Saturday, 24 November 2012
Owww..
I managed to overdo it yesterday while working on the basement and did my back in. It's a good thing Hubby was willing to make dinner or we may have starved!
Friday, 16 November 2012
This 'n that
We won the State College bout. I'm still sore and apparently the hard work was noticed, as I saw this gem posted on SCAR's FB page - "Dear Delicate Flower,
The Dolls ♥ you, except when you power jam. (score) 72-153"
Also, my buttons sold like hotcakes! Yeah!
Practice attendance was light last night, as we've got multiple events going tonight and tomorrow. We fooled around and worked on random skills. One discussion boiled down to - If you just can't get someplace at the right time, change the place you're going to and soon you'll consistently be in the right place at the right time.
I've got presents to work on, so I'd better get cracking!
The Dolls ♥ you, except when you power jam. (score) 72-153"
Also, my buttons sold like hotcakes! Yeah!
Practice attendance was light last night, as we've got multiple events going tonight and tomorrow. We fooled around and worked on random skills. One discussion boiled down to - If you just can't get someplace at the right time, change the place you're going to and soon you'll consistently be in the right place at the right time.
I've got presents to work on, so I'd better get cracking!
Friday, 9 November 2012
Pre-bout
CCR's final bout of the season is at State College tomorrow. I'll be skating with two names written on my arms. Alma and Esther, this one's for you. A happy 104 to one and prayers/thoughts going to both.
Friday, 3 August 2012
Finding joy
Our last home bout is a little over a week away and I've been pushing extra hard on the training side and shortchanging myself in terms of my body's recovery time. So to make a long story short, I sat out tonight's practice.
I was motivated to sit out tonight's practice;
a)to take care of myself (because it's just the smart thing to do)
b)to ensure I'm physically fit for next week's bout.
I actually WENT to practice because;
c)I was expected to be at practice
d)I wanted to be social
e)I was hoping to be able to contribute to
f)we had a league meeting (ie routine bizness to talk about)
And while I was AT practice my teammates:
g)acknowledged that I was doing the smart thing by sitting out to take care of myself
h)expressed dismay at the potential for my not being fit for next week's bout
i)asked why I wasn't practicing with them as expected
j)specifically invited me to join them for a chat
k)thanked me for being a part of their day and positively contributing to it
and lastly;
j)we had our league meeting and took care of bizness
If you noticed, a-e (my personal factors) matched up with f-j (the actions of others). I guess I could also just say that my goals/expectations matched up with others' goals/expectations.
On a purely emotional level, I was internally screaming:
OH MY GOSH PEOPLE ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT ME.
Okay, I'm probably the only one who really really cares about that. But I think it's something ALL women (especially derby girls) should be aware of and promoting amongst themselves. In other (less self-centered) words, building communities.
We have the phrase "derby wife" in derby-land. Someone you just "get" and they reciprocate. That sister from another mother. When you find one, it's amazing and can do wonderful things to help your self-esteem, confidence and motivation.
But what about the rest of the league/team? Are you/your league able to foster an environment where individuals feel valued and respected? Are you able to respect others and value their contributions AND ALSO express that respect and appreciation to them in a way which makes others feel valued and respected? Both within the context of the overall group and to individuals on a more personalized level?
I moan and groan to my husband all the time about the challenges I face and the things that annoy/frustrate/upset me in derby. I *try* to also express the joy and satisfaction I feel as a Royal Pain. I've got the annoying habit of being a bit negative when I express myself, so it's a constant challenge to turn my phrasing around to shine a positive light on things. I'm working on it. :-)
Anyho, this post is pretty much an attempt to mark another challenging, yet satisfying evening as Crown City's Delicate Flower. As I mentioned, I sat out during practice. I'm HORRIBLE at watching sports. I can't sit still; it's just too torturous to me. Well... I did it tonight. And I did it totally thanks to others' support.
You see, I don't play derby just to skate fast and certainly not to be a "superstar". I play it for my sanity's sake. I *need* the regular physical exertion, personal interactions and sense of community that come with roller derby. My joy lays in recognizing and acknowledging that my presence makes a positive contribution to someone's day. Most of the time, just knowing that I skated my butt off and learned something or shared an experience with someone is enough to provide satisfaction while maintaining that yearning hunger for more.
This time last year I felt that I was kicking butt on the track as far as my skating skills went, but I didn't feel that I was making a positive contribution to anyone's day. Not only was I not making a positive contribution, but it seemed that no matter what I did I was negatively influencing my team and the individuals that I most cared about. My heart was broken and left scattered on the track to get run over again and again and again as the rest of the league zoomed on by. And that was just the practice part of derby in my life.
This year?
My heart is still broken.
Broken wide open.
I don't think I'll ever fully put my heart back together again.
And I don't want to.
I've learned to embrace life with an open heart and to meet the world with a new inner strength.
When I've felt particularly "delicate" (and also just plain out of the blue), my league and it's community of supporters have picked up the scattered pieces of my heart and return them to me, along with a bit of their own hearts.
I feel like I've come home to family after a long absence.
(And please, take a moment to think of all those you know who are struggling with *something* in their lives right now. If you have the opportunity, let them know that they matter or just that you are thinking of them. I've got a few people I'm thinking of and hoping for.)
I was motivated to sit out tonight's practice;
a)to take care of myself (because it's just the smart thing to do)
b)to ensure I'm physically fit for next week's bout.
I actually WENT to practice because;
c)I was expected to be at practice
d)I wanted to be social
e)I was hoping to be able to contribute to
f)we had a league meeting (ie routine bizness to talk about)
And while I was AT practice my teammates:
g)acknowledged that I was doing the smart thing by sitting out to take care of myself
h)expressed dismay at the potential for my not being fit for next week's bout
i)asked why I wasn't practicing with them as expected
j)specifically invited me to join them for a chat
k)thanked me for being a part of their day and positively contributing to it
and lastly;
j)we had our league meeting and took care of bizness
If you noticed, a-e (my personal factors) matched up with f-j (the actions of others). I guess I could also just say that my goals/expectations matched up with others' goals/expectations.
