Fresh meat; moving forward and backwards!

Derby Love Comic


A little over a year ago I first got in contact with ADD and with training for Roller Derby.
I know I have mentioned this before, but for the sake of this blog entree I will do it again; I SUCKED!! :) I was not able to skate well, I was insecure on my skates and it took me a very long time to get better.
So I think I can say, I know what it is to be new at this sport.

At the end of last year we had an excited group of newbies that start our ADD fresh meat training course. Some of them all ready pretty confident on skates. Others not so much. But all of them, no matter what level of skills, were eager to learn! Which is, I think, the most important thing in roller derby. It's enthusiasm and the willingness to learn, to fall a thousand times and get back up and do it all again.

This group of newbies, or as we like to call it in derby-land 'fresh meat', has been just great!
They have been very dedicated and have been working hard.

Tonight I trained a big part of the training together with Michelle (and others), working on skating together and in packs and teaching them the basics of hip checks.
It's great for myself to see how far I have come this past year, from nothing to teaching others.
But it's even more amazing to see how fast these newbies learn! My gosh...some of them were barely able to stay upright on their skates, let alone in derby stance. And now they are in derby stance, jumping, doing crossovers, pack skating, (light) hitting, etc. It's just awesome so see their progress.

So yes, our fresh meat is moving forward!
And pretty darn fast too.
But today they moved backwards a bit too.....
Cause Michelle taught them all about skating backwards!! :)
(a skills I still need to master properly...)

Just wanted to share the progress of ADD's newest edition with the world or whatever.
I am just so proud of them and it's great being able to witness their progress!

- Furrrocious



*like the Derby Love is... comic? I know I do!! Check out the website: Derby Love Comic*

Fresh meat makes you feel all fuzzy inside!

Today I was finally able to go to practice again. Glad to be finally on skates, especially after just seeing so many bouts this past Saturday.

So a couple of weeks ago we started our three month training program for the fresh meat girls and guys. And I was there the first night they came. It was great to see all those girls and guys trying to skate, after not being on skates for years.
Some girls had shaky legs and were like those new born animals standing up right for the first time. Shaking and unbalanced.

So I didn't see them skate for a couple of weeks and my gosh was I amazed!!! The baby animals are turning in to fierce ladies!
It just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside to see these newbies improving so much.
And I love how motivated they are.



For myself it was just great to be on skates again. My ankles are doing a lot better and I was finally able to finish my five minute endurance laps with a pretty decent score. It's been so frustrating not to be able to skate as much as I wanted and keep up with the rest. But slowly but surely it's getting better. And I am back on my way to play!


- Furrrocious

Come and get your fresh meat!!

Today was our last fresh meat training till next year March. The new fresh meat will be getting a three month beginner course ending in taking the WFDTA skills test.
We had all been promoting this last fresh meat opportunity and it worked!! We had no less then 13 new girls and two refs. Which is so amazing.

The practice started out with a talk about Roller Derby and explaining about the Amsterdam Derby Dames. Our fresh meat committee did a great job on explaining the in's and out's and answering all sorts of questions.

After the introduction all the girls (and guys!!) got gear from our 'fresh meat supply' and from team skaters. It's all about sharing. :)
Trainers and fresh meat committee sorted everybody out with gear, how to put it on, etc.



And then the most exciting moment for all of us: they started skating around.
As roller skating isn't a big thing in holland, most girls and guys had their last skating days in their childhood. So it was very exciting to be back on skates.
They did great!!
Some were more nervous then others, and some were clearly better at skating then others. But all of them had fun and were super enthusiastic!




It was weird to look at the fresh meat and remembering my first practices on skates. I was scared shitless!! The wobbly legs and knees. Not having a clue about what I should or shouldn't be doing. And now I am almost ready to join the team.
And the funny thing is, when you tell these newbies that I was just like them beginning of this year, they look at you and say "yeah right! I don't believe that! I bet you're just saying that to make me feel better...".
And for those newbies out there that still think that, No we are not just saying that! We all started out not being able to skate (at one point or the other). So don't think you'll never get the hang of it, because you will!!

Seeing all these new girls struggling also gives a boost of confidence knowing how much we have progressed in this passed year. As skaters, but also as a league. Becoming more organized and really growing as a league. It was one of those great nights that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. :)

To all ADD's new girls and guys! I hope you'll stick around and kick ass on the track in a couple of months! We are happy to have you!!


- Furrrocious

What goes up must come down....

Another night of training, tonight it was fresh meat training, and there were a bunch of awesome new girls, that did GREAT! Oh and I cannot forget, a great new boy!! We have a new Ref training with us, which is awesome cause we really need refs...

I made my best friend come with me today to fresh meat practice, so she could experience my enthusiasm for herself. She did so good and had fun. She won't be the next derby girl on our league. But hey, guess it's not for all of us, and she'll definitely be a cheerleader when will start playing bouts!

So there are so many good things about a fresh meat practice. First of all, there are new girls which is great, we need to get as many girls to fall in love with this amazing sport as we can. But also going back to the basics is really good, especially with our upcoming skills test. Practicing your falls and stops again, it had been a while. And having someone there really checking what you are doing and giving you pointers makes you focus on how you are doing it, instead of just doing it.
I am very happy to announce I am officially doing a proper T-stop. This makes me very happy! :) It has been one of the hardest to master. In the last months I have finally gotten the hang of it. And that makes me very happy. There is at least that I can do right...

We had two of our trainers kicking us around the track today. But there is one I really need to address here, and that is Dirty Knickers..... Well that's her skate name anyways...
Cause I think we should call her Sergeant Sick Fuck!! :p
First and foremost, because she was sick and still training us. And second, because she is one of those people that will ask you if you're tired and when you say yes, she'll make you work another 15 or so minutes, doing some 'light' pack skating.... No seriously, Knickers you deserve a trainer name that does you justice. Cause you do push us hard, and that is exactly what we need too. You know I like the way you train! Just being a whiny bitch. :p
Just for all those people who don't know me to well, I actually like our trainers. Michelle, Mayatollah, Cherry Poppins and Dirty Knickers are all great trainers. And I cannot wait till the time were we can be teammates too!

So tonight was not one of my best practices. I guess at some point training three nights a week (next to stupid necessities like work..) will get to you. And it got to me tonight. I did not have the energy I normally have and my ankles were playing up again, which sucks, because that hasn't happened for a while now. I was over thinking my moves, which doens't make things easier and I was falling down.
Just in general things didn't go easy today. Which makes me frustrated in allot of ways and makes me feel weak... But I know that the road to play is full of ups and downs. I can have practices were everything just goes so well and then days like today...
Those 'up' days can make you cocky and think you can do it all, and then days like these just make you more realistic and remember that the road to being a Roller Derby Girl is long and hard, but with enough practice I will get there!! AND I WILL!!! Just wait and see....


-Furrrocious