Roller derby?

[Goldfish]

Is anyone here doing roller derby? KittyT, right? I'm thinking about joining a team and would like to know how it was in the past and how it is now

 

[Red Diabla]

Is anyone here doing roller derby? KittyT, right? I'm thinking about joining a team and would like to know how it was in the past and how it is now

The main differences between old school derby and the latest DIY derby is that all old school derby was played on a banked track. Nowadays most leagues are flat track, though there are five DIY banked track leagues in the US(I'm in one of them).

Also, old school derby games tended to be choreographed, whereas DIY derby plays for real with no script, no set ups, no predetermined winner. The level of skating skills widely varies from league to league nowadays. The old schoolers toured around the country, so they gave consistent shows. They just changed the names of the teams to fit the geographical location they were in for each game to hook the local audience.

DIY derby has a plethora of "skate names". Not everyone feels comfortable doing derby under their government names for various reasons, and the skate name can also help the skater find her inner competitive athlete! That, and it's just fun. DIY derby is cheeky in names and presentation, but they take the actual skating and game seriously.

To put this back on topic, derby is also a helluva good workout. Most skaters usually practice 2-3 days a week for at least 2 hours each session. Even though all of one's body gets a workout, the core and leg muscles(the largest muscles in the body)get built up good from the skating and the falling. lol On non-practice days, most skaters will do some form of cross-training so that we maintain endurance and muscles. This includes anything and everything from bicycling, jogging, going to the gym, free weights, yoga, pilates, and running stairs.

Does that help?

RD

 

[Miss Bunny]

As I'm reading through blogs and forum posts, I see some ladies do roller derby. I work in a city that has a team and it has intrigued me quite a bit as I can skate just fine but truthfully I am nervous about injuries. I was wondering how many ladies here do derby, how rough it is, and what your thoughts are about whether it's worth all of your efforts. Thanks!

 

[pixie]

I live in Vancouver BC Canada and am envolved in Derby here. I don't get to play yet as I am currently in the process of completeing a car accident law suit. However, learning the game and getting practice can be done by becoming a derby referee until you become comfortable with the rules and the skating and seeing what happens. They can always use more referees as most quit to start playing. Also if you just want to get involved but don't know about playing they can also always use volunteers for the games. have a great time.

 

[KittyT]

it has intrigued me quite a bit as I can skate just fine but truthfully I am nervous about injuries. I was wondering how many ladies here do derby, how rough it is, and what your thoughts are about whether it's worth all of your efforts. Thanks!

Miss Bunny, I've skated for the Boston Derby Dames as a home team, on-and-off again travel team member, and coach for 4 1/2 years. Derby IS rough. It is a full contact sport and will frequently leave you sore with bumps, bruises, etc, and sometimes more serious injuries. That said, it's also an incredibly rewarding sport that provides a lot of ladies an aggressive outlet that they don't get in many other areas of society, a chance to work toward something with other motivated women, a chance to grow and work with a team, and a chance to really change your body and how you see it.

If women didn't think that derby was worth their efforts, it wouldn't be the fastest growing sport in the US today! For many it IS worth the risk, and for others it isn't. In my 4 1/2 years, I've not suffered a major injury but I've seen broken ankles, broken collarbones, dislocated shoulders, broken tailbones, bruised ribs, torn ACLs and a variety of other funky knee injuries. That said, many more traditional sports also suffer high rates of various injuries, including womens' basketball and soccer, which both have very high instances of ACL injuries, which is an injury more common in women than in men, due to our unique build.

That said, what drives women out of derby more than injury is the time commitment. Do you have the time to commit to several practices per week, a vigorous bouting schedule and additional responsibilities to the league outside of skating? Remember that most leagues are skater-owned and operated, and that takes a lot of work. Your best bet is to talk to some of your league members down there to find out what they think, and what their time commitment is like, since it's different for every league.

When I started, I was also worried about injury, and the commonplace derby saying "it's not IF you get hurt, it's WHEN." An acquaintance of mine reminded me of the importance of taking risks and the danger of many other traditional sports such as football, soccer, volleyball, etc. They all have risks, but many, many people recognize that having fun playing a game, staying fit, and working with a team to accomplish common goals make it worthwhile

I will be honest, though - don't even consider playing if you don't have medical insurance.

