Everyone involved in roller derby hears the same questions, like ‘Is there a ball?’ and ‘Is it really dangerous?’

As a female derby referee, I’m often asked why I “ref” rather than play. Unlike some, I’ve not taken to reffing following injury. I knew I wanted to officiate, rather than play, right from the start. My other big hobby is live action role-play – I’ve stalked through moonlit woodlands waiting to be ambushed by zombies, hunted nightmares across the wastes outside a fortified city, shot mutants with plasma weapons, traded with demons and saved the world from Fae. So, from roller derby, I was looking for something other than actual gameplay.

I thought the first bout I saw, Storm in a D-Cup, was great. I didn’t understand what was going on, but I really enjoyed it! The more I found out, the more I was interested in understanding how it works, and making it happen, rather than joining a team.

Since I’ve been involved with roller derby, I’ve watched the game evolve. New tactics and plays have resulted in several hours discussion about different scenarios, and how to enforce the rules for them. For example, when knee starts first became popular, it meant applying the pack definition rules in a way I hadn’t used before. The same rules, the same knowledge, but applied to a different situation. I’m looking forward to the next edition of the rules coming out, to see how it will evolve the game.

There are levels of ref-geekery that I’m sure players don’t spend much time considering, like:

• Whistle types (personal preference: Fox 40 classic in black ) and the benefits of a CMG (Comfort Mouth Grip)
• Number of stopwatches I need
• The different ways the ‘Not Lead Jammer’ hand signal can be made (personal preference: big sweeping movements – see the WFTDA Rules Referee Hand Signals PDF)
• Getting referee shirts in the UK  and how best to put your name on them (personal preference: Northern Soul Sportswear and a Velcro-on panel).

Like all skaters, I’m constantly looking to improve. While a player might be looking at maintaining the pack and better bridging, I’m working at being a better front IPR (Inside Pack Referee) and identifying and calling the penalties that go with that position.

Bouting is very different for me, than for a team skater. I don’t hear the roar of the crowd. I know they look right past me, especially as an OPR (Outside Pack Referee) or an NSO (Non-Skating Official). That’s OK. I’m not there to be seen, I’m there to make the game happen. To ensure the game is played properly, safely, and in accordance with the rules, and that everything is properly recorded.

So why do I ref? For much the same reason some of you play/watch/NSO/coach/announce/ bake cakes. For the love of the awesome sport that is roller derby.

Check out Emmeline’s Profile

I have been skating with Rainy City for just over two years. I could not roller skate at all when I first joined and still remember the delight I felt, when having moved through the Monday night New Skater Programme, I finally passed my minimum skills. Slowly but surely, I improved and eventually landed a place on the Travel Team. I had achieved one of my goals! What next?

Well, actually, it was tough. I felt like a very small fish in a very big pond. I was surrounded by skaters who were better than me and I sometimes found it hard to keep up with the pace. There were the weeks where I couldn’t do something during a drill that everyone else seemed to find second nature… Then there were the weeks where I was ‘the goat’ pretty much every jam during scrimmage… And of course, the weeks where everyone remembered me as the one who fell over all the time/let the jammer past/blocked their own jammer etc. etc. etc.

The Thing I Can’t Do Yet

It would have been easy to find excuses to stop going to practice at this point….but I didn’t. I didn’t because one of the top three motivators for me is ‘The Thing I Can’t Do Yet’. I constantly set myself small, achievable goals. I do not always share them with my team mates or my mentor although sometimes this is helpful as they point out ways in which I can improve. Goals in place, I work on them, until ‘The Thing I Can’t Do Yet’ becomes ‘The Thing I Couldn’t Do Three Months Ago’.

Don’t get me wrong, I have never turned up to training on a Thursday suddenly able to loop-the-loop in the air because I have attended practice regularly and set it as a goal. I am realistic when considering the changes I want to make. The improvements in my skating, my fitness and my game play are small and gradual. They are not, however, insignificant. Every change I make for the better is of benefit to my team.

