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Season Three Skater Recruiting Begins Soon

Type :Announcements
The Boston Derby Dames are excited to announce our third round of skater recruitment. Some of the final details, including information about who to contact with questions, are still being worked out, but below is the way recruitment will be structured for our third season.

Tryouts and assessments will happen in a three-step process:
  1. League Tryouts will take place on November 2, 2008.
  2. Skaters who make it through the tryouts will begin attending Freshmeat practices to prepare for a further two rounds of cuts on December 7, 2008, and January 11, 2009.
  3. Skaters who make the final cut will become permanent league members to be placed on a home team in mid-February 2009. Our bouting season begins in late February 2009 and goes through October 2009.
We’ll keep in touch with prospective Dames through our freshmeat newsletter, so be sure you’re signed up. Sign up on our home page, and make sure you choose “freshmeat” as one of the categories on the subscription options.

Requirements to tryout

All skaters must be at least 21 years old, female, and have health insurance.  Registration will be online, check back soon for more details.  A registration fee of $5 is payable online at the time of registration or at League Tryouts on November 2 (cash or checks made out to Boston Derby Dames, LLC).  In order to try-out, your registration fee must be paid, you must bring a copy of your health insurance card, and sign a liability waiver that will be available at tryouts. PLEASE NOTE:  If you do not have a copy of your health insurance card with you at tryouts, you will not be eligible to try out.  This is for your safety and to comply with the league's legal requirements.  NO EXCEPTIONS!

Our athletic standards are high, so we will be holding bi-weekly skate clinics at local rinks starting in July.  It is your responsibility to learn the skills for the League Tryout.  Dames will be on hand at all skate clinics to answer any questions but we will not be providing any formal training sessions, so it will be up to you to approach us if you need a hand.  We're there to help and we want our future teammates to be as prepared as possible, so we promise not to bite!

Sunday, November 2, 2008: League Tryouts

Below are the skills that will be assessed at the League Tryouts in November. These are all basic skating skills that are possible to master during public sessions at local rinks.  We recommend full protective gear for League Tryouts (knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards, helmet and mouth guard), but only skates are required.

Basic Skating
  • Skating Posture: bending at knees and hips with shoulders back, swings arms fluidly
  • Stride: has steady, confident, fluid strides, uses both feet to push forward on straight-aways
  • Crossovers: going into and coming out of turns, uses both feet
  • Glide on one foot on straight-away
  • 8 on the floor: pushing out and in, moving forward while keeping all wheels on the ground
Footwork
  • Skating backwards, skating from frontward to backward and vice versa
  • Stops: T-stop, turning toe stop
Strength and Fitness
  • Squatting while gliding and skating on straight-aways and turns
  • Completes 10 minute skate without breaking form
Coachability
  • Coaches will assess skaters' ability to learn new skills as well as their attitude. We expect skaters to be positive and professional.  This means being respectful of Dames and our volunteers and staff, supportive of each other, and hard working!
Interview
  • Dames will interview skaters to get to know them and to learn what kinds of skills they can bring to the league. We run an all-volunteer organization and all members MUST serve on a committee and help with league business. Committees include coaching, events, communications/PR, merchandise, financial, human resources, community outreach, ref liaison, skater mediation.

Freshmeat training

Prospective Dames who pass the League Tryouts will begin attending freshmeat training practices in preparation for the next two rounds of cuts.

Freshmeat training will consist of a minimum of 2 practices a week starting November 9.  Practices are currently Wednesday nights and Saturday afternoons, but our schedule is subject to change. You MUST have full equipment to begin training on November 9—skates, knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards, mouth guard, helmet. We know skates and equipment are expensive and we have lots of old stinky gear we can lend you! Check back soon for more details about borrowing equipment.

Training will be intensive!  We expect skaters to take coaches’ feedback in a positive way by pushing themselves to improve.  Skaters must also remain supportive of each other through this competitive process.

These are the skills you will learn at freshmeat training and on which you will be assessed during the two rounds of cuts in December and January.

Sunday, December 7, 2008: First Cut

Advanced Skating Skills
  • Hopping: with both feet, from one foot to the other
  • Agility: weaving through cones, lateral skating across track, jammer starts
Basic Derby Skills
  • Falling: single knee drop, single knee 180 degree fall, double knee fall, baseball slide
  • Assists: whips, pushes, hip whips
  • Skating with others: skating in a pace line, weaving through skaters in a line
Contact
  • Leaning
  • Bumping
  • Booty Blocking
  • Check Blocking
Coachability

Sunday, January 11, 2009: Final Cut

Pack Skating
  • Skating in tight pack, modulating speed, avoiding obstacles, general awareness in pack, communication in pack, blocking in a pack.
Game Play Skills
  • Teamwork and communication: partner play, verbal and non-verbal communication
  • Offense: jammer awareness, assists, marking and clearing space
  • Defense: jammer awareness, defensive partnerships, replacement blocking
Coachability

Important Dates

Locations and times TBA for all events
  1. July 2008–October 2008: Bi-weekly skate clinics begin
  2. Sunday November 2, 2008: League Tryouts
  3. Saturday, December 7, 2008: First Cut
  4. Sunday, January 11, 2008: Second Cut
  5. Mid-February 2008: New Dames placed on home teams
  6. Saturday, February 28, 2009: First bout of Season Three!
 

 
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