When we think of roller derby, we often only think about the skaters. Through this journey of Alumi, we’ve gotten to find out more about the other people who help make roller derby happen. These are our officials, our volunteers and our coaches. It is because of their time and dedication to our sport that we can make roller derby happen. This month we caught up with the Furies former coach Andy.
Box: So, for the readers that do not know, you are married to the illustrious Tabrina (March AotM). But for some back story, which came first? Your relationship or derby? I know you had quite a bit of involvement in the early days, when did you become a part of the QCRD family?
Andy: I met Tabrina in college through a mutual friend. We had been together around seven years before QCRD existed.
I unofficially got involved right away. There was a pepper outfit and making sure we got sole possession of the crash couch every year. After that I helped out with production for a while. I would say I officially jumped into the fam in year two. Maybe year three.
B: Well, first off, I’m going to need a picture of said pepper outfit and perhaps some elaboration. Was this a Saucies mascot?
A: I did the pepper outfit for the first five years. Once Tabrina went Furies only after year four, I did another year then passed it on to another skater’s significant other. I kept up the couch for almost as long as derby was still at Rainbow Rink in North Tonawanda.
B: I’ve only ever known you as Andy. Have you had any derby aliases? What was the deciding factor on that?
A: I was always just Andy and when I started coaching it became Coach Andy. I was just Andy for too long to change it to something else. It’s how everyone knew me.
B: When you fully committed to both feet in, what was your role within the league? How long before you decided that coaching was for you?
A: I volunteered with production the third year and joined it the four year. I was part of that until the league moved to RiverWorks as well.
In year three I came in to help the Saucies with their skating and body positioning. I did that for two years.
From there I helped out with Juniors, Boot Camp and Queens Court helping newer skaters develop their skills. How to stand, stop, spin and where to put their weight when executing each skill. I’ve had a hand in training a significant portion of QCRD skaters
Once I had done that for a little bit, I was asked to come in and help the Furies develop their individual skills. I think it was 2009.
Even at this point I hadn’t considered coaching. I had coached kids in my teens, but that was it. I didn’t think I brought anything super special to the table.
I was asked to join the coaching staff in 2010 or 2011. This was the first time I considered coaching. After that I did a couple stints as the Furies Head Coach/coaching group, a few seasons with the Saucies and two seasons with the Dollie’s. I stopped coaching home teams in 2020 after the COVID shut down. I coached the Furies on and off until 2024.
To be honest I never considered myself an exceptional coach. There are some who will say I was their favorite and some who will say I was the worst. Hopefully there are more of the former than the latter.
B: It sounds like you had an in-depth understanding about body mechanics for skating. Where did you gain this knowledge?
A: I started skating when I was very young. I played some level of hockey for most of my life. I picked up a lot of it from watching other players and watching videos (instructional or just footage). I’m pretty good at breaking down things to their core. I like to know why I’m doing a thing. I’m also a little lazy so I don’t want to waste energy on a movement if I could be doing something more efficient to get from A to B. I’ve overhauled my skating style several times to make it more powerful and efficient.
B:You mentioned that you had coached when you were in your teens. What area was that in?
A: I worked at a Boys and Girls Club for around 12 years. I helped run the sports side, on top of watching the kids. It was mostly teaching the basics but it was several sports.
B: How did that translate into coaching derby skaters in their performance?
A: The translation is derby is a lot like hockey. I just got lucky in the fact that I happened to play a sport with a similar set of core skills. Playing defense is like blocking and playing offense is like jamming.
B: As a coach for home teams, and then transitioning to a travel team, what were some ways that you continued to grow your understanding of that level of competitive gameplay?
A: I approached home team and travel in the same way on the training side. It was always make each skater the best skater they could be. The only real difference is the skill floor a player comes in with. With the travel team the top end of the game got more complex but the the bottom of the skill and strategy remain the same. At its core derby is being able to stand, start, stop, and spin better than the player you’re playing against. It’s a body positioning and weight distribution sport. When you move to the team view it’s can you do those basics as a cohesive unit better than the other team. The team that’s better at the basics usually wins the game. From the first game I watched, I could see that derby is a leverage game on defense and a nice mix of speed, misdirection and power for jamming. I watched a lot of film, and when I say a lot, I mean a lot. Watching our games over and over, breaking down what happened and why. Then figuring out how to correct and if there needed to be changes to the lineup or tweaking how skaters were executing. Then watching other teams play to figure out what they were doing, how to defend it and how to implement what was working into the Furies. At its pinnacle, I would say I was watching a couple hours of video a day, four to five days a week. Between that and creating drills, game planning and creating a different coaching strategy for each player, it was a second job.
Here are the three arms of my coaching/training philosophy.
