The Roller Derby Athlete

A complete introduction to the exciting world of roller derby including how to play the game, strategy, training, fitness and nutrition.
Roller derby is a unique, fast-paced, female-dominated sport that is taking the world by storm. It originated in the USA in the 1930s but it is the revival that began in 2001 that has inspired this new book. Roller derby has become one of the world's fastest-growing new sports and there are now more than 1000 leagues worldwide - in the USA, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Latin America and Asia - with new adherents coming to the sport all the time.
As the popularity of roller derby has grown, the demand for information about the sport and how to play it has grown too. As leagues become more experienced, and players more advance, tactics and game play have grown in sophistication. There are many online forums and social networking sites devoted to training, tactics, fitness and nutrition, but up till now, no single source which gathered all the information together.
Chapters include:
- An introduction to the game, its history and rules
- How to play the game - strategy and tactics
- Fitness requirements - strength, endurance, and plyometric exercises for balance
- Training - practical training programmes both on and off skates
- Nutrition - what to eat before and after training, meal suggestions and supplement
- The female athlete - specific training advice for women
- Profiles of well-known roller derby players who share their top tips in all the above categories
The introduction has been written by Suzy Hotrod, one of roller derby's most renowned players and there is plentiful advice from many of the sports leading players.

Ellen Parnavelas is the author of the popular roller derby blog secretdiaryofarookierollergirl.wordpress.com. She plays for London Rollergirls Recreational League and her blog attracts over 3,000 viewers a month. Ellen has worked in illustrated publishing for several years and is currently editing a number of fashion titles. She has an MA in Critical Theory from the University of Sussex and her articles have previously been published in music and lifestyle magazine Big Cheese and UK roller derby magazine Inside Line.

Foreword by Suzy Hotrod
Introduction
1. The Game
What is roller derby?
Playing roller derby
The track
Positions in roller derby
Referees and other supporting crew
Background to the roller derby revival
Roller derby organisations
Who plays roller derby?
2. Strategy
An evolving rulebook
The evolution of strategy in roller derby by Bonnie D. Stroir
Basic strategy for game play
Offence and defence
Starts: fast or slow
Walls
Interview with strategy coach Pitchit Davis
3. Fitness
Fit for roller derby
What is fitness?
Cardiovascular fitness or aerobic fitness?
Muscular endurance
Muscular strength
Speed
Power, agility, balance
Flexibility
Proprioception
Which muscles are used in playing roller derby
Derby position
4. Training
Training for roller derby
On-skates training with Kamikaze Kitten: jumps
Turns and spins
Training off-skates
Interval training
Core training
Plyometrics
Resistance training
Cross-training
5. Looking after your body
Injuries
Preventing injuries
Stretching
Dynamic stretches with Kamikaze Kitten
Static stretching
Common injuries in roller derby
Recovering from injuries
6. Nutrition
How does food produce energy?
How is energy produced for roller derby?
Nutrition for athletes
Eating before exercise
Eating during and after training
Hydration
Nutrition for vegetarian and vegan athletes
Glossary
Useful links
Index