Besides the hits and falls we take on the track, one of the hardest things about roller derby is convincing people just how hard we train, practice, and work for this. When I tell most people I play roller derby, I usually get one of three general responses:

1. That sounds like fun!
2. That’s so cute!
3. What’s that? (Let’s just continue on and not even address this. My ignorance tolerance is low right now.)

While roller derby is a lot of fun, and I may use an adjective like “cute” when describing an interesting shaped bruise, I seldom hear responses that convey an understanding of the true athleticism behind this sport. Allow me to remedy this ghastly oversight.

When you become a Windy City Roller, you start on the Haymarket Rioters, also referred to as the farm team or simply "The Rioters", until you get drafted onto one of the four home teams. Being a Haymarket Rioter is no walk (skate?) in the park.

We have a two-hour official practice one day a week that consists of solidifying the basics of roller-skating and beginning derby drills, as well as off-skates training to build the muscles unique to derby. We are strongly encouraged to keep going to speed skating classes – we even have attendance sheets that get turned in to our coaches to show that we are going. One of the trainers holds an off-skates strength-training session to work the little muscles that are key to injury prevention. I do yoga. I lift weights. I do classes at my gym. I do wall sits, squats, and ankle exercises at random. All and all, I find myself working out hard 4-5 times a week.

While Rioters is excellent because you get to build a solid base of fitness and skating abilities so you aren’t just coming off the street and trying to take on a 6 year veteran, the ultimate goal is to get drafted. Drafts happen as skaters are needed for home teams. To get drafted and play, you need to get cleared for practices.

In addition to home team practices and scrimmage, WCR holds weekly league practices that focus on specific skills – blocking, pivoting, jamming, etc. The first practice you get cleared for is agility. This involves a speed trial and doing a number of skating skills within a certain time. Next is blocking, which requires the ability to execute and take a series of different blocks with a trainer. After that, you take the rules test to show you have an idea of how this whole roller derby thing works (hint: there is no ball). Finally, you are cleared for all practices and scrimmage! I made this sound all very bing, bang, boom, but truthfully, this whole process can take months, especially if you don’t pass the first time around, which is not uncommon. It took me about 4-5 months. Just in case you wanted to know. Which I figured you did. Since you’re reading this and all. Anyway…

Once you’re cleared for everything, a magical yet frightening thing happens: you can now practice with The Big Girls. And what’s that like? Good things come to those who wait…for the next blog!

Talk Derby with your Friends!

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