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On skates warm up
5mins
Endurance: 30-up-30-down
10mins
Whistle Stop
5mins
Stops close behind walls (of cones)
15mins
Skills: Lateral cuts
5mins
Squeeze Box
10mins
Push Your Friends
5mins
Wall Builder
10mins
Tactics: Points points points
10mins
Polonaise-reform game
15mins
90mins
Delivery Notes
Dodge
Jammer & new skater coach with Wiltshire Roller Derby
Handouts (2)
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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
Learn to do sprints and build endurance on skates
Activity
This is an endurance exercise where skaters sprint for a certain amount of time, then skate leisurely for the same amount of time, in a circle around the hall:
- 4x 30 up 30 down (counter-clockwise)
- 4x 20 up 20 down (clockwise)
- 4x 10 up 10 down (counter-clockwise)
Check For Learning
5
mins
Objective
Skaters stop quickly and with confidence
Activity
Recap stops - demo any that skaters haven’t seen and give opportunity for individual practise as needed.
Coach decides on whistle cues, eg 1 whistle plow, 2 whistle t stop etc. skaters stop as quickly as they can on the whistle.
Variations
- Change direction every time you stop
- Also take a knee when stopping
- Combine stops with laterals - skaters must stop as close to the edge of the track as possible
Check For Learning
Skaters stop on cue quickly while maintaining stability
Skaters stop on cue quickly while maintaining stability
15
mins
Objective
Skater will learn to alternate between fast stops, lateral movement, and fast starts on the track.
Activity
Set up:
- NB: Set up and drill are also shown in the attached image! (made with: www.viennarollerderby.org/urdumb/)
- Line of cones (or skaters) from one side (either inside or outside) of the track, covering about 3/4 of the track width
- Couple of cones (or skaters) from the OTHER side of the track, covering about 1/4 of the track width, 15ft. in front of the other line
Skater starts 15ft. behind the back "wall", does a fast start, and comes to a stop (plough or hockey stop or even another kind of stop, depending on skater level and team focus) (1). Skater then moves laterally to get to the "gap" on the side of the wall (2), does another fast start, and stops behind the second "wall" (3). Skater then skates/turns/moves around this smaller "wall" and skates off (4).
NB: this drill is meant for both jammers and blockers who have to manouvre around an initial wall, then get somewhere fast (either to pass that last blocker, or to stop a jammer)
Check For Learning
Skaters will have mastered this drill when:
- They can reliably stop behind the wall (they don't "overshoot" and hit the "wall")
- They can speed up and slow down within the 15ft. space
- They are in control of their movements, stable, and ready for (light) impact at the end of each "arrow" in the picture
Skaters will have mastered this drill when:
- They can reliably stop behind the wall (they don't "overshoot" and hit the "wall")
- They can speed up and slow down within the 15ft. space
- They are in control of their movements, stable, and ready for (light) impact at the end of each "arrow" in the picture
5
mins
Objective
Introduce new skaters to laterals and practise them
Activity
Demonstrate smooth lateral cuts across the track.
For newer skaters, look for leading with the foot that they are travelling in the direction of (i.e. it's harder to travel left if your right foot is leading because your feet/legs will be crossed). An open and low stance is useful to get a smoother lateral.
Skaters practise at own pace aiming for 4 cuts on the straightaways and 3 on the apexes.
Check For Learning
Skaters perform smooth, quick lateral cuts, crossing the track at least 4 times on each straightaway and 3 on the apexes.
No specific requirement to pass Foundations, just introducing skaters to the skill so they can practise independently.
Skaters perform smooth, quick lateral cuts, crossing the track at least 4 times on each straightaway and 3 on the apexes.
No specific requirement to pass Foundations, just introducing skaters to the skill so they can practise independently.
10
mins
Objective
Improve Laterals and Space Awareness
Activity
Line up skaters - half on outside line, half on inside line opposite each other all faceing derby direction. On whistle, skaters make lateral movement to swap sides of track. Cue: T Push, hips face forward and hard stop on line. On Double whistle rear most skater sprints down middle of track to take popsition at front of pack. Cue: skaters do not make space, sprinter dodges lateral moving skaters.
Check For Learning
Skaters have confidence to move through pack of moving skaters
Strong, rapid lateral movement across track.
Skaters have confidence to move through pack of moving skaters Strong, rapid lateral movement across track.
5
mins
Objective
Skills: Practise giving and receiving pushes
Activity
In pairs, skaters practise pushing each other in a few different ways. Practise both a push for momentum and a push as if you are a jammer pushing a teammate blocker. <br>
- From behind: aim for the hips/lower back and ensure you're pushing evenly and forwards (not up/down).