The Name on the Front of Your Shirt

Which brings me neatly onto motivator number two…striving to be the best player I can be for my team. One of my favourite quotes which I keep in my mind before a bout is ‘Play for the name on the front of your shirt, not for the name on the back’. Improving, for me, is not about being better than anyone else, nor is it about glory hunting. Improving is about raising the standard of my team. The better I am as an individual, the better we are as a unit. The better we are as a unit, the more games we win – and who goes out to their bench on bout day with the intention of losing?

I am in awe of amazing skaters, but I am motivated to improve by skaters who push themselves, who believe they can be even better and make these improvements through hard-work and tenacity. I see a picture of Suzy Hotrod, with her thighs of steel and muscles on her muscles, and I say to myself, “Suzy Hotrod is 31 years old. She began skating in 2004. She was captain of the Gotham Girls team, ‘Queens of Pain’ by 2007. She has been league MVP in 2006 and again in 2009. That takes more than natural ability. That takes grit and determination”.

Inspiration is All Around You

Aside from the global roller derby superstars, the third key motivator for me is the skaters whom I admire in my league. Skaters who are willing to try new things and fall over in front of their team mates. Skaters who can do 31 laps in 5 minutes but are pushing for 32.  Skaters who are first on the track before the whistle blows and last to come off the track once training is over. Skaters who don’t expect the hard work to come from anyone but themselves. These are the skaters who motivate me.

I know, I know, this is all well and good but we’ve all been there… We’ve had a hard day at the office, working for the man, or we have a bit of a sniffle, or it’s pouring down with rain outside and training is a half hour drive away. We think to ourselves, ‘I don’t think I can get through training tonight – think I’ll give it a miss’. During a training session she led for Rainy City Roller Girls, Kitty Decapitate said:

“The moment I think to myself ‘God, I’m exhausted’, that’s when I tell myself to push harder and give it an extra 10%”.

You’re not going to improve if you’re not pushing yourself on the track and you’re certainly not going to improve if you’re sitting on your sofa eating Mars bars instead of sweating it out and bonding with your team mates. The nights when you don’t feel like going to training are the nights it is most important that you go. This has been true for me many a time.

I fell in love with roller derby the day I went to my first newbie session. On that day I couldn’t even skate. Two years on and I have just returned from a London Roller Girls bootcamp, having scrimmaged with my team-mates  against the likes of Ballistic Whistle, Master Blaster and Stefanie Mainey.  Yes, I might have fallen over, let the jammer past me, picked up stupid penalties and been the ‘goat’, but I did it.  When I look back at the progress I have made as part of Rainy City Roller Girls, and the amazing things I have had the opportunity to do with my team because of this, both on and off the track, it motivates me to see what we can achieve in the next two years.

Carmen ‘Ave-A-Go, x

In January 2012  I passed my WTFDA Minimum Skills Assessment with Rainy City Roller Girls. I was now eligible to train with the Tender Hooligans and take part in the weekly scrimmage held every Sunday.  Knowing how hardcore the Rainy City skaters are from watching previous bouts, I’ve gotta say I was pretty terrified when I arrived at my first ever scrimmage! But when it was all over, all I wanted to do was do it again.

From the very beginning I wanted to be a jammer. I was inspired watching the likes of Missy Rascal, Cleo Fracture and Randi Razorlegs on the track. So as soon as I had the opportunity, and had plucked up enough courage, I attempted my first jam as a jammer. It was hard, as I was playing with and against some amazing skaters. But somehow, facing an opposition made up of far more experienced skaters  than me has just made me stronger each week.

What I love about roller derby is that feeling of knowing, with lots of hard work, that I can get physically and mentally strong. It’s also why I love jamming: It’s a big challenge, but if you’re passionate enough about something then you’ll work hard, and never give up.

Scrimmage provides a safe, supportive place to allow us to practise the skills we learn in our weekly team training session. Week after week, scrimmage has given me the opportunity to learn from the more experienced league members, and armed me with the knowledge and experience I need in order to face my first bout, a Rainy City Roller Girls Intraleague event, May 26^th.

