Category: Roller Derby My New Life

Roller Derby My New Life

Elation to Deflation

gcamwhite

I did it, I skated in the bout uh game, I will never get used to that change, on Saturday. I was in 28 jams, wow, that was the most awesome time of my life. I had a some penalties that I would like to not get but having been out there so much I was able to get some real game experience.

Sore shoulder and all I am so glad to have that opportunity to skate with the YRDG Killer Bees and to bring in a win. We have worked hard to get where we are and have set our sights on just growing more and more in experience.

I will be watching my Bees play on Sep 7th as I did find out that I have a tear in my rotator cuff that I am going to see a surgeon about on Sep 10th. And that is the deflation part of this blog, I am so disheartened to have to stop and deal with an injury. I know it comes with the territory but it is still very hard to accept and deal with.

I was truly blessed to be able to play that last game and to play more than I ever have so I will take that elation with me into the abyss of injury and recovery. I hope to able to come back full force for next season and that will be my goal for this off-season.

Another goal is to stay in shape and continue to eat properly, it is so very easy to give into the depression and comfort eating, that I will have to fight this very hard. One really good way is to continue to go to practices and help as I can or work on my BOD duties.  It is important to stay connected to the team and be right there with them while you recover.

I am now 4 weeks since surgery and have been back to practices as a spectator several times now. It is very ha hard to just watch. I’m unable to do much south my arm yet so it is hard to help, not to mention the pain that I still have. PT is going good so I am taking it one day at a time.

Recovery is hard but I am hanging in there. Until next time!

Roller Derby My New Life

Life Just Happens!

gcamwhite

WOW! It is August and I have been so busy I have not taken even a moment to write. And where to start, oh my. The number one life event is becoming a grandmother again. My 2nd grandchild was born on July 6, 2014, Justin Alexander Shipley. What a joy what a blessing.

He has an older sister who is now 3 and smart as a whip and loves her Justin! My husband and I are so very, very blessed and Life could not be better.

I was honored to get to skate with the Yellow Rose Derby Girls All Stars for the first part of this first season and also with the Killer Bees. I am currently skating for the Killer Bees since mid-season try outs and I am thrilled to get to skate. Our next bout is August 23rd and I will be out there working hard for my team!

I have had some set backs with an injured shoulder but I plan to skate out the season and then do what needs to be done to fix it. After October I will be only training and staying in shape to get ready for next season and next try outs. Since I have stayed away from contact so I can play in the games, I have had the pleasure of teaching our newbies, who we lovingly refer to as Rose Buds. LipStick asked me to help her out and I have had a blast doing it. It is exciting and fun to watch the Rose Buds learn and develop over the first 6 weeks. I have gotten so much out doing this that I am seriously considering studying coaching so that I may contribute to my league when I have to retire from competition. Make no mistake, I will go into retirement from competition as a skater, kicking and screaming NO I’M NOT READY YET!!

That being said, I know that day will come and when it does, I will want to teach as many people as possible to skate and compete in this sport.  I have watched so many changes and so much growth in the short time that I have been invloved with roller derby, it has been overwhelming at times.  My hope is that it continues to grow and everyone gets an opportunity to participate in a team sport and truly learn what it means to be a TEAM.
image

Roller Derby My New Life

New Year, New Season

gcamwhite

The year is off to a fabulous start. YRDG had try outs and now have an A and B team. We have an awesome group of women on both of these teams. A year ago we were only a glimmer in the eyes of our founders, Kari and Marion.

Last February, I found out about a new roller derby league starting up and it was in my back yard. A good number of ladies showed up at meet and greets and a new league was born.

I could not pass up becoming a founding member of the greatest sport I have had the pleasure to participate in. We have grown and thrived this last year training long and hard for this season, or first and the first for many of us.

