Running set plays or sets occur on lots of other sports, but the idea mostly comes from basketball, that Western Hemisphere pastime in which coaches call timeout and draw up the play to win the game.
Derby is slightly different. While our sport does draw on a rich history dating back to the Depression era, most of the sport draws its inspiration from the 70s-style bank track where body slamming and elbows to the face won over strategy.
But, since the sports rebirth in the early-2000s, teams and leagues have been making strong headway to legitimize the sport, and thus the introduction of sets.
When I first started, spectators would ask me if we had plays or not. At the time my answer was "no," but only because we hadn't developed as strong as a team yet and trying to get 25-30 players to follow a "play" was nearly impossible. As we improved we started to incorporating different set plays and it started to improve our game.
We worked as a team and recognized the benefits of having goals. From here we can continue to evolve.
This summer we're working on a specific goal to incorporate a new style largely credited to Pitchit Davis, who with some help is credited with helping several teams break the wall to become great.
With any system of sets, I have a few rules of thumb:
1. Don't introduce more sets than your players have the ability to learn. This generally means more than one. The larger the group of players the less likely everyone is going to understand. Keep it simple. Multiple moving parts makes it harder to learn. Learn it, then move on.
2. Practice, practice, practice. It's incredibly hard to introduce a set in the middle of the game. But it does happen. Use practice time to run sets over and over again. Start out playing against imaginary opponents, then move to using players being dumb or playing stupid (simply skating bodies on the track) and finally graduate to full practice.
3. Don't give up on a set just because people don't understand it. Walk them through it. Explain it. Tell your players why it works and why it doesn't. Players will never develop trust in you if you constantly throw away your ideas.
4. In scrimmage and bout situations, if your team fails executing a set. Try to break it down for them when they're done. You're the coach or captain: You should know exactly what happened. Draw it out for them. This may mean not having an eye on the game for a jam, but it can be crucial for your team to know where they went wrong.
5. Likewise, if they execute a set properly reward/praise them immediately. And once they come off the track from that jam. And again on the bench. AND again at the after-party. (Oh, we're not done.) When you have practice again, praise her again. Positive reward/praise builds confidence and ability than negative or none at all.
(My formula is: Immediate positive praise > positive praise > constructive criticism > nothing > negative comments.)
Never (ever) criticize a player in front of everyone unless you immediately follow it with a solution, or if you want to make sure everyone understands the whole situation.
Never be: "WHY DIDN"T YOU CALL THE JAM WHEN I TOLD YOU TO?!" when you can be: "Hey, Why didn't you call the jam?" Then give you're skater time to reply. If she didn't see you, then you need to make sure she's watching for you. If she thought she could score points, then explain to her why it was/wasn't a good idea.
I never get upset if a player chooses to make up her own mind. However, I will ask her the reasoning in her choice and we'll talk about it.
"Well, just execute him!"
Executing a set play in a bout provides one of the best highs a coach can get. Watching it all come together in one moment culminates hours and hours of practice.
In high pressure situations, sets can give your team the edge it needs to accomplish its one goal.
During a bout, don't run a set trying to put your five newest players in the game. If we've learned anything about roller derby it's no matter how many times you practice it when you're in a bout, you're going to forget it.
Make sure everyone on your bench understands the set, but most importantly make sure your next line has it down pat. Get verbal and visual confirmation that they understand. If someone isn't comfortable running the play, get someone it the line that is.
Don't get mad at the players if it simply doesn't work. A coach who takes out self-frustration on their players won't be a coach for long.
On the fly
Just like executing a set play, being able to draw one up on the fly (meaning in-game situations) uplifts you when it happens.
Drawing up plays during a game is one of the few times when everything hinges on your coaching ability. You're at the center of attention and your team is relying on you to formulate a plan.
A situation came up when we were playing a team from Des Moines several months back. Our front wall was dominating the top of the pack for the first half, and we maintained control and the point spread. In the second half, our opponents got wise and instead of trying to break up the front wall, just established a back wall that allowed them to control from behind us. We had very little ability to get behind them to help our jammers through.
I called a timeout, regrouped my skaters and drew up a plan that would help us break their back wall, while maintaining the integrity of our front wall.
It didn't work. That time. The game ended and we lost by 40 points or so. But I didn't let it discourage me.
We took that play to practice and worked on it and worked on it.
Not long after we played Des Moines, both our A team and B team traveled up to Dubuque, Iowa, to play the Eastern Iowa Outlaws. Our B team had established a solid front wall, and just as Des Moines did, EIO learned to just build a wall behind us.
Our front wall hit turn 3, with our jammer hot behind the pack, getting ready to engage the back (and EIO's back wall). I yelled for our play and on turn 4 we executed perfectly, the outside player turned in toward the inside track catching their mid-wall player squarely in the chest with a shoulder block and taking her out of the play opening up a giant hole for our jammer to slide through.
It was like delivering birth to a roller derby baby. We continue to practice these plays over and over so that in the heat of the battle we can execute them (the plays, not the baby).
Being able to draw up plays on the fly takes one of two things (if not both): Imagination or experience.
Being creative can help a lot in drawing up new plays. Chances are someone has already drawn up similar halfway around the country, but you have to be aware of what you're players are capable. Knowing what will work, what should work and what won't work can give you an edge in drawing up plays.
Experience can play just as big of a role. Seen a situation happen years ago? How did that coach resolve the issue. Having the knowledge that you know the play work doesn't always translate to your skaters knowing how to execute. But having the confidence that the play works, is nice. Many basketball coaches have the benefit of growing up in a system in which coaching and plays are heavily involved.
Ever watch the LA Lakers and the commentators are talking about Phil Jackson's Triangle Offense. Well, Jackson was an assistant coach for Tex Winter, who used it. But Winter got it from Sam Barry, who began to formulate the ground work back in the 1940s (guestimate).
We don't quite have the same equivalent in roller derby, but we do have other teams learning at an alarming rate. It's important to watch as much derby as you can, and to break down other plays so that you can learn from them.
Showing posts with label derby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label derby. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Coming from behind and good starts
You hear the analogy all the time in other sports. And the equivalent in roller derby holds true.
Every game of hockey starts with a faceoff. Basketball has the tipoff.
A coin flip determines who begins on offense first in football, and in baseball it's whoever is playing at home.
In roller derby getting a good start is two fold. Off the pack whistle your players want to get their position as easily as possible, and sometimes it's a matter of timing.
By the same token, just as tipoffs and faceoffs are important in their respective sports, establishing your position in derby can dictate the entire jam if not the game.
No matter what your team strategy is, you want to reach the end goal with as little obstruction as possible. Sometimes a player must get to their position and hold it. Sometimes he or she may wait before hitting their position.
Philosophically, getting a good start puts your team in a better position to win the game. Looking at sports psychology, it's often easier to win when a team is in a dominate position, i.e. in the lead. Teams who are behind in points have the added hurdle of eating into the deficit, but also putting points on the board -- effectively working twice as hard to get into a leading position.
Would you rather be ahead by 50 points or behind by 50 points. Being ahead is easier, because as long as your team maintains some distance from the opposing score for the rest of the game, you will win. When your behind you have to score those 50 points just to get back to even points.
The opposing team is likely to add to the difficulty because as you're scoring points to eat into the deficit, they are also scoring points, slowing how effective your team can be just to get back to even.
An analogy can be made directly to track play. If your jammer scores five points and the opposing jammer scores none, the jam ends in a 5-0 swing. You've just made a positive point differential. If you score 5 points and the opposing jammer scores 5 points, there is zero point differential and should be looked at as being the same as a 0-0 jam. If a jam goes 2 minutes and ends 15-15, your team has essentially skated two minutes for zero points.
Let's imagine the game starts. If the first jam ends 0-5 in favor of the opposing team. Your team is now minus 5 points in the whole. Even if you score a 5-0 swing in the second jam, the game is essentially tied after two jams. You've used two different lines, two different jammers (in theory) to make the score 0-0. Start thinking about time, your bench and scoring as commodities.
