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Hello all! I’m relatively new to derby (been on a team for about 2 years but only been bout eligible for the past year). One thing I am struggling with consistently is balance issues. I know some of it is I need to work on my core, but I do think some of it is due to proprioception issues cause by my ADHD/Autism. I have always struggled with balance and body awareness off skates, I am not very good at mimicking body positions by sight and when people say things like “your weight should be over your knees and feet” I don’t know what that’s supposed to feel like. I want to get better at blocking but I fall a lot because I am often not well positioned to take a hit or to hold a jammer without falling.

Are there drills or exercises I can be doing that will help me be better at being aware of my body and where it is in space? Are there things I can ask my coaches to do that will help me learn better? I know there are many derby folks who are also ADHD/Autistic and I’m sure I am not the first to have these issues. Any advice is appreciated!

Looking for a Derby Name? Have some great names that you want to donate? This is the place for you! Every week we welcome skaters to discuss all things related to derby names, get advice on what name to pick for yourself, and talk about how outdated 2Evils is.

Have fun!

So I've been skating since 2013 but am just now learning people use different wheels for different roles? Someone explained to me that since I usually jam, I should go down in durometer for more grip and up in durometer if I block. Have you heard of this? I always thought the opposite--I thought I needed stickier wheels to block/stay put. 😅

This morning I was jamming and took a pretty nasty hit from a blocker. My leg went left and over my foot as I crashed on the floor. Theres some minor swelling and pain, I cant really put weight on my foot without the space above my talus hurtin like hell and my achilles aching. Is this normal? How soon can I return to the track? I also slammed on my knee (on the other leg) earlier and theres like stabbing pain when I try to bring it back at around 30°. Im just hobbling around atp, please drop some tips!!

Hellloooo - sorry for longer post.
TLDR: tips on keeping your cool so you don't spiral into forgetting everything you know about derby

I'm a relatively new skater, recently started scrimming at modified contact. A couple of days ago was my fourth scrim.

I'm loving it so far, there's so much about this sport and community that are such a good fit for me. I've never really gotten very far with team sports in the past as I have quite severe performance anxiety/fear of failure (extends to other areas of my life: tests, job interviews, speaking in front of too many ppl etc) but love derby so much I want to work on it.

Before scrims are really hard anxiety wise, I get quite panicky, teary and overwhelmed (sometimes in the days leading up). When game play starts this has tended to dissipate and I have fun so I've kept pushing myself to sign up for as many games as possible.

In the first three scrims, I avoiding jamming at the start but gave it go to give some jammers some breathing time around halftime, surprised myself and did really well despite the added pressure of the extra attention. This was a useful confidence boost so in the most recent game I put my hand up to jam earlier, which was significant for me as seven of my friends had come to watch and I wanted to do them proud.

MAN WAS IT A DISASTER from the get go of putting that star on. I ended up getting back-to-back penalties in this blur of dissociation, worry and panic, I think it started with a cut track, then I didn't visibly enough slow down before re-entering the pack, then I didn't leave the track correctly (pretty much blacked out and went on the inside of the and had to sit for two, then I missed a run back. I'd had couple before that (a forearms and a direction) which was fine but the ones I got wearing the star made me feel so much shame, embarrassment and guilt at letting our side lose a lead in points. I was devastated that I didn't get to show the skills I'd been able to in the previous scrims in front of my friends and what they must think of my abilities with so many penalties. I feel sad that I look like I don't know how to play the game to the refs and coaches that were there.

I ended up getting MVP blocker which was a big surprise, I'm stoked. But I can't stop thinking about what felt like an eternity of stuff ups though. I get the sense that this will get easier with time and experience, both avoiding penalties and getting better at dealing with getting them. But I thought I would ask if there was anyone else who struggled with this particular kind of MH stuff interfering with their derby journey and if there were any tips to stop stuffing up getting to you so bad.

https://preview.redd.it/cnbc95mr4d4e1.jpg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=99468ce2659d4eddb83282a2d73ae257a5192b52

Hey Hotboxers!

This week we sit down with Naclara (@naclaraderby )from 🇧🇷 @brasilrollerderby , 🇧🇷 @avasrollerderby and ❤️‍🔥@fuegolatinorollerderby . Come hang out with us as we chat about all things South America Roller Derby!

📸: Eliane Matos, @rollerderbyclicks (portrait) 📸: Fernanda Balster (in action)

This episode is sponsored by Bruised Boutique. You can save 10% off your regular priced order with the code HOTBOX10 at https://bruisedboutique.com/ @bruisedboutique

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4WpxzbvnSTZb5LtFlzGyAP?si=EPtuQHWtSMu56pKCmRDvbQ

I have been skating on my league's B-team for 2 seasons now. I bought a pair of used Suregrips as a starter set, and now I'm thinking about upgrading.

