New WFTDA Minimum Skills – A skater and referee point of view

The WFTDA have released the latest version of their minimum skills, and have split opinion within Derby. In this Article Go-Go-Gadget-Skates and Buffy Boiler will look at the implications from the perspective of a skater and a referee.

Buffy: First of all, I’d like to address what the new minimum skills actually mean for non-WFTDA leagues. Basically, they are as big a deal as your league wants them to be. The first page of the document has some interesting stuff to say that I think a lot of people are forgetting:

The minimum skills are:

- Required for charter team skaters playing WFTDA sanctioned games.

- Strongly recommended for skaters playing in interleague scrimmage or games.

- Strongly recommended for skaters playing in intraleague (home) scrimmages or games.

- Recommended for new skaters to graduate to contact drills and intraleague (home league) scrimmages.

What this means is that if you’re a new league or for whatever reason just don’t yet have a sufficient number of skaters to field a team who all meet the new minimums you can still scrimmage, and even bout, as long as you agree it in advance with any prospective opponents.  The goal of this update is not to turn Derby into a game for only elite-level skaters, but it is definitely a move to ensure that WFTDA tournaments and games between WFTDA members represent a good standard of play.

I do expect that in the near future the new minimums will become the standard for interleague competition, as more and more teams are able to meet them – but remember that as the standard of play rises so will the standard of coaching available. The way up for a new league hasn’t suddenly become longer, but it does maybe need a little more thought now.

 

Gadget: So early April saw the release of the updated WFTDA Minimum skills assessment to a very mixed review from my fellow skaters.

First and foremost, I’d like to echo what Buffy has so rightly pointed out, these minimums are only compulsory for WFTDA leagues! Of course they are strongly recommended for all others. If a league plays under the WFTDA ruleset, it would make sense for that same league to start updating their minimum skills for the league as a whole, whether WFTDA or not.

 

Buffy: The old minimums were built primarily with safety in mind; though I think it’s fair to say that was never their sole purpose. For instance 25 in 5 was not a safety requirement, but it helped ensure a base standard of athletic ability which was necessary for competitive play. Just as 27 in 5 represents the increase in the general athleticism of the sport today.

 

Gadget: Lets look at what’s been added and taken away. We see the addition and subtraction of various skills. Like so many other skaters, I am glad to see the back of the unnecessary baseball slide fall. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone use this fall in active gameplay. The new minimums focus very much on specific skills that, if you were brought up on the old minimums, you very quickly learned you needed to succeed in the game. As well as skill, it is upping the expectation of speed from the skaters, with the addition of 27 in 5 and being able to complete one lap in 13 seconds from standstill. Other skills that have been introduced are reverse crossovers, transitions. A lot of the minimums now have clearer descriptions on what is expected, thus making it far easier for leagues to interpret and teach to their aspiring future derby players.

Buffy: Derby is no longer simply a game about skating fast and turning left. The sport has evolved in ways few people could have anticipated in 2009, when the minimums were last updated, and as a result the modern game changes pace and even direction very quickly. So I think it’s right that things like transitions are now seen as part of the core skill-set. As many of us will have seen, a poorly executed transition can lead to serious injury. Putting too much torque on the ankles can lead to anything from strains and sprains to spiral fractures (where the bone is broken by twisting it, not snapping – which almost always requires surgery). To say nothing of the obvious risks to suddenly changing direction and falling in front of other skaters.

This aside, the bulk of the minimums have actually been streamlined – the section on “sticky skating” (or skullcrushing as some called it) has been condensed to one line: “Propels self while keeping all 8 wheels on the floor.” Skaters now simply have to be able to competently land legal hip and body checks while skating at a decent speed. It’s less about box ticking and more about ensuring that people are comfortable and, most importantly, safe on skates.

 

Gadget: Personally, at first I was disheartened at seeing the addition of 27 in 5, particularly because I remember how long it took me to achieve in the first place then again when returning from injury. However after some reflection, I think it’s a great addition. Having 25 in 5 before wasn’t really that good of an indication of a skaters endurance. Yes they can skate fast for 5 minutes, but could they skate fast for multiple jams in a row? Most of a period? A game? Unfortunately for some skaters, the answers to these questions are no. I also feel that new and old skaters alike will benefit greatly from the inclusion of these skills, making them better, more skilled derby players in the long run. I love that I can transition, not particularly fast, but I can. And I look forward to the day that I do this on track without having to think about it.

 

Buffy It’s probably been apparent that I’m all for this change, especially as the WFTDA have been careful to be inclusive in their approach. They are not saying you must be able to skate this well to play, they are simply saying that this is the standard expected in their own competitions. I’ve seen skaters who could technically pass their minimums thrown into bouts well before they were ready, this is disheartening for the person concerned – it’s easy to keep a nice strong stance when you’re asked to do so for a minute or two in order to be assessed on it, it’s quite another to be able to maintain it while keeping up with a fast pack and trying to not be taken out by an opponent.