On a purely emotional level, I was internally screaming:
OH MY GOSH PEOPLE ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT ME.
Okay, I'm probably the only one who really really cares about that. But I think it's something ALL women (especially derby girls) should be aware of and promoting amongst themselves. In other (less self-centered) words, building communities.
We have the phrase "derby wife" in derby-land. Someone you just "get" and they reciprocate. That sister from another mother. When you find one, it's amazing and can do wonderful things to help your self-esteem, confidence and motivation.
But what about the rest of the league/team? Are you/your league able to foster an environment where individuals feel valued and respected? Are you able to respect others and value their contributions AND ALSO express that respect and appreciation to them in a way which makes others feel valued and respected? Both within the context of the overall group and to individuals on a more personalized level?
I moan and groan to my husband all the time about the challenges I face and the things that annoy/frustrate/upset me in derby. I *try* to also express the joy and satisfaction I feel as a Royal Pain. I've got the annoying habit of being a bit negative when I express myself, so it's a constant challenge to turn my phrasing around to shine a positive light on things. I'm working on it. :-)
Anyho, this post is pretty much an attempt to mark another challenging, yet satisfying evening as Crown City's Delicate Flower. As I mentioned, I sat out during practice. I'm HORRIBLE at watching sports. I can't sit still; it's just too torturous to me. Well... I did it tonight. And I did it totally thanks to others' support.
You see, I don't play derby just to skate fast and certainly not to be a "superstar". I play it for my sanity's sake. I *need* the regular physical exertion, personal interactions and sense of community that come with roller derby. My joy lays in recognizing and acknowledging that my presence makes a positive contribution to someone's day. Most of the time, just knowing that I skated my butt off and learned something or shared an experience with someone is enough to provide satisfaction while maintaining that yearning hunger for more.
This time last year I felt that I was kicking butt on the track as far as my skating skills went, but I didn't feel that I was making a positive contribution to anyone's day. Not only was I not making a positive contribution, but it seemed that no matter what I did I was negatively influencing my team and the individuals that I most cared about. My heart was broken and left scattered on the track to get run over again and again and again as the rest of the league zoomed on by. And that was just the practice part of derby in my life.
This year?
My heart is still broken.
Broken wide open.
I don't think I'll ever fully put my heart back together again.
And I don't want to.
I've learned to embrace life with an open heart and to meet the world with a new inner strength.
When I've felt particularly "delicate" (and also just plain out of the blue), my league and it's community of supporters have picked up the scattered pieces of my heart and return them to me, along with a bit of their own hearts.
I feel like I've come home to family after a long absence.
(And please, take a moment to think of all those you know who are struggling with *something* in their lives right now. If you have the opportunity, let them know that they matter or just that you are thinking of them. I've got a few people I'm thinking of and hoping for.)
Thursday, 2 August 2012
Tolerance, responsibility and choice.
I don't want to be told what to think, buy, support or do. I want the CHOICE to think, to purchase, to support and to do. I want the FREEDOM to make a CHOICE.
I also want the freedom to protect, to serve and to create. To live life as an intelligent human being who understands that we are all each individually responsible for both our actions and in-actions.
One voice can change the world. One voice can change A world. One voice can prevent change. It all comes back to a choice.
Do you choose to be silenced? Do you choose to let others be silenced so that your world appears as you think it ought?
Do you challenge yourself to not only hear others' voices, but to let others hear your own? There is no tolerance in your world if you all hear and see is what you already think and believe.
And do you remember that even when we are all silent, our actions speak for us?
I support free speech and a responsible citizenship. We have one, how do we build the other? And why don't we each start with ourselves? You might find that you have a bigger influence on others' behavior and beliefs than you thought.
I say this all because really, I just want to see what kind of awesome you choose to be. That's my flavor of reality show.
I also want the freedom to protect, to serve and to create. To live life as an intelligent human being who understands that we are all each individually responsible for both our actions and in-actions.
One voice can change the world. One voice can change A world. One voice can prevent change. It all comes back to a choice.
Do you choose to be silenced? Do you choose to let others be silenced so that your world appears as you think it ought?
Do you challenge yourself to not only hear others' voices, but to let others hear your own? There is no tolerance in your world if you all hear and see is what you already think and believe.
And do you remember that even when we are all silent, our actions speak for us?
I support free speech and a responsible citizenship. We have one, how do we build the other? And why don't we each start with ourselves? You might find that you have a bigger influence on others' behavior and beliefs than you thought.
I say this all because really, I just want to see what kind of awesome you choose to be. That's my flavor of reality show.
Sunday, 15 July 2012
Garden update
The garden has taken off with the recent heat and the mulch I put down has helped tremendously. The fall-planted garlic is nearly ready to pull. (Thank goodness! They're currently in one of my paths due to a shifting of garden beds this year.) I pulled up the Yukon (I think) potatoes, and one of the fingerlings. All of the lettuce got cut down to just a few leaves. The biggest squash has hidden the peppers. Sweet potatoes have started to extend their vines. Cucumbers are moving slowly. Onions are starting to thicken up. The beans I planted recently (last week? two weeks ago?) have sprouted and thus far avoided the ravages of the two remaining bantam chickens. Corn is nearly waist-high. Tomatoes are starting to set fruit. Transplanted herbs all seem to have finally taken root. The cover crop peas have been pulled and placed aside to dry for seed. The two-year old onion, leek and celery are almost ready to be saved for seed.
Wednesday, 27 June 2012
ECDX 2012
Went to Team USA boot camp and ECDX 2012 in Philly. FANTASTIC time.
The resultant catch-up with work/house/class/derby? Oi.
The resultant catch-up with work/house/class/derby? Oi.
Friday, 15 June 2012
It's in the small things, really.
I've been struggling to put into words for eight months the reasons behind my deciding to leave my former roller derby league and to become a Royal Pain with the Crown City Rollerz. Tonight as I was driving home from practice, I realized what those words are. "It was the small things."