Roller Derby My New Life

Derby Life Balance

gcamwhite

My Life

Not long ago I did a post about Work Life Balance and with the start-up a new team and the commitments I have made to Roller Derby, it occurred to me that I needed to think about my derby life balance as well.  Learning to balance all the things in my life that I enjoy doing with those obligations that I need to do is always a very big challenge.  Family time is very important, and doing things that we love to do is necessary.  Roller Derby is time-consuming and very demanding.  Just like we have vacation days given to us from work, we need a vacation from our hobbies at times also.  For me this may or may not mean a break from skating, but more likely a break from business side as well.  I have  a hard time thinking about not skating for any length of time but if you are struggling with the idea of practice every time and finding that you are not rejuvenated after said practice, it might be time to take a break.

Some times those breaks are forced upon us by circumstances, obligations, or injury but even healthy skaters need some time off to regroup, recharge and evaluate their personal goals and how it is affecting other aspects of their lives.

Don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with wanting to be a recreational skater and being satisfied with that is all good too.  Having been a recreational skater that supported a very large league for several years and volunteering for that league, burn out can occur here as well.  We always need to set realistic expectations of our team members, volunteers and everyone else that works to support our league.

All that being said, everyone that is part of the league should be sure to support their league with volunteer time, serving on committees actively because the more people who do that, the easier the jobs are and a handful of members are not going to burn out so fast.  It takes lots of work, planning and dedication to run a league and we are not just the athletes, we are management too.  So get involved and do you part, find something you like and take it on.  Give your team-mate a break if needed and work together for the benefit of the team!

The picture above is my heart and soul, my grand-daughter and my husband.  I breath and live to be a part of their lives and the other members of my family doing things together and without their support, derby would not be a an option for me.  Because of them I am here doing what I love.

Derby Love!

Kool

Roller Derby My New Life

Are You Scrimmage Ready?

gcamwhite

When I first started Roller Derby I would hear this question being asked at various times.  At first though I didn’t know what was meant by that.  How do I know and no one could really tell me.  I think it is very important for the trainers/coaches to have a really good idea of everyone’s capabilities before throwing newbies into the scrimmage.  safety for everyone should be the biggest concern and a big factor in determining if you are scrimmage ready.

Our team did something different for the first time at our scrimmage practice which was suggested by the Refs and worked out awesomely well.  We split everyone up between seasoned (advanced) skaters and the intermediates and newbies.  One jam was only advanced and the next jam was intermediates/beginners against each other and the next jam was 2 advanced skaters mixed in with intermediate/beginners.  We rotated this way the entire time and it not only worked out really well it was awesome to watch each jam be competitive and no one got hurt.  I personally had a great practice and I hope everyone else felt like they did too.  Having enough players to make this work is a key factor too.

It is difficult as a seasoned skater to dial back when scrimmaging with not so seasoned players every time and this was a way to get them out there so they could go hard and work on their game as well.  And then have the opportunity to help teach the other girls and provide guidance on the track.

As with all things in life you must study that which you want to conquer or become good at!  Every single practice will give you exactly what you put into it.  There are always those days, when I don’t feel so great, tired, cranky or just wanting to not do anything.  I have found out that if I make myself go to practice and get on the floor by the time warm ups are over I have renewed energy, better focus and much better attitude.  It is what keeps me going.  I love doing and helping and learning and teaching.  And most importantly I have learned not to give up trying something even when I am struggling with it!  So you will be ready to scrimmage probably sooner than you think but the harder you work on the drills at practice the better your scrimmage time will be!  Get out there and Get it Done!!

Derby Love!!

Melody

Roller Derby My New Life

End of Summer

gcamwhite

It is that time again when school starts and traffic gets worse and summer is over even though it is still 90 degrees outside here in Houston.  When I was in school I used to love the change in seasons and the start of a new school year with all the possibilities.  Now that I have worked full-time for 32 years and my children are all grown and my grand-daughter is not old enough for school, this time of year is a nuisance instead of a new beginning.   School zones everywhere and traffic becomes a nightmare, I find it hard to think of this as a new beginning.  But I tend to get somewhat nostalgic and miss that feeling for a new start,  I miss that feeling and have found that Roller Derby somewhat helps with that.

