Fight or Flight: in the Face of Minimum Skills

Fight or Flight…in the face of MSTs (Yikes!)

So you have MSTs (Minimum Skills Test) coming up! Hooray!...or not so much.

Battling your mind during MST time will be your biggest enemy. You know which skills you need to work on, which ones you’re okay at, and then there are those that send you into a panic just thinking about (endurance, anyone?).

This may not be your first rodeo, either. Several days of testing, or perhaps you’ve been working for months toward this seemingly unreachable goal. The fear and anxiety that builds up feels like a container about to explode. You might want to talk about it to someone, but you feel like you might just burst into tears. Bottling it in almost seems easier than facing what’s coming up.

Get outta your mind!

Way easier said than done, I know. I failed endurance more times than I can count. It rattles your confidence. A lot. If you’re like me, you start questioning whether or not to continue. Fight or flight?

You’ve got it in you. Deep down, I promise. You’ve already started this quest. Lots of hard work, sweat, and tears later, you’ll come out the other side. Despite what you might tell yourself, you CAN conquer MSTs. It might take you longer. You might have to work twice as hard. You may have to beat your head against the wall over and over until you finally break through (figuratively, of course).

You have to convince yourself. You will be the hardest on yourself. If MSTs are coming up, and you’re freaking out, try some of these to help calm yourself.

Be ready. Not just skills-wise, I mean. Plan out what you want to wear for your outfit. Your most comfortable socks, your confidence-boosting leggings, your lucky tank—whatever it is that will help you feel at ease. Double check your gear bag. Do you have everything? Are your skates ready to go (wheels, bearings, etc.)?

Check your diet. Make sure that you are drinking enough water for the day. Right before practice isn’t enough—your body needs time to absorb it. Don’t eat a giant, heavy meal right before testing, but make sure you eat something that will sustain the energy you’re about to exert (nutritional, perhaps? Put down those Pizza Rolls!).

Start with skills you feel the most comfortable doing. These will help boost your confidence a little and get your mind ready for what you’re about to do. If you biff the skills you know you can do, you definitely know you need to take a deep breath and get out of your own head.

If possible, ask to do a test run. This probably won’t work for endurance, but for quick skills like jumps, falls, and one-legged glides, this should be okay (granted your lines aren’t super long). If you only have to perform a skill on one side of your body, make sure you’re using your “good side.” We all have one.

For partner drills, pair with someone that you trust. Feel comfortable with your buddy. If you don’t trust or feel comfortable with your blocking partner, you’re not going to do as well as you could with someone else. Also consider body types. You might want to pair with someone your height/build/etc. to help ensure that you’re going to get the best hip-check you can.

Cheering crowd, or no? You might have found a few derby sisters that want to cheer you on as you skate your endurance or test skills that you’ve been struggling with. Some people do better when they hear their friends screaming “Push it out, Bitter Sweets! FASTER! Crossover, crossover, crossover!” Or perhaps you want to be completely focused without the outward screaming (or watching) of your super-fan derby kin. Let these people know. They want to help you the best they can.

And the best advice I’ve ever gotten: Give a few less f*cks. Courtesy of Mojo Gogo, this little piece of advice has saved me a few times, and has also let me have more fun at practices. We put so much pressure on ourselves as Fresh Meat. MUST BE PERFECT. But it sometimes can hurt you. You become too afraid to fail, and you play it safe. By giving a few less f*cks, you can really begin to just go out there, give it hell, and say “Whatever” when you fall down.

I feel like I could do a whole post on giving a few less f*cks, but until next time:

Happy skating!

Bitter Sweets <3

Draft Night: Finally eligible for scrimmaging and being teamed after Fresh Meat training x2.

Heck yes, I am wearing a tutu. 

Poison Evie and Miki Malicious are there to congratulate me!