I don't know that I really need new skates, but also I only know this one pair, so I also don't know what I'm missing, if anything.

What do I need to look for? Is it even worth the upgrade right now or should I stick with ole faithful until they are decidedly broken? What is the price range I need to look for? Bont v. Ridell v. Other brands? Any advice is appreciated!!!

Hi!! Looking to try on skates to pick my first good pair of derby skates. Does anyone have any shop recommendations in or near Dallas, Texas?

Recently had to return to Freshie status after a long hiatus, and still struggling to execute plow stops. Read back on older posts here and saw that harder wheels were generally recommended, but anything over 88A makes me feel like I have little control. Any advice on wheel durometer and plows?

Hey folks! Was looking for any advice about rehabbing medial and/or lateral tendonosis. Jus diagnosed but injury happened in August. I've been told to continue pain management and get into physio. Pain management is not a thing for me as nothing helps for the pain. But was hoping for some insight as to what to expect with the rehab side of things. Any help/advice is more than appreciated! TIA.

I'm running the team meeting for our last game of the year tomorrow. The bench coach can't be there so I'm flying solo. We usually do a communication warmup by throwing a ball around a circle and shouting the name of the person you're throwing too. Aside from the issue of there being at least 3 pairs on the team (people with the same first name), the only thing fun about it is that roller girls can't catch... Or throw 😂

Does anyone have any fun drills to get people talking off-skates?

Hey Reddit!

My wife recently got really into Roller Derby, and I'm excited for her! The thing is, she's notoriously hard to get gifts for—she’s the type who buys what she wants when she wants it, or asks for it throughout the year. So, when it comes to the holidays, I always end up struggling to find something meaningful and unique or that is an actual surprise .

This year, since she's still fairly new to Roller Derby, I figured it’s a great opportunity to get her something that she'd love or find useful for roller derby . I’d really appreciate any suggestions from you guys on what might be a great gift for someone getting into Roller Derby. Thanks in advance!"

Edit:This is my actual wife, as I was informed that "derby wife" may have other meanings!

Does anyone know what the length of the Riedell 495 default laces are please? I was looking at getting some more laces and I don't even know what length to go for 😅

Hi everyone,

I've recently joined my local roller derby group. I'm just learning to skate right now, and borrowing equipment, but I'd like to have my own so I can try skating outside of the weekly session. I thought it might be a good idea to buy some during the black Friday sales on at the moment, and I was wondering where is a good idea to buy good roller derby shoes in the UK and if any of them are doing sales at the moment? Does anyone have any recommendations?

Cheers!

Can you point me in the direction of some awesome roller derby Black Friday deals? Can be anything…I am looking for an extra set of gear but I like to shop so I could use anything. Thanks to You all and have a great day!!!

I've seen comments that it's best to have something lining your pads so you're not sweating directly onto them, but a lot of the gaskets and stuff I see look like they'd be bulky and annoying under pads. I know many people need specific items due to past injuries, but if that isn't a factor and I just want to protect myself and my equipment without sacrificing mobility I'm not seeing a lot of options. Maybe there's a key word I'm missing in my search?

What do you look for when finding something to protect your protective gear?

So I just emailed my local roller derby about 2025 season, but where the heck do I start? Total newbie to the sport and need gear head to toe. Any advice or help would be much appreciated! ☺️

Hi everyone,

In our league, we usually have three training sessions per week for the higher-level players:

• One is a standard training with drills, starts, offense, defense, etc.
• Another is mixed with medium-level players, so they can improve by playing alongside more advanced skaters.
• The third is a scrimmage where we divide into teams (black and white) and play against each other.

The issue with our scrimmages is that they’re run at a very fast pace. We don’t get much time to discuss starts, plan strategies, or reflect on what went well or what didn’t. It’s played like a real game, with game-like timing, but sometimes it’s worse because, in real games, we usually have coaches to guide us or some preparation time between jams.

Right now, our league is also facing lower attendance from experienced players due to injuries, maternity leave, or breaks. This means a lot of players participating in scrimmages have less experience in decision-making, planning strategies, and understanding what to do during gameplay.

Personally, I’m one of the newer higher-level players, and scrimmages have been challenging because I feel like the expectations for decision-making are higher than what my experience can handle. I’ve noticed the same struggle in other newer players, too.

