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On skates warm up
5mins
Endurance: Wall to Wall
10mins
Drill: Infinity laterals
10mins
Transition Trees & Carousel
5mins
Weave and Shout
5mins
Roll Blocking / Beginning C-cuts
15mins
Wagon Wheels: Tripod practise
10mins
Sashay Away: Moving a tripod
10mins
Rules: Skating on the track
10mins
Tactics: Recycling
10mins
90mins
Delivery Notes
Dodge
Jammer & new skater coach with Wiltshire Roller Derby
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5
mins
Objective
Everyone warm
Activity
2 from: - Stops on the whistle - Laterals in and out on the whistle - 1 lap backward - 2 laps non derby - 2 laps forward
3 from: - Bum kicks - High knees - Torso twist - Calf stretch - Thumb up thumb down
And then: - Concussion stretch
Check For Learning
10
mins
Objective
Build endurance and teamwork and core strength
Activity
Skaters pair up and start on opposite sides of the hall
On the whistle, they skate towards each other, and perform an exercise in the middle, then they skate back to the wall, touch it, and skate back together to do another exercise (or the same exercise, different number of reps etc)
Can time everyone and everyone just does as many as they can, or do a certain number of reps. <br>
- Plank taps:
Skaters drop into a plank position head to head.Can be from feet or knees. Then they lift alternate hands to tap the other skater's hand on the opposite side (right hand to right hand, left hand to left hand).
- Joined Squats
Skaters face each other and join hands, lean back slightly and squat together.
- Toe touches
Skaters lie on their backs and raise their legs with their feet together, toes flexed towards their head. Reach up towards your feet (using core muscles, like a little mini crunch)
Check For Learning
10
mins
Objective
Build lateral confidence in a small space
Activity
Each skater takes 2 cones and sets them up about 10ft apart
Use laterals to move around the cones, tracing an infinity/figure eight symbol on the ground to practise going both ways.
Move the cones closer together for more challenge.
Check For Learning
Skaters lateral smoothly and quickly, changing direction while maintaining stability.
Skaters lateral smoothly and quickly, changing direction while maintaining stability.
5
mins
Objective
Practise transitioning around other skaters
Activity
Demonstrate transition techniques when going around a skater, e.g. moving onto one foot (a la Lady Trample) or a 'bang bang' transition - step LOUDLY into the transition to make a lot of noise and be intimidating!
Two drills to practise transitioning around skaters. Adjust according to skater confidence.
Transition Trees
Split skaters into 2 groups. Half stand as static 'trees' while the other half skate around in derby direction and transition around the skaters.
Less confident skaters practise stopping and transitioning, or transition further away from the static skaters.
More confident skaters see how close they can get to the trees, or practise transitioning literally around them with their bodies in contact, using legal blocking/target zones.
Transition Carousel
Skaters split into 3 walls and jammers - as many jammers as there are walls.
Walls spread out around the track in tripod form. Jammers skate around the track aiming to get around the wall on the inside or outside. On the jammers' approach, the nearest wall moves to the outside or inside, the jammer must transition around them.
Adjust to the appropriate level of play to provide challenge for each skater.
Check For Learning
Skaters transition confidently around other skaters, at speed
Skaters transition confidently around other skaters, at speed
5
mins
Objective
Build confidence with weaving + comms
Activity
Skaters set up in a pace line.
Skater at the back weaves through.
Other skates communicate according to the rules set up by coach e.g. - Say inside/outside - Say the skater in front of you's name and tell them where the skater is etc.
Speed up the release of the back skaters to level up the drill.
Check For Learning
Skaters weave through a paceline. Skaters communicate clearly.
Skaters weave through a paceline. Skaters communicate clearly.
15
mins
Objective
Skaters will get their first experience of contact play
Activity
This drill puts together the skills of laterals and plough stops to 'steer' opponents, e.g. to one side or the other.
Low contact: Skaters pair up. Skater 1 tries to hold their position while Skater 2 'steers' them off track. Their lead foot is placed in front of the feet of the other player, and Skater 2 shifts their body weight to lean into Skater 1. When in control of Skater 1, the steering skater can then plough or continue the push to get Skater 1 off track.
Levelling it up: As skaters get more confident, add a roll, or encourage skaters to be very close before beginning the block. Challenge them to hold the other skater for at least 5 seconds.
