Training Guide:
Welcome to our latest Fresh Meat intake
Coffs Coast Derby Dolls are training at two venues.
Bellingen High School Hall and Sportz Central (Bray Street Coffs harbour)
Your journey to Roller Derby follows this path:
Fresh Meat
Preparation for Level One ( Black Star )
Level One testing
Black Star
Preparation for Level Two ( Blue Star )
Level Two testing
Blue Star
Preparation for Level Three ( Silver Star )
Level Three testing
Silver Star
Roller Derby
Initial Fresh Meat training will begin at Bellingen High School Hall.
This is so Fresh Meat can learn basic Roller Derby skills in a venue where we have less chance of damaging the floors with repeated knee slides and barrel rolls.
These sessions will be guided by our Fresh Meat Coaches, however during these sessions you will often have Black Stars or our Head Coach available to run drills and share skills.
Once the Coaches feels your training has reached a level that enables Fresh Meat skaters to prepare for Level 1 (Black Star) you will then be able to train in the Saturday Endurance Sessions at Sportz Central.
As you approach Level One testing your training will move to Sportz Central Thursday sessions and Saturday Endurance Sessions.
As your training progresses you will have the advantage of sharing skills and knowledge the Black Stars have already acquired.
Skaters will need to be aware that during training at Bellingen their wheels, knee pads and other equipment will become damaged and not usable at Sport Central.
Sportz Central is a highly maintained sports court that we are privileged to use, it is the home for our bouts and needs to be treated as such.
You will find Equipment requirements for Sportz Central below and on the :
Coffs Coast Derby Dolls discussion pages
Coffs Coast Derby Dolls Members discussion pages.
Coffs Coast Derby Dolls push past the pain and never say sorry..
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Coffs Coast Derby Dolls are fortunate to have the premier venue in Coffs Harbour as our home.
Those members who have visited other Leagues will be aware of how fortunate we are to have such fine floors to skate on.
From our first training date in January 2011 the following standards will be in place for members training at Sportz Central.
All wheels will be inspected for embedded grit or stones. If any substances are found that may scratch the floor these wheels must be cleaned and pass re-inspection on the night before skating will be permitted.
All pads will be inspected for grit, stones or damage that may scratch the floor, knee pads in particular will have to be in unmarked condition. Once pads are verified as being suitable they will be equipped with Coffs Coast Derby Dolls recommended floor protectors. No skating will be permitted without this approval.
When your gear passes this inspection you will then be expected to pass a standard Referee equipment check, this is to prepare you for normal bout routines.
There will be no skating until the floor has been thoroughly swept and the track is marked, pre skate stretching is recommended for those not assisting with the set up.
As an aid to keeping the floor clean a designated water bottle area will be set up so we no longer skate through high traffic and potentially dirty areas.
It is essential that we show Sportz Central the same respect that they have shown us by allowing us to use their venue, and supporting our sport.
A comprehensive guide to cleaning your gear, and rectifying damage caused to your equipment by Bellingen Hall floors is available below, and the Coffs Coast Derby Dolls Members page on facebook.
Derby Equipment:
Rejuvinate or replace.
Wheels:
As Sportz Central has a very smooth and polished floor it is recommended that having a set of wheel that are used only at Sportz Central is the best option.
Wheels used at Bellingen quickly lose their tread pattern and end up with all sorts of sand, grit, stones and sticky substances embedded in them.
The best way to clean wheels used at Bellingen is remove them from the skate, remove the bearings and clean them thoroughly. While the bearings are being cleaned soak your wheels in warm water with mild dish washing detergent, give them a thorough scrub and air dry.
Once they are clean and dry you can then see and feel all the grit and stones embedded in them which you must dig out with a sharp tool.
It is essential you are thorough and careful with this last step, the smallest object in your wheels can cause significant damage to floors.
Pads:
Starting with knee pads, as these have the potential to cause immense damage.
The plastic caps on the knee pads will have to have all embedded grit, sand, and stone, carefully dug out.
It is pointless trying to go further if there are any foreign objects left in the caps.
Once all grit is removed the caps should be sanded with 220 grit freecut abrasive paper till they are
level.
Next they can be sanded with 600 grit wet and dry abrasive paper and soapy water.
The soapy water will help the paper cut and not clog.
This step can be followed using 1200 grit wet and dry for a smoother finish.
Elbow pads and wrist guards can be checked then treated in the same way if required.
It is important to note that using your clean protective gear at Bellingen or outdoors will instantly render them useless for Sportz Central again
The most satisfactory solution at this stage seems to be spare wheels used only at Sportz Central, and knee pads with replaceable caps allowing a pair strictly for Sportz Central, and another pair for Bellingen and outdoor skating.
