The 2012 edition of the EROC took place in Berlin on the last weekend of January, and was hosted by the local league, the Bear City RollerDerby. Go HERE if you want a little "history" of the event -- if you can call it history so far...
The European Derby Convention is growing year by year: Have a look at the list of the registered countries and leagues if you're sceptical! 13 countries were represented by up to 16 leagues each (for Germany) -- and 7 for France!
The event started on Friday evening with an opening party at Wowsville bar where all the participants could meet and warm up for the weekend. I had forgotten what it was like to be allowed to smoke in bars! Although I convey it's pretty cool not to have to go outside and lose your fingers in the German cold, I'm not quite sure I'm liking it anymore.
By the way I would like to deeply thank all my saviors to whom I borrowed the gloves during the weekend: I really had underestimated the power of cold. Now I know that I'd rather concentrate on my gloved hands slipping on my crutches, than concentrate on saying to myself over and over that pain is just an illusion.
Anyway this is no dilemna now as I don't need my sticks anymore: I learnt to walk this weekend thanks to an intensive training consisting in at least one hour per day of waking in the snow.
I had booked a 10-bed dorm room with other French people at the X-Berger Hostel, the last one in which there was some room left. Although it was in the area, it was further than the other hostels proposed in the program. The bunk beds were creaking and I was a bit afraid the first time I found myself under Marvel-San whose matress was dangerously overloaded.
On the other hand the showers were equipped with high-tech motion sensor systems, but I would have liked old-fashionned taps better: I didn't really appreciate the "take-one-shower-get-one-free" offer... especially not after having finished to dry myself, unable to avoid the drops and pathetically hiding behind my towel while I was stuck in the cubicle -- which was 30 cm above the ground, i.e. too high for me and my lazy leg. Forget I told you this.
Still there were advantages: FREE COFFEES at the reception!
It was my first ever EROC participation. Having been elected Head Coach recently, I had been designated as one of the four representatives of the Paris RollerGirls, together with Cherry LieLie for the Sponsoring, No Name Jane for the Merchandizing and Amelia Scareheart for the Interleague relationships. The latter also ran a class on Line-Up Writing during the event. Three of our Refs, Watzé, Maëlstrom and Marvel-San, had also made the trip.
The two days were regulated by varied classes suitable for beginners and advanced, whether you are a player, a coach, a ref, an NSO or an organizer, with or without skates... The subjects were numerous and there were four classes at the same time in four different rooms.
As a coach I went to coaching stuff, particularly to the on-skates "Training for trainers - Advanced" (don't panic: I was sitting on a f*cking bench with my shoes on), and to the "Strategy Session - Advanced" which I found clear and helped me structure my mind on the breaking down of strategy stages. I also went to an "Off Skate" out of curiosity (and made the most in working my physiotherapy drills on the side): I had a nice surprise in discovering that the coach was systematically relating each drill to derby moves. However, the sports equipment in the room is just impossible to own when you're not a settled league with your own training venue. But it looked awefully FUN!
The scrimmages on Sunday morning looked even funnier. But there were so many registered that people didn't play that much. The advanced game had a couple of beautiful actions. I'm very impressed by the overal improvement of the European level. It's starting to be the real thing: USA, give us another couple of years and we're coming!
Apart from the breakfast and lunch times, there were two climaxes: One national climax at the very beginning of the weekend, and one European at the very end of it.
The National debate consisted in a national meeting with all the French people attending. Unfortunately we had only one hour to debate but we still found the time to bring up the main concerns:
The second point that was discussed was the urgency to organize ourselves at a European level, which implies being organized nationally first. Yet most of us aren't. Homework for next EROC: Build yourself a national structure!
Now let's not forget the presentation of a wonderful computer tool developed by Riff Reff and Major Madness for European leagues: A multi-task calendar classifying the European teams according to a simple algorithm in their category level, etc...
MEDIA:
By the way I would like to deeply thank all my saviors to whom I borrowed the gloves during the weekend: I really had underestimated the power of cold. Now I know that I'd rather concentrate on my gloved hands slipping on my crutches, than concentrate on saying to myself over and over that pain is just an illusion.
Anyway this is no dilemna now as I don't need my sticks anymore: I learnt to walk this weekend thanks to an intensive training consisting in at least one hour per day of waking in the snow.
I had booked a 10-bed dorm room with other French people at the X-Berger Hostel, the last one in which there was some room left. Although it was in the area, it was further than the other hostels proposed in the program. The bunk beds were creaking and I was a bit afraid the first time I found myself under Marvel-San whose matress was dangerously overloaded.
On the other hand the showers were equipped with high-tech motion sensor systems, but I would have liked old-fashionned taps better: I didn't really appreciate the "take-one-shower-get-one-free" offer... especially not after having finished to dry myself, unable to avoid the drops and pathetically hiding behind my towel while I was stuck in the cubicle -- which was 30 cm above the ground, i.e. too high for me and my lazy leg. Forget I told you this.
