Skater of the Month: Nikki Tesla

Welcome to our monthly feature on the blog where we help you all get to know our players a little better! This month, we're featuring our 2015 team Secretary:

Skater Name: Nikki Tesla

Number: 134

Story Behind the Name: With a hardcore love of all things Steampunk, and a husband who is an electrician, taking the name of a famous Nineteenth Century Inventor just seemed to fit. Plus, now I can aim to be "electrifying" on the track!

Hometown: A small town in Northern CT

Derby Experience: I've just passed my one year anniversary playing Derby! I'm excited to be skating on the Team's Roster this season and I can't wait...

Sports background: I've played softball and soccer. I used to ride bikes or rollerskate for HOURS after school every day. I did Kempo Karate and Ju Jitsu in high school and college. Now, it's all Derby or trying to get in extra cardio at the gym.

Why Derby: At first it was just a way to get more exercise. Now it's a constant way to challenge myself both physically and intellectually.  There's so much to keep track of and to try to master! I love it.

Derby Style: Ummm...sometimes it's a pure case of "fake it 'til you make it!" Basically, I try to bolster my teammates in whatever way works best on the track. I fall down, I get back up, and keep moving on.

Why Pair O' Dice: Originally, I came to POD because two of my coworkers were already affiliated with the team. I stayed because we are a tight-knit group of fabulously strong girls who work to support each other both on and off the track. It's like having a new, extended family.

Derby Goals: To learn to be a great blocker and solid addition to the team.  Then, after that, I'd love to learn to master track awareness so that I can become a solid swing, playing both offense and defense on the track.

Favorite players: Can I name my own teammates?  LOL.  Seriously, I want to learn to skate low and fast like our own Donny Brook. I want to learn some epic shenanijams from our Suga Burn and I want to learn to take advantage of the rules in the smartest ways possible like Astra Knot.  Outside of POD, I'd love to someday be as strong and agile as Western Mass' Rammy Lammy, and be able to maneuver as confidently backwards and forwards as Boston's Shark Week.

Outside of Derby: Librarian by day... I'm a reader, writer, and answer finder. I love to curl up with a great book or in front of my favorite cheesy sci-fi tv shows.

Things I have learned about derby: I've learned it's a sport you need to be passionate to play. I've learned that Derby works best when you have team mates you can depend on and they know they can depend on you. Really though, I've learned that no matter what, there's always more to learn about Derby! 

Skater of the Month: Donny Brook

Sorry all for the "radio silence" this past month. A few personal issues took over during the month, but we're back now! So, here you go...

 
Welcome to our monthly feature on the blog where we help you all get to know our players a little better! This month, we're featuring our 2015 team Vice-Chair: 

Skater Name: Donny Brook 

Number: 86

Story Behind the Name: Donnybrook is sort of a family name; it's what Gramps named his farm. Donnybrook was a fair in Co. Dublin that, over 500 years, devolved into a yearly drunken brawl. I feel it translates well to derby.

Hometown: Kelly's Irish Alps

Derby Experience: I'm starting my 5th year of roller derby! Wow. I hadn't been on skates since I was a kid. I am also a founding member of Pair O' Dice City Roller Derby in 2011.

Sports background: Theater, drinking, dog-walking. Those are sports, right?

Why Derby: I had no idea what I was getting into. I came cause I figured I was fast and could take good hit (that theory has panned out). I stay because its an opportunity to be the best me I can be. My body, mind and patience are constantly challenged and are continually get stronger!

Derby Style: Billy-goat and bean dip.

Why Pair O' Dice: POD City is strong and pretty! We work really hard. We try too hard and fall on our faces. We laugh and get up. We push ourselves till we puke and come back for more. We'll play with a roster of 7 and never stop smiling.

Derby Goals: 1. master a 360 jump. 2. train strong jammers 3.Keep derby as a part of my life forever

Favorite players: Jurasskick Park (He skated on Team USA!). Oh, if only I could skate like him....

Outside of Derby:  Totally obsessed with fiber art. Knitting, weaving, crochet, and learning to spin. I make fabulous hand-dyed yarn too.

Things I have learned about derby: Everything! I came in with zero knowledge of the sport or the dedication it takes to maintain a league. I didn't even know how to skate when I started. That's what is great about this community- we accept and guide everyone to be the best they can be. I would never be where I am now without the help and care of everyone in this sport.

Friends and Family Scrimmage Hosted by Minnechaug G.S.A.

Come see us play the Worcester Roller Derby team and support a great cause!

Introducing Big Rink Burn!!

What is Big Rink Burn?

Two hours of fitness building, calorie burning skating and strength-building exercises, with a little fun and games thrown in.