Those small things snowballed into bigger things and eventually it dawned on me that all those "things" had gotten me really messed up. I'd spend all day talking/thinking/doing derby things and go to practice stressed out and leave practice stressed out. The days that I wasn't stressed out, someone else was stressed out and it somehow became my stress. My husband wanted nothing to do with derby and would often worry about my getting hurt. And I was getting hurt. All the time.
So step one was realizing that I wasn't who I wanted to be in a whole lot of areas of my derby life. Nor was I likely to become who I wanted to be if I stayed the course. *I* wasn't growing and learning in a healthy manner. And furthermore, not only was I being harmed, but I was hurting others and doing them injustices in the process.
So what were my options for step two? Walk away from derby? I'd rather live without music than live without derby. I've never experienced such a community of strength, growth and courage. Derby lives in the hearts of thousands of fans, volunteers, skaters, coaches and trainers around the world. AROUND THE WORLD.
In less than a decade, modern roller derby went from it's renewal in Austin, TX to (literally) the other side of the world. My mother's generation grew up with Title IX. My grandmothers never had a chance to play team sports. Now, thanks to all those thousands of derby-loving hearts, not only do I get to play sports (as I've grown up doing) but grandmothers who have never been "athletic" in their life can have those same experiences that have meant so much to me and my peers.
I love coaching and seeing those bulbs go off in others' heads. Have you ever seen someone's expression change as they realize that their mentality is the mindset of an individual and that they need to think as part of a team in order to succeed? And then see them further realize that they've never actually had reason to think as part of a team? (Especially never as part of a team of capable women just like themselves.) We all need to be able to skate and "turn left" out there, but it's the ones who can strategize and out-think their opponents that really push us to new levels. To see the bombs explode in someone's head as they learn new strategy is amazing to me. To see those bombs go off in someone who is learning in a completely novel way is absolutely mind-boggling astounding.
I grew up knowing what it was like to play sports as part of a team. Yes, I was often the rarity in male-dominated contact sports but there were high school and all-female teams available if I was willing to travel. There are thousands of mothers and grandmothers alive today who never had the means nor the opportunity in their typical American upbringing to play a contact sport. I'm honored to skate with daughters of the "Greatest Generation" and hope that we see many more on the track.
Anyho... back to my step two. Obviously, leaving derby wasn't really a choice for me. Transferring to CCR became the clear and obvious choice after I spent two weeks as their guest skater while I was preparing to bout with the neighboring BC Rollers in their bout against SCAR.
But do you know what really made the decision rest easy for me?
CCR welcomed my husband.
My husband who now has derby friends.
My husband who now volunteers at bouts.
My husband who is now able to experience pride and joy when his wife skates, instead of fear.
My husband who has since taken up several of the things he used to do, which had fallen by the wayside for one reason or another. The things that made me fall in love with him in the first place.
Want to know what "small things" really prompted this blog post?
2 thoughts: "I'm glad my husband had a chance to see his derby girls tonight."
And: "Boy, I'd forgotten how fun it is to drive his truck!"
So thank you, Crown City Rollerz. For more reasons than you shall ever know, or I could ever express.
With hugs and shoves,
Delicate Flower
P.S.- Kat, I made it home safely. ;-)
Those small things snowballed into bigger things and eventually it dawned on me that all those "things" had gotten me really messed up. I'd spend all day talking/thinking/doing derby things and go to practice stressed out and leave practice stressed out. The days that I wasn't stressed out, someone else was stressed out and it somehow became my stress. My husband wanted nothing to do with derby and would often worry about my getting hurt. And I was getting hurt. All the time.
So step one was realizing that I wasn't who I wanted to be in a whole lot of areas of my derby life. Nor was I likely to become who I wanted to be if I stayed the course. *I* wasn't growing and learning in a healthy manner. And furthermore, not only was I being harmed, but I was hurting others and doing them injustices in the process.
So what were my options for step two? Walk away from derby? I'd rather live without music than live without derby. I've never experienced such a community of strength, growth and courage. Derby lives in the hearts of thousands of fans, volunteers, skaters, coaches and trainers around the world. AROUND THE WORLD.
In less than a decade, modern roller derby went from it's renewal in Austin, TX to (literally) the other side of the world. My mother's generation grew up with Title IX. My grandmothers never had a chance to play team sports. Now, thanks to all those thousands of derby-loving hearts, not only do I get to play sports (as I've grown up doing) but grandmothers who have never been "athletic" in their life can have those same experiences that have meant so much to me and my peers.
I love coaching and seeing those bulbs go off in others' heads. Have you ever seen someone's expression change as they realize that their mentality is the mindset of an individual and that they need to think as part of a team in order to succeed? And then see them further realize that they've never actually had reason to think as part of a team? (Especially never as part of a team of capable women just like themselves.) We all need to be able to skate and "turn left" out there, but it's the ones who can strategize and out-think their opponents that really push us to new levels. To see the bombs explode in someone's head as they learn new strategy is amazing to me. To see those bombs go off in someone who is learning in a completely novel way is absolutely mind-boggling astounding.
I grew up knowing what it was like to play sports as part of a team. Yes, I was often the rarity in male-dominated contact sports but there were high school and all-female teams available if I was willing to travel. There are thousands of mothers and grandmothers alive today who never had the means nor the opportunity in their typical American upbringing to play a contact sport. I'm honored to skate with daughters of the "Greatest Generation" and hope that we see many more on the track.
Anyho... back to my step two. Obviously, leaving derby wasn't really a choice for me. Transferring to CCR became the clear and obvious choice after I spent two weeks as their guest skater while I was preparing to bout with the neighboring BC Rollers in their bout against SCAR.
But do you know what really made the decision rest easy for me?
CCR welcomed my husband.
My husband who now has derby friends.
My husband who now volunteers at bouts.
My husband who is now able to experience pride and joy when his wife skates, instead of fear.
