Derby Endurance

[Daveho]

ive found rollerderby to be a different kind of fitness over speed skating or running in the same way your endurance for BJJ is different to that or taekwondo or karate, while the speed skating stuff might help you be more efficient and faster once you have exited the pack as a jammer its not helping you juke and push your way through.

[Darkjester]

Originally Posted by WJCIV

I suspect it has to do with provided a safe drug free alternative for kids after school and an inclusive, supporting environment in general. The kids in the city my team is in are not the pinnacle of good decision making, so if the coaches can keep someone occupied and promote a welcoming environment to everyone it isn't necessarily a bad thing. There are people who have been disallowed from coming because their general attitude could create safety issues or bring too much drama to the team that would threaten everyone's happiness. That's at a different level from just not improving as a skater.

Believe me, the hopeless skaters are well aware that the coaches and top skaters think they have attitude problems. They are welcome to turn it around if they like.

From a coaching standpoint, and even a youth mentor standpoint I disagree. Bad behavior needs to be discussed and handled. (not removed perse, but perhaps "Hey, No more back talking. Next time you do suicides.." or "Ok, thats enough.. go sit on the bench for 10 ")

[Mort]

Originally Posted by Darkjester

From a coaching standpoint, and even a youth mentor standpoint I disagree. Bad behavior needs to be discussed and handled. (not removed perse, but perhaps "Hey, No more back talking. Next time you do suicides.." or "Ok, thats enough.. go sit on the bench for 10 ")

Agree!

Things need to be dealt with openly as respect goes, then privately later as well. Coach is boss, for all instances during practice one must follow the hierarchy. Other wise things waste time.

That used to kill me about derby, theyd only spend realistically 1/2 the time skating. 2 hours is not enough for me to HAVE TO HAVE water. Theyd take 3 water breaks a least and barely sweat. Ontop of intro/exit huddles streching and not to mention running jams and doing the wait 30 secs thing. Why wait? Just go.

Im sure some are better than others at floor time management but If I was paying dues, man I'd want a boot camp, not a daycare

[WJCIV]

Originally Posted by Darkjester

From a coaching standpoint, and even a youth mentor standpoint I disagree. Bad behavior needs to be discussed and handled. (not removed perse, but perhaps "Hey, No more back talking. Next time you do suicides.." or "Ok, thats enough.. go sit on the bench for 10 ")

It's been done. About once every other month we stop practice about 10-15 minutes early to discuss behavior (in addition to our monthly meeting to hand out bills and talk about things in general). The kids with bad attitudes hear that their attitudes are a problem just about every practice, and one boy gets sent to the center during drills or kicked off the floor a couple times a month.

At some point it's just not worth more effort because it takes away from the rest of the team. Our coaches are a whole lot more nurturing than I would be, but they don't parent every kid on the floor. They can help develop kids, but something has to be done at home as well.

[WJCIV]

Originally Posted by Mort

2 hours is not enough for me to HAVE TO HAVE water. Theyd take 3 water breaks a least and barely sweat. Ontop of intro/exit huddles streching and not to mention running jams and doing the wait 30 secs thing. Why wait? Just go.

You do need water in that amount of time if you are going hard. The numbers I have seen say anything above 45 minutes to an hour needs something. Sports drink/nutrient replenishment may not be necessary at two hours.

The breaks are also to give your muscles time to recover if you are doing sprints instead of endurance and keep your mental acuity up. It may also give the coaches time to regroup.

That said, the practices you attended may very well have been too easy. Obviously I wasn't there. However, if our practices went two hours without breaks the last half of practice would be worthless. No one would be physically capable of doing the drills in that half hard enough to be worthwhile unless they went easy the first half.

[Darkjester]

Originally Posted by WJCIV

It's been done. About once every other month we stop practice about 10-15 minutes early to discuss behavior (in addition to our monthly meeting to hand out bills and talk about things in general). The kids with bad attitudes hear that their attitudes are a problem just about every practice, and one boy gets sent to the center during drills or kicked off the floor a couple times a month.

At some point it's just not worth more effort because it takes away from the rest of the team. Our coaches are a whole lot more nurturing than I would be, but they don't parent every kid on the floor. They can help develop kids, but something has to be done at home as well.

Agreed, and the answer is not to stop practice to discuss it. Keep practice going and tell the offender "Go run laps on on the outside of the track" and then return to the team. The team shouldn't be punished for one or two persons poor behavior. If it becomes a constant, the Coach/Athletic Committee does need to have a private discussion; while yes this is aimed at keeping kids off drugs and off the streets, its unfair to the kids who WANT to be there to fight the disruption. Make a choice, be here, be a part of the team, behave.. Or go.

[WJCIV]

Originally Posted by Darkjester

If it becomes a constant, the Coach/Athletic Committee does need to have a private discussion;

For what it's worth, over the past two years all three coaches have had private discussions with the one boy during and after practice, and the head coach has had discussions during and after session. As has another member of the team he looks up too.

I think part of the problem is that when he goes home the parent figure in his life tells him he is doing fine, and the coaches didn't have the right to tell him that. I know she has complained to the head coach that she went too far.

This suggests we need to do a better job at getting parental buy-in. We do require parents to attend the first practice for orientation, but maybe that isn't enough. I'm open to ideas, although that might deserve another thread.

Originally Posted by Darkjester

while yes this is aimed at keeping kids off drugs and off the streets, its unfair to the kids who WANT to be there to fight the disruption. Make a choice, be here, be a part of the team, behave.. Or go.

Those are my sentiments, too. We have had a handful of skaters quit when they finally got sick of being told their attitudes were a problem. Two returned months later with much better attitudes. Another girl didn't like practicing, but really wanted to be part of the team. We made her the equipment manager. Of course, we all maintain our own skates, so that really just meant that she was in charge of the cones, but that was good enough for her.

[Darkjester]

Every little bit helps!
Equipment manager in charge of cones now.. Future Coach from learning strategy.