Tag Archives: western sydney rollers

Pixie’s #wsrmumstrainlikechamps off-season workout

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You’ve probably seen the awesome hastags our roller girls and guys have been using lately #wsrtrainlikechamps and #nosuchthingasoffseason but what if you’re a mum wanting to balance off-season training with playtime? That was my conundrum.

I work full-time, add to that roller derby including volunteer time and you get #mumguilt when you miss spending time with your spawn.

As the famous commercial goes, “why not do both”? This has been my #wsrmumstrainlikechamps workout for the last two months or so:

The Swing!

In between pushes on the swing complete the following set three times:

  • 20 × squat holds
  • 20 × right leg lunges
  • 20 × left leg lunges

This should give your offspring a good 5-10 minutes on the swing and you can actually enjoy swing time too, instead of going into zombie mum mode.

The Roundabout/Turntable

Ask your darling kidlet to hold on tight. Grab the rail and Carioca/grapevine around the the roundabout. Start slow and work your way faster. How fast can you go? If you go one direction always do the other. Only go for 30 seconds at a time so you and the offspring don’t get too dizzy and fall (learnt that the hard way…).

Ask kidlet to hold on tight. Sit on the very edge of the roundabout, lean back to about 45° and push with just the balls of your feet and toes. Start slow and go faster and faster. Again only do 30 second reps. Stop and spin in the opposite direction. Try changing it up and just use the heels of your feet instead of the balls of your feet. Too easy? Try not to lean on your arms. Put them in front of you in prayer position.

Rope Climbing Frame

Find a length of rope about belly height and hold on with your hands about shoulder width apart. Move your feet back until you are in a comfortable position to do two sets of press ups of 20 reps each. Too easy? Move your feet back further and move your feet to hip width apart and then shoulder width. Still too easy? Find a length of rope at knee height. Lie on the ground and place your feet or ankles on the rope. Complete your reps as push ups.

The Rope Basket/Net Swing

Jump in the net swing with your lil’ dear facing you in the centre. Place your legs and feet on either side of your kidlet and sit toward the edge facing the direction of swing. Hold on, lean back and push with your legs and feet in the direction of the forward swing and bring it back to a crunch on the back swing. See how much swing you can create without touching the ground/getting a push. Too easy? Try not to hold on or use your arms for swinging, get to a point where you are stable enough to swing while your hands are in front of you in the prayer position.

Monkey Bars or Climbing Frame

Try doing some pull ups. Cross your feet in front of you to avoid pushing off with your feet and just use your arms. Tbh, I’ve got really weak arms…I would just try to do one or two reps before moving on…

Some more tips

  • Take time to warm up whether it is part of walking to the park or a quick game of chasings around the backyard before you start.
  • Protect your back, engage your core with each rep by sucking your bellybutton inwards.
  • Get creative, make playtime about both/all of you enjoying yourselves, if your cheeky monkey wants to play here/there how can you play too and challenge yourself.
  • Don’t over do it if you still need to walk back home from the playground either mum needs lots of breaks or Mr Two needs to be carried home along with his bike and drink (lol).
  • You’re at the park to play and spend time with your precious babies, remember to engage with them, ask for help counting your reps, make funny faces or noises with each rep, or make up some imaginative play together.
  • Be that fun mum that properly “plays” at their playground, it doesn’t all have to be about reps and stretching, running around playing tip or the floor is lava is still a workout, trust me.

In the end, Axel and I did have fun and I feel #derbystrong for our 2017 season.

Go forth and play
❤ Pixiematosis

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Over $1000 donated to beyondblue in Halloween bouting spooktacular

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Friends, family and members of Western Sydney Rollers had a frighteningly good time on Sunday 30 October – enjoying a triple header Halloween bout to raise awareness and donate funds for beyondblue.

The spooktacular event kicked off with the tiny but fearsome juniors – the Tiny Terrors beating the Halloweenies 165 to 110.

A bout with a difference (zombie players aside) followed with a specially modified rules ramping up the excitement for the players and crowd alike. As the carnage on the track unfolded, the crowd got a say in the play.

Gold coin donations could remove favourite players from the penalty bin, players could be sponsored to don fancy dress items over their Halloween garb (ever tried skating in a grass skirt?) and, to really take things up a notch, for $20 you could watch the action in anti-derby direction.

The nail biting bout continued to the final minutes with The Munsters victorious over The Addams Family, 146 to 125.

The final bout saw a return to standard derby rules but threw an extra element in with the WSR boys joining the girls on the track for a co-ed frenzy which saw the Lycans take the final win for the night from the Vampires, 167-56.

