Team Practice!
As a part of our league's training program, we're invited to practice with each of the teams during the month before draft. It's a good way for them to get to know us and see how we skate and also great for us to see what exactly we're getting into. This was my first team practice so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. Since two teams use the space at the same time each team gets the outside of the track for one hour and the inside for an hour. We get the outside for two hours and skate with whoever happens to be out there.
One of the first things we did was a Simon Says stepping drill for Cadets while the team dealt with team stuff. The idea is to step in the direction that the guy in front is pointing and change directions when he does. Down is fall, up is jump. She who reacts slowest is out. After a while there were three people left, me, an experienced transfer skater and one of my teammates who's been skating much longer than me. As soon as I noticed this was the case, the thought crept into my mind that surely I had proven myself in some way and it would be OK at this point to lose, which I promptly did. More thoughts on this later.
At any rate my stepping has improved vastly in the past month. I attribute this to these things:
1.) Work with a balance board/wobble board. My stepping improved the day I started using this and has only gotten better from there. A balance board can be purchased at Sports Authority for about $25 and exercises for it are easy to look up online. At first I was a little incredulous that this one thing could make such a drastic difference so suddenly. Nothing on skates so far has proven to be that simple, but I didn't change anything else in that day and I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have miraculously improved on its own in that time either. Continued work has brought continued improvement.
2.) This drill with a friend at open skate: Find space where you can shuffle back and forth. Face your friend. Have her shuffle back and forth and follow her, then switch who's leading. You can also do this with your back to your friend while looking over your shoulder. It's more effective than just shuffling back and forth on your own because you have to react to an external stimulus.
3.) Lots of standing crossovers. Keep low, step slowly and spend an equal amount of time on each foot.
We didn't spend the entire time stepping but that's the thing I have the most thoughts about. Also included in the workout was some hitting, strategy and a little endurance. We got a chance to work on busting up walls, which was great since I don't like being the 'goat,' or as I think of it, the cow.* Evidently, the key is to lay into the wall with your shoulder and then continue to step forward with your strong foot. I have been leaning into the wall with my shoulder and pushing with my weak foot while gliding on the strong foot.
*Random side note. My sister in law tells me that in kids rodeo they rope goats instead of cows because they're smaller. The trouble with this is that goats are considerably smarter than cows. They figure out the game after a couple of rounds and proceed to just lie down and wait to be tied up, thus requiring fresh goats. A cow is stupid and never gives up, no matter how small the chance of success. When separated from my teammates I have resolved not to be the goat. I am the cow.
<originally posted 1.12.12>
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