Derby in the Off-Season
The Cape Fear Roller Girls off-season typically is around 3 months long. The 2016-2017 off-season started around mid-November and ended early February. In this time frame, one might ask… what exactly does a roller derby player DO when they aren’t meeting for practices or playing in bouts? Well, actually, quite a lot!
The majority of girls on the team never actually put their skates away during the off season. We spend a great deal of time at free skate in our local indoor skating rinks. Some of the ladies attended invitationals to play derby outside of our team at events such as Twas the Fight Before Christmas and Skatie Hawkins where they kept the game going. While some hit the rink, others prefer to better themselves for the next season by working on strength and endurance training. Whether it’s lifting weights, crossfit, burn bootcamp, pole dancing lessons, or cardio, our ladies spent on average 3-4 days a week getting stronger, faster and more agile for the upcoming season.
Never Stop Training
If that wasn’t enough, some skaters like CFRG’s Barb Gnarley bring the gym home by creating their own skating space. Gnarley explains by saying, “I set up a skate space in my garage and added a heavy bag to block, hit and dodge. I practiced footwork and drilling alot of the things I struggle with”. Among many others, the amount of dedication and hard work that she puts into her off-season is definitely showing this season!
Eating Clean
While some take a more athletic approach during the off season, a lot of the girls on the team also worked on improving their overall health by eating clean and taking new vitamins. These new eating habits have been paying off. Quite a few on the team have lost those holiday pounds (some lost 10+ pounds!) and more by just by cutting out extra treats.
Rest and Heal
On the flip side of the coin, there were those who simply just wanted to take advantage of the off season and gave their bodies a break from the constant stress and strain it takes from playing derby. Just as it’s important to stay in shape for any sport, it’s important to rest, too. After a long, hard season, a rest was well-earned by everyone on CFRG!
Starting Back!
At the end of the day, although our Cape Fear Roller Girls have had very active and busy lives during our derby off season, we are all very excited to be back. This season we hope to continue to grow and get stronger both individually and as a team! Let’s kick off our 2017 season with a BANG!
Article by Lethal Lady
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