Other activities throughout the night included some fierce competition in the fancy dress stakes – including the world’s cutest Pokemon, a raffle and of course, the ever present and delicious bake sale.

A total of $1151 will be donated to beyondblue, an organisation equipping everyone in Australia with the knowledge and skills to protect their own mental health.

3 three million Australians live with depression or anxiety

If you or anyone you know needs support or advice call beyondblue on 1300 224 636 or visit www.beyondblue.org.au

View photos from the junior derby bout, The Addams Family v The Munsters, and the Lycans v Vampires – massive thanks to Bout Time Imagery!

Riot Squad takes out Round 1 of the intra league bouts

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FB_IMG_1462348656549There was a great crowd on hand to witness the first intra league clash on Saturday 21 May, 2016.

Fuelled by cupcakes, rocky road and other delicious baked goods, the crowd roared their approval as the gorgeous B52 Bombshells kicked off the night with a mini bout vs HARD. The B52 Bombshells took out the bout with a final score of 140 to 102.

Several players backed up in a supreme effort as the Riot Squad and Blackheart Brawlers battle it out for glory in the main bout. The teams were evenly matched but the Riot Squad took the lead and refused to give an inch, restoring order with a final score of 187 to 152.

A massive thanks to all of our skaters, guest team HARD, and our NSOs and officials – this wouldn’t happen without you!

Check out the photos (thanks Bout Time Imagery!!).

Make sure you don’t miss out on your derby fix – Grab your season pass!

 

Love the Boutlaws? Vote now to help them win Thermoskin funding

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Voting is now open for the Thermoskin Community Sports Fund!

Why is your vote important?Thermoskin

Roller Derby is a new sport and, as a result, heavily under-represented in all facets of the athletic world. Finding its roots in the feminism movement, it is a sport that encourages individual personal empowerment no matter your gender identity, sexuality, body type or skill level. No matter where you are at emotionally, mentally or physically, Western Sydney Rollers is an all-inclusive and supportive community.

Why the funds are needed

We are a self-funded league and have no major sponsors to assist with our running costs. Our women’s team is a competitve league in the B-division of women’s flat-track roller derby. Our league promotes fitness, inclusiveness and self-confidence in our members and the local community. We have been invited to attend a national competition in Adelaide (The Great Southern Slam) however many of our members are single mothers, students or have other reasons for financial hardship and will be unable to afford the costs of new equipment, uniforms, insurnce and travel costs required to partcipate in this tournament. Funding to obtain the required equipment will greatly alleviate the financial strain our representative skaters and coaches.

What’s in it for you?

Aside from the chance to help your favourite skaters to glory, you’ll be in the running to win a $200 EFTPOS gift card!

Vote now for the Boutlaws!

Families, come and have a rocking good time at a Roller Disco this Easter

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If you’ve overindulged in chocolate and hot cross buns, or want the kids to burn off some of their sugar-induced energy this Sunday, then head down to the Western Sydney Rollers’ Roller Disco in Emu Plains, from 5 – 7pm.

There will be music, games, raffles and prizes galore on the night – not to mention plenty of skating! Experienced skaters and instructors will be on hand to help anyone new to skates but the aim of the night is fun!

If you do get hungry and your sweet tooth is hankering for more, there will also be a delicious array of baked goodies available – did someone say ‘cake’?

All funds raised will help the Western Sydney Rollers’ travel team, The Boutlaws, to reach their goal of competing in Adelaide in June of this year.

Invited to compete in The Great Southern Slam (TGSS), The Boutlaws will pit their skills against teams from across Australia and New Zealand. TGSS takes places every two years and in 2014 The Boutlaws placed third in division 2.

Event details

What: Western Sydney Rollers’ Roller Disco
When: Easter Sunday, 27 March 2016, from 5 – 7pm
Where: Skatel, 120 Russell Street, Emu Plains
Cost: $15 per person or $50 for a family (includes skate hire). Please note, cash only.
Dress: Something easy to skate in, costumes are encouraged.

If you have any questions or would like some photos, please contact us.

roller skating disco Western Sydney

 

The Freshie Files

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By Betty Machete

As I sit here half way through my second week of fresh meat training covered in bruises (honestly, who knew you could bruise the palm of your hand), I am just starting to understand the amount of work I have in front of me and surprisingly how keen and excited I am to take it on.

