i am not a natural

Athleticism was never really my forte. I ran cross country and track in high school because it was something to do to get me off of the computer. It got my body moving and required minimal teamwork and social interaction. Those were also two sports that I could participate in without pressure. Yeah, I can jog 3.1 miles. Slowly enough that I will not be a deciding factor in my team doing well, too. The only person I had to complete with was my own personal records and myself.

I did NOT join roller derby to become athletic. I joined roller derby for the camaraderie. After watching roller derby just once I felt a sense of, “These are my people. This is where I belong.”

Morphing into an athletic person has been a result of the combined desire, as well as effort, to improve and accomplish goals to further my derby career.

I would like to make a note that everyone I know loves roller derby differently. I happen to love roller derby in an all-consuming matter. This sport and this community have given me so much more than I could have ever imagined. That being said, the recipe I use for improvement probably won’t be the exact recipe that works for you. We will likely use some of the same or similar ingredients, but what we are cooking is a bit different.

So, how does one improve when they feel like they are struggling, not catching on, or just regularly beating themselves up about not seeing instant results? Or maybe you feel like– taking an excerpt from my fresh meat journal– “sometimes it is sink or swim and I feel like I’m sinking rather quickly.”

My personal list of ingredients includes:

• Positivity
• Goals
• Drive
• Cross Training

Each ingredient is more complicated than just a word. They are all full of many layers; like an onion, lasagna, or ice cream cake… You get my drift (I really like food). So I would like to take time to focus and elaborate on each and every ingredient within its own post.

See you next week to focus on some delicious positivity!