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.