We started these practices to allow all of our league members,including NSOs, retired skaters, and skaters who are not yet eligible for contact, a fun and challenging practice they can participate in 100 percent. We have decided to open them up to former and new members who are interested in skating for fitness, but without the commitment of full contact roller derby.

Who can come?

These sessions are co-ed, but due to insurance requirements are adults only.

When and where is Big Rink Burn?

Two nights a month (alternating Thursdays) at 7-9 at Interskate South in Wilbraham.

What is required?

Full derby protective gear (helmet and wrist, elbow, and knee guards); loaner gear is available. Rental roller skates are available at the rink, but doing some of the moves in these skates will be challenging (and not in a good way). Entry level derby skates are recommended (try the Riedell Dart, available in fun colors from the Bruised Boutique, Turn Two Skate Shop or from our very own home rink, Interskate South in Wilbraham).

What is the cost?

$20 a month covers the two sessions, plus you will receive a pass to the adult night skate every Wednesday at Interskate.

Is there hitting?

Not at these sessions, don’t worry! We are a competitive derby league and our skaters will attend these practices, but no contact is allowed on these nights.

Is skating experience required?

You will get a lot more out of these sessions if you can skate, stop, and turn confidently. However, all levels are welcome and you can modify any exercise to make it right for you.

This sounds awesome! How do I get started?

Come to our next free intro session on Thursday, January 22nd to try it out and get all the information. If you can’t make this session, email skate4podcity@gmail.com for the next one.

Skater of the Month: Haulin-Sass

Welcome to our monthly feature on the blog where we help you all get to know our players a little better! This month, we're featuring our 2015 team Chair:

Skater Name: Haulin-Sass

Number: 318

Story Behind the Name: My name is pretty sentimental. It's in honor of my late boyfriend who was an over the road truck driver. He had planned on opening up his own trucking company named "Westhaulin". I combined the name of his company with my sassy personality and became Haulin-Sass!

Hometown: Born and raised in Springfield MA aka "the 413."

Derby Experience: I joined POD on 9/22/2013 and have loved every second of it!

Sports background: Aside from doing many endurance challenges and just general "keeping in shape" athletics, I didn't really grow up playing any sports.

Why Derby: I never really took an interest in any of the "typical" sports. But one day while at work my coworker was talking about derby and I found it fascinating. Unfortunately, there wasn't a local team for us to try out for, so we talked about creating our own league. Neither of us had ever played before,

though... I then quit that job and a year went by, when a friend of a friend mentioned she played for a local team and invited me to come watch, after that one night I was immediately hooked and kept coming back! Shortly after I started skating I found out my grandmother was a derby girl, no wonder I was so drawn to it; It's in my blood.

Derby Style: I am still working on that. I don't feel that I have enough experience under by belt just yet to have a specific style... But, I do put everything I have into what ever position I am playing.

Why Pair O' Dice: I like to think fate brought us together. At just the right moment in my life a friend of a friend came into my life and invited me to come see the team practice, and I never left.

Derby Goals: I'd like to become a much stronger Jammer.

Favorite players: Well, Of course there is my Derby Wife, Vicious Aloysuis, (-->) but every player that I have met in the short time I've been playing derby has made a huge impact on me and I truly appreciate each and every one of them.

Outside of Derby:  In real life, I work for World Energy in the energy procurement field AKA energy superhero.

Things I have learned about derby: No matter how long you have been skating, there will always be something new to learn - be it rules, or skills. Most importantly, don't get discouraged!

Officials' Review: Sneaker Derby Charades

Happy New Year and Happy New Ruleset! There may not have been a lot of changes penaltywise in the newest Rules Update, with the exception of the adjustments to the Use Of Forearms and Hands, but when you add in holiday breaks and new members this is a good time of year to review the basics!    

One of the best ways to get everyone back into the derby frame of mind is Sneaker Derby, and so we thought why not work in our rules review too.

Sneaker Derby Charades

Objective: Building rules understanding among Refs, NSOs, and rules-loving-skaters.

Length of drill: Can vary depending on the number of participants.

Participants: Works best with 10 or more, but can be run with fewer. 

Materials needed: Protective Gear as identified in the WFTDA Rulebook; tape or cones; a stopwatch; a whistle; index cards or scrap paper; copies of the Penalties from the WFTDA Rulebook, the WFTDA Official Hand Signals, and the WFTDA Official Verbal Cues.  

Skill level: This drill is designed for group participation including everyone from fresh meat to seasoned skaters and officials.

Preparations: On each of the index cards or pieces of scrap paper, write out the name of a penalty creating penalty-cards. Layout tape, or cones, to delineate a portion of the track (if possible 20ft of the track with 10ft lines). Everybody, even the NSOs, gear up. 

