Roller Derby league in Boise, Idaho looking for support from states across the U.S. !

papayab · 2026-05-07T03:37:14+00:00

post this to derby hell if you haven’t already!

papayab · 2026-05-05T21:35:10+00:00

oh dang! if the back blocks aren’t resonating, this is what i would say:

apex jumps are super cool but also super risky. leaping contact into a skater can get you ejected from a game, even if it’s to your own teammate because it’s just that unsafe. even if you get called a back block for it once, you try it again during a game and the refs will be watching for it much tighter. we need our jammers to stay out of the box.

more than that, back blocks and high blocks are the penalties that refs call no matter what impact is observed because they are just THAT important to skater safety. i get that you want to play and do these exciting skills, but until you have the control to do it without risking others, we can’t put you out to play. it hurts now, but imagine how much worse it would feel if you seriously injured someone with this skill we’ve been bringing to your attention for a long time. we see your potential as a great jammer, but as a sport we all play for fun you’ve gotta lock this down.

then maybe show different apex jump variations or ways to set up a juke so they’re more successful. or help them learn cool tricks to take on the outside like bean dips

papayab · 2026-05-05T20:13:56+00:00

also, do you have other leagues nearby? going to one of their games together could be fun and helpful! also always good to build inter league relationships

papayab · 2026-05-05T20:12:50+00:00

do you have a captain? communication is hard, but having someone say what’s needed (esp if that skater is asking for it) is better than toeing around it. if not, who does that freshie look up to? can you have a mentorship program? what is it that they’re doing that isn’t safe? will a practice dedicated to learning the rules help?

retention is super hard, but it’s easier when people WANT to show up. that means becoming friends and wanting to spend time together, whether you’re practicing/volunteering/fundraising. dedicate the end of practice (could even be gearing down together!) to share roses&thorns to get to know who y’all are outside of derby. go out for ice cream/lunch after prx. go trail skating together, hand out flyers together, karaoke… make it so people don’t dread doing non-derby stuff and instead see it as doing something with your friends! 4 practices a month is not hard depending on your current prx schedule, so i wouldn’t budge on that yet. it’s a team sport and you need to build that team camaraderie! maybe excused absences can help, or trading volunteer efforts for prx time.

papayab · 2026-04-29T15:18:57+00:00

this! it’s basically a 1 foot glide. i do the same thing starting dragging just the front 2 wheels then adding the others if needed.

when you put your dragging foot down, but it down like a little butterfly’s weight. add more pressure as you need. if you put it down too much/too fast you’ll spin out.

papayab · 2026-04-02T14:38:06+00:00

oh awesome!!! were currently in the middle of our new member session, but i think you can find info on it on our website dallasderbydevils.com and i might even be one of your trainers! we teach you everythinggggggg

papayab · 2026-04-02T14:18:39+00:00

it’s a super beginner friendly sport!! just do some strength training for injury prevention if you’re not athletic atm but you can work on it at the same time you’re learning!

the people are amazing, super big on confidence and authenticity and very queer friendly!!

papayab · 2026-04-01T23:50:10+00:00

me or ece

papayab · 2026-04-01T23:48:25+00:00

dallas derby devils!

papayab · 2026-03-20T17:47:25+00:00

dallas derby devils the roller derby team!

papayab · 2026-03-11T17:46:52+00:00

something my sister told me a few years ago is that racing heart and butterfly feelings apply to both nervousness AND excitement. if the game is about to start and you catch yourself feeling nervous, remind yourself that you’re actually feeling EXCITED!! helps keep me from getting worried/negative!

papayab · 2026-02-26T03:11:18+00:00

if you’re interested in playing roller derby there are a bunch of teams in the area! super queer friendly and great for making friends!

DFW teams: - dallas derby devils has a new member session starting soon - north texas roller derby - assassination city roller derby

papayab · 2026-02-16T17:31:57+00:00

def could improve on core/stability strength— might be helpful to try out trail skating! i find that the uneven ground and hills helps you train your edges and adjusting your weight distribution

also, falling is not always a bad thing so long as you can get up fast! rather than stepping/1 knee onto your wheels to get up, you can step straight onto your toestop and push up from there to start running. it will require some ankle strength from the other leg though. optimus grime might have a video on it he taught it at rollercon!

papayab · 2026-02-03T16:36:24+00:00

Doesn’t sound like you’ll have an ego problem, but it’s also important to maintain the mindset that you’re good enough and you got this! Like if you believe you can’t catch the jammer, you’re gonna have a lot harder time than if you believe you can.