If you pay $25 dollars for a pair of shoes and I pay $500 for the same pair of shoes, I'm getting the exact same thing but paying more for them.
When you're in a deficit, you "pay more" to get the same thing that you essentially have at the beginning of a game -- a 0-0 tie.
By getting an early lead and maintaining it, your team is in a better position to win. If your in the other seat, you're behind, there are two options available:
1. With lots of time on the clock, your team can incrementally play for small positive point swings to eat into the lead. The downside to this is the longer you play for small point gains, you could essentially be in the lead and doing the same thing. When you're behind, the clock is not your friend. You need to score points while the clock is running down. If you're behind with 55 minutes left in the game, it's more reasonable that you can recover from behing behind. IF there are 5 minutes left in the game, there is a sense of urgency. When you're behind you have to "pay more" whether it's your bench, time, or timeouts to get back to a position that's even.
2. Develop a style in which you're going to optimize the points you can manage to score in a jam. It's easiest to score a positive point when the opposing jammer is in the box. Force a major penalty (or a fourth minor) on the opposing jammer and put your jammer in the position to score maximum points possible. When your behind, sometimes its better to score 15 points in one jam opposed to 5 points in the next three jams depending on how your team plays and how much time is left.
WIth all the work of coming back from a deficit, playing with a lead must be cake, right? Not really.
Again, how you play with a lead depends greatly on your team's overall goal for the bout and where you stand as far as points and clock.
When your team has a lead, it's easier in that your focus becomes different. When you're in a tournament or playing for rankings, the point spread at the end of a game can have a huge impact in placing you in future brackets/rankings. However, if you're not playing for such things, focusing on your team's play is more important.
Remember: Rankings/Tournaments - point spreads are good; otherwise - teamwork and strategy.
This isn't the be all, end all philosophy but it's important to rembember the distinction. If you learn nothing by playing in a blowout, what was the point of the bout.
When you're in the lead ask yourself these two questions:
1. How much time is left in the game?
2. How big of a point spread do we have?
Subquestion: How many points are the opposing jammers able to score?
With a lead in hand, the clock is your friend. The longer the clock is able to roll down the less time your opponent has to score. If there's a lot of time, then you still need to focus on either scoring as many points as they do. If there's just a little time, you generally just have to keep them from scoring.
Likewise, the point spread adds a layer to playing with a lead. If you're up by 100 points and there are five minutes less, it's not likely that the other team can come back. Read: Not likely. I did not say impossible. It takes a good jammer 10 seconds to complete a lap around the track, 10 seconds equals 4 points (if not 5) X 6 (for one minute) X 5 (for five minutes) = 4 X 6 = 24 X 5 = 100-plus points. A 10 point lead with 30 minutes left in the game will be harder to maintain.
Even going into the last jam, you cannot become complacent in thinking a 20 point lead is safe. CANNOT. I can't stress that enough. One bad jammer penalty and you hand the opposing team 5 points for each scoring pass.
Being clutch
My last piece of advice is Key to a team being decent to awesome: A close point spread against either a high caliber team or dwindling clock closes the margin of error greatly. Meaning: a few points difference against a good team or small clock means your team's chances of erring or that an error will dramatically affect the outcome is greater. You have less of a margin for error, and the effects of an error are magnified. They're magnified against a high caliber team because the opponents will take advantage of the error. With little time on the clock when your team commits an error, you have less time to correct it. It's a high pressure situation and you have to count on your team doing the best they can in these key situations.
Turning a corner
Are you a team that manages an early lead, only to give it up and end up losing? Are you a team that often falls to an early deficit, only to come back but come up short against another team?
These are both situations that can easily happen to even the best of teams. The important thing is to not give up and keep trying (standard derby advice). The other thing is to practice different situations so that you're team knows what they need to do in key instances.
Try these examples during scrimmages (this helps to have someone keep track of game, jam and break time and also someone to record points:
1. Down but not out: With 30 minutes remaining in the game, you're behind by 50 points. Your team focuses on getting lead jammer and getting positve point swings.
My advice is to practice getting lead jammer and getting a few 4-0 jams back to back, and repeat as often as possible. This may mean that you put in your best jammers in serial jams. Make sure to practice what to do with lead jammer: get points and call it; prevent the other team from scoring points by calling it before her score pass.
2. Down and out but not done: You're team is down by 15 points with only five minutes left on the clock. You want to have one or two big jams with positive point swings. Your goal is to have the point lead when the five minutes runs out, whether it's by getting a lead and holding it or eking out a win at the last second. Practice this with 3, 2, 1 and zero timeouts remaining. Remember that a timeout stops the game clock, but you don't want to call a timeout if you have the lead and the game would end.
My advice: You want your best lineup rested, but definitely your jammers. Jammers should be prepared to skate back-to-back jams if not being able to skate the last five minutes by themselves. Practicing with your timeouts is key because you may need to stop the clock with a timeout. The fewer timeouts you have adds to the amount of pressure on your players to know what to do.
3. Close, go for the cigar: Your in a 0-0 tie with the opposing team and only 2:35 on the game clock.There's enough time on the clock to get at least two full jams in. In two jams, you need to win the game. Once you practice this a few times, practice with just 1 minute on the game clock and you only have one timeout. Your goal is to win, not a tie.
My advice: Earning lead jammer is super important as is playing penalty free. Do not put in a penalty prone jammer in the pack as you risk her sitting in the box. Remember the object is to get points as fast as possible. Playing 0-0 it puts the emphasis on earning points, and less what the score actually is. a 300-300 game going into the last jam is essentially the same as a 0-0 game.
Teams looking to practice holding a lead, can use the same examples above, but they're goal is the opposite, instead of coming from behind, they want to maintain their lead.
They are also less likely to Call a timeout (because they want the clock to keep rolling). Also they want to make sure the score as many points as the team coming from behind, or keep them from scoring. Again this decision of offense or defense (or both) is a team decision and should be clearly communicated.
Every game of hockey starts with a faceoff. Basketball has the tipoff.
A coin flip determines who begins on offense first in football, and in baseball it's whoever is playing at home.
In roller derby getting a good start is two fold. Off the pack whistle your players want to get their position as easily as possible, and sometimes it's a matter of timing.
By the same token, just as tipoffs and faceoffs are important in their respective sports, establishing your position in derby can dictate the entire jam if not the game.
No matter what your team strategy is, you want to reach the end goal with as little obstruction as possible. Sometimes a player must get to their position and hold it. Sometimes he or she may wait before hitting their position.
Philosophically, getting a good start puts your team in a better position to win the game. Looking at sports psychology, it's often easier to win when a team is in a dominate position, i.e. in the lead. Teams who are behind in points have the added hurdle of eating into the deficit, but also putting points on the board -- effectively working twice as hard to get into a leading position.
Would you rather be ahead by 50 points or behind by 50 points. Being ahead is easier, because as long as your team maintains some distance from the opposing score for the rest of the game, you will win. When your behind you have to score those 50 points just to get back to even points.
The opposing team is likely to add to the difficulty because as you're scoring points to eat into the deficit, they are also scoring points, slowing how effective your team can be just to get back to even.
An analogy can be made directly to track play. If your jammer scores five points and the opposing jammer scores none, the jam ends in a 5-0 swing. You've just made a positive point differential. If you score 5 points and the opposing jammer scores 5 points, there is zero point differential and should be looked at as being the same as a 0-0 jam. If a jam goes 2 minutes and ends 15-15, your team has essentially skated two minutes for zero points.
Let's imagine the game starts. If the first jam ends 0-5 in favor of the opposing team. Your team is now minus 5 points in the whole. Even if you score a 5-0 swing in the second jam, the game is essentially tied after two jams. You've used two different lines, two different jammers (in theory) to make the score 0-0. Start thinking about time, your bench and scoring as commodities.
If you pay $25 dollars for a pair of shoes and I pay $500 for the same pair of shoes, I'm getting the exact same thing but paying more for them.
