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Basic on-skates warm-up + stretch
15mins
Pyramid warm-up (skating + strength)
10mins
1-v-1 forwards facing blocking
10mins
Track Awareness: 10-20-30ft. front or back
10mins
Laterals with an open tripod
15mins
Break
5mins
"No Pack!" tripod drill
15mins
Slicing in front of a jammer
15mins
Bowties
15mins
Basic on-skates cool down
10mins
120mins
Delivery Notes
Cherry Bombe
I skate, train, and ref at Rotterdam Roller Derby as Cherry Bombe #47 since 2022. Before that I skated at The Parliament of Pain The Hague Roller Derby. Have been skating since 2014. I love using LessonStack to write out drills and trainings and share
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15
mins
Objective
Skaters will be ready to start training
Activity
Skaters will skate around a track, doing:
- 1min. of gentle skating
- muscle activation while skating. Instruct them to do 30sec. each of:
slalom
squats
side-to-side lunges
bum kicks
toe-touch kicks
drunken sailors/crossovers
rotating arms
jog on toe-stops
jog on skates
- 3min. of medium paced skating, either with instructions to jump/transition/do consecutive knee-taps on the whistle, or with instructions to speed up/break/skate on the whistle
Dynamic stretch:
- Neck-mobility
- Dynamic arm-stretch, straight angles, move backwards
- Roll-out legs + touch floor
- Circle hips (sitting)
- Toe-touch and twist
- Wrists (praying hands, rotations)
Credits: this warm-up and dynamic stretch routine are based on a more detailled plan from our trainer Sterroids
Check For Learning
Ask skaters if they are warm
Ask skaters if they are warm
10
mins
Objective
To warm up the muscles further for the rest, and to improve strength and endurance
Activity
NB: This activity should not be the very start of your training: skaters should be a little bit warmed up first. You can also use this activity at another time than warm-up!
Skaters divide into pairs of 2 skaters. Of those pairs, one will be skating laps, the other will be doing exercises inside the laps. (Tip: you can make the laps smaller/bigger to adapt this drill to skater level)
Skaters skate 5 laps, then 4, then 3, then 2, then 1, then 2, then 3, then 4, then 5, thus making a (reverse) "pyramid". While their partner is skating, the skater in the middle does a specific exercise. (NB: make sure the exercises you assign are suitable to perform on-skates for your skaters!)
An example of exercises you could do is:
- 5 laps: squats
- 4 laps: leg lifts (switch sides at 2 laps)
- 3 laps: penguin crunches
- 2 laps: roll-out lunges (switch legs at 1 lap)
- 1 lap: plank on elbows
It is recommended to tell skaters to change skating directions about halfway through the drill.
Check For Learning
Skaters should:
- be warmed-up and ready to train after this drill
- improve their form and fitness: be able to do better and/or more reps of these exercises in the same time
Skaters should:
- be warmed-up and ready to train after this drill
- improve their form and fitness: be able to do better and/or more reps of these exercises in the same time
10
mins
Objective
Blockers will learn to keep a jammer on their butt, jammers will learn to jam in a small space
Activity
Set-up:
- Divide the track in half (inside and outside) through the middle (using cones) between jammer- an pivot-line
Pairs of blocker and jammer line up at the jammer-line. The jammer then tries to push the blocker/move laterally around them/etc. until the pivot-line.
The blockers are instructed to keep the jammer on their butt as much as possible. If the jammer moves backwards, they should move backwards too. If they turn around (thus facing the jammer, with the jammer on their chest) they should try to turn back around. If the jammer is pushing on their side (left or right), they should try to get the jammer on their back/butt again.
Check For Learning
A blocker who has mastered 1-v-1 forwards facing blocking:
- Can keep a jammer between jammer and pivot line on a half-track for at least 15sec.
