Roller derby is hard. If you’re like me, you’re fiercely competitive and will stop at nothing to succeed. However, sometimes giving it everything you’ve got simply isn’t enough to meet your goals. What then?

THIS IS THE WORST BLOG EVER. WHY WOULD YOU EVEN SAY THAT?! EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT YOU CAN DO ANYTHING IF YOU WORK HARD ENOUGH! THIS IS AMERICA!

I know those feels, sweet readers. But reality can be a cruel mistress. The point of this post is not to dwell on plateaus or failures. It’s to talk about options for moving forward.

Do Something Different(ly)

When what you’re doing isn’t working, do something different(ly). When you hit disappointment, it’s time to evaluate your options.

Hard Work Is Not Enough

Beware the effort trap! Effort alone won’t deliver results. But hard work matters when paired with strategies to succeed and effective coaching. You have to learn and grow to break through. Maybe your crosstraining routine can be optimized for derby performance. If your existing routine is spot on but gives you dead legs for practice, you could add recovery methods to increase your capacity to do work and feel better. If you’re having trouble covering lateral ground, you could adopt a new agility-based skating technique. If you want to understand the ways jammers move and how you can counter them, watch hours of tape. These are just a few examples of new strategies to level up!

Another option is finding new coaching. Not all coaches are equipped to fix every problem, including yours. (GASP!) Accessing new coaching could be as simple as asking for help from a teammate who excels at something you want to improve. Maybe it’s getting a personal trainer to help you maximize movement efficiency. It could even be attending a bootcamp or workshop with a traveling coach or at a big shebang like RollerCon.

Moving Onward

There comes a time in every skater’s life that the joy they get out of roller derby is no longer worth the effort they put in. That’s totally ok. There are two ways to adjust on this front.

1.Do less. Maybe that means scaling back your level or participation. It could mean busting less ass or trying to have more fun. Keep skating, but relax. It’s supposed to be fun.

2. Do something else. Had enough? Don’t do {whatever it is that you’ve had enough of} anymore! Try blocking if you’re tired of jamming. Officiating might be fun. Volunteering always helps. Be a fan! Or just say eff it all. You’re an adult. You can do what you want.

Taking My Own Advice

I will engage in tremendous bullshit when it gives me traction on success. I’ll live my goals 24/7. Most of that stuff isn’t fun. A lot is pretty painful. The majority’s tedious. It’s expensive in dollars and energy. But, my work as a skater wasn’t paying off at the elite level and I’ve done all I could to try to fix it. So I’m not gonna do it anymore. Instead, I’m gonna coach! I love the game and Minnesota Rollergirls. I can best contribute to both on the bench.

Forward!

So good readers, constantly evaluate your training. Look for ways to improve your plan of attack. Keep an open dialogue with your leadership about your goals as compared to their targets. Adopt a wide world view, looking at other teams and getting outside coaching. Kick the ass! And when you’ve done everything you can or are willing to do, it’s ok to let go if you’re not finding fulfillment. Life is bigger than roller derby!