don’t have risk factors for severe deficiency, or the inability to absorb D supplementation, they would not test you. In general, I would recommend against it, particularly if finances are important. The likelihood of “toxicity”(too much D) is almost unheard of.

Instead; go to any Costco, chain supermarket, or discount store and buy a bottle of 2,000 units of Vitamin D3. (This is vitamin D3, also called Cholecalciferol. Don’t buy Vitamin D2, called Ergocalciferol.) At Costco, nearly 2 years’ supply, 600 tablets, costs about $14. Take one a day faithfully. There are no side effects. After 6 months, if your finances are OK, get a vitamin D test. If the level is greater than 30-35 or so, keep taking the vitamin D forever. If it isn’t, see a doc (a medical doctor, namely an M.D. or D.O.) who knows something about endocrinology. The combination calcium-vitamin D tablets (like Os-Cal or Viactiv) do not provide enough D – usually only 400 units. Take a couple of daily TUMS instead. If you already have bone problems – such as unexplained fractures, X-rays showing osteopenia and so on – then testing your baseline level of D might be reasonable.

Major warning!! You do not need any sort of expensive or special supplements, especially if sold by naturopaths or Internet charlatans. Avoid these quacks like the plague – they will take your money, frighten you, and they will not provide you with any special, secret formulation of Vitamin D that your body utilizes better than the product you get from Costco or Target. (There is a similar scam with “coral calcium” that has gone on for years. You want more calcium? Take TUMS along with your D.)

In summary:

You are young and athletic. Set the basis for a lifetime of staying that way.
You don’t get enough vitamin D from diet or sun. Supplement it. It is easy, cheap (<$1/month) and has no side effects. Do this indefinitely.
The obvious effects of D are on bone health. But adequate circulating levels will improve chronic pain, decrease cancer risk, improve cardiac function and longevity and may improve arthritis and seasonal affective disorder.
Whether and when to be tested for D deficiency is controversial. If you have had many fractures or x-rays that suggest “light bones,” it may be worth doing.
If there are men in your life, remind them: “Osteoporosis – it’s not just for women anymore.”

Johnny the Knife is a cardiologist, derby groupie, photographer and hanger-on with the Rose City Rollers of Portland, Oregon.

Issue 5 — Fall 2009

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:00:00 -0600

Regionals preview
Preparing mind/body for tournament action by Malice with Chains, Windy City Rollers
What it takes to be a derby champion by Ginger Snap, Gotham Girls Roller Derby
A behind the scenes look at Whip It
Much more, including a Roll Britannia recap, breaking in new skates, 2009 RollerCon recap, etc.

Issue 4 — Summer 2009

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:00:00 -0600

A preview of RollerCon 2009
The lowdown on the new WFTDA Apprentice Program
Highlights from 4.0
Info on purchasing and owning a SkateCourt
Off skates training with Frida Beater of the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls
Much more, including the skinny on Montreal roller derby, an ECE preview from DNN’s Justice Feelgood Marshall, designing your own bout posters, etc.

Issue 3 — Spring 2009

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:00:00 -0600

Picking your wheels for different floor surfaces
The derby name vs. real name controversy
Abandoning the home team structure
Australian derby, travelogue-style
Visiting Philly with DNN’s Hurt Reynolds
Running a league meeting so everyone wins
Plenty more, including tips on starting your own JFTDA league, picking plates, on and off skates drills, etc.

Issue 2 — Winter 2008

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 18:00:00 -0700

Roller derby announcing by Jersey Shore’s Tricia La’Vicious
Regionals and Nationals recaps from Derby News Network’s Justice Feelgood Marshall
Roller derby tattoos
Seattle’s Derby Brats
Dealing with foot issues from Rat City’s Ida Slapter
WFTDA insurance questions answered
Much more, including Duke City Derby’s journey to nationals, how to sell bout tickets online, writing a grievance policy, signs of a concussion, etc.

Issue 1 — Fall 2008

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:00:00 -0600

Eastern and Western Regionals previews from Derby News Network’s Justice Feelgood Marshall
Details on the Roller Derby Music Project from Mad Rollin’ Dolls skater and WFTDA President Crackerjack
Pictures and coverage of RollerCon ’08
Derby travel guide on Portland from DNN and Have Derby, Will Travel’s Hurt Reynolds
Gear info from Sin City Skate’s Ivanna S.Pankin
JFTDA’s Tucson Derby Brats
Interview with roller derby poster artist Whiskey7
Much more, including articles on LLCs vs. nonprofits, knee injury prevention, interleague relations, fundraising ideas, etc.