- Can sucesfully get the jammer back on their butt after they have lost the jammer (too far away/turned around)
- Uses a technically good, small plough stop to slow the jammer down
- Recycles the jammer quickly, if the jammer gets pushed out of bounds
- Does not fall during the drill when being pushed/hit
A jammer how has mastered 1-v-1 jamming:
- Can force a blocker into a position where they get a larger legal target zone than just the back (side/front)
- Uses a combination of pushing, lateral movements, and applying/releasing force to jam
- Uses a technically good form in pushing the blocker forwards, in a legal target zone, for 30ft. if need be
A blocker who has mastered 1-v-1 forwards facing blocking:
- Can keep a jammer between jammer and pivot line on a half-track for at least 15sec.
- Can sucesfully get the jammer back on their butt after they have lost the jammer (too far away/turned around)
- Uses a technically good, small plough stop to slow the jammer down
- Recycles the jammer quickly, if the jammer gets pushed out of bounds
- Does not fall during the drill when being pushed/hit
A jammer how has mastered 1-v-1 jamming:
- Can force a blocker into a position where they get a larger legal target zone than just the back (side/front)
- Uses a combination of pushing, lateral movements, and applying/releasing force to jam
- Uses a technically good form in pushing the blocker forwards, in a legal target zone, for 30ft. if need be
10
mins
Objective
Skaters will learn to estimate how far they should skate for 10, 20 or 30ft.
Activity
Skaters pick a spot on the track. On your signal (voice command or certain whistle pattern) they skate backwards or forwards 10, 20 or 30ft.
The skaters have to stop just short of the required distance, or correct themselves as soon as possible afterwards, to keep from "destroying the pack" or "going out of play".
Check For Learning
Skaters will react fast, move fast, never go too far, and be able to use different kinds of stops.
Skaters will react fast, move fast, never go too far, and be able to use different kinds of stops.
15
mins
Objective
Blockers will learn to move side-to-side while blocking a jammer in an open tripod.
Activity
Skaters will form groups of 3 initially (we will add a jammer later). We will have different stages to this exercise, you can pick three stages depending on the level of your skaters. Each stage will take about 5min.
Stage 1: Lateral movements with a closed tripod without a jammer The trainer calls out "inside", "middle" or "outside". The 3 skaters move towards the inside, middle, or outside together as a formation. The trainer can also call "turn in" or "turn out", where the tripod will rotate (to the left or to the right) so that a new person ends up in front.
Stage 2: Lateral movements with an open tripod without a jammer The trainer calls out 1, 2, 3 or 4 , signifying the "lanes" on the track (1 being on the inside, 4 on the outside). These are the lanes the (imaginary) jammer is on. If the jammer goes to 1 or 4, the front support of the tripod will also have to move to 1 or 4, letting go of one of their blockers. The front-support will ALWAYS stay in the same lane as the jammer, and will support the blocker who "has" the jammer. ("turn in" and "turn out" can still be called)
The unsupported blocker is then "on their own" for a little while. They either stay a bit away from their blocking buddy, or they move slightly backwards and towards the jammer to "lock in" the jammer. Which is best depends on the capabilities of the jammer and blockers. (Tip: let your skaters discuss what they'd do with different jammers on the team; why?)
Stage 3: Lateral movements with an open tripod with a jammer (low-impact) Same as stage 2, but now instead of a trainer calling out the lanes, a jammer will be present to move to the lanes. The jammer can touch the tripod, but not hit or move around the tripod. They're merely there to indicate the right lane.
Stage 4: Lateral movements with an open tripod with a jammer (high-impact) Same as stage 3, but now the jammer can hit, move around the tripod, etc.
Check For Learning
- Tripods will move from lanes 1 to 4 effortlessly, letting go the "unsupported" blocker automatically.
- Blockers are able to judge if they should "hover" or "close in" the blocker (locking), and can perform both
- Blockers will keep the jammer on their butt (not in between the blockers) at all times.
- Blockers move back with the jammer. The front support moves back with the blocker on whose butt the jammer is.
- The front support stays in the same lane as the jammer.
- Tripods will move from lanes 1 to 4 effortlessly, letting go the "unsupported" blocker automatically.