Still there were advantages: FREE COFFEES at the reception!
It was my first ever EROC participation. Having been elected Head Coach recently, I had been designated as one of the four representatives of the Paris RollerGirls, together with Cherry LieLie for the Sponsoring, No Name Jane for the Merchandizing and Amelia Scareheart for the Interleague relationships. The latter also ran a class on Line-Up Writing during the event. Three of our Refs, Watzé, Maëlstrom and Marvel-San, had also made the trip.
The two days were regulated by varied classes suitable for beginners and advanced, whether you are a player, a coach, a ref, an NSO or an organizer, with or without skates... The subjects were numerous and there were four classes at the same time in four different rooms.
As a coach I went to coaching stuff, particularly to the on-skates "Training for trainers - Advanced" (don't panic: I was sitting on a f*cking bench with my shoes on), and to the "Strategy Session - Advanced" which I found clear and helped me structure my mind on the breaking down of strategy stages. I also went to an "Off Skate" out of curiosity (and made the most in working my physiotherapy drills on the side): I had a nice surprise in discovering that the coach was systematically relating each drill to derby moves. However, the sports equipment in the room is just impossible to own when you're not a settled league with your own training venue. But it looked awefully FUN!
The scrimmages on Sunday morning looked even funnier. But there were so many registered that people didn't play that much. The advanced game had a couple of beautiful actions. I'm very impressed by the overal improvement of the European level. It's starting to be the real thing: USA, give us another couple of years and we're coming!
Apart from the breakfast and lunch times, there were two climaxes: One national climax at the very beginning of the weekend, and one European at the very end of it.
The National debate consisted in a national meeting with all the French people attending. Unfortunately we had only one hour to debate but we still found the time to bring up the main concerns:
1) We need to organize ourselved nationally with a board gathering representatives from each league.Framed by Master Blaster, the European debate was tougher and particularly dealed with the clarification of the Facebook rumor saying that there would be a European Cup in August in Malmö, Sweden. To keep it simple, an individual who happens to be part of the Malmö Crime City Rollers (but the league has nothing to do with it) took the responsibility to book a venue but didn't seem to have done things in the right order. Apart from the UK representatives, nobody was aware before the FB leak. Despite the info apparently mentioning that all the persons in charge for the national teams who went to Toronto had received invitations, the coaches present contradicted it. The problem is that the booking cannot be cancelled and that most of the national teams find the dead-line too short to organize new try-outs, new trainings, new fundraising, etc. However people strongly encouraged to change the EuroCup into a less "official" event like a tournament or a bootcamp for example. Let's wait and see...
2) We should make a public schedule with all the events happening in France.
3) Why not creating a convention based on the EROC on a national scale?
4) How should we cope with the French Federation of Roller Sports?
5) What decisions to take about the durability of the French Team?
But Concerns 3, 4 and 5 can only be resolved with the implementation of Concern 1.
The second point that was discussed was the urgency to organize ourselves at a European level, which implies being organized nationally first. Yet most of us aren't. Homework for next EROC: Build yourself a national structure!
Now let's not forget the presentation of a wonderful computer tool developed by Riff Reff and Major Madness for European leagues: A multi-task calendar classifying the European teams according to a simple algorithm in their category level, etc...
On Monday I was saying to myself that I was glad to go back to France where the weather is mild. Unfortunately it seems that my country has decided to adopt its neighbor's climate... let's hope it'll change its mind soon!
MEDIA:
A la lecture de cet article j'ai eu un flash des résumés que tu faisais des compét' de freestyle, la même patte forcément ! :)
ReplyDeleteEt là j'me dis que j'ai hâte qu'on te lise sur des résumés de matchs de derby !! ;)
That's a good resumé, and great thinking to include the links to the photos!
ReplyDeleteYou definitely bought too little merch if you still had room to take the weather with you.. ;P
Glad to see you walk; hope to see you skate again soon!
I'm not buying everything in one time, otherwise what will I buy next time I come to visit? ;)
Deleteit was a good time - adn the scrimmage was amazing
ReplyDeleteLovely write-up! Such a great weekend :)
ReplyDeleteWe stayed in an amazing caravan hotel - like indoor camping! But also hadn't anticipated the cold!
Glad the France meeting discussed the idea of getting together a governing body - as stated at the euro discussion, please contact UKRDA to ask for any guidance/support on how we've been doing things.
And best of all - it was SO lovely to meet everyone and skate at the advanced scrimmage with some truly brilliant skaters. Fantastic weekend, huge kudos to Bear City Roller Derby!
Phoenix x
The caravan hotel sounds fun!! Too bad for the cold...
DeleteI'll pass on the message for the UKRDA, yep :)