When you're in a deficit, you "pay more" to get the same thing that you essentially have at the beginning of a game -- a 0-0 tie.
By getting an early lead and maintaining it, your team is in a better position to win. If your in the other seat, you're behind, there are two options available:
1. With lots of time on the clock, your team can incrementally play for small positive point swings to eat into the lead. The downside to this is the longer you play for small point gains, you could essentially be in the lead and doing the same thing. When you're behind, the clock is not your friend. You need to score points while the clock is running down. If you're behind with 55 minutes left in the game, it's more reasonable that you can recover from behing behind. IF there are 5 minutes left in the game, there is a sense of urgency. When you're behind you have to "pay more" whether it's your bench, time, or timeouts to get back to a position that's even.
2. Develop a style in which you're going to optimize the points you can manage to score in a jam. It's easiest to score a positive point when the opposing jammer is in the box. Force a major penalty (or a fourth minor) on the opposing jammer and put your jammer in the position to score maximum points possible. When your behind, sometimes its better to score 15 points in one jam opposed to 5 points in the next three jams depending on how your team plays and how much time is left.
WIth all the work of coming back from a deficit, playing with a lead must be cake, right? Not really.
Again, how you play with a lead depends greatly on your team's overall goal for the bout and where you stand as far as points and clock.
When your team has a lead, it's easier in that your focus becomes different. When you're in a tournament or playing for rankings, the point spread at the end of a game can have a huge impact in placing you in future brackets/rankings. However, if you're not playing for such things, focusing on your team's play is more important.
Remember: Rankings/Tournaments - point spreads are good; otherwise - teamwork and strategy.
This isn't the be all, end all philosophy but it's important to rembember the distinction. If you learn nothing by playing in a blowout, what was the point of the bout.
When you're in the lead ask yourself these two questions:
1. How much time is left in the game?
2. How big of a point spread do we have?
Subquestion: How many points are the opposing jammers able to score?
With a lead in hand, the clock is your friend. The longer the clock is able to roll down the less time your opponent has to score. If there's a lot of time, then you still need to focus on either scoring as many points as they do. If there's just a little time, you generally just have to keep them from scoring.
Likewise, the point spread adds a layer to playing with a lead. If you're up by 100 points and there are five minutes less, it's not likely that the other team can come back. Read: Not likely. I did not say impossible. It takes a good jammer 10 seconds to complete a lap around the track, 10 seconds equals 4 points (if not 5) X 6 (for one minute) X 5 (for five minutes) = 4 X 6 = 24 X 5 = 100-plus points. A 10 point lead with 30 minutes left in the game will be harder to maintain.
Even going into the last jam, you cannot become complacent in thinking a 20 point lead is safe. CANNOT. I can't stress that enough. One bad jammer penalty and you hand the opposing team 5 points for each scoring pass.
Being clutch
My last piece of advice is Key to a team being decent to awesome: A close point spread against either a high caliber team or dwindling clock closes the margin of error greatly. Meaning: a few points difference against a good team or small clock means your team's chances of erring or that an error will dramatically affect the outcome is greater. You have less of a margin for error, and the effects of an error are magnified. They're magnified against a high caliber team because the opponents will take advantage of the error. With little time on the clock when your team commits an error, you have less time to correct it. It's a high pressure situation and you have to count on your team doing the best they can in these key situations.
Turning a corner
Are you a team that manages an early lead, only to give it up and end up losing? Are you a team that often falls to an early deficit, only to come back but come up short against another team?
These are both situations that can easily happen to even the best of teams. The important thing is to not give up and keep trying (standard derby advice). The other thing is to practice different situations so that you're team knows what they need to do in key instances.
Try these examples during scrimmages (this helps to have someone keep track of game, jam and break time and also someone to record points:
1. Down but not out: With 30 minutes remaining in the game, you're behind by 50 points. Your team focuses on getting lead jammer and getting positve point swings.
My advice is to practice getting lead jammer and getting a few 4-0 jams back to back, and repeat as often as possible. This may mean that you put in your best jammers in serial jams. Make sure to practice what to do with lead jammer: get points and call it; prevent the other team from scoring points by calling it before her score pass.
2. Down and out but not done: You're team is down by 15 points with only five minutes left on the clock. You want to have one or two big jams with positive point swings. Your goal is to have the point lead when the five minutes runs out, whether it's by getting a lead and holding it or eking out a win at the last second. Practice this with 3, 2, 1 and zero timeouts remaining. Remember that a timeout stops the game clock, but you don't want to call a timeout if you have the lead and the game would end.
My advice: You want your best lineup rested, but definitely your jammers. Jammers should be prepared to skate back-to-back jams if not being able to skate the last five minutes by themselves. Practicing with your timeouts is key because you may need to stop the clock with a timeout. The fewer timeouts you have adds to the amount of pressure on your players to know what to do.
3. Close, go for the cigar: Your in a 0-0 tie with the opposing team and only 2:35 on the game clock.There's enough time on the clock to get at least two full jams in. In two jams, you need to win the game. Once you practice this a few times, practice with just 1 minute on the game clock and you only have one timeout. Your goal is to win, not a tie.
My advice: Earning lead jammer is super important as is playing penalty free. Do not put in a penalty prone jammer in the pack as you risk her sitting in the box. Remember the object is to get points as fast as possible. Playing 0-0 it puts the emphasis on earning points, and less what the score actually is. a 300-300 game going into the last jam is essentially the same as a 0-0 game.
Teams looking to practice holding a lead, can use the same examples above, but they're goal is the opposite, instead of coming from behind, they want to maintain their lead.
They are also less likely to Call a timeout (because they want the clock to keep rolling). Also they want to make sure the score as many points as the team coming from behind, or keep them from scoring. Again this decision of offense or defense (or both) is a team decision and should be clearly communicated.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Let's think global
So every once in awhile I stroll through my Blogger stats.
Blogger stats can show you:
- Where people are browsing your blog from
- Which posts are getting the most hits
- What search words people are using to find your site
- Who's linking out to your site.
I've been noticing several different hits outside of the continental U.S., something that intrigues me.
One of those linkouts is from http://aotearoller.co.nz/.
Yeah, the NZ on the end, means it's from New Zealand (Hi, Goregasm! *waves emphatically*)
I want to trade a team T-shirt if you're up for it.
I'm super-stoked.
Blogger stats can show you:
- Where people are browsing your blog from
- Which posts are getting the most hits
- What search words people are using to find your site
- Who's linking out to your site.
I've been noticing several different hits outside of the continental U.S., something that intrigues me.
One of those linkouts is from http://aotearoller.co.nz/.
Yeah, the NZ on the end, means it's from New Zealand (Hi, Goregasm! *waves emphatically*)
I want to trade a team T-shirt if you're up for it.
I'm super-stoked.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The psychology of losing, or You're down but not out
Losing isn't a goal that we all set out to accomplish. It's hardwired into our nature to win -- survival, last person standing, kill or be killed.
But the laws of nature, even though they govern a large part of our psychological and physiological makeup, aren't the "be all, end all" on the roller derby track.
We all want to win. But in any given sport, there can only be one winner.
That "Highlander"-like thought process has to stand at the forefront when you play any game.
Whether you were beat by 1 point or 200 points, it's important to congratulate the other person/team with sincerity and professionalism, as you would expect the same from your opponent.
I hate excuses. I hate them on the track, and I hate them after the game.
If a player is making excuses on the track or bench, it creates negative energy, and negative energy -- just as positive energy is -- is infectious. One player behaving poorly will spoil the whole bench if someone doesn't control the situation efficiently and quickly. Let the negative energy go and it will consume you're whole team. It's much easier to control one bad attitude than 14 bad attitudes.
"Nip it in the bud," as Barney Fife would say.
The problem with negative attitudes is that they're incredibly easy to give into. Staying positive takes work and when an opponent is constantly taking swings at your players it's harder to manage. The negative energy also casts a dense fog over the entire game, making it incredibly difficult to focus on the game at hand, which is what you and your players should be focusing on.