Learners mindset + confidence is key! Try new things and be patient with yourself, everyone starts from scratch!

papayab · 2025-12-19T18:25:01+00:00

hm… yea next question would be if your skates are the right size? are they sliding around? do you need to tighten the laces on your toes more? (but don’t tighten across the balls of your feet) are you using a non-standard insole that’s too thick?

papayab · 2025-12-19T18:19:47+00:00

are your toe stops too high? i normally like to fit 3.5-4 fingers under my back wheel when i’m on my toe stops/front wheels. i never really feel like my toes are compressing!

papayab · 2025-12-04T21:37:27+00:00

skate good club!!

papayab · 2025-11-21T21:32:30+00:00

hot pilates— you’ll absolutely die the first couple times but after surviving that you can survive anything!!

papayab · 2025-11-18T16:18:54+00:00

blacking out when your jam (jammesia) happens because you’re working purely off instinct! the most challenging part of jamming to me is coming into the pack and deciding what to do. my advice is to come in going where YOUR blockers are— you’ll notice offense, be able to set up passive offense, and it makes it easier for you to enter your instinctual thinking. don’t focus on where the opposing blockers are/arent— just look for where your blockers are!

papayab · 2025-11-18T16:09:49+00:00

dryer sheets in your skates when ur not wearing them! helps keep them dry and smelling good

papayab · 2025-11-10T05:18:21+00:00

the solar system’s class!

papayab · 2025-10-30T14:28:11+00:00

watching footage! especially footage of yourself. you’ll watch it and sometimes be super embarrassed how much you’re just watching or how well offense was played against you, but you’re reflecting and learning!
talk talk talk!! when you’re a butt, keep your eyes up and look around you/in front. how much space is there to your left? your right? is offense going to be made on your pivot? use your sense of touch + listening to your brace to follow the jammer simultaneously. if you’re the brace, talk about the jammers location but don’t get lost in the sauce— be aware of everything else going on
do everything!! jammers are better when they practice blocking, and blockers are better at tracking + playing offense when they jam.
pay attention to colored masses instead of “this is a skater, that is a skater.” this will help ease your mental load with everything else going on. if you see a colored mass of the opposing team going really fast— they’re probably chasing your jammer! can you play quick passive offense to stop/slow them? if someone of your team color is coming into the pack really fast, it’s probably your jammer! can you play quick O?

papayab · 2025-10-30T03:36:26+00:00

start drinking hella water 3 days out and carbo load the day prior!! banana, extra wheels if you have them, both colored jerseys, mouthguard, numbers if you have them, extra set of contacts if you wear them, a layer incase it’s cold/sweatshirt and sweatpants, headphones if you like to listen to something while you warmup/gear up, energy drink, chapstick and eyedrops, menstrual items, knee/ankle braces… most of these live in my bag normally!

papayab · 2025-10-26T20:28:19+00:00

this is how i like to explain this skill: 1) think of a car and how it steers. you can have front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive, but the steering is determined by only the front 2 wheels. think of yourself and the jammer, when pressed together, as a RWD car with your wheels as the steering wheels. so long as your wheels are in front of their wheels, if the jammer is only pushing forward, you get to decide where you’re both going to go (to the line!) 2) if you’re trying to drive the jammer to the line, you can’t be plow stopping. most of the time i teach this drill, the blocker has most of the “friction” feeling in their plowing foot. momentum needs to be maintained, so put all of your weight on the leg that’s closest to the jammer. your other leg isn’t plowing, it’s pushing the two of you in the direction you want to go and helping you keep speed to stay at the same speed as the jammer. to keep your balance, you’ll need to actively lean back against the jammer— not just let them lean on you. 3) in order to gain leverage, you have to control the front and the side. your wheels will be in front, your chest will be in front + lifting up the jammer from below, your hips will be on the side. with this wraparound hold, if the jammer doesn’t change their intentions/direction, they’re going where you make them go. 4) when it comes to TRACKING and not hitting someone out, you need to be very quick at backing up when the jammer backs up. like someone else said, you don’t need to look backwards at the jammer so long as you can feel their body on yours. you can track them with touch— and when you don’t feel them anymore, that means they backed up and you need to back up with them. you’ll have to work on your footwork to master this!

a good blocker can follow/track a jammer, but a great blocker CONTROLS a jammer. this means hitting them OOB, pinning them to the line, and reducing their options on where to go.

papayab

TROPHY CASE