How it works: 

• Participants gear up, and divide into teams of 5 (more teams if there are 15 or more participants).
• The first team draws one of the penalty-cards, and then has 30 seconds to figure out how to act out the penalty on the card (as timed by the other team). 
• Someone from the second team whistles signaling the start of the first team's jam to demonstrate their penalty. 
• Team two has 2 minutes (timed by one of their members) to guess the penalty being acted out by team one. 
• Once team two has an answer, or at the end of the 2 minutes, one of their members whistles to end the jam.
• Both teams come together to discuss the penalty, and what other actions would earn it.
• Repeat with team two acting out a penalty.

Next Steps: adjustments for advanced penalty and procedure fans:

• The Guessing team must answer with the hand signal for the penalty.
• Make penalty-cards with more specific verbal cues for the different penalties.
• Run a few actual jams of Sneaker Derby, but in each jam the "Head Official" secretly assigns one skater a penalty for them to do during the jam, it is up to the other skaters to identify the penalty. (This is best with the non-contact, or minor contact, penalties.)

Let us know how your team/league is planning on reviewing the new rules in the Comments section below. 

Happy 2015 Season! 

- Ducky

Officials' Review: A New Rules’ Resolution - Official Discretion

A New Rules’ Resolution: Official Discretion

On Monday, December 1st, the WFTDA released an updated version of the Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby that will officially go into effect starting January 1st,  2015. The WFTDA Rules Committee developed the changes, with input from both WFTDA and MRDA member leagues, which include:

• increasing the visibility of the Official Score
• aligning Forearm/Hand penalties with the standard of impact
• allowing Official Reviews to be used in lieu of a Timeout
• clarifying the scoring of Jammer Lap Points and Not on the Track points in a single pass
• expanding Officiating Discretion to allow for the Head Referee to assign NSOs to call and enforce penalties.

That last change is the most dramatic, especially for NSOs. The WFTDA is planning on releasing updates to the Standard Practices and Hand Signals documents by January 1, 2015. Until that time we won’t know how these changes will look when applied during a game, but we have come up a few thoughts below.

8.3.7 - The Head Referee may designate NSOs to signal and enforce penalties in situations in which said NSOs are able to observe the penalty. This includes but is not limited to obscene, profane, or abusive language directed at themself or another Official (see Section 5.16.10); removal of safety equipment while in the Penalty Box (see Section 5.13.11); Penalty Box violations (see Sections 5.13.9, 5.13.10, 5.13.11, and 5.13.20); and Delay of Game penalties (see Section 5.15).

• For Penalty Box violations this will be a natural enhancement to the Pentaly Box Manager’s duties, and will most likely streamline Foul Out procedures.
• The Delay of Game penalty could either fall to the Jam Timer (who would be able to call a Timeout and assign the penalty most quickly) or the Line-up Trackers (whose paperwork would outlines which skaters were, and should be, on the track). It is possible the PB Manager (who keeps the queue of skaters who have not yet served for a previous penalty) could also call the Delay of Game, but this could be more complicated depending on venue layout.
• In both instances communication, including understanding of the Hand Signals and Verbal Cues, is going to be all the more important.

8.3.7.1 - The Head Referee may designate which NSOs are empowered to call penalties, as well as which penalties said NSOs are empowered to call, and the manner in which said penalties are enforced.

• While this subsection puts the change at the Head Referee’s discretion, it also puts an emphasis on the HR’s understanding of the responsibilities and functions of each of the NSO positions (which is included in the new Officiating Skills Guidelines and Assessment Forms for all Skating Officials).
• This may also start some conversations about staffing visiting or unvetted Officials, and makes the WFTDA’s Game History document an even more important tool.

8.3.7.1.2 - NSOs may only be designated to call penalties pursuant to their officiating role, to their person, or to those around them. For example, no NSO may be designated to call penalties that involve blocks or assists.

8.3.7.2 - NSOs who are empowered to call penalties in this manner are bound by the same requirements as Referees, per Section 8.3 - Officiating Discretion.

• These last two tie up the NSO additions to the Officiating Discretion section, focusing these new responsibilities and bringing them in line with the requirements of Referees.
• They also bring a greater emphasis on NSOs’ understanding of, and attention to, the different positions (which are also included in the new Officiating Skills Guidelines and Assessment Forms).

We won’t be sure how the WFTDA envisions this change being implemented until they release the updated Standard Practices and Hand Signals documents. In the meantime though, we can be sure, if our Officials Crews plan to have NSOs exercise this new responsibility, that training and understanding the rules will be even more important for Skating and Non-Skating Officials.

Speaking of training, we have a new drill in the works that should be fun for the whole league, check back on New Year’s Day for Sneaker Derby Charades!

Until then, have yourselves some happy holidays.

Be good,

if you can’t be good, be safe,

and if you can’t be safe, Ducky would be an adorable name... just sayin’.

-Ducky