I've instituted a "quiet bench" philosophy, in which in our lineup the only five players "up to bat" -- or set to go into the next jam -- are the players who are talking are talking to each other. No one else should be chit-chatting, complaining or making any other verbal comment. None. They should be focusing on the game at hand. The five players "up to bat" should be communicating with each other on how they should play their position and what they need to do to improve the team's in-game standing.
A quiet bench goes above and beyond great measure to controlling bad attitudes. A player who willingly violates the "quiet bench" philosophy is in danger of voluntarily giving up her spot on the roster. No exceptions. Does it suck to lose a player willingly? Yes, but if you allow them to stay bench side you are essentially condoning their behavior. You will have to manage the attitudes of your bench less and focus on the game more.
The quiet bench extends all the way through game time, up until the end of the last jam. This becomes very difficult if it's a close game, but important if you are to set an example.
We were at a game in which we were already winning and the announcers encouraged everyone to stand up and get loud for the last jam of the game. As my girls started standing and cheering I asked them to sit down and be quiet. "But they told us to stand up?" one of my players said/asked. "Who's your coach and what does your coach want you to do?" I replied. They politely took their seat and waited anxiously for the end of the jam. Was it a cold response? Yes, but necessary. The quiet bench should be an institution from the time the game starts until it officially ends, win or lose.
(If you are a coach who does not wear the A for the designated captain of your team, seat your captains as close to you as physically possible so that you can talk to them without having to yell across the bench. Yelling even if it's important isn't the best way to communicate as people's personal defenses immediately go up. Plus, you don't want to give away too much information to the other team. Bring your captains closer to you, and use your inside voice.)
After a jam, the heat can come pouring in -- as players complain about calls or a missed hit, etc. Control the issues at hand as quickly as possible and move on. If a player has to vent, let her vent, give her verbal and visual confirmation that you understand and move on. Sometimes all a person needs is an outlet to vent, otherwise it gets bottled up. But you can't get carried away and listen to five girls coming off the track all wanting to vent or you will never be able to focus on the next jam, so make it an exception for only a short few.
After the game is over, it's easy to start making excuses for a loss. Instead of negative reinforcement I try to cultivate positive, critical thinking. Instead of the things we did wrong, or what the other team did illegally, or missed calls -- I try to focus on the things we need to work on, how we can improve and what we can do to control future outcomes a little better.
It's incredibly hard to play a game when there are various events in which you have no control, i.e. bad calls, missed calls, what the other team does. As a coach/captain/player you have to focus on the things you can control and minimize the things you can't control. Things you can control in a game: Game clock (via timeouts, official reviews, injury stoppage), Intentional fourth minors (so you don't inadvertently jam a player with three minors), getting the right pack lineup at the right time, etc.
(As a rule I try not to use our official review on made calls or missed calls. A made call will stand nine times out of tend. A referee makes a call based on what he or she sees and it's pretty hard to argue the logic. Besides the referee may have seen something you didn't -- and you've successfully wasted a review. Likewise a missed call is hard to argue for because if three referees are watching the play and they all miss a call -- you aren't going to get the call made after the fact. Only ask for a official review on a made or missed call if you are absolutely, positively you can get the outcome changed and it drastically affects the game.)
There are plenty of things that one can control in a derby game, and maybe one day I'll actually make a list. But it's important to factor in as much as you do have control over, so that you get most advantages when playing a derby bout.
Are you a player that gets called on elbows a lot? There's not much you can do during a game, but at practice you can certainly work on giving hits without following through with the elbow. After a game, you can certainly ask a ref who called you on an elbow what he/she saw. Don't argue. Zebras often are the best source of information when it comes to changing our mental and physical gameplan for future games. They will usually tell you that you "followed through" or that you "swung your elbow" warranting the call.
As a coach, I try to take notes if I see something happen that I know we can fix. In the first intermission this can be crucial. Jot down two or three things at the most -- more than that and you will confuse everyone. I will usually give my few pieces of advice and then let every player know where they stand with minors and majors. And then we set up the first line for the second half.
(I try to take notes for the second half to address at the next practice if possible, but if the game is incredibly tight, it can be more difficult to remember to write things down.)
I'm hoping with a few improvements I can continue to hone how I coach in crucial games. I know that by managing my bench and focusing on the positive, we, as a team, have a better chance to improve on prepare for the next game even if we lost the last game.
But the laws of nature, even though they govern a large part of our psychological and physiological makeup, aren't the "be all, end all" on the roller derby track.
We all want to win. But in any given sport, there can only be one winner.
That "Highlander"-like thought process has to stand at the forefront when you play any game.
Whether you were beat by 1 point or 200 points, it's important to congratulate the other person/team with sincerity and professionalism, as you would expect the same from your opponent.
I hate excuses. I hate them on the track, and I hate them after the game.
If a player is making excuses on the track or bench, it creates negative energy, and negative energy -- just as positive energy is -- is infectious. One player behaving poorly will spoil the whole bench if someone doesn't control the situation efficiently and quickly. Let the negative energy go and it will consume you're whole team. It's much easier to control one bad attitude than 14 bad attitudes.
"Nip it in the bud," as Barney Fife would say.
The problem with negative attitudes is that they're incredibly easy to give into. Staying positive takes work and when an opponent is constantly taking swings at your players it's harder to manage. The negative energy also casts a dense fog over the entire game, making it incredibly difficult to focus on the game at hand, which is what you and your players should be focusing on.
I've instituted a "quiet bench" philosophy, in which in our lineup the only five players "up to bat" -- or set to go into the next jam -- are the players who are talking are talking to each other. No one else should be chit-chatting, complaining or making any other verbal comment. None. They should be focusing on the game at hand. The five players "up to bat" should be communicating with each other on how they should play their position and what they need to do to improve the team's in-game standing.
A quiet bench goes above and beyond great measure to controlling bad attitudes. A player who willingly violates the "quiet bench" philosophy is in danger of voluntarily giving up her spot on the roster. No exceptions. Does it suck to lose a player willingly? Yes, but if you allow them to stay bench side you are essentially condoning their behavior. You will have to manage the attitudes of your bench less and focus on the game more.
The quiet bench extends all the way through game time, up until the end of the last jam. This becomes very difficult if it's a close game, but important if you are to set an example.
We were at a game in which we were already winning and the announcers encouraged everyone to stand up and get loud for the last jam of the game. As my girls started standing and cheering I asked them to sit down and be quiet. "But they told us to stand up?" one of my players said/asked. "Who's your coach and what does your coach want you to do?" I replied. They politely took their seat and waited anxiously for the end of the jam. Was it a cold response? Yes, but necessary. The quiet bench should be an institution from the time the game starts until it officially ends, win or lose.
(If you are a coach who does not wear the A for the designated captain of your team, seat your captains as close to you as physically possible so that you can talk to them without having to yell across the bench. Yelling even if it's important isn't the best way to communicate as people's personal defenses immediately go up. Plus, you don't want to give away too much information to the other team. Bring your captains closer to you, and use your inside voice.)
After a jam, the heat can come pouring in -- as players complain about calls or a missed hit, etc. Control the issues at hand as quickly as possible and move on. If a player has to vent, let her vent, give her verbal and visual confirmation that you understand and move on. Sometimes all a person needs is an outlet to vent, otherwise it gets bottled up. But you can't get carried away and listen to five girls coming off the track all wanting to vent or you will never be able to focus on the next jam, so make it an exception for only a short few.
After the game is over, it's easy to start making excuses for a loss. Instead of negative reinforcement I try to cultivate positive, critical thinking. Instead of the things we did wrong, or what the other team did illegally, or missed calls -- I try to focus on the things we need to work on, how we can improve and what we can do to control future outcomes a little better.
It's incredibly hard to play a game when there are various events in which you have no control, i.e. bad calls, missed calls, what the other team does. As a coach/captain/player you have to focus on the things you can control and minimize the things you can't control. Things you can control in a game: Game clock (via timeouts, official reviews, injury stoppage), Intentional fourth minors (so you don't inadvertently jam a player with three minors), getting the right pack lineup at the right time, etc.
