We were in Appleton, Wisconsin playing the Fox City Foxes when it occurred to us that we needed someone to bust up a particularly great wall of behemoth blockers. We needed a specialist, a heavy hitter with evil hips. We all looked to her, and she to us. We trusted in her because we had all been hit by her and we all knew that wall would not stand one more jam.
You know the secret to a good cup of coffee? Consistency. Knowing you'll always get that same great flavor makes you long for one more cup at your favorite stop rather than chancing burned grounds at a new place. You trust that this next cup will not surprise you with it's nasty.
Consistency in derby means you are reliable, you can be trusted to do what you do. There is no substitute for trust on the track. When our pivot leaves the inside line to chance a hit on an opposing jammer she wants to know down deep in her soul that her beloved wingman has got that line in check. She needs to trust that you're paying very close attention to what is happening and you won't leave her hanging.
So how can you build that trust? It starts at practice, every practice. The best packs are full of attendance award winners. So, step one; be at practice. Step two? Do work! Be the first to challenge yourself. The only way for your teammates to trust you is for you to trust you first. You not only need to be good at a particular skill, you need to master it and you need to become confident. Sounds like a lot of work, yeah? Good thing you're a Rollergirl, most people wouldn't be able to handle all that striving and sweating. But then, Rollergirls are a tougher brand of women.
The last step to being really trustable is staying on the track and building some comradery in scrimmage. You want to volunteer to be on the track every chance you get. Look at the bench coach, tell them you're ready and be prepared to do some work. The more you work with your teammates the more they will begin to know your ways. And knowing, as G.I. Joe says, is half the battle.