As a referee I technically do not need to be able to pass minimum skills, the required standard of skating for referees is entirely up to the leagues they train with. Most leagues will use the minimums for skaters as the basis for referee training, and there will be a level that each league expects before allowing a new official to start refereeing scrimmages and then later bouts. Personally, I’m an advocate of strong skating skills for referees. We need to be fast at OPR and able to quickly change pace to follow the skaters from the inside, this is particularly true of Jam Refs. We also all need to be confident enough to do all this without thinking about what our skates are doing, while making decisions which can drastically alter the game.

 

Conclusion:

 

Buffy: The old minimum skills really were the minimum required. Some may find it disheartening to hear this but very few established skaters were struggling with any of the old skills. A skater who can pass these is actually pretty good, not merely safe to share a track with. This means that when new skaters do pass, they’ll know that they’re at a higher standard than the generation of skaters before them was when they first took to the track. Our sport is evolving and improving, which I think we can all agree is a very good thing.

 

Gadget: Yes it will take time to be able to do all of these skills. Chances are, you can probably achieve most of them, if not all already. Don’t be disheartened if you can’t. Everyone else had to learn and you can too. You need to work hard, the same as you did for your original minimums. Your league will thank you for it as you will become a better skater who is more agile, fast and overall more skilled.

My final thought is that I’d like to echo what Buffy has said, these new skills will make new skaters joining bouting ranks more equipped to deal with the state of play that is now happening at scrimmages and bouts.

 

Glasgow Roller Derby and Auld Reekie Roller Girls Go Global!

So, ECDX is now less than 8 weeks away! How ready is the team?
Cider (ARRG):  We bout all year round, so we’re always ready to play Roller Derby.  We just need to remember to pack party hats and sun block and we’re there!

Rogue (GRD):  As ready as we’ve ever been, I reckon! It was important to us to plan and train far in advance for this event so we’ve been working very hard at playing as a solid unit for a while now.

Is there any specific training that your team have been doing to prepare, eg extra scrimmage/off skates training/teambuilding?
Rogue (GRD):  Yes, everyone on the team has taken on some sort of off skates training. This has taken many forms. Some people are going to the gym, some do Cross-fit, running, strength training or even Parkour! This means that everyone has been making a huge commitment, as the team already train 3-4 times a week. It’s a lot of work and time for everyone. This team is dedicated!

Crazy (ARRG):  Yes - lots of intense off skates, focus on team work and a lot of work on our technical skating skills lately -  we jumped at LRG’s invite to go play at Anarchy in the UK III because we knew that would give us a couple of really challenging games and bring the team together just before ECDX.  And the lovely Hot Wheels invited us down for a bout the week afterwards, which was great in consolidating our team work a bit more. For the next few weeks we have booked in a lot visiting teams to scrimmage against us, so that we can do as much as we can to raise level of the ARRG teamwork dream work!  We also have an exciting scrimmage with Gotham, and a pre ECDX bout with another WFTDA league organised for when we get to the States to acclimatise us before ECDX starts. Bouting in New York AND Philly!

What are the team/wider league doing to help with finances for this international opportunity?
Rogue  (GRD):  The whole league, as well as our families and friends, have been amazing in helping us to raise funds for this. To try to list the ways that people have helped would be to miss something out. Fundraising efforts have been as diverse as bag-packing at a local supermarket;  a photo exhibition at a local café run by our own Phoenix; and a Grd Auction.  I’m grateful to everyone who has helped us and I hope we can make them proud.    Click here if you’d like to help out!  http://www.glasgowrollerderby.com/get-in-touch/donate

Cider (ARRG):  So much! It’s unreal -  I think everyone in the league has helped in some way which is a bit single teary for us as a team.  We feel really supported, and a bit overwhelmed by the sacrifices people have made for us.  Our limited edition merch, designed by Admiral Attackbar, has been a huge bonus because not only does it raise money for us, but it’s also amazing quality.  We love the designs! You can buy them here:   http://auldreekierollergirls.bigcartel.com/products.       Our Sponsorship and Advertising Committee have pulled off some brilliant and fun fundraising events for us this year too – like our huge 5^th birthday party which will be happening this Saturday, which has lots of lovely surprises happening on the night. This will help us raise further travel funds.  You can find our more here:          http://www.facebook.com/events/193068510841007/

Do you know anything about the teams you’re up against?
Crazy (ARRG):  Of course! We did some fairly intensive research as soon as the sanctioned teams were announced by ECDX Organisers – it’s frightening how organised our team was at online research or *creeping* as we call it.  There was a 12 hour overnight ‘ARRG mass creep’ period where the whole team did this massive impressive feat of internet stalking and voting to suss out who we wanted to play!  We’ve been keeping an eye on both teams – Ithaca and Dominion – and where they are appearing in rankings; who they’re playing and who they’re beating; but I guess it’s really only when we get there that we’ll get a real sense of the level of play.