(As a rule I try not to use our official review on made calls or missed calls. A made call will stand nine times out of tend. A referee makes a call based on what he or she sees and it's pretty hard to argue the logic. Besides the referee may have seen something you didn't -- and you've successfully wasted a review. Likewise a missed call is hard to argue for because if three referees are watching the play and they all miss a call -- you aren't going to get the call made after the fact. Only ask for a official review on a made or missed call if you are absolutely, positively you can get the outcome changed and it drastically affects the game.)
There are plenty of things that one can control in a derby game, and maybe one day I'll actually make a list. But it's important to factor in as much as you do have control over, so that you get most advantages when playing a derby bout.
Are you a player that gets called on elbows a lot? There's not much you can do during a game, but at practice you can certainly work on giving hits without following through with the elbow. After a game, you can certainly ask a ref who called you on an elbow what he/she saw. Don't argue. Zebras often are the best source of information when it comes to changing our mental and physical gameplan for future games. They will usually tell you that you "followed through" or that you "swung your elbow" warranting the call.
As a coach, I try to take notes if I see something happen that I know we can fix. In the first intermission this can be crucial. Jot down two or three things at the most -- more than that and you will confuse everyone. I will usually give my few pieces of advice and then let every player know where they stand with minors and majors. And then we set up the first line for the second half.
(I try to take notes for the second half to address at the next practice if possible, but if the game is incredibly tight, it can be more difficult to remember to write things down.)
I'm hoping with a few improvements I can continue to hone how I coach in crucial games. I know that by managing my bench and focusing on the positive, we, as a team, have a better chance to improve on prepare for the next game even if we lost the last game.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Quick hits: Derby's Black Widow
I bumped into the Texecutioners' coach Kelli "Black Widow" Page during the halftime of the Rocky Mountain-Charm City bout on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010, at the Women's Flat Track Derby Association's championship tournament called Uproar on the Lakeshore in Chicago, Illinois.
(I'll probably work some of these quotes into a future blog, so don't be surprised if you see them again.)
****
On the Rocky-Charm matchup ...
"I think (Rocky-Charm) it's an interesting matchup. Even though their styles are different, they're both very physical teams. Rocky relies a lot on their speed and taking advantage of power jam situations. I think that's also true of Charm City. I think they're both looking for those opportunities to really put a hurt on you, and that's where the point swings heavily come into play."
"They're both headsy teams and they don't let the other team change their style of play. They really stick to it. "
"It's obvious that Rocky is very comfortable working together. You'll see a lot of their recycling and they play in really close proximity of each other. They're always looking for that pair matchup out there. "
"When Dolly is out there, or Joy, they (Charm) are dictating and telling the rest of the pack what that play is and they respond to wherever they're directing them to go."
About avoiding penalties and skating clean ...
"At this level it's huge. If you give a team an opportunity the way the style of play is now where they have the back wall and they stop and they trap one of your players, thats it, it's over. You really have to make sure that you're as clean as possible and don't give them as many opportunities to do that because it will hurt you."
(I'll probably work some of these quotes into a future blog, so don't be surprised if you see them again.)
****
On the Rocky-Charm matchup ...
"I think (Rocky-Charm) it's an interesting matchup. Even though their styles are different, they're both very physical teams. Rocky relies a lot on their speed and taking advantage of power jam situations. I think that's also true of Charm City. I think they're both looking for those opportunities to really put a hurt on you, and that's where the point swings heavily come into play."
"They're both headsy teams and they don't let the other team change their style of play. They really stick to it. "
"It's obvious that Rocky is very comfortable working together. You'll see a lot of their recycling and they play in really close proximity of each other. They're always looking for that pair matchup out there. "
"When Dolly is out there, or Joy, they (Charm) are dictating and telling the rest of the pack what that play is and they respond to wherever they're directing them to go."
About avoiding penalties and skating clean ...
"At this level it's huge. If you give a team an opportunity the way the style of play is now where they have the back wall and they stop and they trap one of your players, thats it, it's over. You really have to make sure that you're as clean as possible and don't give them as many opportunities to do that because it will hurt you."
Monday, November 1, 2010
Uproar on the Lakeshore: Championship Week
We're down to the wire for those of us in the roller derby community awaiting the culmination of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association's season.This weekend 12 teams will play for the Hydra Trophy, awarded to the WFTDA's top team each year.
Fivepointgrandlslam.com will be in Chicago live-Tweeting and covering the tournament, as will numerous other journalists and roller derby enthusiasts.
In preparation, I'll have a blog for each day of the week until the opening day's game (Monday-Friday).
Tuesday: By the numbers
Wednesday: What's in a name?
Thursday: The post-regional power rankings
We've been in contact with a few skaters and coaches about some things to watch for at the tournament, and hope you'll enjoy each new entry. And stay tuned. We're hoping to have our Wi-Fi connection up and going to stay connected with everyone.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The championship invitations are punched
Kansas City, Mo., reigns supreme in the South Central, upsetting Austin, Texas, in the regional finals. Nashville surprised almost everyone taking third place over Atlanta, the South Central's third seed, to take the SC's third seed heading to Chicago for Uproar on the Lakeshore.
The Texas-Kansas City was the bout to watch, capping off the three-day tournament with seasonally experienced roller derby.
The contest between the Kansas City Roller Warriors and the Texacutioners was intense from the beginning to the very end with a major lead changes. Texas started out on top 41-40 with 10 minutes left in the first half, with Kansas overtaking the lead 64-49 at the half. Texas and KC would tie 98-98 with 15 minutes left in the bout, making it anyone's game.
Both halves had plenty of action, but in the second half Texas struggled to adapt to two events that radically changed the course of the bout. Texas had already burned their challenge early in the game (I believe for a point dispute) when Curvette, No. 76, was called on a major low block, which was later upgraded to a gross misconduct and an ejection, when she attempted to step around the Kansas City jammer.
Chasing the jammer, Curvette was behind a half-step and tried to work her away around the inside of her opponent. Curvette inadvertently kicked the jammer and as she brought her leg around the jammer's front she used her upper right thigh to block the Kansas City skater, causing the KC jammer.
Having seen the "inadvertent kick" and after the jammer falling her jam ref called Curvette on a major low block, and upon the completion of the jam, the referees conferred and expelled Curvette for the illegal low block.
Their challenge expired, Texas had to sit by and watch Curvette as she skated back to the tournament's staging area.
Texas would also have problems with Kansas City's up tempo and frustrating defensive/offensive onslaught, with KC at one point with a four-wall in the rear of the pack holding back the Texas jammer.
Texas faced a choice of trying to slow down and pick off the Kansas City blockers hoping their jammer could get through or speeding up and forcing out-of-play calls on the KC defense and possibly "destroying the pack calls" on Texas.
TXRG chose to try and pick off the blockers, clogging up the track with plenty of bodies and making an impenetrable wall that their jammer couldn't navigate.
Later in the second half, each jammer from their respective teams was called on almost simultaneous cutting majors. Both jammers reported to the box sat at the same time.
The jammers seem confused as when they were to be released, and Kansas City Coach Ice screamed for his jammer to return to the track.
The crowd audibly upset, the referees took an official timeout at jam's end to discuss the previous events. It would be one of a couple official timeouts the zebra herd would take, with the action happening fast and the stakes at hand extremely high for both teams.
What had transpired was Dementia mistakenly thought the major track cut that was called on Texas jammer Oliva Shootin' John was directed at the KC jammer. When both jammers did return to the track and the jam ended upon Dementia's successfully calling off the jam, OSJ was instructed to return to the penalty box to serve her time, but the referees still awarded her the points she earned on her scoring passes.
However if both players had been called for major penalties and they indeed sit at the same time they would be instructed to stand, and both jammers would serve 10 seconds and be released back to the track.
As per WFTDA rules as of May 26, 2010, Section 7.4.2, if both jammers are seated in the box at the same exact moment, both Jammers will serve 10 seconds before they are simultaneously released back into play by the penalty box official.
