Yesterday’s training session was an extended one of two and a half hours.
Tony and I arrived early and first, checked which hall we were in and got ready. A few others started to arrived and then I who wondered in but Omer Gherd. (Omer, for those that don’t know, plays for Inhuman League but also for England!) Brian was back, a guy Baker who I’d not met before, and many of the regulars – a good turn out.
We started with some confusing games. A zombie/human one for which the rules seemed overly confusing. It consisted of skating randomly around the hall whilst trying to avoid being hit by others doing the same. No one hit me and I hit no one, so I didn’t get much out of that game.
This was followed by some one on one work, which was really good. Half of us were blockers, skating around the track at the inside edge. The other half were jammers trying to get past each in turn. It meant that each of us got to do both roles against a range of others. I tried to get past Omer – it was impossible as even if I got a foot out infront of him he steered me off the track. Some useful feedback though – I’m tall, and therefore very easy to see. Confusing in a way, I’m not built like a blocker and I’m too tall to be a jammer :-/
We then changed this up to jammer versus two blockers – more impossible, but good stuff. Good for the blockers to practice moving as a unit rather than leaving a gap between them.
We finished with a scrimmage – obviously. I was going to sit out (still nervious about injuring my back) but Chris had taken some hits during the session so he had taken his skates off and was helping to referee. This left an even number including me so I played.
It was a good scrim. No idea what the score was, but I jammed once – getting sent to the box twice for cutting track. Idiot!
I was very pleased to skate for the full session. Only minor injuries this week too; little finger on my left hand when I got pushed into the wall (the brick wall, not the line of blockers) and right calf from falling and twisting my leg.