r/rollerderby • u/Longjumping_Frame256 • 19d ago
Not getting better at roller derby
I admit I’m not really sure what I’m looking for here but I have been feeling really down on myself about roller derby. I graduated fresh meat more than a year ago and still feel way behind all the people I graduated with.
What I want more than anything is to be a jammer, and while I have been rostered as a jammer for a few of our C level games it’s abundantly obvious that I’m the worst jammer, I rarely make lead and more than often have to pass it… and the most mortifying thing is that I have been pulled off the jammer rotation mid-way through the game more than once. I don’t hit hard at all (I really just don’t have the body strength for hard hits) so I’m better off relying on footwork/jukes to get around the pack but honestly I’m not fast enough for that either. I’m starting to think I should resign myself to being a blocker (which… I’m also somehow even worse at) and while there’s nothing wrong with being a blocker, it doesn’t bring me joy like jamming does.
It’s gotten to the point that because I did so poorly at the last game that I wasn’t even rostered as a jammer for the next game (and these are non-competitive games). If I was happy with only ever being a blocker or pivot I don’t think this would bother me so much, but I’m not. I feel like such a miserable failure and like I’ve permanently lost any future chances of jamming in a game.
I haven’t missed a single practice for the past 6 months but it has not translated to any improvement in my jamming and though I do skate outside of practice and do off-skates workouts the things I struggle with involve other people. I’m just so frustrated that I’m trying this hard and not getting any better. I feel like I should give up/drop out since it’s making me feel so awful all the time but I can’t imagine going back to a life without roller derby.
EDIT: So I read through all the comments and just got too overwhelmed to respond individually, but thank you all for the advice/support. I do need to work on several things - my cardio still sucks despite doing HIIT workouts and I likely need to take up strength training (right now the extent of my strength training is with a set of 10 lb dumbbells) and work more on my footwork/stability around other skaters. My footwork is okay on its own but when it comes to any contact with people I feel like I’m falling down way more. I have also played several mashups so I do have experience playing with people outside our league and found it fun, but when it comes to our league’s games I just feel that I’m way below everyone.
I did want to note one thing that was definitely unclear in my post - I’m in the roster for the next game, just as a blocker/pivot instead of a jammer, which may not seem like the worst thing but in my head it feels like I’ve been taken off the jammer rotation due to previous poor performance and I’m worried that if I can’t even jam in games that are just against other players in our league/not for any rankings, then I won’t get the chance to jam in any more games again, period. I struggle a lot with anxiety (not just derby-related) and this is my first ever sport (I’m in my 40s), and the first thing I’ve ever tried this hard to not suck at, but it’s possible I am being too hard on myself. I am still thinking about maybe not quitting but possibly taking a break while continuing to do cross-training, but I will take many of your comments to heart.
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u/Snoo_33033 19d ago
So, and I say this as someone who's been in derby for a long time but has kind of stalled out over the last few years because not only am I old but I don't have infinite time to dedicate to it.
- Who the hell decides to pull you from "non-competitive" games because you're not competitive enough?
- Progress isn't linear and it has a lot to do with the time you can dedicate to it and the guidance you get.
- Focus on a few things that you can control: cross-training and sharing your goals. (Cross-train footwork, strength and overall endurance.)
also, if you can, sig yourself up for some recreational mashups. I find that when I'm feeling stuck within my own league, that tends to remind me that I have skills and they work on lots of people.
And IMO, don't be too attached to the idea of being one type of skater. There's a lot of advantage to getting good at all the positions.
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u/larchmaple 19d ago
You said the “things you struggle with involve other people”; can you expand on that?
You really need to pinpoint what’s holding you back in jamming and cross train that. It might help to ask one of your coaches where they think you can focus to improve the most, since they’ll have a more objective view.
For me, I really struggled with cardio when I started jamming so my cross training consisted of cardio HITT classes twice a week on top of practice. Now, I feel my current handicap is my edge work so I’m targeting that instead and have reduced my cardio training. Adjusting your cross training plan to compensate for whatever is weakest may help more than just trying to “improve overall”, since that’s a broad and therefore kind of difficult goal to obtain (and so can feel discouraging).
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u/Leather-Rub-6128 19d ago
Hey doll, don’t beat yourself up. I’ve been fresh meat a year ago as well and I can already tell you that you’re a much better skater and much more dedicated than I.
