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Laterals with an open tripod
15mins
Reform and Jam Drill
15mins
If you can dodge a wrench...
10mins
Polonaise-reform game
25mins
Basic on-skates cool down
10mins
75mins
Delivery Notes
This training is all about reforming: who communicates? Where do you want to be, in front of the other team? Next to them? Behind them? Is it better to reform as a team, or to be in the best position but leave one person behind? It's best to give skaters 1min. to discuss wat went well and what could go better after this training.
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
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 reform, jammers will learn to enter a chaotic pack.
Activity
Jammers start ~30ft. behind the jammer line (or, for a low-impact version, have jammers right behind the jammer line and start 5sec. after the teams start).
Blockers start outside of the track: one blocker of each team on the following positions:
- Inside the track, on the jammer line
- Outside the track, on the jammer line
- Inside the track, on the pivot line
- Outside the track, on the pivot line
On the trainers signal, all skaters can enter the track and start to reform.
This drill can be adapted to make it simpler, by only using blockers from one team or by including 3 instead of 4 blockers per team.
> This drill can be adapted to include offence, by having one person from each team play offence (can also be done with only one tripod/team on track.
Check For Learning
Teams are reformed and in a good position to block once the jammer enters the pack.
Jammers make good used of any residual "chaos" in getting past the blockers.
Teams are reformed and in a good position to block once the jammer enters the pack.
Jammers make good used of any residual "chaos" in getting past the blockers.
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