August 30, 2012

Ready, Set, When am I going to Bout Already!?

When I started this roller derby "thing" I had to overcome a few hangups both emotional and physical. One of them is that I will never know what it feels like to have the long, graceful legs of a dancer and I can barely Macarena without putting an eye out. I know this sport is competitive but right now I am only competing with myself. I want to be better, stronger, and faster of course but what does that mean and how will it look for me?

Because I am still in new recruit training, I rely heavily on my trainers to tell me where my areas of improvement are. One measure of development I can see on a regular basis is my peer group and it's difficult not to compare myself to them. Everyone from my "class" has either dropped out or started bouting already so if I use them as a yardstick I am not doing great, but I haven't quit yet. Can I call that a victory? I guess the only thing I can do for now that is remind myself that my process is my own and continue to move forward.

Goals are important for school, work, as well as self discovery and development but there are things to remember when setting them. I would love to have speed like Slim Skatey, stability like Purdey Dirty, and hits like Suzy Muffincrusher but they didn't get they way over night. If I want to skate like the women I admire I have to stop trying to be like them and start trying to be like me. There is an art to goal setting and it takes a lot of thoughtful effort and self examination. 

There are many methods for goal setting, but here are some questions I have found useful in figuring out how I am going to achieve my desired outcome. I ask myself "How am I going to know when I have met my goal?", "Is this something that I can achieve?", and "How long should it take me to meet this?". Regular dialog with my trainers and peers is going to provide me with the ongoing feedback that I require to answer those questions.

I KNOW want to be bouting by October and I am going to make that happen. To achieve this, I must be specific in what I am asking of myself.  Today, I make this contract with my future self:

I, Mollytov Maguire, do solemnly pledge to strengthen my body and mind in the following ways:
  1. Gain stronger rule knowledge
  2. Condition my body to have endurance to play in a whole bout
  3. Have better accuracy in my hits for both timing and placement
When the afformentioned goals have been met to the satisfaction of my future captains, I may be eligible to begin bouting.

Signed,
Mollytov Maguire
"Roller Derby Phenom in the Making"
FoCo Girls Gone Derby
August 30, 2012

There. Consider it done.


When I do meet these goals, my trainers and I feel that I will be in a good position to be bouting in October.  This is doable. Right? Right. Because my goal is time-bound in it's definition, I know when I have to complete it. But hey, that is just a reminder to live my life better, isn't it? This goal is just one thing in a long line of stuff that is going to make me better for the long haul. This one goal is only the first stop of the journey, a layover really, but it isn't the destination. It's meant to be accomplished and left in the dust. Let's say October comes, I play in my first bout, and IT IS GLORIOUS. What then? I don't know yet... That is a bridge I will only be able to cross when I get to it.

Derby love,
Mollytov Maguire

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