The debacle illustrates a key point for both jammers and their respective jam ref. Upon sitting in the box, the jammer should look to her jam ref and ask what the call was, but the jam ref should also communicate what the skater was sent off for. If the jammer mistakenly went to the box, that would be the proper time for the jam ref to instruct her to return to the track.
KC's Kelley Young, formerly Snot Rocket, managed a huge 29 point jam with a minute left to play to put Kansas City on top 153-123.
KC, Texas and Nashville will join the ranks of Gotham, Philly, Charm City, Windy City, Minnesota, Madison, Bay Area Derby, Rocky Mountain and Oly to play for the coveted Hydra Trophy, the WFTDA championship.
Hometown favorites No Coast leaped three regional spots, from South Central No. 8 to No.5 beating two Derby News Network nationally ranked Top 25 teams (as of September 2010), Dallas (SC4, DNN25) and Tampa (SC6, DNN 24), their only loss to the South Central No. 1 seed Texas. No Coast also got some redemption for some losses earlier in the season against Tampa. No Coast jammer Flash Gloria won the tournament MVP, working incredibly hard in No Coast's jammer rotation.Amber Waves of Pain, the South Central Region tournament, is over, determining the final spots in the Women's Flat Track Derby Association's championship tournament.
Kansas City, Mo., reigns supreme in the South Central, upsetting Austin, Texas, in the regional finals. Nashville surprised almost everyone taking third place over Atlanta, the South Central's third seed, to take the SC's third seed heading to Chicago for Uproar on the Lakeshore.
The Texas-Kansas City was the bout to watch, capping off the three-day tournament with seasonally experienced roller derby.
The contest between the Kansas City Roller Warriors and the Texacutioners was intense from the beginning to the very end with a major lead changes. Texas started out on top 41-40 with 10 minutes left in the first half, with Kansas overtaking the lead 64-49 at the half. Texas and KC would tie 98-98 with 15 minutes left in the bout, making it anyone's game.
Both halves had plenty of action, but in the second half Texas struggled to adapt to two events that radically changed the course of the bout. Texas had already burned their challenge early in the game (I believe for a point dispute) when Curvette, No. 76, was called on a major low block, which was later upgraded to a gross misconduct and an ejection, when she attempted to step around the Kansas City jammer.
Chasing the jammer, Curvette was behind a half-step and tried to work her away around the inside of her opponent. Curvette inadvertently kicked the jammer and as she brought her leg around the jammer's front she used her upper right thigh to block the Kansas City skater, causing the KC jammer.
Having seen the "inadvertent kick" and after the jammer falling her jam ref called Curvette on a major low block, and upon the completion of the jam, the referees conferred and expelled Curvette for the illegal low block.
Their challenge expired, Texas had to sit by and watch Curvette as she skated back to the tournament's staging area.
Texas would also have problems with Kansas City's up tempo and frustrating defensive/offensive onslaught, with KC at one point with a four-wall in the rear of the pack holding back the Texas jammer.
Texas faced a choice of trying to slow down and pick off the Kansas City blockers hoping their jammer could get through or speeding up and forcing out-of-play calls on the KC defense and possibly "destroying the pack calls" on Texas.
TXRG chose to try and pick off the blockers, clogging up the track with plenty of bodies and making an impenetrable wall that their jammer couldn't navigate.
Later in the second half, each jammer from their respective teams was called on almost simultaneous cutting majors. Both jammers reported to the box sat at the same time.
The jammers seem confused as when they were to be released, and Kansas City Coach Ice screamed for his jammer to return to the track.
The crowd audibly upset, the referees took an official timeout at jam's end to discuss the previous events. It would be one of a couple official timeouts the zebra herd would take, with the action happening fast and the stakes at hand extremely high for both teams.
What had transpired was Dementia mistakenly thought the major track cut that was called on Texas jammer Oliva Shootin' John was directed at the KC jammer. When both jammers did return to the track and the jam ended upon Dementia's successfully calling off the jam, OSJ was instructed to return to the penalty box to serve her time, but the referees still awarded her the points she earned on her scoring passes.
However if both players had been called for major penalties and they indeed sit at the same time they would be instructed to stand, and both jammers would serve 10 seconds and be released back to the track.
As per WFTDA rules as of May 26, 2010, Section 7.4.2, if both jammers are seated in the box at the same exact moment, both Jammers will serve 10 seconds before they are simultaneously released back into play by the penalty box official.
The debacle illustrates a key point for both jammers and their respective jam ref. Upon sitting in the box, the jammer should look to her jam ref and ask what the call was, but the jam ref should also communicate what the skater was sent off for. If the jammer mistakenly went to the box, that would be the proper time for the jam ref to instruct her to return to the track.
KC's Kelley Young, formerly Snot Rocket, managed a huge 29 point jam with a minute left to play to put Kansas City on top 153-123.
KC, Texas and Nashville will join the ranks of Gotham, Philly, Charm City, Windy City, Minnesota, Madison, Bay Area Derby, Rocky Mountain and Oly to play for the coveted Hydra Trophy, the WFTDA championship.
Hometown favorites No Coast leaped three regional spots, from South Central No. 8 to No.5 beating two Derby News Network nationally ranked Top 25 teams (as of September 2010), Dallas (SC4, DNN25) and Tampa (SC6, DNN 24), their only loss to the South Central No. 1 seed Texas. No Coast also got some redemption for some losses earlier in the season against Tampa. No Coast jammer Flash Gloria won the tournament MVP, working incredibly hard in No Coast's jammer rotation.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Bring on the pain
After a weekend of surprising upsets at Rollin' on the River 2010, the best in the west are heading to Chicago.
Rocky Mountain ended Oly's 22-bout win streak to snatch the No. 1 seed going into the Women's Flat Track Derby Association's Championship Tournament on November 5-7. Oly was unable to ride its 287 point differential from its first two games to a first place finish, upset in the last game 127-86, despite several lead changes.
Bay Area Derby overcame it's 6th seed in the Western Region, upsetting Denver in the first round 132-128. BAD lost to eventual champion Rocky in the second round, but then took third place in the tournament with a win over Rose City.
Now the action turns to the Midwest once again as the regional tournament stops in the land of Nebraska for the final WFTDA regional tournament.
The No Coast Roller Girls will host Amber Waves of Pain, the South Central Region Tournament on October 8-10 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Tournament staples Texas and Kansas City look to maintain their roller derby dominance, and take two of the top spots into Uproar on the Lakeshore in Chicago.
Thus far the No. 1 seed has made it into the the top three of each region, thus securing a bid in the championship tournament. Gotham and Windy City maintained their lock on the No. 1 seed, and secure a first-round bye in Chicago. Rocky and it's upset of Oly will get the bye after taking first place in the West.
Three more spots in the championship tournament remain open as the Top 10 teams in the South Central Region vie for a spot in the (inter)national spotlight.
Both Kansas City and Texas have won the WFTDA national championship previously, before the inception of the Hydra Trophy. Texas became the first WFTDA champion ever in 2006, while Kansas City won a year later in 2007.
Texas advanced to the final game in the 2009 WFTDA national tournament at Declaration of Derby in Philadelphia, losing to Oly Rollers 179-100 in the championship game, and thus earning second place in the tournament.
South Central No. 1 seed Texas looks like a shoe-in.
"All in all, Texas has always been a derby powerhouse!" says Christine "Sylvia Bullet" Newell, No Coast blocker. "I think their chances are pretty good, but I wouldn’t put them past an upset."
Bay Area Derby, originally ranked sixth in the Western Region, and Minnesota, originally ranked seventh in the North Central Region, both managed key upsets to place into the championship tournament.
Underdogs No Coast are keeping their focus positive on their chances in the South Central Region.
"Minnesota’s Cinderella story reminds us that it’s possible for No Coast to break into the top three and make it to Chicago in November," Newell says. "To make it to Chicago we’re going to have to play smart, play clean, and stay focused."