After that, the Rainy City Roller Girls’ Tender Hooligans have landed the chance to play the Dublin Roller Girls in Dublin on Saturday June 2nd, and with determination, hard work and commitment, I believe we can win!

I’m preparing in other ways too. On Saturday May 5^th the Rainy City Roller Girls are hosting a bootcamp for skaters who are just passed Minimum Skills, but who are new to bouting. I’m attending the bootcamp to improve my jamming skills, and prepare for my first bouts, in a few weeks time. This is a great chance to work with experienced Rainy City A Team skaters who will be teaching vital skills and elements that I can take away and use on bout day. If you are a newly qualified skater from any league, or if you just need some extra help to prepare for a bout coming up, you should definitely consider attending a bootcamp like this.

It is just less than a year ago that I first attended the weekly New Skater Training Session, and since then I’ve never looked back. It was the best decision I ever made, and with such an enthusiastic, determined, supportive and all-round-amazing league like Rainy City I just wouldn’t want to be part of anything else!

Faye-tal Blonde #38%

The Rainy City Roller Girls had just moved to their new home at The Thunderdome in Oldham and were about to hold an opening party with an intraleague bout – Team Purple vs. Team White – so I decided to go along with a group of friends and see what the fuss was about. It was an amazing evening and I was immediately hooked. There was only me from our group however, that was brave enough to sign up for the weekly New Skater Session. It seemed just what I had been looking for – a way to get fit and have fun! I bought my Rainy City Roller Girls tee-shirt and was ready to go, I couldn’t wait.

On that first Monday session, I was really nervous but I needn’t have been. Upon arrival, I was met by Elle Loco who was so enthusiastic and made me feel so welcome. She talked to me about my level of skating experience, and about how confident I felt. I quickly relaxed and realised it didn’t really matter what I could and couldn’t do and threw myself into the session.  Despite hurting in places I didn’t think possible, I was back the following week for more; and the week after and the week after that… The best part was that I didn’t need to rush out and by a lot of equipment I might not need if I didn’t like it as The Thunderdome is well stocked with plenty of skates and pads you can borrow until you decide it’s the sport for you.

The session is split into three different groups of skaters at different levels of ability. This helped me relax in the first few weeks, as I was skating with people at the same level as me, so didn’t feel like I was going to embarrass myself! Each group is coached by a different Rainy City Roller Girl, which was fun, as I got to know the skaters. The beginners group is for those who have just started, and they begin by learning the basics to be able to stay upright on four wheels. The most important thing that is taught in this group is how to fall safely. Roller Derby is a hard-hitting, fast-paced game and if you can’t fall right you’re not safe. It’s a real confidence-boost too; if you’re happy falling over, then the other skills are easier to learn. Plenty of falling happens, so it’s good to not be afraid of it! The next stage is learning how to stop effectively – another essential for Derby! The intermediates and advanced groups expand on these skills and begin to introduce simple blocking drills and techniques for moving around the track.

When you have worked through each of the groups and are competent, there is the opportunity (should you wish to) to become a member of the league and work towards passing the WFTDA minimum skills assessment, and train with the team. I have just reached this stage, and am hugely proud of myself; it feels like a great achievement. It has been hard work but so worth the chance to train with such skilled players, and to one day have the chance to play in a bout – when not so long ago I was stood on the suicide line in awe, and had no idea what a bout was, or even if roller derby was something that I could ever do myself one day.

Monday nights for me were really about picking up and learning the basic skills, but most importantly, they were about having fun.  Over the weeks I started to get to know the girls I was skating with better, and some of the more experienced skaters; Roller Derby soon became part of my life. I’ve never felt under any pressure to progress or force myself before I’m ready, you can go at whatever pace you like. I have seen many different skaters come and go; but never heard anyone say that they haven’t enjoyed themselves. The training programme is designed to cater for all skill levels and personal targets.  Some people just enjoy the fun and exercise of the Monday night session, while others clearly want to improve and move up through the training programme to join the league… Either way there is no pressure, or expectation. Whatever works for you!

