derby little musings

I want to take a minute to chat a bit out noobs -

At this point we’re getting more girls than there are spots on the team, so the girls who don’t get drafted to a team have an opportunity practice and learn and get better throughout the season in preparation for the next season’s draft, yadda yadda. These girls get opportunities to go out and bout and work with all of the wonderful guest coaches that our league brings in, etc.  Pretty awesome compared to back in the day when you would just get turned away.

I heard one of these girls complaining that that no one goes to watch them when they go away to bout, so how do we know how well they play? and how are we supposed to be able to make good draft decisions if we don’t go?  I agree that we should be supportive of our sisters in training, but I wholeheartedly disagree with making draft choices by watching them bout on a team of noobs, against noobs. let me tell you why:

I’ve been making draft decisions for my team for the past three years,

NO, I do not stalk boot camp for draftees, that’s silly!  Most of the girls are just learning how to skate, how can you make a decision based on that?

NO, I do not want to make my decision based on the way you play with a team full of new recruits - because I am not drafting you to a team of new girls, and you will not be playing teams of new girls.

YES, I do base my decision on the work I see you do at league practices with veteran skaters.  I want to see how you take encouragement, tips, criticism, a solid hit to the outside on turn 3, the challenges of a yoga freak, slavedriver, masochist run league practice.  I ask girls on my team to go to you and offer help and see how you react.  I don’t want to hear excuses.  I want to see you step up to the jam line against a pack of veteran skaters.  I want to see you playing with your feet while you’re not in a drill.  I want to see you being comfortable in this thing called derb.

And that’s just the way that I do things, you think we’re not watching, but we are.

And if I EVER, EVER, see a noob hollering at a ref - you get an automatic NO on your forehead.