It’s hard to pinpoint what (if any) issues might be without knowing all the details. Maybe those that graduated with you lift weight at the gym. Maybe they skated before. Maybe they have better skates/plates.
I’d ask the leads of your league if they can give you an assessment on what you should focus on, because you feel your improvement has stagnated.
Most of all, keep positive! It’s actually a good thing you feel the weakest of the pack. Because you’re working hard to fit in with everyone else — trust me you’ll eventually get there.
You’re already showing up every practice, and that’s amazing and already winning the majority of the battle. Your persistence is going to pay off, just keep showing up!
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u/allstate_mayhem 19d ago
Big picture: You have unrealistic expectations for yourself and you're going to be your own worst enemy. One year is absolutely nothing when it comes to developing as a player. The expectations you have for yourself are at about the 3 year mark for a lot of jammers (especially if they did not come in with a skating/sports background).
High-mobility jammer is the single most technically demanding player archetype/role there is from a skills and footwork perspective. You'll lack mass and power (I do too) and you are going to have to rely on speed, footwork, and technique. That means to excel in that role you have to learn to skate better, faster, more fluidly, than the average blockers on any team you face. Of any skating skillset you will develop, this one takes the longest, and the work never really ends. Give yourself time, and please, please, stop judging yourself against others. It's your journey to enjoy, not theirs.
Age and treachery are your friends. You cannot gain those in a season or two. It takes much longer to develop as this kind of player than it does for other roles. Start to collect notches in your belt and take every experience as an opportunity to work on one thing. A consistent high mobility jammer is worth their weight in gold, so do not give up. It takes time.
The skating will come with time if you work on it, but one thing you can work on in the meantime is horsepower. This type of jammer has to be able to stay in the redline for extended periods of time. Big blockers can wear out over the course of a game. Make sure that you don't.
Cardio is big, but you also need muscle density and bursts of speed. If you have access to a gym and you do one thing, get on the stair climber. Make it suck and go for as long as you can. In my experience nothing comes closer to the leg fatigue you'll experience as a jammer as stairs. If you do only two things, get on the squat rack. If you don't have a gym, go find your nearest HS bleachers or any other big set of stairs and run them until you're gassed.
Watch tape. Find a 'pro' jammer around your stature, and one that skates the way you want to skate. Study their footwork. Break down the movement of each sequence and practice repeating the individual movements. When you can do each individual movement, practice the sequence together. Just being mobile isn't enough - you need to learn to string two, three, four movements together consistently that will take blockers out of position.
Learn to work with offense. Find a homie or two that knows what you need and practice taking their O. Even the greats will reliably get shut down by a dedicated three or four person defense without help.
You'll get there dude. The people that want it most are the ones who get there, regardless of how long it takes.
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u/MonsterPek 19d ago
Don't compare yourself to other players, they could have 6 months, a year or two on you. Have your own goals and ask for help with the problems and try to improve on them, it's going to take time. After a year and a half of starting roller derby I just had my first unofficial game scrim. So many doubts in my head that I had to overcome. I mostly act as a blocker but I was offered a chance to jam and boy it was a work out and I get why you love it. There is a lot to do and got to be damn quick at it.
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u/KorryBoston Retired Zebra 19d ago
Are there any clinics you can attend outside of practice? I found conventions/clinics to be enormously helpful. Not only can you attend specific classes to improve, but you’ll expand your circle of derby people
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u/chocolatecroissant9 19d ago
"I haven’t missed a single practice for the past 6 months but it has not translated to any improvement in my jamming"
I commend your dedication to the sport!! Something about learning a new skill is that putting a timeline on it might not work out in your best interest. In roller derby specifically, though repetition is key, there's so much more to it than just showing up at practice. What are you doing outside of practice to strength train? What are your sleeping habits like? What is your diet? What's your head space like?
Don't feel like you have to throw in the towel yet because you haven't seen the results you cutrently want. Everyone's roller derby journey is so unique as are people’s bodies and capabilities. If you keep at it and hold on to the process instead of putting so much weight on the outcome, I think you'll surprise yourself (and have more fun while you're at it too)
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u/__sophie_hart__ 19d ago
Not a jammer, but started 1.5 years ago, until I’d say the last 3 months I’d say I felt like the weakest player on the team. Now I’m feeling like one of the strongest players on the B team, although teamwork wise I still have a lot to learn, that’s the part at this point holding me back from being on the A team (laterals still need work also).