No Coast will have to beat Hard Knox, No. 9 seed in the first round of the South Central, to get a chance to play Texas, No. 10 in the nation according to Derby News Network's September 2010 power rankings.
"We aren't looking past Hard Knox, but we are planning on playing Texas and are looking forward to it," Newell says.
Atlanta Rollergirls will face the winner of the first round matchup between Houston and Memphis. Other Amber Waves of Pain participants include Dallas Derby Devils, Nashville Roller Girls, and Tampa Bay Derby Darlins..
South Central Rankings
SC01 Texas Rollergirls (DNN 10)
SC02 Atlanta Rollergirls (DNN 20)
SC03 Kansas City Roller Warriors (DNN 18)
SC04 Dallas Derby Devils (DNN 25)
SC05 Nashville Roller Girls
SC06 Tampa Bay Derby Darlins (DNN 24)
SC07 Houston Roller Derby
SC08 No Coast Roller Girls
SC09 Hard Knox Roller Girls
SC10 Memphis Roller Derby
Top 3 finishes per region
Here are the top three finishes for each region. The number one seed for each region gets a bye in the first round of the championship tournament. The No. 2 seed from each region will play a No. 3 seed from a different region. Teams seeded No. 2 or No. 3 will have to play three games if they want to make it to championship finals and a loss in the first round will knock them out completely. Second round losers will still get an opportunity to play for third place.
Rocky Mountain ended Oly's 22-bout win streak to snatch the No. 1 seed going into the Women's Flat Track Derby Association's Championship Tournament on November 5-7. Oly was unable to ride its 287 point differential from its first two games to a first place finish, upset in the last game 127-86, despite several lead changes.
Bay Area Derby overcame it's 6th seed in the Western Region, upsetting Denver in the first round 132-128. BAD lost to eventual champion Rocky in the second round, but then took third place in the tournament with a win over Rose City.
Now the action turns to the Midwest once again as the regional tournament stops in the land of Nebraska for the final WFTDA regional tournament.
The No Coast Roller Girls will host Amber Waves of Pain, the South Central Region Tournament on October 8-10 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Tournament staples Texas and Kansas City look to maintain their roller derby dominance, and take two of the top spots into Uproar on the Lakeshore in Chicago.
Thus far the No. 1 seed has made it into the the top three of each region, thus securing a bid in the championship tournament. Gotham and Windy City maintained their lock on the No. 1 seed, and secure a first-round bye in Chicago. Rocky and it's upset of Oly will get the bye after taking first place in the West.
Three more spots in the championship tournament remain open as the Top 10 teams in the South Central Region vie for a spot in the (inter)national spotlight.
Both Kansas City and Texas have won the WFTDA national championship previously, before the inception of the Hydra Trophy. Texas became the first WFTDA champion ever in 2006, while Kansas City won a year later in 2007.
Texas advanced to the final game in the 2009 WFTDA national tournament at Declaration of Derby in Philadelphia, losing to Oly Rollers 179-100 in the championship game, and thus earning second place in the tournament.
South Central No. 1 seed Texas looks like a shoe-in.
"All in all, Texas has always been a derby powerhouse!" says Christine "Sylvia Bullet" Newell, No Coast blocker. "I think their chances are pretty good, but I wouldn’t put them past an upset."
Bay Area Derby, originally ranked sixth in the Western Region, and Minnesota, originally ranked seventh in the North Central Region, both managed key upsets to place into the championship tournament.
Underdogs No Coast are keeping their focus positive on their chances in the South Central Region.
"Minnesota’s Cinderella story reminds us that it’s possible for No Coast to break into the top three and make it to Chicago in November," Newell says. "To make it to Chicago we’re going to have to play smart, play clean, and stay focused."
No Coast will have to beat Hard Knox, No. 9 seed in the first round of the South Central, to get a chance to play Texas, No. 10 in the nation according to Derby News Network's September 2010 power rankings.
"We aren't looking past Hard Knox, but we are planning on playing Texas and are looking forward to it," Newell says.
Atlanta Rollergirls will face the winner of the first round matchup between Houston and Memphis. Other Amber Waves of Pain participants include Dallas Derby Devils, Nashville Roller Girls, and Tampa Bay Derby Darlins..
South Central Rankings
SC01 Texas Rollergirls (DNN 10)
SC02 Atlanta Rollergirls (DNN 20)
SC03 Kansas City Roller Warriors (DNN 18)
SC04 Dallas Derby Devils (DNN 25)
SC05 Nashville Roller Girls
SC06 Tampa Bay Derby Darlins (DNN 24)
SC07 Houston Roller Derby
SC08 No Coast Roller Girls
SC09 Hard Knox Roller Girls
SC10 Memphis Roller Derby
Top 3 finishes per region
Here are the top three finishes for each region. The number one seed for each region gets a bye in the first round of the championship tournament. The No. 2 seed from each region will play a No. 3 seed from a different region. Teams seeded No. 2 or No. 3 will have to play three games if they want to make it to championship finals and a loss in the first round will knock them out completely. Second round losers will still get an opportunity to play for third place.
South Central region, Oct. 8-10, 2010
1. To be determined
2. To be determined
3. To be determined
Western region, Sept. 29-31, 2010
1. Rocky Mountain (W2, DNN3)
2. Oly (W1, DNN2)
3. B.A.D. (W6, DNN8)
Eastern region, Sept. 22-24, 2010
1. Gotham (E1, DNN1)
2. Philly (E2, DNN4)
3. Charm City (Baltimore) (E4, DNN9)
North Central, Sept. 10-12, 2010
1. Windy City (Chicago) (NC1, DNN11)
2. Minnesota (NC7)
3. Dairyland Dolls (Madison) (NC3, DNN14)
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
There's a feeling I get when I look to the west
The third Women's Flat Track Derby Association's 2010 regional tournament gets under way this weekend, October 1-3, in Sacremento, California. The Western Regional Tournament, dubbed Rollin' on the River 2010, begins Friday and features the top 10 teams in the western region.
The defending WFTDA champions, Oly Rollers, stand at the top of the Western rankings, and hope to repeat their bid to be the best in the U.S.
The top three finishers earn an automatic bid into the WFTDA Championship tournament, dubbed Uproar on the Lakeshore, and to play for the coveted Hydra Trophy in Chicago on Nov. 5-7.
Oly Rollers, ranked first in the WFTDA Western Region and No. 2 nationally in Derby News Network's September 2010 power rankings, and Rocky Mountain Rollergirls, WFTDA W2 and DNN3, get byes in the regional tournament. Oly will face the winner of Duke City (W8) versus Tucson (W9), and Rocky Mountain will face the winner of Jet City (W7) versus Sacred City (W10).
Other participating leagues include: Denver Roller Dolls (W3), Rose City Rollers (W4), Rat City (W5) and Bay Area Derby Dolls (W6).
Oly, Rocky Mountain and Denver all played for in the final two games of the 2009 national tournament, Declaration of Derby 2009. Denver placed third in nationals last year, while Oly took home the championships, beating Texas (No. 1, currently, in the South Central regional currently, and 10th in DNN's power rankings) 179-100 in the 2009 championship game.
Teams from the Western Regionals occupy seven of the top 25 teams nationally ranked teams according to Derby News Network's power rankings as of September 2010. Besides Oly's DNN2 ranking and Rocky Mountain No. 3 ranking, Denver (DNN5), Rat City (DNN6), Rose City (DNN7), Bay Area (DNN8) and Jet City (DNN23) are all looking at an opportunity to represent the west region in Chicago. That's more representation on DNN's list from any other region.
In comparison, the Eastern region has six DNN top 25 teams, and South Central and North Central regions each have five.
Windy City, Minnesota and Madison's Dairyland Dolls all advanced from the 2010 North Central Regional Tournament to the championship tournament hosted in Chicago, Illinoin. Gotham (NYC), Philly and Charm City (Baltimore) advanced from the Eastern Regional Tournament to the championships.
So far both regional number one seeds, Gotham and Windy City, have advanced to the championship tournament with decisive 3-0 records.