 

[jemjefferson]

Try out a newbie or fresh-meat class. One of the most important things you learn is the proper way to fall. Improper falls are how alot of injuries happen. Teams also vary on how long you have to train before you can even scrimmage.

Injuries vary based on the circumstances. The worst Iv'e had is some bruises and burns, but we had a girl a week ago who was de-pading as exiting the rink and fell and broke her wrist. It really varies based on the person and training.

One of the biggest turn-offs for derby is the investment and time. Good skates alone are $200+, then pads, insurance, and dues. Practices usually range from 2x a week to 4x depending on the team.

It is a great workout, I've made life long friends and LOVE the adrenaline rush I get when I play. It is a great, empowering sport. Dont be fooled by the staged 80's version you can watch on youtube. Give it a try and see if you like it.

 

[KittyT]

Try out a newbie or fresh-meat class.

This of course depends on the league. If you're in a league where you can just join up, go for it. Many leagues have instituted try-outs as a result of their growth, and if your league makes you try out and go through a series of cuts before accepting you as a member of the league (as Boston does), you will be expected to accept that time commitment before really knowing what derby is about.

One of the most important things you learn is the proper way to fall. Improper falls are how alot of injuries happen. Teams also vary on how long you have to train before you can even scrimmage.

This is a great point and proper training contributes a lot to injury prevention. That said, even the best skaters can get injured as a result of mere circumstance on the track.

There's also a lot you can do off the track to help prevent injury - cross-training is exceptionally valuable, especially when it comes to preventing knee, ankle and shoulder injuries.

 

[Miss Bunny]

Thanks for the info and honest answers! I appreciate all of your comments and thank you!

Looking into it, our local team seems to have a long tenure before you can be on the active roster, but based on your answers it makes sense to me why they do that. I definitely want to know what I'm doing before I get out there against another team or I'd really have some injuries. It's been a long time since I've been on quads.

I'm okay with the costs and I also have medical insurance, both great points. The only thing holding me back now is to make sure that I can make the time commitment - but if I can, it sounds like the fresh meat session may be calling me!

 

[23SkidooWithYou]

One of my late cousin's best friends is involved in Roller Derby, on and off. When he was killed, she and her team organized a charity event in his honor, even getting some local news time for our cause (hit-and-run drivers). I've been to a few boughts since and really enjoy the sport and cheering the home team.

I know from our dear Krypt Vixen that the girls train hard. Their coaches are tough and expect them to build endurance (which is tough because a lot of the girls smoke!) as well as technique. She says you have to be a really good skater to not only play the game, but to make sure you aren't endangering others. They also put a lot of time into flyers, T shirts, charity events, local promotion (and yes, that sometimes means showing up at different bars/clubs/restaurants when invited for events like "bike night", etc), making themselves available to their fans for pics and conversation, maintaining the rink before/after practices or a bought.

One of the things I love about Derby is that it doesn't appear to be agist. KV can point out Mother/Daughter teams! I also LOVE the names....I told her I'd be Scumbalina (based on a day where we were helping with a grad party, very early and very unshowered, lol) or GrannyPanties! lol These hips were made for blocking, baby! If only I could skate!

Bunny, do you have an idea what position you'd like to play?

 

[KittyT]

(which is tough because a lot of the girls smoke!)

While you can get away with this normally, most girls who play derby really competitively, skating on their travel teams and competing in tournaments end up quitting. There's a point in derby where a lot of gals have to decide whether or not to take it a step further and play very competitively, and it's tough to get there if you smoke.

It depends on the league. Some leagues have almost all punk rock chicks and lots of smokers, and some don't. There are very few smokers in mine.

Thank you for pointing out all of the many things derby girls have to do to keep their leagues running. It IS a ton of work!

 

[TheSwingingBee]

You guys are awesome! Thanks to this thread I was reminded how much I wanted to do Derby a few years ago, but then I rolled my ankle in a mosh pit and forgot about it after I healed. I'm going to orientation this weekend to see if I'd still be interested!

 

[Miss Bunny]

23skidoo, I don't have a specific position, I guess I'd leave that up to the coaches to see where I belong. (If I get parking lot attendant duties I'll know derby isn't for me...lol)

I just sent an email to see when their fresh meat class is...and Swinging Bee, I'm glad you are interested in it too! Let me know how it goes for you!