Rogue (GRD):  Long island are ranked 93rd, and Columbia 39^th, in the WFTDA rankings but who knows what that means? Teams don’t tend to give much away and it’s hard to find recent footage online. However Columbia are playing against Charm City (17th) this weekend and I’ll be watching the results of that one very closely! I also know from being in touch with members of both teams that they will play hard and play to win, but that they are lovely people and I can’t wait to meet them.

How do you think the team will perform?
Rogue (GRD): The team have all been reminded to pack our A game. We’ll be playing to win!

Cider (ARRG):  I think that we’ve been performing well lately as a team and consistently improving with each bout or tournament, so if we keep our focus I know we can perform well.  It just all depends on how well the other teams perform against us I guess.  We’ve trained hard and we’ll go in with the usual 100% and see where that gets us!

What are you most excited about?

Crazy (ARRG):How long have you got?! It’s ECDX!!! Roller Derby in America! Food in Philly! Rocky steps! Team Sauna! And most exciting, is knowing the rest of ARRG will be watching and cheering for us. We want to make them all proud. Hopefully squeeze a bit of shopping in also…  And also, just to say it is such a great chance for two Scottish teams to represent themselves in the States … and if the Team Scotland after-party was anything to go by (from the World Cup) we should have fun doing it!

Rogue (GRD):  Oh, so many things! I’m excited to get there and play with the team and see all of our hard work pay off. I’m excited about the opportunities that this could create for us. I’m excited about the future of GRD. I rarely stop being excited about roller derby!

Scotland heads to ECDX

ECDX won’t know what’s hit it…

For skaters in the North American continent, the East Coast Derby eXtravaganza has been an essential fixture since its founding in 2007. Despite initial hiccups (scheduling their first event in the winter led to ice-related chaos, causing the move to the current June 28th to 30th slot), ECDX is now one of the biggest derby meetups in the USA, outgrowing its initial purpose of providing a yearly meetup merely for leagues  on the Eastern seaboard.

This year, however, for the first time in ECDX’s 7 year history, two of the teams competing in front of thousands of spectators will be from outside the USA and Canada.

Because, this year, Glasgow Roller Derby‘s Irn Bruisers and Auld Reekie Roller Girls‘ Twisted Thistles are bringing Scottish derby to the East Coast.

If ECDX is such an awesome event (winning Best Regular Season event in the DNN reader awards three years running), then why is it that no European leagues have attended before? The same reason, of course, that London Rollergirls has so many sponsors nowadays: the cost of flying up to 20 excited rollergirls, and supporters, across the Atlantic ocean, is a more than significant outlay for even the biggest European leagues.

As a result, both GRD and ARRG are embarking upon an extensive round of fundraising to pay for their travel and boarding, allowing them to represent not just Scotland but also the UK and Europe in Philadelphia.

Apart from augmenting the money made at their regular bouts from raffles and cakes (and face painting in the case of GRD), both leagues have been running a series of derby and non-derby events. For Glasgow, upcoming events include DJ nights at The Flying Duck on May 24th, and at Nice n Sleazy’s on the 31st of that month; a gala day and a speed dating evening with dates not yet finalised.

Facepainting at the first Glasgow Roller Derby Home Season of the year.

Auld Reekie have also been hard at work raising money for their trip, long before their plans were made public. As fundraising chair Skinner Alive notes, “We were in touch with the ECDX organisers just after the summer of last year so our journey to ECDX was always in our 2013 plans, and as such we have been fundraising like mad over these past 8 months.”

ARRG’s first ever hosted bootcamp, School of ARRG Knocks, was one of the first events that the league run to raise ECDX funds, and was so popular that a second bootcamp (subtitled “Even ARRGer!”; perhaps “Skate Free and Die ARRG” was taken?) is already planned.

ARRG are also running quizzes and music events across Edinburgh, in venues such as The Tron, ElboW, Brassmonkey, Leith Cricket Club and The Breakfast Club, hosting bands such as Shields Up, Trails, Taking Chase, Curators, Bonehouse and Albaroma. Skinner noted that both the hosts’ and the bands’ support is particularly valued, with the bands often providing their services for free.

As well as continuing to advertise such events, ARRG is also gearing up for a very special event: their 5th birthday party, which Skinner promises will be an event not to be missed.

Both leagues have even been driven to sell their possessions to help raise funds. One of the first things that Auld Reekie’s fundraising team (Skinner, Princess Die, Maulibu Barbie and Captain Havoc) did on learning they’d be going to ECDX was to stick all of the league’s old kit at a car boot sale for a starting fund, which “was a great easy money maker, and truly amazing what you can turn into cash with very little effort”.