I loved the idea of being able to move through the groups and have my and skills assessed, and my improvements acknowledged. I’ve had my eyes set on joining the Tender Hooligans, Rainy City’s B-team, and I’m almost there. If there is one definite thing I can say about the Rainy City Roller Girls, it’s that everyone is so positive and encouraging and they will support you and encourage you ceaselessly. I have never known so much enthusiasm and positivity in one place! They are so dedicated I can guarantee that if you choose to try roller derby, you will soon be hooked with the bug.

New Skater Sessions are held every Monday night 7:30-9:30 at the Thunderdome. All are welcome*

So last time we covered kit. Today we try to cover you! By helping to answer that all-important question: What should I wear to play roller derby?

If you search “roller derby fashion” or other variants it’s all knee-high socks and hotpants, ruffled pants and Lycra, which is all very well but not exactly everyday wear is it? When I first started derby, my training wear consisted of a kilted mini skirt, striped socks and a band t-shirt, and I fitted right in with my team-mates. 3 years on it’s not just me who looks different. I believe there are 2 reasons for this:

1. Roller derby has evolved in the last 4 years, we have left a lot of the “cheesecake” factor behind in pursuit of greater recognition as a sport.
2. I’ve evolved too. Roller derby isn’t just something I do twice a week anymore, it’s become an all consuming passion, something that made me get over my gym phobia and my refusal to diet in pursuit of being, fitter, faster stronger.

So what advice would I give to new girls coming into the sport? Well first of all, don’t go overboard buying “fitness wear” I still wear my band t-shirts! Below is my guide to derby dressing.

T-shirt

Which ever style you feel most comfortable in, tight or baggy it really makes no difference. Long sleeves should be dodged as most elbow pads slide if you have material between the pads and your flesh.

Shorts

Long is best when you are starting out as you will be falling a lot, and trust me, you will value the extra protection the material will give you. Like myself, a lot of players train in long Capri-style leggings. If wearing long pants that go under your knee pads choose a close-cut style; baggy will cause your pads to move about when you skate, something which is definitely best avoided.

Socks

Striped socks are still in, they are brilliant as they can be pulled up to prevent scrapes on your shins. I also like padded trainer socks, they are great for long periods of skating as they reduce friction and thus blisters and other sore bits.

Underwear

Yup, you need to think about pants. When you are learnings it really doesn’t matter what type of underwear you choose, granny pants, thong, shorts, it’s irrelevant. However, once you start scrimmaging it suddenly becomes rather important. Allow me to enlighten you why…

When you scrimmage your team mates will push you, pull you and generally yank you around the track, especially if you are new to pack-work as you will often end up in the wrong place by sheer lack of experience. Your team mates will often do this by grabbing your waistband, sometimes this grabbing gets your undergarments too. This is why wearing thongs is a really bad idea. If your team mate grabs you by the waist band of your granny pants or hot pants its no big deal but if she grabs the waist of your thong and yanks, well….nobody wants that.

Sports Bra

In my opinion, a sports bra is an essential. Get fitted at a proper shop. Derby is a high-impact sport, it takes its toll on the ligaments supporting your gifts, the greater those gifts the more support they will need. Sports bras come in many types, colours and price-points these days, so you have no excuse for not defending those assets!

If you start skating with us, we can lend you skates, pads and a helmet, so you can get started straight away. However, when you catch the Derby bug, you’ll want to get yourself kitted out with your own gear. The list of things you need can be daunting, so this little article is designed to help.

Riedell Wicked Skates

To start your Derby career, here’s what you will need:

• Skates
• Wrist Guards
• Knee Pads
• Elbow Pads
• Helmet
• Mouth Guard (gum shield)

Skates

Lets start with your biggest expense…skates, what to look for where to get them and which ones to buy.

Most girls favour Riedell skates mainly because they are the most easily available and therefore cheaper and easier to buy replacement parts for.

