1) Watch a ton of high level footage – watch the same games over and over and over again. Speed it up/slow it down/ponder/question/wonder/talk about it) Try www.wftda.tv and www.derbynewsnetwork.com
2) Be the first person to arrive at practice
3) Be the last person to leave practice
4) Listen to your coaches – and I mean really listen you guys.
5) Ask questions – constantly… of everybody, all the time.
6) Read books about sports psychology and the mental game – Visit my last post for some ideas of where to start.
7) Create your own derby mentor – don’t even give them a choice… start talking/getting advice from a skater you admire and cling onto them for dear life. (Being nice and friendly is highly recommended here – but not creepy, don’t be creepy.)
8) Spend the majority of your hard-earned money on attending boot camps/scrimmages/games – NOT on fancy gear. You do not need 10 sets of wheels and 5 different pairs of skates throughout one season. Honestly, you don’t.
9) Be super eager and enthusiastic – even if you’re not quite there all the time. Fake it – it will rub off on you and others and everybody will be like “she’s so fun to be in drills with – she’s so enthusiastic!” Everybody wants to be referred to as fun right?!
10) Carry a notepad with you wherever you go – so much so that your team mates actually get fed up of seeing it and groan every time you pull it out of your bag. You WILL forget that awesome idea you just had, honest. Jot down things you want to try, strategies you need to question, drills you want to suggest to your coaches, names of skaters you want to contact, goals you want to set, to-do lists etc.
What have I missed?
Kid Block Blogs 
11) Help out without being asked!
You’re more likely to get an advantage by being in every ones good books by helping run your league, and not asking for handouts all the time!
Excellent addition!
12) Read the rules. Don’t try to read and learn them in one go. Do just keep them around and once a week or so pick one section to read and think about. Imagine the situations as you read them. And keep going back to new sections. Once you’ve gone through them. Rest a bit to let the knowledge gel, then do it again. I guarantee you’ll see nuances you missed. Last thing: Ask refs and NSOs rules questions. We LOVE talking rules after practice and at the afterparty.
12) Talk to Your Skating/Non-Skating Officials and Read the Rules –
If you’re not up for the daunting task of reading the rules MULTIPLE times (and nobody would blame you… unless you are a referee) make sure you also have a knowledgeable official you can consult of things like game parameters, illegal procedures, penalties, and protocols. Knowing exactly what to do on a false start, understanding the intricacies of out of play calls and how those apply to pack definition, what the verbal/physical cues of officials are, etc. will keep you out of the box and make you even more valuable to your team. If your league does not have any dedicated officials, find a league nearby that will allow you to attend rules nights that they may have.
NSO. NSO for dear life!
12) Work out away from practice!
This will help you avoid injury and will also allow you to gain a competitive edge on the track. Roller Derby is a tough sport and the better shape your in, the better your going to be all around! Even if its just a short 20-30 minute work out a day, it goes a long way!
I’m loving all these, thanks so much for commenting!
13) Take injury prevention/recovery seriously! 🙂
All great tips, but none of them will work if you don’t put your skates on and practice.
I believe this article (and the comments) was written under the assumption that the reader who is trying to be better is strapping on their skates and rolling around. It’s more of a set of tips for when you can’t be on skates due to injury, not an appropriate place, etc., etc.
Get a copy of the the pocket sized rulebook and keep it with you all the time. When ever you think of a strategy or question, you can look it up in the rules.
Well, that would be ok if they weren’t changing the rules at the drop of a hat. or drop of a helmet.
….um, how bout actually practicing hard to get better. Derby ain’t a college course…notebooks only get you so far and staying after class is pointless if you aren’t actually doing anything.
Hi C, yes I agree – obviously on skate derby training as well as off skate strength and fitness is of the upmost importance! These are little extras that can help you improve your game alongside your regular training.
Always stay positive!!! Everyone learns and picks ups skills at their own pace!! Confidence and positive attitude will get you very very far!!!!!
help out the new skaters teaching the skills that comes easy to you honestly helps with the areas you may struggle in. “because I am a role model I will be a role model”..Frank Lloyd Wright.
#9 – there’s only so much a person can fake before they want to tell their coach (who should look at #6 and not disparage her teammates) to suck it.
ロレックス 時計 女性
Great tips! Thanks!
Thanks everyone going skating now