GRD are also raising money in other ways, with an auction of time and items in planning. This will be hosted by GRD themselves, although the precise format is not available at this time.

The Auld Reekie Limited Edition Merch stall, at their first Home Season bout of the year.

Finally, both leagues are also producing new merchandise. In Edinburgh, skilled graphic designer, and star ARRG jammer, Admiral Attackbar has developed a range of limited edition clothing with the “Party ARRG” brand. “We decided that we really wanted to give something back to our supporters for helping us out so rather than just donating money, fans can buy themselves a sweet limited edition tshirt instead and know that the proceeds are going to help us get to ECDX,” said Admiral. Asked about the origin of the punny slogans, she revealed that their something that’s been bubbling under for a while: “When we hosted School of ARRG Knocks we were coming up with puns all over the place and Party ARRG arose at some point with regards to the after party. I was really trying to capture the spirit of the league in the new merch designs whilst still keeping things clean, simple and effective.”

Meanwhile, in Glasgow, GRD are sourcing recipes for a  planned cookbook, with a vegetarian and vegan slant, which they are hoping will be successful enough on its initial run to raise funds.

More prosaically, both leagues will be offering their bag packing skills in the shopping centres of their respective cities, so if you want your purchases packed by a roller derby skater, do watch out in the next few months!

Of course, it isn’t just skaters who are raising money for their trip. Dave McAleavy, possibly Scotland’s most well-known derby photographer is running an exhibition in derby-owned Cafe Phoenix to raise money for the GRD’s cause. “Glasgow Roller Derby have had a great couple of years,” said Dave, “and heading to ECDX to take on the world [...] the proceeds from sales will be going to their travel fund.”

If you want to know how important this is to both leagues, all you have to do is to talk to the skaters, all of whom are now considering their next few months in the context of ECDX.

New GRD Irn Bruiser Mona Rampage, playing as part of the composite team “The Gravehearts” in Edinburgh. (Photo: Laura MacDonald)

Speaking for Glasgow Roller Derby, new Bruiser Mona Rampage was luckily enough to graduate to the A-team just in time to join the ECDX crew, and is understandably excited. “Getting selected to be a Bruiser was a massive accomplishment for me”, she said: “I failed my minimums 3 times so was always behind everyone else in my intake skill wise; watching them getting selected for the top 20, NSOing bouts they were playing in, and bench managing their team’s games. To finally go from being on the sidelines to being on the A-team was huge for me. I can’t even express how happy I was to be selected. I feel like I really earned my spot though, which makes it so much sweeter! As for ECDX, I am really trying to up my game for the tournament as it will be the hardest thing I have ever done, not to mention the hardest thing the Bruisers have ever done.”

Alma Geddon, jamming against Sheffield Steel in Scotland’s first international derby tournament, in Glasgow

Auld Reekie’s Alma Geddon has been on their A-team, the Twisted Thistles, for a while, but that hasn’t tempered the excitement of ECDX for her.

 Both Mona and Alma were especially excited not just to be facing some fantastic American derby opponents, but each to be doing so alongside their counterparts on the other side of the country. “It’s massive for Scottish and UK derby and I’m glad we can share the experience with them. We are really lucky that we get on so well with all of the ARRG girls and I’m excited to hang out with them by the pool, cheer them on in their sanctioned outs and I’m sure they will do the same for us” enthused Mona.

Alma was equally pleased to be seeing Glasgow’s skaters at ECDX. “It’s fantastic that both ARRG & GRD will be a part of ECDX this summer. In 2011 the Scottish national team competing at the first Roller Derby World Cup in Toronto consisted mainly of skaters from these two leagues. In the bout against Team USA, Team Scotland may only have scored the now infamous ‘one point’, however, I think it’s true to say our Scottish pride & tenacity has already left quite an impression on a number of the American skaters. As one of the Team Scotland skaters I know I learned a lot from my World Cup experience & have grown as a skater as a result. The other lovely byproduct of the World Cup is that the two leagues have grown much closer & more supportive of each other than ever before, there was a whole lot of Scottish love at Track Queens tournament last November in Berlin. I’m looking forward to ARRG & GRD showcasing how far we’ve all come & how hard we’ve all been working!”

That said, if it was all about simply hanging out with each other, there’d be no need to fly to Philadelphia to do it. Mona Rampage was all about the challenge,  “really excited to play Columbia as they are the highest ranking team we will be coming up against. I really hope we give them a hard game! I’m going to try my hardest in any case!”  While Team Scotland veteran Alma Geddon has perhaps a few more contacts, and is looking forward to catching up as much as making new friends “Three days of superb derby action to enjoy watching & playing, not to mention rubbing shoulders with some derby heroes/crushes, meeting up with old friends & making new friends …. I stumbled across a roller derby spectating team called Hot Pants Cold Beer, they sound like a great fun bunch of folks.”

