back down to the bottom of the pack

Tonight was my first practice with the house team skaters as a bench marked rookie.

A few observations:

1. I don't know what the hell I'm doing.

2. Ouch.

3. I really need to work on developing bursts of speed and endurance.  Not to mention my hit and be hit play.

4. I don't know what the hell I'm doing.

I read somewhere in Melicious of the Texas Rollergirls' book Rollergirl that it took her about six months of playing derby before she started to figure out what was going on in the pack.  Or maybe that was someone else's confession, I don't know any more, I've been reading, thinking, dreaming so much about roller derby lately.

Unfortunately, most of what I've read has been more about the personalities in roller derby, and, of course, the drama of the start up leagues and star players.  What I need, now, is a book that tells me how to move my feet when I need to go faster all of a sudden, and if that book could include some strategy, I'd be very happy too.

Roller derby, in it's flat track incarnation, is so very new, hardly anyone has retired yet to write detailed strategy and skating skills books.  It's really just getting started.  I guess I'm going to have to figure out how to pack skate and throw a hit in the more traditional manner:

Pull on my Big Girl panties and practice practice practice.

After hours parking lot, here I come.