So, you’ve heard about Roller Derby and think this might be for you.
How do you know for sure? People get introduced to Roller Derby in a variety of ways. Perhaps you heard someone talking about it, been to a party or fundraiser, had you ear bent by a Derby Girl extolling it’s virtues or perhaps you’ve even seen a bout. Some of us realise we’re Derby Girls the second we put on those skates. For others it’s the first time they go to a bout.
So, what does it take to be a Derby Girl?
For starters you’ll need to learn how to skate, but not just any form of skating. This is Derby, so you’ll learn how to fall (you’ll be doing a lot of that). How to skate confidently, how to work in a team, how to take hits and how to receive them. This takes dedication, but every time you fall and get back up again (in 2 to 4 seconds) you’ll be that step closer. You’ll need to practice. Most teams practice 2 or 3 times a week. This will enable you to gain the level of skill required to bout.
Roller Derby is a full contact sport, no matter how hard you train and how much protection you wear, you will get hurt. Hopefully this will be the smaller injuries, sprains, bruises but sometimes injuries can be more serious and you need to be prepared for that.
There’s more to learn than just skating, there are the rules too. You’ll spend many an evening with a copy of the rules front of you trying to decipher them and understand how they translate to a bout situation. We all have to do it and it takes a while but it’s worth it and you have the help of your team to do this. Roller Derby is not a part-time sport, it takes time an energy to create, develop and maintain a Roller Derby Team and you’ll find you won’t just use your skating skills. Running a team is like running a small business, there’s merchandise, finances, publicity, event management, bout management all of which (and more) you’ll have the opportunity to get involved in.
This may sound like a lot (and there’s much more not mentioned here) but you’ll get so much back in return:
- You will find a whole new world opening up to you and you’ll make more friends than you ever imagined.
- When you go on holiday you’ll find yourself choosing destinations with a Derby Team so you can go skate with your international (we’ve had skaters join us from all over the UK and even Australia).
- Like it or not, Roller Derby will take over your life and we promise you, that’s a good thing.
If this doesn’t put you off then you might just be what we’re looking for.
What next?
Get in contact with your local team – find them on Facebook, or via the WFTDA. Drop them an email – they’ll let you know when they’re recruiting, when you can go along to a practice or when their next bout is so you can see them in action.
So, what are you waiting for?
Recent Comments…