I had a very busy summer and did a lot of different things but I was very glad to be home again and started my off skate training this week.  Rollercon has provided me with many tools to improve my experience on skates.  I would recommend it to anyone who wants to drown themselves in learning about derby.  I want as many people on my team to have that experience as possible.

1097708_4914586196976_1935555354_oYellow Rose at Spindletop

The next best thing is watching the WFTDA Championships.  It is very inexpensive and awesome to watch the best of the best compete in tournament play.  You can learn so much by watching.  We encourage our new girls to go to some live bouts and watch archives on WFTDA TV in order to get an idea of what it really is like.  I still love to watch as much as play. And if my husband lets me I get to hook up my computer to the 73″ TV and watch it on the big screen!  We will see how that works out this weekend.  I watch the division playoff that Houston Roller Derby goes to because it is the one where I know the team, having been a part of their recreational league for 3 years.  And then the Championships itself because it is such high level playing and just too cool to see.  I am hoping to get to attend one of these tournaments in the future.

We are currently working to schedule our bouts for next year!  I am so so excited and I am working hard to be able to play in as many of them as possible.  I have even been going to the chiropractor for adjustments to keep my pelvis aligned properly (apparently some of those falls can push things out of wack) and to keep my body in the best shape possible.

I am currently learning all about Advocare supplements to help with my stamina, and muscles and recovery.  Things are going really well in that department and I think I will be in great shape by the time we play next year.  I now consider myself a full fledge athlete and am taking my training very seriously.

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

Roller Derby My New Life

WOW! That just happened!

gcamwhite

It has been a very very busy summer and I haven’t been home for a big majority of it.  Attending my first RollerCon in Las Vegas, and bouting in my very first inter-league bout have been the highlights of this summer for me.

First for RollerCon, it was an amazing experience!  Got to volunteer a bunch, take classes on skates and in the classroom.  I have learned so much, met so many really cool people and cannot really describe the experience adequately.  Took a class from Suzy Hotrod!! OMG!!! She is an awesome derby player, and teacher!  I got to watch the co-ed game between Riddell and Antiks.  Those players are amazing, doing things I have never seen before!

I will be spending the next several months trying to digest all the input from RollerCon and working to improve skills and knowledge.  Also trying to pass on all this information to my team!

Now for the best first thing I have ever experienced!! (maybe overkill but it feels like it) my very first bout!  Yellow Rose Derby Girls played against Spindletop Roller Girls in Beaumont TX last night.  Although we did not win the bout, we played hard, kept the score reasonably close and scored over 100 points!  I am so proud of my team mates, Captain Nawty, Co-Captain Leaches, bench coaches, NSO’s, Zebra’s, and everyone that came out to watch us play!

I am beyond tired, sore and generally feel like sleeping for a week!  I have so much I want and need to work on.  We all have  new appreciation for the need for some intensive training and practicing and have gotten highly motivated to do so!  Every single person on our roster worked hard and played the best they could and I am so proud of all us!  Am also very anxious to watch the films and see what we did and how to improve.  Watch out Derby world, here come the Yellow Rose Derby Girls!!

Melody Kool

Roller Derby My New Life

Left Turn Clinic

gcamwhite

I have been pretty busy lately but I wanted to wait until after I attended this clinic to post again.  Houston Roller Derby hosted a Left Turn Clinic with coaches Mercy and Juke Boxx.  http://www.leftturncoaching.com/Coaches.html go here to learn a little about these coaches and others for Left Turn.

This was a 3 day clinic that was the best derby training sessions I have attended.  I learned more about myself and what I could do and attempt to do in these 3 days than I have in almost 3 years of my roller derby adventure!  These trainers are not only awesome at derby but they are awesome teachers.  The clinic is run smoothly they know what they are doing and they communicate that very well to all levels.  I have so many things to work on now that it is hard to remember where to start.  I am so thankful that Nawty attended and took notes to bring back to our team, Yellow Rose Derby Girls!

