Comments on: All I Really Need to Know, I Learned in Roller Derby

By: Sarah

Sarah — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 00:17:12 +0000

I am a beginner, so I’m proud of every little milestone (including my first T-stop) but sometimes I forget how far I’ve come – my gf reminded me a few weeks ago of how terrified I was to try a paceline, when I now love our hip whip and surge blocking pacelines.

By: Carla Smith

Carla Smith — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 23:24:22 +0000

In reply to Anahi. EXCELLENT addition!! Thank you!

By: Anahi

Anahi — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 16:42:53 +0000

“We can’t succeed by ourselves”. A team formed by excellent skaters can be a total failure if they don’t learn how to work together, help each other, and complement and encourage each other. Just like in life, we never get to where we are alone, and solely by our personal work. And just like in life, we learn how to help others and how to recognize the help we receive(d).

By: Carla Smith

Carla Smith — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 15:11:49 +0000

In reply to Patricia. Aw, that's a great story! For sure, the one that was your bugaboo *is* going to be the one that you remember, because it took you so much mental fortitude to achieve it! Thanks for sharing, Patricia!! And way to go on those laps!

By: Patricia

Patricia — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 05:37:51 +0000

“You’re never gonna look back and feel glorious about your first T-stop.”

But I do!

I was a brand new skater a year ago. When they taught us T-stops, I was thinking along these lines, “You want me to take one foot off the ground!? Put it behind me!? Scrape it along the ground!???? … Where’s the exit?” I was full of terror and self-doubt.

But I practised in the kitchen off skates, making that movement over and over while the water boiled, practised on the rink at social skates over and over. Etc. Then I could do T-stops and since then, with every new skill, I remind myself that, no matter how long it takes, no matter how frightening it seems, I will learn this new skill, just like I learnt T-stops. T-stops are my benchmark.

And after six months of having a little private cry in the middle of the track just before the speed skate, terrified at the thought of all the people who would be whizzing by me at what I thought was breakneck speed, I finally started to enjoy it and last night I was one quarter of a lap away from 27 in 5!

The thing about derby is that, no matter how slow I feel I am at developing, I absolutely always go home feeling just a little bit proud of myself.