Whether those folks can keep up with the cream of Scottish Roller Derby is another matter entirely, and one we look forward to testing on June 28th!

All of Auld Reekie Roller Girls’ events are advertised on Facebook & Twitter (@AuldReekieRG), as well as the ARRG website. The limited edition ARRG merchandise can be bought at: http://auldreekierollergirls.bigcartel.com/  before April 15th, and then at all of the ARRG bouts until the 18th of May. You can also donate directly to ARRG via their website.

Similarly, Glasgow Roller Derby’s events are also publicised on Facebook and Twitter (@WeAreGRD), and on their website, which also includes a funding thermometer. As with ARRG, you can donate directly to them via their website.

GCRG’s April Newsletter

Just after Granite City Roller Girls finish their first home bout of the season (The Dark Fight Rises), the 3rd Issue of their newsletter is released.

Check it out:

Previous Issues:

Xmas Issue Decemeber 2012

August 2012 Issue

Power Jam: Roller Derby – Derby meets Video Games, an Opportunity.

While modern Roller Derby as a sport is spreading rapidly across the world, and turning up on TV and in newspapers with various degrees of accuracy, there are still parts of modern culture where our favourite sport has failed to penetrate.
Most notably, there is only one Roller Derby game in existence, Jam City Rollergirls, which, while WFTDA-licenced, is also essentially a fusion of Mario Kart and Derby. Disappointingly, it’s also limited to the Nintendo Wii, with no other platforms even being considered.

Concept art for Power Jam: Roller Derby.

This month, however, hope has arrived with the appearance of the Power Jam: Roller Derby project on Kickstarter. (For those of you unaware of Kickstarter, it’s the best known of the “crowd-funding” websites, where potential projects can ask for donations of funds (towards a set minimum target) from the general public. If the minimum target isn’t met, then no-one is charged any money (and the project presumably either dies or goes looking for money elsewhere). In order to encourage donations, projects offer “rewards” for pledging funds at various levels – usually on a graduated scale from “We’ll tweet you a thanks” for £5, up to grand invites to the opening party, or the ability to contribute to part of the project design, for £1000 or more.)

The Derby community is, in fact, no stranger to Kickstarter, thanks mainly to the Derby, Baby Distribution project, which saw basically everyone in derby worldwide donate money to help Robin Bond and Dave Wruck get their Derby documentary distributed around the world. (We, of course, all got sweet DVDs or Blu-rays of the film.) On a smaller scale, photographer Kyle Cassidy ran a Kickstarter to fund taking Lead Jammer’s Moxie McMurder around the States while he photographed skaters for a book.

The Power Jam : Roller Derby project is something different, however. A collaboration between two Belfast-based companies, Iglu Media and BillyGoat Entertainment, the plan is to create a fully-featured Roller Derby management game, with both strategic and tactical elements.
As with management games for other sports, you’ll manage your league at one level, dealing with recruiting skaters through fresh meat, planning training sessions, hiring halls and promoting your bouts. At the bout level, the plans show a full featured tactical interface, allowing you to give orders to both your jammer and all blockers during each jam (the skaters will be smart enough to do sensible stuff if you don’t order them around directly too, of course). The plan is to show the bouting action from a bird’s-eye tactical view, zooming in closer for “glam cam” shots of particularly impressive blocks or other important moments.

Speaking for Iglu, Jonny Kane was keen to emphasise that the project was born of a genuine love of derby from the developers: “It was by having conversations over an extended period of time with Roller Derby players and fans that it occurred to us that those who play or take part as Refs or NSO’s – no matter what your role – there is so much passion and dedication to the sport that goes beyond just the bout. This really appealed to us, the side of the sport that exists as soon as you scratch the service.”

This mock-up shows the tactical options planned for the bout interface.

With media representation, the issue of veracity often comes up (we’ve all seen TV depictions of derby that were… less than accurate). In this too, Power Jam : Roller Derby is trying to do the right thing. One of the first things the developers did was to contact local league, Belfast Roller Derby, for assistance. BRD’s Dempsey Hammer has been pleased with the level of interaction so far: “It’s hard to quantify [how much time we've spent talking to Iglu] as we’ve been in regular contact over email and phone as well as the occasional meeting or mo-cap session. We’ve been kept updated about the various stages of the project, and we’ve asked questions when we’ve wanted to and visa versa, it has been a very positive relationship between us and the guys at both companies!”

Indeed, so concerned are Iglu and BillyGoat at getting the action just right that they’re using the motion capture facility at Queen’s University Belfast to capture BRD’s skaters in action and translate them into the game models’ moves. Despite a little trepidation at being the models for the in-game skaters’ skills, BRD have been happy to help, and are so far happy with the results.