My husband who has since taken up several of the things he used to do, which had fallen by the wayside for one reason or another. The things that made me fall in love with him in the first place.
Want to know what "small things" really prompted this blog post?
2 thoughts: "I'm glad my husband had a chance to see his derby girls tonight."
And: "Boy, I'd forgotten how fun it is to drive his truck!"
So thank you, Crown City Rollerz. For more reasons than you shall ever know, or I could ever express.
With hugs and shoves,
Delicate Flower
P.S.- Kat, I made it home safely. ;-)
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
We've signed up for a Spring CSA through Good Life Farm for the month of May, with add-ons from Wide Awake Bakery and Double E Shiitakes. Last week was our first pickup, and boy was it tasty!
From Good Life:
Asparagus of various sizes (hard frosts overnight meant that ALL above-ground asparagus had to be harvested, or lost)
Spicy Red Mustard Greens (from Remembrance farm)
Crunchy Bean Sprouts (Dancing Turtle)
Radishes- Very small and tasty, about the size of a large marble! Very good combined with the mustard greens and bean sprouts.
Sorrel- Haven't tried these yet. Recommendation is to NOT saute them.
Since it was our first pick-up, we also received a jar of pickled ginger (gari)!
From Wide Awake:
Two bags of pizza dough- The baker was at Good Life when we made our pick-up and he said the recipe is still a work in progress. The dough tore easily and I wasn't a huge fan of it due to the sourdough flavoring that got more intense when I had the leftover pizza for lunch.
From Double E:
A pint of shiitake mushrooms. Nom. We cut these up and put them on the pizza, of course!
Saturday was Good Life Farm's "Asparaganza". We got yummy food from both The Piggery and Crooked Carrot. Fried asparagus, apple radish slaw, a pickled egg and beets from Crooked Carrot.
Note to self: Don't post about delicious foods before lunch!
From Good Life:
Asparagus of various sizes (hard frosts overnight meant that ALL above-ground asparagus had to be harvested, or lost)
Spicy Red Mustard Greens (from Remembrance farm)
Crunchy Bean Sprouts (Dancing Turtle)
Radishes- Very small and tasty, about the size of a large marble! Very good combined with the mustard greens and bean sprouts.
Sorrel- Haven't tried these yet. Recommendation is to NOT saute them.
Since it was our first pick-up, we also received a jar of pickled ginger (gari)!
From Wide Awake:
Two bags of pizza dough- The baker was at Good Life when we made our pick-up and he said the recipe is still a work in progress. The dough tore easily and I wasn't a huge fan of it due to the sourdough flavoring that got more intense when I had the leftover pizza for lunch.
From Double E:
A pint of shiitake mushrooms. Nom. We cut these up and put them on the pizza, of course!
Saturday was Good Life Farm's "Asparaganza". We got yummy food from both The Piggery and Crooked Carrot. Fried asparagus, apple radish slaw, a pickled egg and beets from Crooked Carrot.
Note to self: Don't post about delicious foods before lunch!
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Sometimes you really can't do anything but watch and wait. And love.
I'm spending the week in Iowa, where my parents were both born and raised. This week will, in all likelihood, be the last time I get to see my Grandma W. She knew it today as we left the nursing home and I barely managed to keep my tongue still as we said our goodbyes.
I'm honored to have a 103 year old grandmother who still has her wits about her and her memory intact. I've always been proud to be her descendent and I hope she knows that. The old farm has been sold to one of my cousins and his daughter will be moving into the house soon. A house for a family of nine that started without indoor plumbing. The bathroom isn't even big enough for a bathtub yet it used to be Grandma and Grandpa's bedroom. There is *always* room for loved ones at Grandma's house. Long after she's gone, I'll remember the way Grandma values family.
A few items that have been found in Grandma's closets are ration books, school certificates for spelling and attendance from the 1920's, miscellaneous tax and school documents from the 1930's on through the 1980's, as well as family photos and other signs of a long and active life. I've got most of her collection of hand-made jewelry, given to me when I was still a teenager and she could no longer fasten the clasps of necklaces.
Tomorrow we're off to visit my little brother at college. Right now, there are cupcakes to eat.
I'm honored to have a 103 year old grandmother who still has her wits about her and her memory intact. I've always been proud to be her descendent and I hope she knows that. The old farm has been sold to one of my cousins and his daughter will be moving into the house soon. A house for a family of nine that started without indoor plumbing. The bathroom isn't even big enough for a bathtub yet it used to be Grandma and Grandpa's bedroom. There is *always* room for loved ones at Grandma's house. Long after she's gone, I'll remember the way Grandma values family.
A few items that have been found in Grandma's closets are ration books, school certificates for spelling and attendance from the 1920's, miscellaneous tax and school documents from the 1930's on through the 1980's, as well as family photos and other signs of a long and active life. I've got most of her collection of hand-made jewelry, given to me when I was still a teenager and she could no longer fasten the clasps of necklaces.
Tomorrow we're off to visit my little brother at college. Right now, there are cupcakes to eat.
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Just a few of my favorite things...
I'm missing images for quite a few other favorite things from the past several months. These were all courtesy of Mr. Flower and therefore easy to steal. :-)
Wednesday, 4 April 2012
Monday, 2 April 2012
My Little Derby Pony has arrived!
To say I'm excited about this little girl's arrival is a massive understatement. She's preceded by quite a few of Matthew Becker's other My Little Derby Ponies such as Sounds Like Magic, Malice In Chains, and Greatest Asset. Maybe sometime I'll sweet-talk Matt into letting me put the whole stable up on here? *hint, hint* What say ye, Matt?
Thursday, 29 March 2012
Derby daydream #563
I wish I could produce affordable clothing that actually fit a muscular/busty derby girl's body. Small-waist pants with plenty of room in the thighs and seat. Compression shorts that stay where they should and don't produce an awkward muffin top effect. Long shirts with a narrow waist and room for busts and shoulders. Sports bras that can hold their own while looking fabulous for the bustiest of ladies.
