Thursday Night Practice & Demands of Roller Derby

At our previous venue, Funquest, we would practice nearly 4 days a week. Tuesday night is always league practice. At Funquest, we'd practice from 7-9 on the weekdays and on Saturday or Sunday the times varied. 5-7 Saturday, 7-9 Saturday, 9-11am Sunday, 11-1 Sunday, so on.

We moved into the Mid-South Fairgrounds sometime in February of 2008. The limitations of the venue has forced our practices into a 3 day period. All back to back. Tuesday night is still league practice 7-9. Wednesday & Thursday nights are team practices. However the scheduling is so late. I find it very hard to attend the late practices. Practice now is 6:30-8:30 or 8:30-10:30...weeknights. I miss our old practice times, and never thought I would, or the 45 minute drive to Collierville.

Skaters are required mandatory skate hours (time spent on your skates) Our league requires 12 per month mandatory. Our league also requires 8 service hours a month. Service hours include time dedicated to building the league, promoting, working for the leagues benefit. Directors are exempt from service hours, because directors usually work an upwards of 30-40 hours a month on building the business. I'm creative director for my league. When we first started, I was bout production director.

As bout production director, I had to research how bouts were managed. Tickets, crowd control, security, volunteer management, acquiring an announcer, acquiring equipment for the production (track, lighting, sound, microphones, rosters, scoreboard) A lot of research went into it and with the help of some other well established leagues and great volunteers, and fellow bout production skater committee members (Hurt Reynolds & Nox) our committee produced the only two sold out bouts of our 3 year career. None of us had ever done anything like this before. We had news crews at the bout, thanks to our great PR department.

Now I'm creative director and I do posters,
, maintain our website MemphisRollerDerby.com, which we are meeting with an ad agency to redevelop, commandeer writers, photographers, videographers, produce bout books and rosters for the league. It's all hard work. I spend an average of 2-3 hours a day working on that aspect. On top of being a skater and training, needless to say, it's hard. I think it's worth it though. Now I feel like the mother, that wants to see her child succeed.

The pressure and demands take it toll. So many of us that take on the role of director or board member, end up quiting the position 'just to skate' again. I just remind myself of why I'm here. I guess that is the one thing that keeps me going. However, I would love to just say "I'm just going to skate."

At this point, it's not about being on the winning team, or meeting so and so celebrity. I look at the faces of the girls that believe in our organization and have worked since day one, and also the girls and guys that have joined and believe in it, and think to myself that I need to push through it...No matter how hard it gets.

To the nitty gritty:

Thursday night practice - my team has a new trainer. Her name is Manda Malice and she offered her services to our team. I'm so happy she did. Our team has the most drop-outs and trades in the entire league. I don't think it stems from so much strife as it does from family issues, and people moving or making life changes that being a volunteer on an organization that demands so much time, they just couldn't do it. There are no hard feelings either, amongst dropped/traded teammates.

Our practice was Thursday, 6:30-8:30.

Manda made it clear (and gratefully so) that this is a team effort. We geared up, and were told that whoever is fully suited, they move to the middle of the rink and wait on one knee in supine position until the rest of our team joins. This adds pressure. Much needed pressure, to gear up fast. I'm usually the first up in gear, I don't really like to lallygag around, I'm here to skate.

Before we geared up, Manda led us through core building drills. Drills that G.I. Jane would be proud of. Rocky Balboa would quiver. She led us on to endurance, pack and scrimmage drills. In total, our practice lasted 2 hours.

My favorite part of her hard edge approach to the first time training our team, was that she said "I know you may have relaxed after scrimmaging before, but now, you're going to do 20 laps." Love it.

Today, I'm in so much pain, that every muscle in my entire body is feeling the intent of her drills. Even though it hurts, I'm so grateful. We need this. I can't imagine doing this back to back though. I'm a little wary of the Tues, Wed, Thur. I wish they were spread out more. One day on, one day off - to recover.

I do look forward to our next training session with her. She brought us together as a team, and in the 3 years I've been a PKP, this is the first time someone else had the strength to wrangle in the strong personalities our team possess. I feel she'll harness it, and bring us to where we need to be.