The astute of you may have noticed that we’ve gotten this far without any mention of which leagues are going to be featured in the game. That’s, partly, where the Kickstarter comes in.
In order to raise the £75000 needed to greenlight the game (a very parsimonious amount for modern games development), the developers are putting the final skater and league rosters in the game up for the funders to decide. While smaller donations will get you a copy of the finished game as soon as it’s ready (£15 for digital, £45 for boxed), skaters or leagues with deeper pockets will get to contribute content to the game itself. Donating £60 will get you a boxed copy, and also allow you to add a skater name to the in-game roster. Donating £200 will garner a host of goodies (limited edition art, t-shirt, badges), the ability to add a skater name to the roster and, most importantly, Beta access to the game, allowing you to provide feedback to the developers and shape the final game. Donating £250 will let you add a league name to the roster of leagues, add 5 skater names to the skater roster and also give you beta access and five boxed copies (this is obviously a significant saving if you know 4 people who want a boxed copy), and £300 lets you not just add a skate name to the game but actually provide photographs from which the developers will recreate the skaters’ likeness ingame (plus that beta access and a copy of the game itself). Finally, for those interested in outreach and promotion (those skateshops out there?), £2500 gets corporate branding added to the game, presumably tastefully done.
All of the higher tier rewards are limited in quantity, and several of them are currently on limited-size discounts at present (once 15 leagues have been added to the game, the price for the next 15 will increase to £350, for example).

Example of custom skater option for funders.

For leagues who are trying to decide where their money should go for the next year, £250 might seem like a lot of money just to get a name in a game, but Iglu’s Jonny Kane was keen to emphasise the promotional benefits of being featured: “This game we expect to reach at least high hundreds of thousands of gamers on the mobile version of the game. This means a huge audience made aware of Roller Derby who would not normally be aware of the sport. This is an tremendous opportunity for leagues to be involved in the funding and development of a great game that will get their own league in front of hundreds of thousands of new fans.”
It’s also worth pointing out that offering inclusion in the game as a high-tier funding reward is a standard practice in Kickstarters for video games, and usually for significantly more money (the Torment: Tides of Numenera Kickstarter, for example, has 41 people currently paying $1000 to have the name and description of a character added to their game).

Even if you feel you can’t afford the high tier rewards, it’s worth donating anything you can to the project in order to help it meet its goals. (I am assured that Belfast Roller Derby will continue to be involved in the game development, so missing out on Beta access won’t mean that there’s no Derby involvement). Remember, if Power Jam: Roller Derby doesn’t reach its £75000 target by the 15th of April, then the developers won’t get any money at all. This might not mean the end of the game, but it will certainly mean a different, and probably smaller, product. If the Roller Derby community believes that it deserves quality representation in the Video Game genre, then there’s no argument for not contributing something to helping this happen.

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Power Jam : Roller Derby will be developed in Unity 3D for release on Windows, OSX, Linux, and mobile. It will also be multilingual, supporting English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian and Spanish. The digital release will be DRM-free.

All images in this article owned by Iglu Media and BillyGoat Entertainment.

The views expressed in this article are those of the contributor, and do not represent those of the Scottish Roller Derby Blog itself.

Happy Mother’s Day!

To all the inspirational Scottish Derby Maws (and Maws-to-be!)

So, this is my 9th Mother’s Day (as a mum, obviously – it’s my 37th one as a daughter!), and all I want from today is peace and quiet! And breakfast in bed. And maybe some chocolates.

Being a mum is awesome! Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all breakfast in bed, and cards and chocolates. It’s the hardest, most challenging job I’ve ever had – but it’s also the most rewarding. 9 months of sacrificing all the fun stuff you love to do is well worth it – right? Well, I don’t know about that. My first pregnancy was fairly short – 3 months to be exact. I was 26 weeks ‘gone’ with my son before we knew I was pregnant. So during that first vital 6 months of my baby’s development I was blissfully unaware of his existance and was therefore doing all the ‘wrong’ things. Drinking, dancing, cycling, camping, eating tuna, peanuts and soft cheese (not together – boak), and just having fun. If I’d been part of a derby league at that time I would have been skating, and I wouldn’t have been cautious about it, because I had no idea I was pregnant! Pregancy number 2 was quite different. I knew straight away (at about week 5) and although I had living, breathing proof that you don’t need to wrap yourself in cotton wool during pregnancy, I was a wee bit more cautious.