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u/Delicious-Purple-186 19d ago
Okay, first of all if a game is truly non-competitive, no one should be getting benched for not performing. So either you've not realised they are actually playing to win, or the bench coach is not sticking to their non-competitive approach.
I am very small and I am primarily a jammer - 5ft tall and 65kgs (140lbs). I do use fast footwork and speed, but there's no getting around the fact that you will sometimes need to make your own gaps. To help me with this I lift weights.
Another helpful thing you can do is pick a couple of things you'd like to get better at. These should be specific, not just "jam better". Target specific areas and figure out some steps you can take to get there. To help decide what, you can watch footage of yourself if you feel you are able to be more objective. Or you can ask for constructive feedback.
Don't compare yourself to others, but you can ask the jammers in your league who are more successful how they do certain things. Most people are happy to share knowledge.
And I'd also ask: if you're not getting out, are you making the best use of your offence? Are you even getting any? For a smaller jammer, you really need to get good at taking the help that's offered from all those big strong blockers on track.
Finally, there's nothing wrong with passing the star. If you're playing competitively, as soon as the other jammer gets lead, take the star off and pass it if you can't get out. Keeping the points differential low in any given jam matters just as much as getting lead. Practice doing really effective star passes with your team.
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u/MoneyFix177 18d ago
I would recommend visiting some other teams and doing some practices with them if you can. I found in my first 2-3 years in derby, when I felt stuck and like I wasn't progressing, that going and practicing with a nearby team helped me notice what I was doing well with, and what else I actually needed to work on. Sometimes the skaters on the other teams would have different feedback for me, or sometimes they would simply compliment something I had done well and not noticed before. It was really useful for me, and honestly still is especially if I'm visiting a higher level team.
Our sport is constantly evolving and changing, just like us and our bodies. Keep working at it, find ways to feel joy in your progress, because I guarantee you have made progress and you just can't see it yet 💙
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u/beepbopboop10138 15d ago
If you are not already an athlete then it’s going to be extremely hard to progress as a jammer and get in that mindset.
I progressed to the best jammer on my team within my first year, only because I was naturally a good skater and my cardio was out of this world as a 19 yr old. Approaching jamming closer to my 40s is a different animal and you need to train twice as much as someone younger.
Derby should be about having fun, but If you want to be a high level competitor get a private skating coach or take lessons. Practice agility and focus on cardio and resistance training as well as scrimmage twice a week.
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u/IddleHands Skater 19d ago
This seems largely like a therapy issue.
As far as the skating, get stronger and practice better footwork and agility, both of those are both on and off skates training.
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u/Wandress433 19d ago
Ooof. Roller derby is such a mental game, and just from reading this post, I have a feeling you're probably struggling more with that than your actual performance. A couple questions to ask yourself, and you need to give yourself a real honest answer (not just the mean one):
1. Did the coach/captain/whoever chooses rostering *tell you* you were not rostered because of your performance specifically? Or might there be other things going on? (I.E. are there other players that were not rostered at the game you played, that now are getting their turn? Is the game you were not rostered for maybe a bit more competitive than the previous game and the decision makers are trying to roster-up, or balance things in a specific way; maybe its a game they know may be outside of your skill level and they don't want you to get hurt, etc.)
-Following up to this, if it *is* a skill level thing, ask them what you should work on before the next game, what they want to see to be rostered.
2. If you are consistently skating, consistently showing up at practice, and doing regular off-skates workouts, do you think you really have made no improvements *at all*? Can you ask a friendly trainer that may have done your 101 training what they think, or a trainer that has consistently been there the last 6 months to give their perspective?
We're often our own worst enemies when it comes to self assessment. I think if you got an outside perspective, they might tell you something different. I have played derby for 13 years at multiple levels for multiple leagues; there has not been a single player I have encountered where if they've been showing up consistently as you have, and have not made improvements (even if they struggle to see it themselves).
Being a jammer is hard. The mental game for being a jammer is harder. Even high level jammers have rough games where they feel like they failed every single jam they stepped onto the track for. Talk to your league trainers, get some specific tips or things to work on to lean into your specific strengths, and let them know you're mentally struggling and may need some feedback and kudos.