First mixed vet and freshie scrimmage!

Tonight was my first practice back after about two weeks break. This break was forced by one flu, then a snowstorm, then MLK day, then freshie assessments. Oh, and also the fact that a bolt came loose on my plates and I couldn't skate on them for a bit. Once it was explained that I'd been trying to correct the problem by tightening the wrong bolt, I was shakily back on skates, hoping to god my trucks didn't fall off in the middle of a jam.

While it took me the first half of the scrimmage to actually pay attention to the game around me (I was too focused on worrying about my skate falling apart and breaking my leg), I pulled it together in the second half. I'm especially proud of:

1. A few sweet booty blocks - I was using my booty more during this scrimmage than I have in a while. Since discovering that I can hit well, I'd kind of stopped booty blocking, even though I knew that it was a more long-term, conservative way to control the other team's players. Tonight I remembered why I used to like doing that so much. I'll have to keep it up.

2. I was using my teammates more than I ever have before. I'd see a fellow blocker on my outside, see the jammer coming up on that side, and rather than cut across said blocker and going in for a hit, I'd push her instead. Go me and my improving track awareness.

3. Actually getting my mind off of my wonky skate problems in the first place. I can get way up into my head, and that was a huge contributor to my struggle last season. Had this been a year ago, I'd have probably given up and found a reason to sit out more jams (or possibly the scrimmage itself) while tinkering with my skate. Instead, I stuck it out, and my skate wound up being fine. Once I made myself focus on the game, I was doing well again. I want to make sure to get used to this process for when I'm inevitably having all kinds of nerves at a bout, where saying "I'll just wait until next week" isn't an option.

My goals for the next scrimmage are:

1. Play outside more. I never play that, and I need to learn that role.
2. Booty block more. I'm not half bad at that, and I should be trying to get even better.
3. Fall back more quickly. I still keep finding myself at the front of the damned pack, even when playing back. I've got to get over that.

Ahh balls.

Freshie assessments were last night, and one of my skater sisters was cut. She and I ride together to practice, and we've gotten pretty close. I'm beyond upset about this. :(

Oh, and my skates are messed up.

Hooray.

The off season is over, let the posts begin...

Now that my migraine is gone, and I can see again, I'll get back to the obsessive computing that is my usual afternoon routine.

Last year was a tough derby year, and there were some days when the only thing that kept me going were the lists of three good things I'd done during practice. While this season has started off extremely well for me, I'm hoping to keep going with this anyway. Looking back on how far I'v come was a huge help when I was down, and I can only imagine it will be even nicer when I'm up, too.

Anyway, my goal for last night's scrimmage (the first back after the off-season) was to get off one really good hit. Instead:

1. I lost track after the 7th. I Didn't get any "elbows" or "forearms" penalties in the first half, and I'm not sure about the second... so as far as I know I hit cleanly. I had one jam where I got off three good hits within a few seconds of each other - one to clear one opposing blocker for our jammer, one immediately after to get back into position, and one on the opposing jammer, knocking her out of bounds.
2. I had a crazy Gumby moment where someone hit me, I started to go down on one knee, and then someone fell in front of me and knocked my foot out from under me completely. I managed to balance on a leg that was barely a a 90 degree angle while the other was in the air behind me, and push myself back up without ever actually falling. I felt like a super hero!
3. Xena and I made some really good walls, and at least once she booty blocked someone and I hit them, rat-trap-style.

Things to work on for the next scrimmage:
1. When I hit, I need to change direction and get back with the flow of traffic faster. I need to progress from BOOM....... catch up to BOOMcatchup.
2. I totally hit Maude Forbid in the face with my head during one block. I should have had much more control over myself. I've never blocked with my head before!
3. I need to slow down and cover the back of the pack more. Funny, I love playing inside and back, and yet I race too far forward when trying to keep the other team's inside and/or back blocker behind me. My next Big Goal is to not race the opposing team's [insert position here] blocker and rely on booty blocks, walls, and check blocks to keep her slow.

so angry

[NOTE: I'm in a horrendous mood right now, and will probably feel very silly later when my skates finally do arrive]

Stupid slow-ass express mail. I hate New Year's. It's a boring holiday that only inconveniences me by making my newly-mounted skates NOT arrive overnight, despite paying extra for expedited shipping. Everything about that holiday is stupid, and I spend every New Years wanting to do something fun, but not being able to because there are too many drunk people in restaurants, on the roads, and in my way. It's a stupid, arbitrary holiday where nothing cool happens. There's no good food, people only get together to do things I don't enjoy, and nothing good is on TV.

How was this past Wednesday any different than Thursday? In my eyes, not at all.

I want some damned ice cream. GOD I'm so cranky.