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Become A Skater
Interested in joining roller derby, but not sure how? We'll go through the basics below.
Before Your First Practice
Contact Us
All interested skaters must contact our Training and Skills Committee (T&S) before attending a practice. A member of T&S will email you basic information about the league, required forms and/or waivers, and any other requirements needed to drop into an open practice.
Even if you were invited by a friend or saw one of our open practice advertisements on Facebook or Instagram, you must still contact us prior to attending a practice to let us know you are coming.
Gather Your Equipment
Once you have contacted T&S and received the required reading, make sure you have the following equipment, or have arranged loaner equipment from the league via T&S:
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Quad roller skates (rollerblades are not acceptable)
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Knee pads
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Elbow Pads
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Wrist guards
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Mouthguard (pre-fitted to your mouth)
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Helmet
After Your First Practice
Contact Us (Again)
Did you go to practice, learn some skills, and have a blast? Are you ready to do it again? At the end of your first practice, the trainers will review the basics of what is required for full league membership. You should receive a follow up from our T&S committee containing this information as well. If you do not hear from T&S, please contact them again and let them know you are interested in becoming a league member.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can join Steel City Roller Derby?
Steel City Roller Derby’s training program is open to all female identifying and gender expansive folx at least 18 years of age.
Per the WFTDA statement about gender, SCRD is committed to inclusive and anti-discrimination practices in relation to all transgender women, intersex women, and gender expansive participants, and aims to ensure that all skaters’, volunteers’, and employees’ rights are respected and protected. An individual who identifies as a trans woman, intersex woman, and/or gender expansive may skate with Steel City Roller Derby if women’s flat track roller derby is the version and composition of roller derby with which they most closely identify.
What does it cost to join?
Our open practices for new skaters are always free. However, if you attend open practice and wish to continue your training through our league, you will need to become a member.
All members of our league must pay a required monthly fee, called dues. Currently, dues are $45 per month. These fees go towards paying for our practice space, putting on spectated games, travel arrangements, and other league costs. Skaters who cannot afford these fees are able to pay reduced dues or make alternate arrangements with our Finance Committee.
We are a non-profit organization and do not make money playing roller derby, nor do we pay our skaters.
What is the time commitment?
Like any hobby, roller derby does require energy and time. In addition to attending practice, members of the league are expected to contribute to the league via committee work. The joint effort of our committees is what makes our league run.
Our league is comprised of folks who work full time, are parents, attend school, have other group hobbies, and travel from out of state to attend practices. Roller derby is a commitment that can be balanced like any other commitment in your life.
However, there are options for folks who have less time to commit. Our recreational league is a low-requirement option for skaters who may not have the ability to commit to the more rigorous attendance and committee requirements of chartered A/B skaters.
When do I get to play in a game?
If you join roller derby, don't worry -- you won't be thrown into a game before you're ready! All new skaters are observed carefully and tested incrementally by our Training & Skills Committee to ensure that they are safe, stable, and understanding of the rules before moving on to the next step of the training process.
Once a skater is deemed able to perform the basic movements of roller derby, they are then allowed to participate in practice that involves person-to-person contact. After they are observed initiating contact legally and safely, they are then allowed to participate in scrimmage (simulating gameplay) practices.
Only after demonstrating the required skills, the ability to interact safely with other skaters, and knowledge of basic gameplay and rules, will skaters be designated as ready to compete in sanctioned bouts.