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Basic on-skates warm-up + stretch
15mins
Agility footwork with cones
10mins
5min. muscle engagement exercise
5mins
Track Awareness: 10-20-30ft. front or back
10mins
1-v-1 forwards facing blocking
10mins
Slicing in front of a jammer
15mins
Break
5mins
Bowties
15mins
If you can dodge a wrench...
10mins
Polonaise-reform game
25mins
Basic on-skates cool down
10mins
130mins
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
Handouts (3)
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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
Improve speed on footwork, edgework, and turns
Activity
Cone Placement
CONE CALLS Place 1-4 numbered cones in a square shape on the court as shown, 2-3 metres apart (or let skaters pick a square with lines on the floor). Starting in the middle of the box, have your partner or the trainer call out one of the numbers, moving to the cone as quickly as possible.
Your partner/trainer can call out another number before you get to the first cone, so turn and move towards that cone and keep repeating sequence. Aim to move to each cone as quickly as you can either forward, backwards and laterally. Complete 2–3 sets of 45-second reps, with 1-2 minutes rests in between.
https://www.tennis.com.au/news/2013/05/23/improve-your-agility-abilities
Check For Learning
Speed improves, falls decrease
Speed improves, falls decrease
5
mins
Objective
Skaters will learn to engage their core and leg muscles.
Activity
Skaters will divide in to pairs of two. One of them will be applying force, the other will be engaging their mucles. Each exercise lasts 30sec, then you can switch. You can pick as many of these exercises as you like:
- Skaters will stand in a "panther plank" (high plank with knees bent at a 90 degree angle). Their partner pushes down on their hips.
- Skaters will stand in a "panther plank". Their partner pulls up on their hips.
- Skaters will stand in a "panther plank". Their partner places one hand on either side of the skater's core, pushing both downwards AND upwards. Skaters give counter-pressure.
- Skaters stand in a good derby stance. Their partner pushes on their shoulders and hips, from the front or the back, delivering "blows" to the skater trying to keep balance and/or go with the flow of the pushes.
- Skaters stand in a good derby stance. Their partner stands behind them, and grabs their hamstrings (underside of upper leg), and tries to pull them upwards. The standing skater's goal is to remain low and not be pushed upwards.
Check For Learning
Skaters will show excellent form, and will know what muscles to engage during a derby game.
Skaters will show excellent form, and will know what muscles to engage during a derby game.
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.
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
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 learn to react quickly and be agile on skates.
Activity
Make groups of 3-10 skaters, and give each group 1-2 dodgeballs (or other soft objects).
Mark out a medium-sized square/circle on the floor with the cones. Each skater is going to stand in the middle of this square for 60 seconds (or until they get hit out) while the other skaters try to throw the ball at them. The skater's job is to dodge, duck, and avoid the ball, making this an excellent practice in balance, agility, and reaction time.
If you want to make it competitive, time all of the skaters while they are in the middle to see who can avoid being hit by the ball the longest.
Alternatively, have two groups compete with each other by assigning one group as ball-throwers, and the other group as "inside the circle", where they all have a go at being inside the circle. Time for both teams how long it takes until they've all been hit!
To challenge your skaters, shrink the size of the square.
Drill credit for this website: http://www.allderbydrills.com/search/label/Fun%20and%20games
Check For Learning
Skaters will be able to stay for longer in smaller squares.
Skaters will be able to stay for longer in smaller squares.
25
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.
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