The best value and most common starter skates are Riedell R3s. These appear to take a serious bashing before dying. Riedell Minx, She-Devils, Vixens and Wickeds are all great skates but its probably best to be certain you want to commit to derby before spending that sort of cash.

If however, your rich Uncle Ivor just popped his clogs, custom skates such as Bonts are a great way to guarantee you get what you need from your skates………..at a cost.

If you have the budget, aim for a skate with a metal plate (this is the bit that runs along the base of the boot that everything else bolts on to) they are much stronger and last longer than plastic plates. Check out second hand skates if cash is tight, ebay, Facebook and your leagues forums are great places to find these. Contact your league to see if they have any special deals with local retailers. Also, some skate shops do a 10% discount for derby leagues.

Skates can become pricey once you start upgrading the wheels, more on this later…

Protective Gear

187 Killer Pads

Knee Pads

This one is topic of hot debate. For starter gear, the Anarchy and Fox pads are good, but are only basic and will need to be replaced once you start bouting.

The most common pads are 187‘s Force III’s and Smith Scabs although we also like Protec Drop ins. All of these pads come in at around the same price bracket of £50-£90 of your English pounds, depending on your size and bartering skills.

If you have knee problems, or are concerned at all about the strength of your knees, then we highly recommend you consider spending more on your knee pads, as you only get one pair of knees.

SFR Wrist Guards

Elbow Pads

As above really, but you can get away with your basic ones much longer because they don’t take as much flak.

Wrist Guards

Most of our skaters use SFR or 187 wrist guards and they work very well.

Mouth Guards

Most girls opt for Shock Doctor or Protech mouthguards, but there are huge numbers of retailers offering custom gumshields and we are yet to find a dodgy one.

You’ll need to mould your mouthguard using hot water, to fit it to the shape of your mouth and teeth. Learning to speak with them in, is just one more skill you’ll learn when you’re training. Be prepared to deal with your own drool (and often that of others!)

Just remember to keep yours clean by dousing it in mouthwash from time to time!

Nutcase Helmets

Helmets

The derby world is dominated by two types, Nutcase and TSG. Both offer good protection won’t send your bank manager into a fit and come in pretty designs.

Basic models are fine when starting but the fit is crucial, a badly fitted helmet can actually do more harm than good. Make sure you get the right size and play around with the padding and straps till it feels right then get someone else to check the fit.

Upgrades

Once you’ve been skating long enough to figure out what kind of skater you are, and what you like to do on the track, you might be ready to upgrade your wheels, bearings or plates to give you more performance. Here’s a very brief run-down on the options – future articles will describe these in detail…

Atom Jukes

Wheels

There are so many variables to consider when choosing wheels: the floor, your skate style, your budget and personal preferences. The best way to figure out what will work best for you is to check out what other girls are using and ask if you can do a lap or two on them (most girls won’t mind).

Wheels come in different widths (38mm, 42mm) and heights (62mm, 58mm) and can have cores made from nylon or aluminium. Wheel hardness is given an A-rating such as 88A, 92A, 95A and so on. The lower the number, the softer the wheel. Softer wheels are grippier, but harder wheels give you more speed.

Some skaters have harder wheels on the right edge of each foot, and slightly softer ones on the left side, to give you a bit extra grip and underpush for your crossovers.

Narrower/shorter wheels give you more agility at the expense of stability. It’s up to you to work out if the trade-off is worth it, based on your skating style.

Bearings

Bearings

Each wheel is mounted on its axle via two bearings, which are small, circular pieces of hardware, that form the contact point between the wheel and the axle, so their properties influence how easily the wheel will spin.

Some bearing manufacturers state an ABEC rating, from 1 to 9. In theory, the higher the number the “quicker” the bearing will spin, although side-to-side movement is not taken into account. The bearings that come with the basic R3 skates are ABEC 5.

Many companies do not show the ABEC rating, such as Bones Bearings, which makes bearings specifically for skateboarding, often marketed as “Skate Rated”. The original Swiss Bones bearings are well-liked among derby skaters, as are the Bones Reds.

