Last practice before Empire Skate Showdown 3

This Saturday is the third annual New York State Roller Derby Tournament: Empire Skate Showdown.  The Hellions A team has had a tough season, and this is the cumulative event - most of us are done bouting for 2012 after this weekend (though we do still have three home bouts: schedule).

While Monday's practice was focused on endurance and skills, tonight we had a walk through on strategy and a situation scrimmage.

I thought the team was really focused tonight and I think we've all put in a good amount of effort to understand our team strategy.  I'm really proud of my teammates because we are still thriving and pushing forward despite all our losses this season.

I'm also super thankful for the rest of the skaters who I won't share the track with on Saturday, but have pushed us on our home turf during practice all year, especially the last couple months.  Without them it would be so much harder to prepare.  I am thankful they come to practice and scrimmage us, even though it sucks to be on the "non-roster" team... you get beat up, I've been there.  But a lot of the girls still give us a run for our money.  Not to mention the CDTA men's derby skaters who attend our practices.  Thank you thank you thank you.

Our coaches, captains, and bout production manager, Torya Anewone, have also worked hard to get us ready.  Practice plans, strategy review, and just keeping us organized behind the scenes is so much work.  Keeping Hellions on the same page is like herding cats.  We would be even more all over the place without our staff.

Heck - even thank you to all the teams that beat us this season. We want the taste of victory even more and it will be that much sweeter, too.  Thank you for pushing us to work harder and making us realize it doesn't come easy.

Tonight it hit me how excited, nervous, stressed, and ready I am for this weekend.  It's our time to shine.  To alleviate my worries, I am just going to be like this cat:

Cats know how to “be” 

How to sit, chill and rest 

Cats know how to hang 

They don’t rush – 

They just do their best

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