This rather revealing insight into my private life brings me, tenuously, to the point of my Mother’s Day blog – skating during pregnancy! During the 2 years I’ve been involoved in roller derby, all the pregnant skaters I know stopped skating immediately. I’m of the opinion that this is the sensible thing to do – after all, derby is a contact sport and no-one wants to see a pregnant skater get injured. Roller derby is one of those wonderful all-inclusive sports, so there’s no need for pregnant skaters to disappear off the radar for 9 months. There are so many ways to stay involved off-skates that mums-to-be can remain right in the thick of things for the duration of their pregnancy. Bench, Line-Up, committees, baking – you could well wonder how you ever had time to skate pre-pregnancy!

But what about those who want the best of both worlds? It’s well documented that remaining active and fit during pregnancy is a good thing. In fact, the NHS encourages mums to be to keep up their normal physical activies and sports for as long as they’re comfortable. If skating is part of your normal physical activity, then with a bit of caution, is it necessary to stop straightaway?

I recently had a chat about this with Irn Bruzer from Nasty Nessies who is currently 17 weeks pregnant.

First, huge congratulations on your pregnancy! How did your Nasty Nessies team-mates react to the news?

They were all over the moon for me which was great. I was mostly worried about telling Bee-Yatch and Nat-orious Red as we have all been together from the very start and was worried how they would react. They were so happy for me though so made it a happy time

Have you stopped skating?

I have not stopped skating yet, but I am not on track any more. I am confined to the middle for now. Although I do get a few careful laps in while the others kit up.

Have you done much research into skating (recreationally or derby) while pregnant? If so, has that helped influence any of your decisions regarding on skates or off?

I have spoken to a few other skaters who have become pregnant but they have all stopped straight away  The only person that I know so far who has continued to skate was an American skater. I understand why the others stopped and I understand how people will feel that I have not, but everyone is different. I do not have a time scale when to stop, I think I will know when it comes, but not yet. I’m not trying to prove anything, I just don’t feel that I need to yet. I am not doing any contact or on track, I am not putting anyone in danger and I am very aware of my surroundings. My midwife knows my plans and I was told that starting new exercise routines or sports are not reccomended but just toning down what your body is used to is fine. Well my body is used to skating, and so will my baby hehe.

I know you’re very passionate about Nasty Nessies – how will you be applying that passion to an off-skates role? And what off-skates role (if any) will that be?

For now, I am helping with our fantastic newbies and with coaching. I will take on any role off-skates that I can do in the near future, Hopefully I will bench manage our first bout sometime but time will tell

Have you given any thought to when you’ll return to skates?

I hope to be back on skates as soon as possible, even if its only for five minutes I was chatting to one of the girls last night ans we were joking about an active birth on skates! How awesome? I think the hospital may frown about that though!

Do you think you’ll still be able to commit the same time to derby as before?

I hope to be able to commit as much as I can, I mean, babies sleep a lot right? And you can do lots online and via laptop. I don’t think I can plan how much I can do, best to just take it as it comes, but I still plan to be a very familiar face within the team whatever happens.

Have you chatted to any other Scottish “derby-moms” who have recently given birth? If so, have you been given any good advice that you’d like to pass on to others?

I have spoken to a few of the girls from Dundee who have had babies, just really how they have kept committed to the team and went back when they are ready which is good. I expect there have been many pregnancies in derby where the girls have never gone back from some reason or another and I will make sure that doesn’t happen to me. Even if the worst happens and I cannot skate competitively again, I will still be involved somehow, its too much part of my life now to give up.

Do you have any Scottish “derby-mom” heroes? (Skaters with kids, that still find the time to help run a league, train, coach and bout?) What makes them so inspirational?

I think the one that seemed to do the most up until birth and now back on skates is Crown Jules from Dundee. I went to a bout in November and she was Bench Managing while heavily pregnant. Definitely someone to admire.

 I’m aware there may be mixed reactions to my interview but I feel that everyone is different and what works for you and feels right is always best. But each to their own. I would never put myself or my baby in any danger and I don’t feel that being on skates out of everyone’s way is doing that. Also I’m a clumsy oaf, I can get into more harm walking down the stairs! Also I have a very supportive partner and fantastic team!

Whatever your feelings on skating during pregnancy, there’s no denying Bruzer has really thought this through. And I think that’s the key. Life is a series of risks – some you can control, and others that you can’t. By thinking through the risks you can control and being open and discussing your plans with your league (and your midwife!), then maybe recreational skating is something of a third option. I don’t think anyone would be able to skate for 9 months of a pregnancy - just putting your skates on in the third tri-mester would represent a significant challenge, but in the early days of pregnancy, tentative laps around the track while others are kitting up might be a way to “wind down” your exercise routine.

Next time: I’m looking for skaters who are returning to the track after having a baby. If you’d like to share your story, then please get in touch.

In the meantime – Happy Mother’s Day Enjoy the day with the weans, whether they be kids, cats, dogs, guinea pigs, chickens, fish …

Do you believe………………..?

Just when Scotland needs them the most, Steve return…………

 

Born of Roller Derby legend Team Steve rise again! This Mothering Sunday they do battle against the mighty all Irish Gael Force exhibition team.