That brings me to why I’m writing this! I’d love to know how your leagues handle scrimmages. I’m thinking of suggesting something to our league, like having a “slow scrimmage” once a month. The idea would be to take a more thoughtful approach:

• Pause to reflect on what’s happening during gameplay.
• Share feedback with each other.
• Focus on small, actionable changes between jams to understand why things are working (or not).
• Work on improving teamwork and communication.

Right now, everything feels so fast, it’s hard to process and improve. For me, it’s already a struggle just to figure out how to do my own job better. But as a team, I feel like we’re missing opportunities to learn together if we don’t take time to talk things through.

I’d love to hear how your leagues structure scrimmages or if you do anything similar. Any advice or ideas would be super helpful!

Thanks for reading and for any input that you can give me :)

Hello derby players! I just finished bootcamp and am interested in buying my first set of wheels (upgrading from the standard ones that came with my R3s), and I'd like some advice on which hardness to buy.

Some relevant information:

• we skate at 2 locations, one of which is at a gymnasium that gets a little sticky in the summer and the other is a much more slippery indoor skate park
• so far I don't have a specific position that I play, but I really love bracing and jamming
• I'm 5'2" and roughly 130lbs
• in my mind I'd like wheels on the harder end for speed while jamming, but since I'm a little on the small side I know that grip should be a priority
• I'm planning on a mixed hardness setup, but will play around with placement to find my personal sweet-spot

I'm pretty set on Halo Radars, but am open to other brands in a similar price range.

Thanks!

So I am a coach of a jrda league and we are doing testing and we have some newer players this season and I'm not sure they will pass the written portion so I am making a study guide for them to use if they would like, but am getting a little stuck, like most of the rule book is just a casebook of scenarios so can I just give them all the other sections that aren't officiating info? Or is there a better way to go about? it we dont really have the time to teach all of the things they dont know without taking a whole practice and going over rules and they wont stay engaged in that for that long, any advice?

Specifically toiletries, medication, snacks, first aid, ect.

Hey all, I started derby towards the end of the summer and I'm fully in love with it. I've gone headfirst into it and I spend a lot of time outside of practice working on it both on and off skates. I do core work and cardio, some upper body and I TRY to train legs often.

My problem is that I need to get lower (don't we all lol) and STAY lower, but I have had chronic knee pain since i was a child that makes it hard to maintain a low derby stance for as long as i need to. I often have to take a day or two off completely after a particularly intense practice to rest and ice because my knees are so inflamed the next day. I do strength and mobility training as well as yoga (not as often as i should) and balance training.

I can tell my knees are getting stronger which is nice, and both google and my doctor say that consistent exercise will help alleviate symptoms, but the pain doesnt seem to be letting up all that much when I'm staying low for long periods of time.

I do not want to give up derby, but I am afraid my knees can't handle the stress. Does anyone have any tips on how to train getting low in a way that minimizes pain, or ways to manage knee pain before/after training? Thanks in advance!

Looking for a Derby Name? Have some great names that you want to donate? This is the place for you! Every week we welcome skaters to discuss all things related to derby names, get advice on what name to pick for yourself, and talk about how outdated 2Evils is.

Have fun!

I just found out that I am pregnant and how long is it safe to play until? (practice and no contact practice) I can definitely pause on games until next year. Anyone pregnant and still play roller derby?

Whenever I bring non-derby people to watch games, a common complaint is that official reviews and timeouts kill the flow of the game.

I know derby is a sport before entertainment, but it's also always evolving and changing - and I agree that if the sport wants to grow this is something that needs to be looked at.

Other areas of the sport are extremely time-limited, 60 second team timeouts, 30 seconds to get on the track. It's pacey.

As a player of 15 years it's always seemed strange to me that official reviews ranging in length from 5 to 20 minutes are allowed. I understand if there are injured skaters or technical issues to resolve (ie scoreboard problems meaning the game can't progress) but if a decision can't be made in 2-3 minutes tops then the game should be allowed to continue.

Thoughts?

I think this may be a skate issue rather then a toe stop one now, but i have riedell r3s and EVERY toestop thats put into them falls out constantly (specifically the right) ive only tried one brand but every kind of that brand ive put in it has issues (or refuses to tighten or loosen and is stuck)

Should i get new skates???? I was told I cant get new plates because of the kind of skate I have so thats not an option

I was already looking into it prior to this though so i may just get new skates :(

I'm a large skater ‐ 130, 135 kg, so about 280-300lbs

I currently use a mix of 94a and 97a wheels on slippery wood floors but I I'm finding they're impossible on grippy concrete. Is it overkill to go up to 99s or 101s? (Radar halos).

No one else uses anything that hard but realistically, there's very few skaters around here anywhere near as large as me.