This was not only a physical challenge but also a mind blowing mental experience as well.  I only bailed out on the scrimmage on Saturday because I had 2 bruised big toenails and I wanted to skate the whole time on Sunday.  (Not to mention my grand daughters cousin’s birthday party was also then).  Anyone who  knows me, knows that grand baby trumps even derby!

I would recommend to anyone who has a chance to attend one of the Left Turn Clinics to absolutely do so.  It is well worth the money.

Here are some things that I took away from this training:

  1. What is training?  Being taught new skills and trying the skill, this doesn’t mean you are going to master that skill today.
  2. LISTEN! I’m sorry did I shout that? Let me say that again LISTEN. If you are talking you are being a douch, you are not able to listen and you are preventing someone else from listening. I am just as guilty of this as the next person
  3. Work hard and push yourself, you paid for this remember!  You will only get out of it what you put into it. Cliche’ I know but it is true
  4. Participate, open your mind to new ideas and participate.
  5. Practice what you have been shown.  Practice, practice, practice, practice, practice!!  I did not say that enough!  Practice!
  6. Share what you learn. HUH?  Yes I said share.   Nothing stays secret forever unless it is never used, so share what you know the entire derby community will benefit
  7. One of the most important things is that when you being taught a skill that you have already mastered, you role is to help someone else master the skill, not show off how good you are.  Dial it back because if the trainee cannot ever succeed they will not understand what it feels like to do it.    This applies to team practices also.  You are a team and you win and loose as a team.  Going all out and hurting your team mates when they are not at your level means you suck!
  8. The next most important thing is to take instruction, constructive criticism, your team mate yelling at you to get lower, whatever the case.  This is to help you not to embarrass you.  How do you know if you doing it wrong unless someone tells you????
  9. It is ok to call someone out when they do something illegal.  If you get called out find out what you did, listen and work on not doing that again.  Watching yourself on film is very enlightening.  What you think you are doing is head, is not what is actually happening, sometimes.  It is hard when there are not enough officials to see everything at practice and scrimmages.  So those watching need to actively participate and give feedback after the jam.
  10. Learn how to bench coach, learn how to call line ups, learn how to be an NSO.  Study the rules STUDY STUDY the rules.  Watch games, watch the officials learn what they are calling and why.  Think about what football players do after the weeks game, they watch film!  They watch what they did, they study their position and they practice and know the rules.

I grew up when girls didn’t do team sports and we were told to “be Nice”, well that just sucks everyone should learn how to play a team sport.  Team work happens in sports, and in the real world of jobs.  You have to learn how to get along as a team, in all situations.   Unfortunately women are notorious for creating drama.  We take everything personal, we want to lash back.  We need to step up, get a tougher skin, think before we react.  Cool off if we get angry, and have the guts to tell someone what you felt and give them a chance to explain.  Usually it is how we take it not how is meant.  Conflict resolution is a necessary tool for life, learn it.  You will be much happier!

As always, much derby love!! I know there was some strong truths in this post but it is sent out with love for the sport and people who play and want to play, not to intimidate and put down.

Melody Kool

Family, Roller Derby My New Life

Work Life Balance whhhaaaat??

gcamwhite

This amazingly isn’t just about Derby, these are personal reflections.

I have been working at my company for 32 years wow that’s a long time!!  I can remember when I first started and how ambitious and anxious to learn and do a good job and spend every chance I had working to get ahead, (whatever that means).  I probably had an idea of what that was way back then.  I was young, worked hard, played harder and then came the family.

I remember still wanting to work, feeling guilty for that but doing it anyway for multiple reasons.  Mostly because of divorce and debt and twin girls to raise but also because at that time, just raising a family was not all I wanted to do.  I have enormous respect and admiration for mother’s who take on their families as their full-time job just as much as I do the ones who work and help provide for their family that way.  But it took a long time to feel good about my choice.