As a side lesson, students should also be taught at this early stage how to re-enter the track legally i.e. behind the skater that knocked them off. Encourage skaters to check the lines regularly to get used to how far they can be pushed, and push other skaters.
An important aspect of this is to get skaters used to using their weight, and occupying the space - ensure they are committing to the block.
Check For Learning
When students are first learning contact, they will often be a little shy and 'polite', and this can lead to a lack of commitment in the exercise.
As a coach you want to look for the body weight being engaged. At this stage, skaters should not fight for dominance, but neither should they yield it without making the learner work for it.
An important lesson at this stage is a feeling for 'body weight' - that is the feeling of moving someone else's bodyweight around. Students will need to commit to the task to get that feeling down.
When students are first learning contact, they will often be a little shy and 'polite', and this can lead to a lack of commitment in the exercise.
As a coach you want to look for the body weight being engaged. At this stage, skaters should not fight for dominance, but neither should they yield it without making the learner work for it.
An important lesson at this stage is a feeling for 'body weight' - that is the feeling of moving someone else's bodyweight around. Students will need to commit to the task to get that feeling down.
10
mins
Objective
Skaters work together in tripod formation
Activity
Skaters form tripods (two forward facers and a brace) and practise moving together.
Some variations:
Low contact: Skaters wall up in a space on the track, and coach calls instructions e.g. inside, outside, middle. Depending on skill level, skaters could also rotate, drop, push backwards/forwards etc.
Low contact: Skaters wall up in 2-4 walls spaced out around the track, some on the straights and some on the apexes. Designated jammers(or coaches) move around between the walls and approach - adjust speed according to the confidence of walls. Walls must adjust their position to track the jammer. Jammer should not impact with force; stop before engaging (adjust this to the level of contact you want)
Full contact: Skaters wall up in 2-4 walls spaced out around the track, some on the straights and some on the apexes. Designated jammers move between the walls and jam against each wall. Jammers can also juke around walls. Once they get past, they skate to the next wall. Coach may ask walls to release jammers to keep it moving.
Full contact, high impact: As above but jammers must impact the wall first.
Check For Learning
Skaters move smoothly across the track as a tripod, working together and staying stable
Skaters know when it's best to stay as a 3 or for one to move off to cover a line.
Skaters track jammers effectively and catch/contain them.
Skaters move smoothly across the track as a tripod, working together and staying stable Skaters know when it's best to stay as a 3 or for one to move off to cover a line. Skaters track jammers effectively and catch/contain them.
10
mins
Objective
Skaters learn to move tripods and block fast moving jammers
Activity
1 tripod on track, with a jammer. Everyone else lines up ready to sub in (if you have more than about 5 extra skaters, split into 2 groups and have 2 active tripods)
The jammer's goal is to move the tripod (forward, sideways etc). They are really just aiming to move the wall rather than get through but may push on the seam and force them to reform, etc. At any point jammer may tap a blocker and say 'Sashay' and the blocker must leave the track (legally) and tag in another waiting skater, who joins the wall.
Short bursts then swap jammers.
Check For Learning
Jammers can move the walls from side to side, taking them to the extremes of the track and contacting legally. Walls practise reforming smoothly and quickly. Skaters leave the track legally.
Jammers can move the walls from side to side, taking them to the extremes of the track and contacting legally. Walls practise reforming smoothly and quickly. Skaters leave the track legally.
10
mins
Objective
Skaters understand staying-on-track related rules
Activity
- What's the track?
- Rules about the track - what is straddling? What can you do on and off the track?
- What is a cut track penalty and how can you avoid it?
- How do you reenter the track legally?
- What can and can't you do while out of bounds/straddling?
Check For Learning
Skaters understand the rules around skating on the track and reentering the track legally.
Skaters understand the rules around skating on the track and reentering the track legally.
10
mins
Objective
Skaters understand recycling tactics
Activity
- Cover rules around reentering the track after being knocked off - What is a cutting penalty/how do you avoid? - What is recycling and why would blockers do it? - How far can blockers recycle jammers?
Once skaters are clear on the rules around recycling/cutting/yielding, have them practise in walls with jammers, then run a few practise jams with the goal of knocking off and running back.