1. No two skaters are the same therefore they can not be coached/trained the same. The team goal is the same for every player, but sometimes each skater walks a very different path to get there. Being able to adapt to what each skater needs is a must for a coach to be successful.
2. I will never ask you to do something I wouldn’t do. Meaning. If I ask you to do sprints at the end of practice I’m strapping on skates and doing them with you. If we are going to the gym I’m there too doing your workout with you. It’s more of a leadership than a coaching thing but I have always found players are more inclined to buy into what you’re saying if they see you doing it as well.
3. Always treat your players with respect and build them up, not tear them down. I can’t count the number of times I’ve said “Hey. You got this. This is what you do,” or some version of that. If you can make the skater believe they can accomplish it they will. It’s really that simple.
B: Now that you have stepped back from coaching, do you miss it? Would you ever consider returning to coaching?
A: I hope when people look back on their time with me they feel like I did my best to get them down the path to being the best skater they could be. It’s kind of lame, but I want every skater to see two sets of footprints behind them when they look back. To feel like I was there walking that path with them. On my team or not, I always want skaters to reach their personal goals and to feel like there was someone there supporting them the whole way.
The true joy of coaching for me was seeing a skater hit a personal goal. To achieve something that they didn’t think they could even though I knew they would the whole time. For the team to win that game or hit that ranking score. The look on a skater’s face when they realize what they just did can’t be compared to anything.
As for stepping back. I’m not sure I can ever fully do that. I haven’t been able to truly enjoy a bout since year two. Even at champs this year I sat in the crowd and was breaking down each jam in real time. Thinking of what I would do to adjust and what I would say to get my skaters to where I needed them to be. I even still glance at the clock and time outs remaining every once in a while thinking about how I would gain some time or slow things down with a review. Unfortunately I don’t think I’ll ever be able to shut it down completely. I poured too much of my time and energy into this sport. As for coaching. I don’t know if I would do it again. I’m not against it or being at a practice now and again, but I don’t have a lot of free time. I guess that’s up to the fates to decide.
I will say this. I would have never thought about coaching or training if it hadn’t been for Tabrina. She has supported and encouraged me since day one. When I didn’t think I could do it, she was there to say I could. When there was team friction, she helped me work through staying focused on pushing the team forward instead of giving up. She has been my rock through the many ups and downs. I wouldn’t have been in it as long as I was without her.
B: I have to say, this is the most insightful interview I’ve had the opportunity to do. I have learned a lot about how a coach might look at things as opposed to the skater or officiating perspective I hold. As we close this out, what is one of your favorite memories or moments from your time with QCRD?
A: There are so many. Making D2 playoffs for the first time. making D1 playoffs for the first time, winning the Home Team Championship and I could go on. There are so many pivotal events and milestones reached across the life of this league. All those things kind of fade into the background when compared to the personal relationships that I have now. Most of my friends come from some aspect of derby. Some of them are like family to me. I’m just really proud of what they have all accomplished. Both as individual skaters and as a league. I am honored to have been a small part in the success.
My most recent memory which is one that will stay with me forever was in playoffs during the last years I coached Furies. Mini Fridge went out to jam and scored two points against a very difficult defense on Arch (the top ranked team in the world at the time). She earned those points and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen more joy in a face skating back to the bench. I put my arms out and gave her a big hug and congratulated her on earning her first two points against the best team in the world. While she was skating towards me I thought about all the work she has put in to get to that point and how proud of her I was.
I’ve had the privilege of experiencing several of these moments. Some of them big like this one, some of them almost undetectable to people around. Like a skater working and working on a skill until they finally get it for the first time. I like seeing the look on their faces when they conquer a challenge. I had the unique vantage point of getting to peek behind the scenes all these years. To see the failure before the success. I don’t think enough people appreciate the work and dedication it takes to play roller derby on that elite level.
B: What is something you hope to see in the future for the league?
A: What I would like to see in the future?
I would like to see the league as a whole have a little more appreciation for the people that paved the way. Building the league into what it is today wasn’t easy. There was blood and sweat. Sometimes I don’t think the league projects its appreciation for that. I say that and I want you to know I’m not talking about myself. I need no accolades. I’m referring to the league members who put this league on its back and carried it through mud so it could survive.
If you meant what are my hopes for the league, I will say I hope it continues to grow. I’ve seen a bunch of fresh faces and talent willing to pick up the reins. For this generation of skaters to build on what the last generation did and make the league bigger and better for the next generation and so on. For the league to develop into a family. Play hard, but when the bout is over, everyone comes together as one again. More than anything else that’s what I want for the league.
B: Well said all around. Thank you so much for your time and all of your years of dedication to QCRD.