Now, I am happy with that choice and most of my other choices in life.  I did learn how to spend quality time with family and how to instill the importance of family to my girls and my son.  Our reward for this is the grown children finding family traditions just as important as we do. It was my husband was who helped me to grow up and appreciate everything about me, and us.

The corporate world during most of my work life had no time for balancing work and life, it was all about working yourself ragged and proving how valuable you are to the company.  Which even then meant nothing, really.  I have seen this gradual change to flexible hours, work weeks and multitude of other ways to have a life outside of just working.  I love that I have lived during this change!

I really can’t pinpoint when I personally changed from being all about the company to realizing that I was working in order to do the things I enjoy, and have the means to do them.  In other words, I work to Live, I do not live to work.  I take my vacation days and holidays and random other days because those are the things I am working for all year to be able to do!  And believe it or not I do like my job, however, I see that light at the end of this tunnel, retirement coming right upon me. Don’t get me wrong, I still have a good many years to work but I can see myself retiring now and that used to scare the daylights out of me when I was younger.

I have a hobby (Roller Derby, DUH) that is expensive and time-consuming and the third best thing to ever happen to me.  First being my husband, second our kids.  I can honestly say I love this life and even though I will never be a CEO of anything, I am rich with all the things that matter most to me.

This journey of life is all about choices, and accepting the ones we have made and striving to make better ones along the way.  My priorities today are nothing like there were 31 years ago, or even 15 years ago.  They change, they evolve, we change and we evolve and grow with experiences all the time.  I have had to learn to embrace this instead of carrying around a load of baggage that did nothing for me but bring me down!

I have learned so much about myself, my capabilities and passions just from Roller Derby. I am so thankful to have found it and for a family and husband who supports this craziness that I absolutely love! I hope to one day pass this passion on to my beautiful Grand Daughter Katelynn! (and the grand children to come)!

Derby Love to all and remember to LIVE life everyday! Choose to be HAPPY and you will be!

Melody Kool

Roller Derby My New Life

Endurance, Endurance and More Endurance…

gcamwhite

My new league and Team Yellow Rose Derby Girls is moving right along with training, setting up the board of directors and committees! We are off and running and I am so excited to be a part of this awesome group of women! Over the past 3 years I have been doing this sport, I was very glad to get back to the basics again. And by basics I mean the dreaded announcement that tonight is endurance night! UGH! We all say it, we know it, we all dread it!

Of the things that has helped me the most with every other part of my training is a hefty dose of endurance training. I have to say that our trainers have come up with some very good endurance training drills that are challenging for all levels of skaters and not the boring 100+ laps (not that we don’t do that now and then). The trick is to do it without realizing it is endurance and just giving it your all for as far as you can go.

When I first started out I wanted to play derby, not run drill after drill. Of course the first time I had the opportunity to watch a scrimmage, I began to see why we had to so many drills for so long before we were ready to play. It was scary and very intimidating!

So back to the endurance thing, it is a very necessary part of this sport and once you get that in good form, the other things become easier. I know for me when I am tired is when I get sloppy and more apt to get hurt or hurt someone else. The main thing is to not stop but to pull out and skate on the outside or inside, depending on your practice facilities. If you cannot keep up skate a pace that you can maintain, rejoin the faster pace when you feel you can, this will also bring that endurance level up.

Most importantly, no one who has not been doing a sport starts out being able to do endurance drills completely in the first few months. That being said, it is also not enough time on skates to go once a week. You will need at least 2 days a week on skates and 3 is even better. Remember to we have to do 27 in 5 now for WFTDA minimum skills! YAH! ♥

So the next time the trainer comes out and announces it is endurance night, rejoice and set some goals for yourself and stop watching the veterans who have been there forever and comparing yourself to them! They were you once.

Thank you for reading my blog! This another new experience for me and I am having fun with it!
Derby Love!
Kool