I don't want to produce just practice apparel, either. I want the full line-up. Athletic. Casual. Professional. Formal wear. Maternity. Petite. Tall. Plus. Trendy. Classical. Bold colors. Subdued effects. Laces and ruffles. Straight lines and simple curves.
I don't want to produce just practice apparel, either. I want the full line-up. Athletic. Casual. Professional. Formal wear. Maternity. Petite. Tall. Plus. Trendy. Classical. Bold colors. Subdued effects. Laces and ruffles. Straight lines and simple curves.
Friday, 23 March 2012
Disney World
This guy just makes me smile. (Those who are lucky enough to have met Wheels McCoy would probably smile too.)
Just got back from a work conference in Orlando on Wednesday. Delicate Hubby and I were able to go down a few days early and hit 3 of the 4 parks in Disney World. Animal Kingdom rocks, Epcot rocks and Magic Kingdom included WAAAY too many people in not enough space. I'll take waiting for the rhinos to move out of the road over cranky families, thank you very much!
This zebra was dubbed Lizy.
And here's Donny zebra.
I couldn't keep SCAR derby off my mind when Disney persisted in putting Magic all over everything!
Most people go to Disney World and see made-up characters represented by "crew members" in various costumes. I see characters from my real life represented in the art work for sale.
Next week is due to be super busy at work, home and derby. I'll let you know if I survive. Possibly even within the next three months.
Friday, 20 January 2012
Cross-sport instructing
I hit the ice tonight to help coach the local "learn to play hockey" program for women. It's the first time I've gone in a couple seasons, as my work/commuting schedule just hasn't allowed me to join them. Things changed last week when I switched to a 4-day work week. (So far, it's been a wonderful switch!)
Anyho, I absolutely LOVE coaching these women. Several are the moms of the girls I used to coach. Others are younger, in college or just out of college. The first year I ran the program we'd have 20-30 women out on the ice, spread out amongst 3-6 stations. Tonight, it was a small group with 6 skaters and 3 coaches. This year it's a tough timeslot for those who work 9-5pm to make on time, so things got off to a slow start as everyone arrived when they could and got geared up. Eventually the head coach decided that we really needed to get things moving, and she knew just what to do.
She came to me and asked me to lead practice.
Well... so much for just following along.
I started everyone off with a round-the-circles skating drill, to get a chance to watch them more closely. Everyone finished the drill and I told them that it looked good, but there was one problem- nobody fell. If you push yourself beyond your physical capabilities, you'll know it immediately because you fall. And by falling, you'll learn exactly how far you can push yourself. But you have to fall.
One of the reasons I love coaching these women is that they are comfortable speaking their minds about how they're feeling. There's one skater who always gets bored first, another who is always super enthusiastic about every drill and yet another that struggles with developing her "hockey sense". To develop her hockey sense she requires progressions, reasons and drawings. Without these things she and I naturally both get frustrated as she struggles through the practice. Challenging the first skater while building the hockey sense of the third and also simultaneously figuring out what the second needs can be quite the challege. And those are only a few of the skaters on the ice!
Tonight, the women expressed how uncomfortable they were about falling.
How do you change from uncomfortable to comfortable?
You practice.
I explained how you can fall safely and demonstrated how a knee touch can transition into a softball slide. Then I had everyone practice that a few times at the blue line. Each time, after we all got to the other end of the rink, I'd discuss why some of the things I was seeing were good or bad and how the bad could be corrected. Next up, it was a knee touch transitioning into a softball slide which turned into a log roll.
Many of the same rules apply for falling safely in both roller derby and ice hockey. Fall small, under control, pick a cheek and do whatever you can to avoid hitting your head or flat on your back. In hockey, it's also pretty important to be able to rotate your body (while still sliding on the ice) to get your feet out in front of you. Those boards and the net can do some pretty nasty damage if you hit them going head first. Swinging your legs in front of you might result in needing some new blades on your skates (or at least a sharpening), but you're able to absorb the impact with your legs rather than your head and vital organs. If it's gonna hurt, make it hurt as little as possible. Sacrifice your gear before your body, and your body before your brain and spine.
After the falling exercises, it was back to the circles. Forward, backward, with a puck, without a puck. Eventually I (and that first skater mentioned above) got really bored with circles, so I made up a drill that combined skating, puckhandling, positioning, 1-on-1 and hockey sense. Skaters approached two cones (set up in the defensive zone roughly where you'd normally be challenged by offensive players) and did some sort of move that was challenging to them as they passed. A weave, a fake, a small circle around the cone, a kneefall, etc. After they cleared the defensive zone, they cut to center ice where another cone was set up to mark where the defenseman would start. Defense ideally matched speed between the center line and blue line, then challenged the skater while simultaneously angling them to the outside (away from "home", which is the area in front of your own net and where a large percentage of goals are scored from). Everyone went through that a few times, then I started changing it up a bit with a few 2-on-1's to get some passing and partnering in.
To get cross-ice movement and face-to-face passing going, I set up another drill. One cone low near the face-off, another high on the other side between the face-off and blue line. One skater takes a puck and passes it to the skater coming out of the other corner, waiting until that skater has make a 90-degree turn at the high cone to make the pass. The new puck carrier then continues across to the far "lane" (to the side where the pass originated), where they turn again and head towards the net. At this point, their partner has hopefully switched sides and caught up to them in the other lane and they can enter the offensive zone with a pass that doesn't put either skater off-sides. After they'd gone through it a few times, I explained how to use the neutral zone to offensively re-group before the defense really began to put pressure on at the blue line. Hockey players often feel like they have to rush, rush, rush once they get the puck out of their defensive zone (just like derby girls who "race" with the pack, rather than controlling the pack). I managed to throw in a couple 3-man runs while the zamboni warmed up, just to get the third man worked into the drill and therefore closer to a game-like situation.