- Blockers are able to judge if they should "hover" or "close in" the blocker (locking), and can perform both
- Blockers will keep the jammer on their butt (not in between the blockers) at all times.
- Blockers move back with the jammer. The front support moves back with the blocker on whose butt the jammer is.
- The front support stays in the same lane as the jammer.
15
mins
Objective
Blockers will learn to resume blocking as soon as possible after a "no-pack!" is called
Activity
Check For Learning
15
mins
Objective
Incorporating transition stops into a drill that mimics being hit out and returning to track.
Activity
Pre-requisites: Transitions, transition stops
Skaters should envision a rectangle on the track, with four points being inner/outer track lines of a 10 foot boundary. There are four stages to the drill, and it is then repeated over and over. The drill simulates being hit out of the track, running back with urgency, re-entering, and then sprinting diagonally to the opposite side of the track away from the invisible person who hit them out. Make sure skaters are facing into the track when they are simulating the hit out.
- They start on a corner at the "lower" boundary, and go diagonally forwards on the track towards the opposite "upper" boundary, arriving at this point using a transition stop - landing outside of the track.
- They will then run parallel down the track, to the same side's lower boundary, arriving at this point using a transition s top, remaining outside of the track.
- They then re-enter the track and sprint diagonally to the opposite side's upper boundary, arriving using a transition stop outside of the track.
- They run down that side of the track (outside still), arriving back at the starting point using a transition stop.
Once the skaters get the basics of this, you can make it a high-intensity drill: do a 4min. period, where skaters work for 30sec. then rest for 10sec. This fits 6 times into 4 minutes.
No-contact level-up: To level up this drill, have another skater facilitate the participant by standing in the middle of the track in front of their rectangle, holding up fingers that the participating skater will call out. This encourages skaters to become track aware by not looking at the boundary lines as they are looking at the facilitating skater.
Contact level-up: To level this drill up, make groups of three. One person starts at the front-left (4), and two people at the back-right (3), all in bounds.
One of the two skaters at point 3 moves towards the skater at point 4, and hits them out.
They move back together (recycling) to point 1, where the hit-out skater re-enters the track legally.
The third skater then skates forward to point 2. At the same time, the skater who just re-entered the track at point 1 moves diagonally forward to hit the skater waiting at point 2.
They both skate backwards (recycling) to point three, where the hit-out skater re-enters legally.
The other skater at point 1 then skates forwards to point 4, while je just re-entered skater moves diagonally to hit them out. Etc.
You can do the same 30sec. high, 10sec. low rythm for 4min. once the skaters have these level-ups in their system.
Check For Learning
Urgency, re-entering legally, quick stopping of the transitions (bent knees with feet close together with a fast stop)
Urgency, re-entering legally, quick stopping of the transitions (bent knees with feet close together with a fast stop)
10
mins
Objective
Skaters will complete a cool down and assess their own goals
Activity
Let the skaters skate round on the track, guiding them through a light stretch routine, while they focus on their breathing.
For example this grocery-shop themed one:
- skaters skate around the track, pushing their imaginary "shopping cart" with both hands
- reaching for the top shelf (lift arms up high, "pick apples" with alternating hands)
- mid-shelf (twist both arms to the left, get something from the imaginary "shelve", put it in the "shopping cart", then repeat to the right, etc.)
- bottom-shelf (twist right arm to left foot, grab something from the imaginary "shelve", put it in the "shopping cart", the repeat for the other arm, etc.)
- race to the last free check-out: skaters sprint 2 laps, then they have to find a partner skater (last one can form a group of three)
Assessment of own goals: Skating partners discuss with each other what their goals were for this training, and how it went with those goals. They have to each name: one thing that went well, one thing they'd like to improve on the next training.
Check For Learning
Skaters will have mastered this when:
- they're not out of breath after this drill
- they can easily come up with one positive point and one point of improvement
- they can set small, achievable goals for themselves each training
Skaters will have mastered this when:
- they're not out of breath after this drill
- they can easily come up with one positive point and one point of improvement
- they can set small, achievable goals for themselves each training