New Crew Compendium; 20 Tips for Roller Derby Beginners.

Hiya, I'm Bones! I'm Director of Training with Chicago-Style Roller Derby. This means I'm in charge of planning and running our practices, building rosters, and making sure that all our skating members are growing their derby skills. 

I joined roller derby in 2011 as someone who just liked to roller skate on the weekends and who had never played any actual sports, much less a full contact one with wheels on my feet. In my 14 years at this, I've been in charge of training for our league for most of that time. I've helped recruit, coach, and mentor more newbies than I can count. Which is why I wanted to share a little bit of advice and encouragement with any of you soon-to-be skaters who are just kicking off your derby journey.

First: This is exciting! Roller derby can change your life in the most ridiculously positive ways and I'm so glad you're taking the leap. No matter who you are or what your current skill set on roller skates is, I promise that you can do this if you really want to. Now, I present you: 

Crissy Crossbones' New Crew Compendium: 20 Tips for Roller Derby Beginners.

This is a mix of encouragement, a gentle dose of reality, and lots of advice on how to navigate your first baby strides in the derby world, from a crusty old veteran who cares.

1. We want you to succeed at this. The future of our league depends on it! We want to keep doing the thing we love with new friends who will help keep our league alive.

2. We were all new at this once. I REPEAT: We were ALL new at this once, and went through our own version of "Fresh Meat" or "New Crew" training. We remember how tough it is getting comfortable and asking your body to do all this weird stuff in the beginning. We appreciate the difficulty of it all and we are rooting for you. 

3. Building muscle memory is painful and challenging - both emotionally and physically! Keep at it. The more you do it, the less achy you feel after each practice, and the more you'll start to see yourself improving.

4. Falling isn't an indicator of being bad at this, and NOT falling isn't an indicator of being good at this. We're going to biff it when we're trying new things on wheels, plain and simple. No one is judging you. Fall, get back up, fall again. And again, and again. It's not embarrassing, it just means you're pushing yourself.

5. It doesn't happen overnight. You aren't going to know everything, nail every skill, or understand different strategies immediately - or even a year from now! Pick up one rule, one skill, one play at a time. Derby is complicated and chaotic, so don't be hard on yourself if something doesn't click right away. This takes LOTS of time and repetition.

6. I mean it: This takes repetition. We don't expect you to know how to do anything on the first try, or even the hundredth try (literally). We've been at this for years! Thousands of reps! Do it again and again and again and again. Now do it 47 more times. And next week you'll do it another 61.

7. Push yourself. This is hard and you have to be willing to put in the work - and you CAN! I mentioned it already, but it's emotionally tough, too. We've all cried on skills testing day or after a bad practice, I promise. Feeling vulnerable is exhausting, but I know you can push yourself through those moments and get to the other side.

8. Take feedback graciously. Don't feel defensive or like you need to provide your coaches with a reason you're not getting a certain skill. We aren't expecting you to explain yourself - if your skates are too tight, you didn't get much sleep, you swear you nailed it at practice last week, you have a leg cramp - we get it, and we're just trying to provide you some guidance without any judgement.

9. Show up. You're going to get out of it what you're putting into it, and coming to practice is how you're going to get real good at it! I can confidently say that in all my years, I never regret going to practice when I felt like staying home, but I almost always regret ditching when I just didn't feel like getting off the couch. Endorphins and serotonin and dopamine, oh my! 

10. Listen to your body. There's a difference between being sore and achy vs. being in physical pain from a potential injury. Yes, your back will be sore, your muscles will be aching, your legs will feel like spaghetti - that's normal to push through. But don't have too much pride to communicate if something's actually wrong. You know your body better than anyone else.

11. Don't compare yourself to others at practice. Everyone's skills are going to progress at varying rates, so don't get discouraged if someone is advancing faster than you. You might be great at a certain skill that gives someone else a really hard time. We're all different!

12. Get out of your head. It can be hard to shut your brain off, but sometimes the simplest solution is just letting your body do something without thinking about it too much. Don't overthink everything.

13. Spend as much time in your skates as possible. Go to open skates. Wear them on the weekends. Wear them in your kitchen or while folding laundry. Skate outside (with the proper wheels). The more comfortable you are with wheels attached to your feet, the better you're going to be at derby skills.

14. Some practices aren't great. Don't beat yourself up. We all have days where we feel like we played awful, no matter how long we've been at it.

15. Celebrate every victory, no matter how tiny. Did you get back up faster the 4th time you fell than the 3rd time? THAT IS AWESOME.

16. Ask questions! Don't feel silly. Veterans love talking about roller derby and teaching others what they know. There are no stupid questions.

17. WATCH ROLLER DERBY. There's tons of footage available online. The more you watch the sport, the more you're going to understand it, and the better your instincts will be once you actually start to play. I'm serious! We can tell who watches derby outside of practice and who doesn't, because those who do are way more aware on the track and have a better understanding of the game's nuances. Try searching 'WFTDA roller derby' into Youtube for game footage.

18. Be open to playing all positions for your first couple years. Sure, everyone wants to be the shiny jammer when they're new, but being a well-rounded player means understanding and practicing all perspectives of the game. You might surprise yourself with where you're excelling and what you enjoy most.

19. Don't spread yourself too thin. Joining derby opens the door to this whole world of new friends, events, activities, and commitments. As you find your place within the league, don't bite off more than you can chew. It's common for newer members to turn eagerness and enthusiasm into burnout. Just be mindful of your own personal bandwidth so that you don't get overwhelmed and quit. We want you to stick around! 

20. Don't be a jerk. CSRD culture is magical and encouraging and supportive, and we work really hard to protect our positive vibes within our community. Join us in being happy little weird-doughs who love a cheesy good time!

    
    
    

    

    

    

    

    
    
    

I hope this post, "20 Tips for Roller Derby Beginners," helps build your confidence. Click the link here to learn more about how you can join Chicago-Style Roller Derby New Crew class of 2025:

With love, support and excitement,

Bones # 923, Director of Training