While skaters changed into street clothes I drew out a rink on the locker room white board and explained what exactly those last two drills were supposed to simulate. Most specifically, how a skater wanted to keep the puck on the outside while in their defensive end but then take it to the center in the neutral and offensive zones. Taking the time to draw it out and further explain it made things click for all the skaters in the locker room. Especially since the experience was still so fresh in their minds.
And in the random category: Porkchop tastes mighty fine, especially when cooked with wine and served over wild rice. Nom!
Anyho, I absolutely LOVE coaching these women. Several are the moms of the girls I used to coach. Others are younger, in college or just out of college. The first year I ran the program we'd have 20-30 women out on the ice, spread out amongst 3-6 stations. Tonight, it was a small group with 6 skaters and 3 coaches. This year it's a tough timeslot for those who work 9-5pm to make on time, so things got off to a slow start as everyone arrived when they could and got geared up. Eventually the head coach decided that we really needed to get things moving, and she knew just what to do.
She came to me and asked me to lead practice.
Well... so much for just following along.
I started everyone off with a round-the-circles skating drill, to get a chance to watch them more closely. Everyone finished the drill and I told them that it looked good, but there was one problem- nobody fell. If you push yourself beyond your physical capabilities, you'll know it immediately because you fall. And by falling, you'll learn exactly how far you can push yourself. But you have to fall.
One of the reasons I love coaching these women is that they are comfortable speaking their minds about how they're feeling. There's one skater who always gets bored first, another who is always super enthusiastic about every drill and yet another that struggles with developing her "hockey sense". To develop her hockey sense she requires progressions, reasons and drawings. Without these things she and I naturally both get frustrated as she struggles through the practice. Challenging the first skater while building the hockey sense of the third and also simultaneously figuring out what the second needs can be quite the challege. And those are only a few of the skaters on the ice!
Tonight, the women expressed how uncomfortable they were about falling.
How do you change from uncomfortable to comfortable?
You practice.
I explained how you can fall safely and demonstrated how a knee touch can transition into a softball slide. Then I had everyone practice that a few times at the blue line. Each time, after we all got to the other end of the rink, I'd discuss why some of the things I was seeing were good or bad and how the bad could be corrected. Next up, it was a knee touch transitioning into a softball slide which turned into a log roll.
Many of the same rules apply for falling safely in both roller derby and ice hockey. Fall small, under control, pick a cheek and do whatever you can to avoid hitting your head or flat on your back. In hockey, it's also pretty important to be able to rotate your body (while still sliding on the ice) to get your feet out in front of you. Those boards and the net can do some pretty nasty damage if you hit them going head first. Swinging your legs in front of you might result in needing some new blades on your skates (or at least a sharpening), but you're able to absorb the impact with your legs rather than your head and vital organs. If it's gonna hurt, make it hurt as little as possible. Sacrifice your gear before your body, and your body before your brain and spine.
After the falling exercises, it was back to the circles. Forward, backward, with a puck, without a puck. Eventually I (and that first skater mentioned above) got really bored with circles, so I made up a drill that combined skating, puckhandling, positioning, 1-on-1 and hockey sense. Skaters approached two cones (set up in the defensive zone roughly where you'd normally be challenged by offensive players) and did some sort of move that was challenging to them as they passed. A weave, a fake, a small circle around the cone, a kneefall, etc. After they cleared the defensive zone, they cut to center ice where another cone was set up to mark where the defenseman would start. Defense ideally matched speed between the center line and blue line, then challenged the skater while simultaneously angling them to the outside (away from "home", which is the area in front of your own net and where a large percentage of goals are scored from). Everyone went through that a few times, then I started changing it up a bit with a few 2-on-1's to get some passing and partnering in.
To get cross-ice movement and face-to-face passing going, I set up another drill. One cone low near the face-off, another high on the other side between the face-off and blue line. One skater takes a puck and passes it to the skater coming out of the other corner, waiting until that skater has make a 90-degree turn at the high cone to make the pass. The new puck carrier then continues across to the far "lane" (to the side where the pass originated), where they turn again and head towards the net. At this point, their partner has hopefully switched sides and caught up to them in the other lane and they can enter the offensive zone with a pass that doesn't put either skater off-sides. After they'd gone through it a few times, I explained how to use the neutral zone to offensively re-group before the defense really began to put pressure on at the blue line. Hockey players often feel like they have to rush, rush, rush once they get the puck out of their defensive zone (just like derby girls who "race" with the pack, rather than controlling the pack). I managed to throw in a couple 3-man runs while the zamboni warmed up, just to get the third man worked into the drill and therefore closer to a game-like situation.
While skaters changed into street clothes I drew out a rink on the locker room white board and explained what exactly those last two drills were supposed to simulate. Most specifically, how a skater wanted to keep the puck on the outside while in their defensive end but then take it to the center in the neutral and offensive zones. Taking the time to draw it out and further explain it made things click for all the skaters in the locker room. Especially since the experience was still so fresh in their minds.
And in the random category: Porkchop tastes mighty fine, especially when cooked with wine and served over wild rice. Nom!
Appreciating the past.
Ever felt like you were in too deep? Read this!
I love it when I finally master what I'd thought was impossible. I love it even more when I can inspire OTHERS to achieve THEIR impossibles. You see an amazing woman (or man) out on the track? Well, they were once fresh meat too.
When I don't think I can pick up my feet anymore (especially to jump, run, or juke one more time) the ONLY strategy I use is to visualize myself doing it. Sometimes it gets me through, sometimes it keeps me in the game until I can get help, and sometimes... sometimes I utterly fail. The only thing that really matters at that point is that I pushed myself further than I'd thought possible- both physically and mentally. Every path to success is littered with many failures. Every mountain has its ups and downs.
At this time of year six years ago, I didn't know if I'd ever be able to skate again. The same injury that took away my ability to put one skate in front of the other was the final straw that put me on academic probation, took away my voting privileges in my sorority and ultimately made me realize that I was fast becoming someone I really didn't want to be. I was extremely lucky and after years of work I was able to regain all that I'd lost. I set out to heal myself by teaching others and it made me become an even better skater and person than I'd ever been before.
