So you think you’re H.A.R.D. material?
You’ve been to a bout, or you’ve seen derby girls out and about at various events, or maybe you’ve seen a crazy skater in fishnets and safety gear zipping around, striking fear into fellow skaters at an open skate and you think you’d like to join in the fun… well, what does it take to be a roller girl w/ Harrisburg Area Roller Derby? Read on to find out!
Minimum age requirement: 18 years
Safety Gear: You are required to wear safety gear (helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, wrist guards & mouth guard) – it’s an investment but preventing injury is a major plus. The league does have spare gear for new skaters to borrow while they try out to see if they really want to play derby but you will definitely need your own mouth guard as soon as you can get it.
Skates: Derby skaters use quad skates – again, an investment but a necessity in order to get on the track. Our fabulous practice venue (the Olympic Skating Center) allows new skaters to start out in rentals – but as many skaters will tell you, the sooner you can invest in your own the better!
Dues: The league requires that skaters pay monthly dues – renting the rink for practice is not free! When you are starting out, you can choose to pay $5 per practice or, you can pay $40 a month up front.
Practice: Practices run 2 hours and they are held twice a week, with some optional ones occurring as well.
Insurance: The league is using WFTDA insurance to cover individual skaters and the cost is $70 for the year (this fee is not required until you are eligible to bout); Primary insurance is highly recommended – medical bills suck and you definitely have the potential to get injured as in any contact sport.
Minimum Skills: Before you will be eligible to bout, you will have to complete a probationary period of training and following that, pass a minimum skills test as WFTDA specifies. Skating skills are a plus to start, but we will teach you how to skate!!! Don’t let a lack of skating skills make you afraid to join the team!
Keep in mind, the League is always in need of Refs & non-skating volunteers!
**While we do have occasional Recruitment Nights, we are always recruiting so feel free to stop by at a regular practice or get in touch with the league for more information.
