From the Bench

From the Bench
Ruth’s take on Prepping for Practice 🙂

Before Practice:
1. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
Drink water. Lots of it. All the time. It sounds basic, but especially in the summer when practice spaces are hot and the bouting season is in full swing, staying hydrated is important. Research says you should consume at least 8 ounces of water for every half hour of exercise you perform. For a two hour practice, that’s 32 ounces of water–before you hit the track! I’ve gotten into the habit of carrying a Nalgene around with me and sipping on it throughout the day so I’m not chugging all that water right before practice.

2. Cross Train
Derby is great for getting into shape! Unfortunately, if that’s all the exercise you do, you focus all your attention on a few specific muscle groups only a couple of times a week. Cross training is a great way to even yourself out a bit and prevent injury on the track. Being in shape already will also help you focus your practice time on learning new skills rather than keeping up with the rest of the team. A few of my favorites are yoga, which helps strengthen your core, and plyometrics, which is both cardio and strength training all at once. A typical off-skates workout for me includes about 100 jumping jacks (broken up into sets of 20), core training such as planks and crunches, and a 1-2 mile jog. Even if all you do is take a half-hour walk with your dog, try to do something active every day, not just on practice days.

3. Put your war paint on.
We all have some way of getting into “derby mode”. For some, the transition from real life to derby is easy; all it takes is strapping on your skates. But for others, it takes a little something extra. Some people put on funky socks and booty shorts; others wear heavy eye makeup or put stickers on their helmets. Whatever it is, have something that allows you to leave work, relationships, and worries behind and just get out on the track and be a total badass. Yes, we work hard. Yes, we are athletes. But there are no rules against having a little fun at the same time!

During Practice:
1. Be adventurous.

Practice is the time to push your comfort zone and try something new. If you stick with what you know, you’ll never get any better. Practicing skills you don’t know already may have some drawbacks. You’ll probably fall. You might bruise your pride (or something else). But we wear pads for a reason, and testing your limits is what derby is all about. And if you do mess up, you have a caring, supportive, and knowledgeable team to pick you up, dust you off, and offer advice on how to nail that stunt the next time around.
2. Listen.
Pay attention to your coaches when they’re explaining a drill or a strategy. If you listen the first time around, you can get to skating more quickly instead of having to ask “what are we doing again?” Listen to your veteran teammates. If they tell you to try hitting with your hips rather than your shoulders, they’re not criticizing you – they’re trying to help. They have a vested interest in seeing you become the best skater and teammate you can be, and they probably have useful things to say.

3. Stay Positive
We all have bad nights, and it’s easy to get down on ourselves when we don’t do a drill right or miss a crucial block during a scrimmage. But remember, derby is complicated. No one expects you to be perfect. Set high goals for yourself but make them achievable, and don’t beat yourself up too badly if you don’t meet them the first time around (trust me, you get beat up enough at practice – no need to add a mental beating on top!). When someone gives you a compliment, accept it with a thanks and a smile. Give compliments to your teammates often. Keep it positive so you can keep it fun!