There have been (and still are) many days where the only thing that I look forward to is getting my butt whooped by a bunch of girls. Or I'll set out to thoroughly whoop my own butt and someone else will force me to put a smile back on my face and a dance back in my body. Many days, fulfilling the needs of others is what satisfies my own needs.
Nowadays, some might just see a fast girl on skates. I see the faces and moments that brought that girl to the track; and keep her coming back. I feel the burn of screaming muscles, the ache of unhealed wounds, and an ever-burning drive to skate faster, smarter and longer. The desire to belong and feel wanted. I see a girl who fails in order to experience more in life than she'd ever dreamed was possible.
I love it when I finally master what I'd thought was impossible. I love it even more when I can inspire OTHERS to achieve THEIR impossibles. You see an amazing woman (or man) out on the track? Well, they were once fresh meat too.
When I don't think I can pick up my feet anymore (especially to jump, run, or juke one more time) the ONLY strategy I use is to visualize myself doing it. Sometimes it gets me through, sometimes it keeps me in the game until I can get help, and sometimes... sometimes I utterly fail. The only thing that really matters at that point is that I pushed myself further than I'd thought possible- both physically and mentally. Every path to success is littered with many failures. Every mountain has its ups and downs.
At this time of year six years ago, I didn't know if I'd ever be able to skate again. The same injury that took away my ability to put one skate in front of the other was the final straw that put me on academic probation, took away my voting privileges in my sorority and ultimately made me realize that I was fast becoming someone I really didn't want to be. I was extremely lucky and after years of work I was able to regain all that I'd lost. I set out to heal myself by teaching others and it made me become an even better skater and person than I'd ever been before.
There have been (and still are) many days where the only thing that I look forward to is getting my butt whooped by a bunch of girls. Or I'll set out to thoroughly whoop my own butt and someone else will force me to put a smile back on my face and a dance back in my body. Many days, fulfilling the needs of others is what satisfies my own needs.
Nowadays, some might just see a fast girl on skates. I see the faces and moments that brought that girl to the track; and keep her coming back. I feel the burn of screaming muscles, the ache of unhealed wounds, and an ever-burning drive to skate faster, smarter and longer. The desire to belong and feel wanted. I see a girl who fails in order to experience more in life than she'd ever dreamed was possible.
Thursday, 19 January 2012
Bwah?!
"4 hours out on a Friday night can negate 2 WEEKS worth of training." <-- An example of the interesting tidbits one gathers when going through USAHockey's 10 and Under coaching education module.
Nifty info to have for derby, but WTF?!?! THIS IS 10 AND UNDER!!
Oh, and apparently a woman drinking 2 oz of liquor is equivalent to a man drinking 4 oz of liquor.
My brain hurts.
Nifty info to have for derby, but WTF?!?! THIS IS 10 AND UNDER!!
Oh, and apparently a woman drinking 2 oz of liquor is equivalent to a man drinking 4 oz of liquor.
My brain hurts.
Monday, 9 January 2012
A whole line-up of jammers
After a solid weekend of derby and hockey, I *think* my legs might be justified in being sore for the next week or two. Okay, on to the exciting news.
The BC Rollers acquired their very own practice space last week! This is HUGE news for their league, as they had been commuting an hour each way to their former practice space. That translated to a 6-hour time commitment each practice for many skaters and they've been struggling to maintain membership. Growing the league's membership numbers was simply proving impossible due to such a large time commitment.
I was scheduled to coach Sunday's practice, so I had to get into the space ASAP to figure out what I really had to work with. Cleaning party Saturday AM? That's a GREAT time to see the space and get to see a few skaters at the same time. So that's where I was, bright and early on Saturday morning. I popped my freshly-washed bearings back into my wheels and away I went (with a very large cup of coffee in hand.) I took a few laps around the track to test the floor and soon wandered into the bathroom where the cleaning party was hard at work.
I got to know the hallway wall a bit more intimately than I wanted to when I discovered that there's a dip in the floor as you're coming out the bathroom. Remember that nice cup of coffee I had? Generally, doing a 180 while skating through the bathroom door and holding a conversation is something I'm perfectly comfortable with and able to accomplish without incident. Hitting that dip... well... I maintained my up-right position AND my hold on my coffee cup, but the wall behind me got splattered with flying coffee when I whacked my (still un-padded) elbow on the wall. *sigh*
The day's lone Junior derby skater arrived for practice not long after I had my little incident in the hallway. After cleaning up my mess, I joined in on the very first practice held in the new space. Dodgeball and floor hockey on roller skates? Fantastic. We eventually ended that practice with a sweep and partial mop of the floor. The official opinion of the junior skater is that mopping is fun when you're allowed to do it on roller skates. A drop-in visit from a CCR skater, then it was off to hockey practice for me.
Sunday brought more hockey and derby with an away hockey game and a (short) 2-hour practice for the BC Rollers. It was a particularly fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants practice with skaters of all experience levels out on the track and lots of excitement in the air due to being in the league's new home space. We even had the help of Rusty Nailher's four-legged companion, Cowboy, for tennis ball keep-away and obstacle avoidance practice. (I hope I didn't scare the fresh meat away with that one...)
The hockey game ended in a tie (2-2) despite our having a crazy number of shots on net. A fun thing with the team this year is that we've got four current/former derby players on the team. Usually I and another derby gal are both centers so that we're rarely on the same line-up together, but I'd requested to be wing for this particular game. I was paired up with one of the other derby gals as my wing partner and we were rotating three wing pairs and two centers through on the offensive line. Normally the other center and I "find" each other on the ice as we each skate backwards in a half-circle at a fairly decent speed and INTO each other. (Hence the reason for never putting us on the same line-up!) We've been working on staying out of each others' lane of travel for the past year or so and that effort finally seems to have paid off as we successfully completely the game without ANY collisions. Whoot!