Plates

Powerdyne Revenge Plate

The plates are the part of the skate that attach the wheels to the boot. It’s made up of a flat plate structure, with a truck and axle assembly, which can be adjusted for different skating requirements.

Nylon plates are lighter, but not as strong as aluminium or other metal plates, so the trade-off here is between weight/agility and strength/stability. Metal plates come in different weights, so it’s worth doing a bit of homework before you choose a price point.

Most skate shops will fit plates for you, which is pretty awesome, as it’s a long and intensive job. If you’re brave enough to try it yourself, make sure you do the proper research and have the right tools.

Our Favourite Suppliers

Everglides are a great online shop that sell most basic quad skates, accessories and protective gear, with free next day delivery.

Kick-Flip Boards sell gear online, but you can also catch them at our bouts from time to time, to browse their products in the flesh.

Skate Attack are a skater-run skate gear shop based in Enfield. They ship next day on most items and have a good range of gear in stock.

Billy’s Skate Shop have a great selection of wheels, and they do free delivery too.

The heat was on, as the last time these two teams were in the same venue was back in 2009 at the Roll Britannia European Championships, which saw them placed  10^th and 3^rd respectively, but the teams never actually met during this competition.

A crowd of approximately 250 made the atmosphere in the Thunderdome electric as Birmingham fans cheerfully attempted to out sing the Rainy fans, despite being outnumbered. Adding to the anticipation of this bout was the presence of 3 team England players, Missy Rascal and Dee-Mise from Rainy City and Violet Attack from Blitz Dames. How would the international team mates fair when placed on opposite teams?

As the bout got underway, strong pack play from Rainy City made life miserable for the Blitz Dames jammers, giving the Oldham team a strong early lead. Blitz Dames continued to struggle to put points on the board meaning Rainy City’s strong lead soon become a significant point gap. As the first half came to a close, Rainy City led by 103 to 13 for Birmingham.

Birmingham rallied during half-time and came out swinging, after all in Roller Derby a 90 point gap does not necessarily mean defeat. Only the strongest team spirit would remain undaunted and it seemed Blitz Dames had spirit in spades.

The second half was very different in character from the first, as Rainy City’s pack play came under an aggressive counter attack from Blitz Dames. The penalty boxes quickly filled with as the teams battled for control of the track. Pure determination for Blitz Dames in the face of very unfavourable odds won them several power jams and their points crept up. But in the end, it wasn’t enough for the away team and Rainy City continued to dominate.

The final score stood at Rainy City 216-51 Blitz Dames.

A great display of Blitz spirit from the Dames but the Rainy City Roller Girls triumphed, to the sound of their Oldham fan base happily cheering away.

For details of upcoming Rainy City Roller Girls bouts, check out our Event Calendar.

Rainy City Roller Girls and Birmingham Blitz Dames - Photo by Bethany Clarke

The bout started quietly for both teams, the score remaining a shocking 0-0 for the first 2 jams. Jam 3 kicked off points for both teams, and the score stayed fairly level until Central City gained the advantage late in the first period, when five Rainy City skaters picked up major penalties, condemning them to the Sin Bin for a minute each. The half time score was Rainy City 69 Central City 115.

Rainy City fought back hard in the second period to reduce the gap in the scoreline. Impressive pack-work from Rainy City blockers Dee-Mise, Red and Oona Bomber held the Central City jammers at bay, while jammers Missy Rascal and Belle-istic scored heavily. Central City worked hard to maintain control of the bout, and a series of power jams for Hustle ‘Her saw the away side take the victory. Final score: Rainy City Roller Girls 113 – Central City Roller Girls 150.

So you’ve got the kit, you’ve got your first bout, so how the heck to you get everything from A to B… And what exactly should be in there? 3 and half years of derby has taught me a lot, and one if the things I’d like to share with you is how to be prepared for a bout without trying to carry the kitchen sink!

In my opinion, the kit bag, whether you go with a bag or a case, has to have wheels. Seriously, your kit weighs a tonne and the first time you have to carry it up hill you will wish, like you, your kit had wheels.

