Bridging

Less talking, more skating! Put the discussion from last week to good use, by exploring the fine art of bridging. When your teammate is chasing ahead, or is positioning their booty in front of an upcoming jammer, you can make sure that their amazing hit doesn't send them to the bin by manipulating the boundaries of the pack and bridge the gap.

If you did your talk last week, your team will get what you are talking about when you explain that you are trying to manipulate the engagement zone. If not, you might have some confused faces or a few questions when you try and do this drill.

• Break the skaters into pack sized groups. One person in each group will be The Bridge, and this will be rotated through.
• The rest of the pack is in charge of varying the speed as they move around the track, and The Bridge will be watching where they are, staying just under 10 feet of the foremost skater. After a few laps, someone else in each group will take the role of The Bridge.
• Next, have The Bridge set the speed, varying it as they travel around the track. The rest of the pack wants to keep The Bridge in the pack by staying within 10 feet (but not too close!). Again, rotate it around so everyone has a go
• Repeat both parts of the drill, but this time position The Bridge at the back of the pack.

This drill will improve the skaters ability to judge distance, respond to their teammates, and improve track awareness. It is a beautifully simple bit of strategy that can be applied not only to assist your team mates, but can be used to foil the plans of the opposition too.