Our three derby girls who were up on offense also happen to all be jammers. So roughly every other time my partner and I were skating, we had a full offensive line of roller derby jammers. Yeah jammer line! This made for some super-fun weaving, cycling and scrambling in front of the net as we all found each other with our passes and kept attacking the opposing team's goalie from all sides.
I *believe* my wing partner got both goals and I got one assist. I'm still not quite sure how the goalie managed to stop all the shots that were happening on the other lines, but somehow she pulled it off and kept the game to a tie. My hat's definitely off to her for that and to her teammates for tying us up in front.
I'm looking forward to this coming week's version of hockey and derby!
The BC Rollers acquired their very own practice space last week! This is HUGE news for their league, as they had been commuting an hour each way to their former practice space. That translated to a 6-hour time commitment each practice for many skaters and they've been struggling to maintain membership. Growing the league's membership numbers was simply proving impossible due to such a large time commitment.
I was scheduled to coach Sunday's practice, so I had to get into the space ASAP to figure out what I really had to work with. Cleaning party Saturday AM? That's a GREAT time to see the space and get to see a few skaters at the same time. So that's where I was, bright and early on Saturday morning. I popped my freshly-washed bearings back into my wheels and away I went (with a very large cup of coffee in hand.) I took a few laps around the track to test the floor and soon wandered into the bathroom where the cleaning party was hard at work.
I got to know the hallway wall a bit more intimately than I wanted to when I discovered that there's a dip in the floor as you're coming out the bathroom. Remember that nice cup of coffee I had? Generally, doing a 180 while skating through the bathroom door and holding a conversation is something I'm perfectly comfortable with and able to accomplish without incident. Hitting that dip... well... I maintained my up-right position AND my hold on my coffee cup, but the wall behind me got splattered with flying coffee when I whacked my (still un-padded) elbow on the wall. *sigh*
The day's lone Junior derby skater arrived for practice not long after I had my little incident in the hallway. After cleaning up my mess, I joined in on the very first practice held in the new space. Dodgeball and floor hockey on roller skates? Fantastic. We eventually ended that practice with a sweep and partial mop of the floor. The official opinion of the junior skater is that mopping is fun when you're allowed to do it on roller skates. A drop-in visit from a CCR skater, then it was off to hockey practice for me.
Sunday brought more hockey and derby with an away hockey game and a (short) 2-hour practice for the BC Rollers. It was a particularly fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants practice with skaters of all experience levels out on the track and lots of excitement in the air due to being in the league's new home space. We even had the help of Rusty Nailher's four-legged companion, Cowboy, for tennis ball keep-away and obstacle avoidance practice. (I hope I didn't scare the fresh meat away with that one...)
The hockey game ended in a tie (2-2) despite our having a crazy number of shots on net. A fun thing with the team this year is that we've got four current/former derby players on the team. Usually I and another derby gal are both centers so that we're rarely on the same line-up together, but I'd requested to be wing for this particular game. I was paired up with one of the other derby gals as my wing partner and we were rotating three wing pairs and two centers through on the offensive line. Normally the other center and I "find" each other on the ice as we each skate backwards in a half-circle at a fairly decent speed and INTO each other. (Hence the reason for never putting us on the same line-up!) We've been working on staying out of each others' lane of travel for the past year or so and that effort finally seems to have paid off as we successfully completely the game without ANY collisions. Whoot!
Our three derby girls who were up on offense also happen to all be jammers. So roughly every other time my partner and I were skating, we had a full offensive line of roller derby jammers. Yeah jammer line! This made for some super-fun weaving, cycling and scrambling in front of the net as we all found each other with our passes and kept attacking the opposing team's goalie from all sides.
I *believe* my wing partner got both goals and I got one assist. I'm still not quite sure how the goalie managed to stop all the shots that were happening on the other lines, but somehow she pulled it off and kept the game to a tie. My hat's definitely off to her for that and to her teammates for tying us up in front.
I'm looking forward to this coming week's version of hockey and derby!
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
Holidays, wha??...
The Albany bout, physics class and holidays have all passed and WHEW- what a busy month.
The BC Rollers lost according to the scoreboard, but I'm pretty certain they won the hearts of Albany's derby community. I can't even describe these girls, they are definitely a sight to see.
I passed physics with a "C". Holy cow, am I glad that course is over.
I got to spend some time at the family farm over the holidays with Rusty NailHer. Flower Father got a few trees taken down for him along a fence line and Rusty got to see some amazing poetry of mine from the 2nd grade. "There once was a fish..." Oh boy. I was a sad, sad, sad little 2nd grader.
Tuesday brought my date with the oral surgeon. Goodbye remaining wisdom teeth! My new serger also arrived. Unfortunately I couldn't play with it since I was on painkillers. ARRGGHHH!! And to further heighten this week's geeky excitement, today the FedEx truck brought my Silhouette Cameo! (There might have been some skipping and squealing going on.... just maybe.)
If you're a female who'd like to learn how to shoot, check out this post by A Girl and Her Gun.
ETA A Girl and Her Gun's link: http://agirlandhergun.blogspot.com
The BC Rollers lost according to the scoreboard, but I'm pretty certain they won the hearts of Albany's derby community. I can't even describe these girls, they are definitely a sight to see.
I passed physics with a "C". Holy cow, am I glad that course is over.
I got to spend some time at the family farm over the holidays with Rusty NailHer. Flower Father got a few trees taken down for him along a fence line and Rusty got to see some amazing poetry of mine from the 2nd grade. "There once was a fish..." Oh boy. I was a sad, sad, sad little 2nd grader.
Tuesday brought my date with the oral surgeon. Goodbye remaining wisdom teeth! My new serger also arrived. Unfortunately I couldn't play with it since I was on painkillers. ARRGGHHH!! And to further heighten this week's geeky excitement, today the FedEx truck brought my Silhouette Cameo! (There might have been some skipping and squealing going on.... just maybe.)
If you're a female who'd like to learn how to shoot, check out this post by A Girl and Her Gun.
ETA A Girl and Her Gun's link: http://agirlandhergun.blogspot.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)