Gotham won The Hydra Trophy as national champions in 2008. Kansas City and Texas won WFTDA national championships in 2007 and 2006, respectively, before the introduction of the trophy which was first awarded to Gotham in the Northwest Knockdown in Portland, Oregon, in 2008.
One week after Western Regionals, the South Central Regionals, Amber Waves of Pain, will take place in Lincoln, Nebraska, on October 8-10.
Schedule
Friday
10 a.m. - Game 1 Duke City Derby vs. Tucson Roller Derby
noon - Game 2 Jet City Rollergirls vs. Sacred City Derby Girls
2 p.m. - Game 3 Rose City Rollers vs. Rat City Rollergirls
4 p.m. - Game 4 Denver Roller Dolls vs. B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls
6 p.m. - Game 5 Oly Rollers vs. Winner Duke City Derby vs. Tucson Roller Derby
8 p.m. - Game 6 Rocky Mountain Rollergirls vs. Winner Jet City Rollergirls vs. Sacred City Derby Girls
Saturday10 a.m. - Game 7 Loser (Jet City Rollergirls vs. Sacred City Derby Girls) vs. Loser (Rose City Rollers vs. Rat City Rollergirls)
noon - Game 8 Loser (Duke City Derby vs. Tucson Roller Derby) vs. Loser (Denver Roller Dolls vs. B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls)
2 p.m. - Game 9 Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 3
4 p.m. - Game 10 Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 6
6 p.m. - Game 11 Winner Game 7 vs. Loser Game 5
8 p.m. - Game 12 Loser Game 6 vs. Winner Game 8
Sunday
10 a.m. - Game 13 Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8
noon - Game 14 Loser Game 11 vs. Loser Game 12
2 p.m. - Game 15 Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12
4 p.m. - Game 16 Loser Game 9 vs. Loser Game 10
6 p.m. - Game 17 Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10
The defending WFTDA champions, Oly Rollers, stand at the top of the Western rankings, and hope to repeat their bid to be the best in the U.S.
The top three finishers earn an automatic bid into the WFTDA Championship tournament, dubbed Uproar on the Lakeshore, and to play for the coveted Hydra Trophy in Chicago on Nov. 5-7.
Oly Rollers, ranked first in the WFTDA Western Region and No. 2 nationally in Derby News Network's September 2010 power rankings, and Rocky Mountain Rollergirls, WFTDA W2 and DNN3, get byes in the regional tournament. Oly will face the winner of Duke City (W8) versus Tucson (W9), and Rocky Mountain will face the winner of Jet City (W7) versus Sacred City (W10).
Other participating leagues include: Denver Roller Dolls (W3), Rose City Rollers (W4), Rat City (W5) and Bay Area Derby Dolls (W6).
Oly, Rocky Mountain and Denver all played for in the final two games of the 2009 national tournament, Declaration of Derby 2009. Denver placed third in nationals last year, while Oly took home the championships, beating Texas (No. 1, currently, in the South Central regional currently, and 10th in DNN's power rankings) 179-100 in the 2009 championship game.
Teams from the Western Regionals occupy seven of the top 25 teams nationally ranked teams according to Derby News Network's power rankings as of September 2010. Besides Oly's DNN2 ranking and Rocky Mountain No. 3 ranking, Denver (DNN5), Rat City (DNN6), Rose City (DNN7), Bay Area (DNN8) and Jet City (DNN23) are all looking at an opportunity to represent the west region in Chicago. That's more representation on DNN's list from any other region.
In comparison, the Eastern region has six DNN top 25 teams, and South Central and North Central regions each have five.
Windy City, Minnesota and Madison's Dairyland Dolls all advanced from the 2010 North Central Regional Tournament to the championship tournament hosted in Chicago, Illinoin. Gotham (NYC), Philly and Charm City (Baltimore) advanced from the Eastern Regional Tournament to the championships.
So far both regional number one seeds, Gotham and Windy City, have advanced to the championship tournament with decisive 3-0 records.
Gotham won The Hydra Trophy as national champions in 2008. Kansas City and Texas won WFTDA national championships in 2007 and 2006, respectively, before the introduction of the trophy which was first awarded to Gotham in the Northwest Knockdown in Portland, Oregon, in 2008.
One week after Western Regionals, the South Central Regionals, Amber Waves of Pain, will take place in Lincoln, Nebraska, on October 8-10.
Schedule
Friday
10 a.m. - Game 1 Duke City Derby vs. Tucson Roller Derby
noon - Game 2 Jet City Rollergirls vs. Sacred City Derby Girls
2 p.m. - Game 3 Rose City Rollers vs. Rat City Rollergirls
4 p.m. - Game 4 Denver Roller Dolls vs. B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls
6 p.m. - Game 5 Oly Rollers vs. Winner Duke City Derby vs. Tucson Roller Derby
8 p.m. - Game 6 Rocky Mountain Rollergirls vs. Winner Jet City Rollergirls vs. Sacred City Derby Girls
Saturday10 a.m. - Game 7 Loser (Jet City Rollergirls vs. Sacred City Derby Girls) vs. Loser (Rose City Rollers vs. Rat City Rollergirls)
noon - Game 8 Loser (Duke City Derby vs. Tucson Roller Derby) vs. Loser (Denver Roller Dolls vs. B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls)
2 p.m. - Game 9 Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 3
4 p.m. - Game 10 Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 6
6 p.m. - Game 11 Winner Game 7 vs. Loser Game 5
8 p.m. - Game 12 Loser Game 6 vs. Winner Game 8
Sunday
10 a.m. - Game 13 Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8
noon - Game 14 Loser Game 11 vs. Loser Game 12
2 p.m. - Game 15 Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12
4 p.m. - Game 16 Loser Game 9 vs. Loser Game 10
6 p.m. - Game 17 Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Getting the hang of things
Since I started blogging oh-so many years ago, several new social-networking gems have been created and utilized.
I've become a bit of a Twitter fiend. The microblogging Web site and mobile app have become something of a crutch if I need to quickly dispatch some information or if I find an article I think will be useful later.
Google Docs ... in a word, OMFG. Some amazing derby stats people have been live updating scores and jamming stats during the WFTDA 2010 Eastern Regionals at Derby in the Burbs. These Google Docs will be an amazing tool to use when I head to Lincoln for South Central Regionals and then to Chicago for the WFTDA Campionships in November.
Live stat tracking and micro-blogging -- what will they think of next?
I've become a bit of a Twitter fiend. The microblogging Web site and mobile app have become something of a crutch if I need to quickly dispatch some information or if I find an article I think will be useful later.
Google Docs ... in a word, OMFG. Some amazing derby stats people have been live updating scores and jamming stats during the WFTDA 2010 Eastern Regionals at Derby in the Burbs. These Google Docs will be an amazing tool to use when I head to Lincoln for South Central Regionals and then to Chicago for the WFTDA Campionships in November.
Live stat tracking and micro-blogging -- what will they think of next?
It's our birthday!
Welcome to Five Point Grand Slam, a brand new blog focusing on covering derby with a traditional sports journalism slant. We hope to cover games in the MidWest as the dates become available, but also work in conjunction with others in the roller derby community to forge ahead and create our own brand of derby journalism.
Another goal is to help aspiring writers and journalists cover roller derby without falling into the typical pitfalls of focusing on the spectacle and violence. As more and more coverage of roller derby springs up, we'll continue growing or list of links to Web blogs and other sites useful to derby enthusiasts.
Stay tuned. We plan on being at Amber Waves of Pain, WFTDA's South Central Regionals, and also we'll be in Chicago for the championships.
Another goal is to help aspiring writers and journalists cover roller derby without falling into the typical pitfalls of focusing on the spectacle and violence. As more and more coverage of roller derby springs up, we'll continue growing or list of links to Web blogs and other sites useful to derby enthusiasts.
Stay tuned. We plan on being at Amber Waves of Pain, WFTDA's South Central Regionals, and also we'll be in Chicago for the championships.
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