I was never an athletic kid, I preferred to read over run and if someone would ask me to play outside my response would always be “why?”. This didn’t really change in my teenage years. Compulsory sport at school – netball was my reluctantly chosen pursuit – was always more of a social event for me. I was put into the C grade teams, not much was ever expected so not much was ever attempted.

By the time I hit 20 I figured I would never be athletic nor did I want to be. I believed a chubby kid (or adult) had no place on the sporting field and I was fine with that, they didn’t want me and I didn’t want them. I headed to uni, studied and thought that beside the odd fitness kick or diet, sports and I were done. Until one afternoon when my husband bounded in and waved tickets to Roller Derby in front of my face. “Sure why the hell not, I’ve seen Whip It” I replied and we went off to see our first bout.

There was something missing for me at that time, I was facing graduation with a BA major in Theater and Film (i.e. no real job prospects) and life was getting very real, and very heavy. That night was the first time I noticed I was missing something, a challenge, a release or maybe just some fun. But as I sat at Sydney Boys High and watched a Sydney Roller Derby League bout (I think it was against Geelong) I knew one thing… I had to do that.

The next weekend my husband and I were wobbling our selves around the Penrith Skatel looking equal parts terrified and uncoordinated but we stuck with it. The next weekend we were back and a little more steady. I brought my own skates and every Friday night we were down at the rink skating. Every time there was a bout we were there. I read books and watched bouts on YouTube, followed the pages on Facebook and little by little I began to understand this game.

When I started this I was scared, scared of what will happen after uni, scared for my health and scared for my sanity if everything didn’t work out. But even after only a few months of teaching myself to skate, learning about Derby, going to bouts and finally signing up to a league something has changed. I feel stronger and that is not something I want to let go.

Until Next time,

Betty Machete.

Taking the First Step

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Taking the First Step

by Hermione Danger

 

I would have said yes to anything in 2012. Macrame. Rock climbing. Space exploration. After devoting myself to a marriage of 17 years that was now at an end, my attitude was, “Stuff it. I’ll do something for myself for a change.” It was just luck that the opportunity presented to me was roller derby. I had an acquaintance who was a derby girl, and now Mike, the manager of my son’s footy team was telling me I should give it a go. I thought the idea was slightly crazy. I’d never even watched a game. And 39-year-old mothers-of-three don’t take up full-contact sports on skates. But within a fortnight, I’d purchased my freshies pack, laced on skates for the first time in 29 years, and well and truly found out what it feels like to fall on your ass.

strap on skates

My first skates

 

I’ve since discovered that the decision to take up this amazing sport is not as cut and dried for many people. You may have come to many bouts or none. You may be 18 or 50 or anywhere in between (one of my favourite competitive skaters is 51 and shows no signs of retiring yet). You may have dreamed about playing roller derby but let inconvenient facts (like “I can’t skate”) stop you from taking the first step. You may have had to put your derby dreams on hold for other major life events – babies, PhDs, travel. You may have listened to people who don’t fully understand the sport (“But it’s so dangerous!” (it’s not), “They’re really violent!” (we’re not!)).

The fact is, the derby community – both inside WSR and beyond – is an amazing group of people. Encouraging, uplifting, helpful – everything you want in a second family. Most retailers will give you a discount on your starter kit – skates, knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards, helmet and mouth guard (get some toe protectors for your skates and a tailbone protector while you’re at it). The reason is, derby retailers know how great the sport is, and they want to help you on your way to finding your inner derby player.

freshies pack

Sample Freshies pack from www.rollerderbyheaven.com.au

 

What most people don’t know about roller derby training programs, is that there’s no contact until we’re sure you’re safe on skates and can handle it. We have various assessments you undertake during your derby journey to ensure you’re ready for the next level. The first step is teaching you stability, balance and basic skating techniques. We take you through different ways to stop, maneuver, skate fast, skate slow, and stay stable. Once you’ve mastered the basic skating criteria, we introduce you to tiny baby hits. They’re more like nudges actually. But, with the basic training you’ve already received, you’ve got all the skills you need to remain stable while people are trying to move you out of the way (and vice versa). This is the point where we teach you hip checks, shoulder checks, juking and walls – the derby basics. And from there, it’s just a matter of time and practice until you become an All-Star.

There are no guarantees in roller derby – but then there are no guarantees in life. But with WSR’s newest Wheels In Training program just starting, we still have a few spots for new skaters and we’d love to help you unleash your inner derby player. If it’s something you’ve always been curious about, why not drop us a line via our contact page? We’d love to hear from you and, if it’s right for you, open the doors to this amazing sport for you.