Rolling in the New Year: Derby Resolutions

Now  that everyone's had a chance to sober up from New Year's Eve, let's consider our resolutions for the New Year. Roller derby is a sport that demands improvement and no doubt a number of glasses were raised on Saturday night along with promises to skate harder and better this year.

But let's consider how to make smarter derby resolutions. "This year, I am going to skate like Suzy Hotrod" is certainly ambitious, but it's got a couple of serious problems. Let me break down the elements of a good roller derby resolution.

1) Specificity: Make your terms clear to yourself. Instead of saying, "I will skate more often," choose a specific number. Instead of saying, "I will learn how to do a tomahawk stop," say, "I will learn how to do a tomahawk stop by talking to (insert skater here)." Keep it specific and you'll have clearer steps toward achieving your goal.

2) Attainability: We would all like to jam like LuluDemon. But for some of us, there will be a number of intermediate steps until we get there. With that said, you have a year to make good on a promise to yourself: balance ambition with attainability if you want to stay excited about while keeping it realistic. The more ambitious your goal, the more you should break it down into attainable, specific steps.

3) Community: Derby is a team sport. Tell your team-mates about your resolution. Ask them if they've made any. Share public commitments to your goals and you'll feel more invested in making them happen. Consider trading resolutions with your derby wife - she'll ask you about yours and you'll return the favour. Blog about it. Put it on Facebook as a status update: "I will break my record by (number of laps) in time trials".

4) Body Positivity: Make sure it's a goal that will really benefit your game. Is the resolution about your skills and health or is it about your pride, or, unhealthy body images? Weight loss is not necessarily a healthy or realistic resolution: if you are feeling pressure to lose weight, talk it over with your doctor and discuss it with body-positive friends.

5) Self-Worth: The road to a goal often has bumps - the errant toe-stop in the flat-track of life - and be ready to forgive yourself for any back-sliding and keep going. It's easy to lose heart, especially if we haven't done as well as we hoped we would. But take the hit and get back up on your skates.

Happy New Year, all. Celebrate and go skate. For the record, my resolutions are 1) to skate at least twice a week, even during my crunch time, 2) to learn how to transition more effectively and 3) to not give a damn whether other people think I look good in those shorts I bought at World Cup.