Your basic kit will of course consist of:

• Skates
• Pads
• Helmet
• Gum shield
• Water bottle

Other items I’d pack are:

• Spare gum shield They are by their nature small and can easily go walk about, as borrowing one is out of the question always have a cheap boil and bite one stashed in your bag. It’ll do until your proper one turns up or you can get to the shops.
• Skate tool
  Check regularly that is still in your bag, the designs for skate tools are all nearly identical and it is ridiculously easy to appropriate one that isn’t yours by accident. Marking them with nail polish is my favourite trick.
• Gaffer tape
  Used for so many things, taping up bout fits, securing pads, repairing skates.
• Spare laces
  Trust me you will curse the grass blue the first time you snap laces and have to sit out because you didn’t pack spares.
• Bearing cleaner
  Whatever your preference (I’m not even touching that debate or this article will come in hardback) have some in your bag! Fluff, dust and other goo can really mess up your day. It never fails to amaze me how quickly bearing can go from “a bit sluggish” to “too gooed to move”
• Sharpie
  For writing your numbers on, don’t assume someone else will bring one.
• A first aid kit
  It doesn’t have to be massive just a few essentials like sticky plasters for blisters and scratches, plus any medication you need or might need for an ongoing medical condition, asthma inhalers, antihistamines that sorta jazz. Remember to include painkillers – Ibuprofen is good bets as it helps keep down swelling too, and Sudocrem is the best thing for rink rash ever.
• Ice packs
  Yes they should always be available but this is not a perfect world.

Other really handy stuff:

• Baby wipes To remove make-up, numbers and really handy for when you whiff but showering isn’t possible.
• Spare wheels
  If your budget will stretch, have different sets for spares, or to account for different floor types.
• Vaseline
  Rub into the leather of your boots if they rub a good quick fix for new skates can also reduce the friction on blisters stopping them from getting worse
• Dextrose tablets
  A good emergency energy boost for those days you realise you skipped lunch only after you hit the track. They are also rather good for nausea, suck one whenever you feel queasy.

Away bouts…

Even if you aren’t intending to stay over you should have something for overnight with you, and a “ditch kit” just in case:

A ditch kit is basically a grab it and run bag with all the basic essentials you need to survive. Mine is a tiny purple one about the size of book. It should be small enough to occupy a corner of your kit bag but without getting in the way. Fling it in your handbag and off you go. Here’s what’s in mine

• Folding toothbrush
• Mini toothpaste
• Mini packet of wet wipes
• Mini body wash
• Dry shampoo
• Hair band
• Hair grip
• Clean pants
• Doe spray.
• Spare dosh for cab fares etc.
• Emergency phone charger

In your weekend bag:

• Both team colours
  In case of last min change of plan, it’s never happened to me, but you hear stories.
• Something to sleep in.
• Chargers for your phone/gadgets
• MP3 player- long bus journeys suck
• A book
  Insomnia in a strange city is a cruel form of torture.
• Ear plugs
  4 am is not a good time to find out your room mate snores
• Your make-up bag
• Pro plus
• Resolve
  Trust me on this one.
• Towel
  In the words of the late Douglas Adam “Always know where your towel is”. If you are staying in a youth hostel rather than a hotel they often don’t provide them.  In the words of Morgue-Anna “Sharing towels is icky”.
• The phone number of at least one member of the home team, so you can call for directions/help/a space to crash.
• The phone number if at least one member of your team, so you can let them know if you decide to bounce off anywhere without them.
• Clearasil or similar – Best stuff for getting sharpie out of your skin.
• Any toiletries that aren’t in your ditch kit.
• Change of clothes.
• Spare medication (if you are taking any).
• A photocopy of any vital documents ie hotel reservation, passport, directions to venue.
• Sanitary protection
  The last thing you need on bout day is a sneak attack from Aunt Flo, keep spares just in case you or your team buddies need them.

OK so you’ve seen the film and fancy buying the T-shirt, but how does the real derby scene differ from the film? Allow me to enlighten you!