15 months into this global pandemic and roller derby can be proud of the fact that its main governing body, the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), can confirm no direct reports of COVID transmission within WFTDA participation. For a close contact sport, without a ton of resources and largely played in poorly ventilated facilities, it’s been key that WFTDA’s return to play has followed a strict baseline to ensure the sport doesn’t become a site of transmission. It’s also meant that a lot of skates are collecting dust though.
As vaccination rates increase and we see transmission decrease, more and more leagues are getting closer to their baseline requirements and WFTDA is soon adding another lower tier for those who can practice skating skills outside in small groups. In the meantime though, there are many leagues that are still months away from baseline, and more who may hit a baseline only to move back.
Some folks have been able to successfully transition to park and ramp skating, but not everyone has access to a skate park and for others the skate part just doesn’t offer the same team sport environment or competition. Fair enough.
Roller derby has been known as one of the main sport homes for people who otherwise did not enjoy sports, and although there are a lot of valid reasons for that, set up against a lot of systemic barriers, leagues can port those same spaces that were created to help learn the sport of derby into other sports.
There are a lot of advantages to being a multi sport athlete — namely lower levels of burn out and lower risk of injury. Hey those things sound amazing! While we wait for the safe conditions for our own sport, we can pivot to other already safe sports, expand our skills and work on derby relevant movements that will help us when we do get back.
It can be win-win, especially for those who are currently craving the social aspect of derby. It can also help derby as a whole learn about the performance and health benefits to multi sport training, even for when derby is safely back.
Below isn’t an exhaustive list, but 4ish sports that I think leagues could really think about and benefit from using alongside their return to play. Just because a sport isn’t listed doesn’t mean you couldn’t incorporate it (S/O basketball, I love you).
A lot of leagues already have experienced athletes in these sports, survey your league, find out what skills exist and if that sport can be practiced safely and if that person would be interested in leading some training. If no one is any good, who cares! It’s good just to be active together.
And hey, if you are confident that derby is your only sport and you are waiting it out til return, that’s a-okay too. This post is about expanding options, not a guilt trip. You do you, it’s totally valid to know where your interests lie and waiting for what works best for you.
Last caveat, this isn’t some work around the WFTDA RTP which I fully support. This is about using the skills that exist in our sport to find safe and healthy ways to be active together. I am banking on the fact that you might like soccer more if taught to you, socially distanced, by an experienced league mate rather than whoever was your high school gym teacher. Follow your public health guidelines and if things line up, use this time to skill share other sports.
Soccer (Football)
Soccer checks so many boxes as a return to play sport; low level buy in ($15–$20 for a soccer ball), can be practiced outside and at a distance, lots of free public space to play, lots of derby relevant movement and can be practiced alone or with a larger group. Derby already has the cones!
Soccer is amazing for activating and increasing functionality in your weight bearing leg. The vast majority of us are right leg functional, left leg weight bearing. Dribbling and passing with a soccer ball can help get your brain communicating with your weight bearing leg and start to balance out your movement. Because derby is largely played in one direction, and that direction (counter clockwise) benefits the majority who are left leg weight bearing/right leg functional, it can start to significantly unbalance us and really hinder our ability to move laterally or make that left leg functional.
If you watch the movement pattern of even Division 1 jammers you will see an over reliance on movement to the out when entering a pack, and likewise, you will see many blockers initiate lateral movement to the in by activating their right leg instead of their left.
Beyond just getting our left legs working, soccer can also be great cardio when adding in movement in passing drills, can be used to train great lateral movement and can also help us be mindful of separating our upper and lower body not using our (fore)arms!
Whether alone, in pairs, or a group, there are loads of soccer drills to pull inspiration from on Youtube.
In lockdown and/or want to practice solo and don’t have a lot of space? Get yourself a hacky sack and start there, ya dirty hippy!
Tennis
You will struggle to incorporate as many people as soccer, but tennis is still a great return to play sport for derby. The combination of cardio and lateral movement is perfect for derby, the buy in is low ($30-$35 for a starter racket and balls) and it can be played outside and at a distance.
Tennis is a great way to run up your step count and the short bursts are close to mimicking the pace of derby. Your line to line lateral movement is the main derby skill tennis will help you unlock though. Use of angles, control of your body and that first step lateral crossover are very derby relevant. Play in pairs and you’ve added a level of communication which is very derby relevant as well.
The hand-eye portion of tennis won’t be as relevant, but the fact that you can compete in tennis is a huge bonus over the “practice” of another sport like soccer.
Pair up and find experienced league members who can help you with the initial learning curve and focus on the process of nailing your footwork, the hand eye will come!
US Football OR Rugby
Another contact sport?! This suggestion is sans contact. These sports have a low buy in (football $30 / rugby ball $40) and there is ample public space to work in pairs or in a group.
The most relevant training here is a mix of cardio, lateral bursts and juking and that combination makes this a nice little multi sport for jammer training.
If you have a field and a group to train, there’s no reason why you can’t incorporate a soccer ball, football and rugby ball into your practice, breaking off into more specialized training or just cycling through the activities to get what you can out of each.
Youtube is full of passing drills for both sports which can help get your started.
Golf
The least derby relevant in terms of movement on this list, Golf barely sneaks in because its competitive and because it’s something derby leagues can use to fundraise. Arizona Roller Derby have already been ahead of the curve on this, but there’s room for lots of other leagues to incorporate a Golf tournament into their fundraising for a return.
The buy in level is high if you are starting from scratch, but it’s a sport most can play this summer at whatever level of return to play, you get those competitive juices flowing and you get your step count up taking in some nice views.
Although not the most relevant physically, Golf can also be a great mental test in terms of the pressure you place on yourself and the frustration of a bad shot or tough hole.