- With arms like when pushing a blocker across track as part of a wall.
Check For Learning
Skaters will give and receive pushes while maintaining stability and staying upright.
No specific requirements to pass Foundations.
Skaters will give and receive pushes while maintaining stability and staying upright.
No specific requirements to pass Foundations.
10
mins
Objective
Practise reforming walls with different amounts of skaters
Activity
Separate into groups of at least 5. Everyone starts off track. 1 person (or coach) is off track and calling names in and out.
Low/no contact: The blockers line up off track (to the outside). The coach/caller calls each person in or out by saying "Name, in!" or "Name, out!"
When they are called in, each player moves to the best place to start or build a wall. When they are called out, blockers should move off track legally (as if they have been called for a penalty) and skate about 20-30 feet behind the wall and on the outside of the track.
1 - Face backwards, ready to chest catch and so you can see what's going on on the track. Be in the middle. 2 - Form a 2 wall, one backwards and one forwards facing, offset to cover as much of the track as possible. 3 - Form a 3 wall/tripod wall, 2 forwards and 1 backwards facing. 4 - Tripod with a floater/brace-brace.
Coaches can call people out in quick succession, or more slowly, to make it harder/easier.
To level up, coaches can also call lanes to simulate a jammer moving the wall back and forth.
Contact:
Same as above but with a jammer as well so blockers need to try to pass on the jammer to another blocker before they leave the track.
Check For Learning
10
mins
Objective
Skaters understand the purpose of maximising points sometimes over defense
Activity
"Points" is a call from the jammer/bench to ask the walls to help them get as many points as possible, usually in preparation for a call off.
The jammer or bench coach would call 'Points' as the jammer is approaching the pack to cue their blockers to switch from defence to offence.This would be when the other jammer is not in the wall.
A common scenario is where our jammer has got out first for lead, and as they are approaching the pack, the opposing jammer gets out of the pack. Here, unless we are running out the clock, our goal is often to score as many points as they can and then call off the jam quickly. In this case it makes sense for all the blockers to focus on getting the jammer past all 4 blockers as quick as possible to call it.
Exact techniques depends on where the other wall is positioned but here are some things that could work: Sweep: Useful if all our blockers are together and there is space on one side. The whole wall takes the empty side and pushes the opposing blockers out of the way. Chaos/Swarm: Useful if everyone is separated (on both sides). Everyone picks an opponent and tries to move/contain/push them off track, splitting their wall up to make it easier for the jammer to take advantage of the gaps. Gate: Useful if our blockers are in front of the other blockers. One or two of our team form the 'gate' at the front, preventing the other wall from running. The others move to one side or the other (or, sometimes it can be useful for one person to take one side and the other to go to the other side).
Check For Learning
15
mins
Objective
Skaters will learn to think about where to reform, depending on which jammer comes into the pack first, to communicate, and to prioritize
Activity
The first time, this drill will be a bit complicated to set up, so I attached an image showing it:
- Blockers from both teams will stand on the 10ft. lines, alternating between teams, forming a long line on the track (see attached image).
- At the front of this line, the two pivots wait side by side, 10ft. in front of the frontmost non-pivot-blocker.
- 10ft. in front of the pivots, the jammers wait side by side, standing next to them is the coach (signified by a referee in the picture).
When the set-up is ready, the coach will tap one of the jammers, which starts the drill.
- The jammer who has been tapped will skate back, high-five their pivot, and can then commence skating forwards.
- The jammer who has NOT been tapped, can skate forwards immediately.
- As soon as a jammer has been tapped, the blockers from both teams can start to reform and to block.
Low-impact version: Stop the drill round as soon as the first jammer reaches the pack, and have teams discuss among themselves what they did and why. (alternatively, you can have everyone sit down RIGHT where they are on the whistle, and point to people to explain what they're doing and why)
High-impact version: Run the drill round until you think it has outlasted it's usefullness (up to 2min)
Check For Learning
- Skaters will communicate well with their teammates about their plan
- Skaters can prioritize between catching the jammer who has been tapped at the front, reforming, offence, and defence
- Skaters can make good decisions about slowing down/speeding up the pack, reforming in front/behind the other skaters, etc. depending on where the jammers are and what their jam-style is.
- Skaters will communicate well with their teammates about their plan
- Skaters can prioritize between catching the jammer who has been tapped at the front, reforming, offence, and defence
- Skaters can make good decisions about slowing down/speeding up the pack, reforming in front/behind the other skaters, etc. depending on where the jammers are and what their jam-style is.