But who are the elusive Team Steve and what are they all about?

Team Steve was founded by Scottish Derby skaters who tried out for the word cup and made it to the top 30 but didn’t get selected to play for Team Scotland. Originally there were 10 and 4 more were invited to play in their first bout against Team Scotland.

Team Steve is essentially a for the skaters by the skaters team. You must be selected and invited to play, there may be a number of skaters put forward but essentially a vote will decide who makes the team should a space become available. You have to be Scottish to be on the team; although not an official National body we are still a nationally based team. The girls who skate on Steve represent a variety of leagues across Scotland coming together for the love of the sport and of course a good time.

Gael Force is an Irish equivalent of Team Steve, you have to be Irish to play but those keen eyes may recognize a couple of our own homegrown players with Irish lineage. Chemikill Hazzard and Lilo and Stitches will be bouting with Gael force as well as a couple of Gotham girls to boot. Their line up is undoubtedly impressive and this bout promises to be a proverbial clash of the titans.

 The bout will be held @ The Futsal Arena in Birmingham this Sunday. Gael Force are holding a series of boot camps down there this weekend (check their event page on Facebook for tickets) and rounding off with the Team Steve bout. If you have the chance to get down to Birmingham this promises to be a bout that will not disappoint and a chance to see some of the best skaters in Scotland and Ireland compete for the love of the game.

http://www.facebook.com/events/204490849693423/ (GAEL FORCE VS. STEVE)

Steve is a team for the people; starting out as the underdogs they have made a name for themselves as a fun-loving and skillful team who always give their competitors a cheeky run for their money.

 WE BELIEVE IN STEVE!

Lets hear it for the boys…..

A female perspective on Merby and CO-ED Roller Derby.

Up until the past couple of years Roller Derby has been a sport ‘rolled’ out on a predominantly female playing field. There have always been men around, be it in an official capacity or those of the infamous derby widow – ship.

However those who wished to play on a competitive level have taken the proverbial bull by the horns with Merby leagues are popping up all over the UK. Scotland in Particular has no less than 4 up and coming all male leagues. Their collective bouting team the Jakey Bites have been established for over a year now.

The arrival of Men’s Roller Derby has been met with mixed reaction on roller derby scene, some embracing it fully and others feeling a little put out that the male specimen are perhaps trying to steal our feminine thunder………God can’t they let us have anything!?

Being part of a league who have taken to Integrating with open arms, I have had a fantastic opportunity to skate and compete with the some of the Jakey Bites in the past year, skating in the Uk’s first ever CO-ED derby bout with The Jakey Tayzers last September.

As a result I have become a keen supporter for CO-ED and men’s roller derby. The thought of this might seem a bit overwhelming for some but I believe it can make you a more rounded and skilled skater in the long run. I have skated for 2 years now, predominantly in all female training and bout situations and I thought I would take this opportunity to answer some of the questions or allay some of the fears people might have about Male and Co-Ed roller derby.

DO THEY HIT HARDER?

I hate to emasculate anyone here but the answer to this is not really. I have found that taking a hit from a guy is no different from being hit by the girls. The fact that they don’t really have hips takes a bit of getting used to but the impact of the hit isn’t as scary as it might seem.  Put it this way, if you have ever been hit by Cider from Auld Reekie then you have nothing to worry about and are fully prepared…

ARE THEIR TACTICS DIFFERENT?

Whenever we first started training for the CO – ED bout this was definitely one of our questions, in all honesty we thought for some reason they were going to be all offence and no discipline (not sure why, guess we were stereotyping). This wasn’t the case at all; for the most part their tactics are exactly the same as what we are doing on the female side of things. They are definitely very skilled and know their stuff; I didn’t find it any different from skating with my female team mates. They have had to adjust to the new rule set exactly the same as we have. From watching various Merby bouts last year there really wasn’t much difference in the tactics played and there certainly wasn’t any less glitter surprisingly.

IS IT AWKWARD?

As we all know, roller derby can be a very ‘handsy’ sport, it is full contact and I suppose it would be normal to wonder if it gets a bit awkward when playing CO-ED. This one is really in the eyes of the beholder to be honest, I personally haven’t ever felt awkward or anything likes that whilst skating. Whether that comes from knowing them quite well or from being in the zone on track I’m not sure but it certainly has never been an issue. You know the bond you have with your team mates on track, well that bond is completely possible in CO-ED as well and it is a pretty gratifying experience.

ARE THEY BETTER THAN US?

The answer to this hangs on the word better; it’s not so much a case of better as different. Roller derby caters for differences; it’s one of the most appealing aspects of the sport which is known for celebrating individuality. In some cases they may be a little stronger and taller than us but……being a big player or a hard hitter isn’t the be all and end all if you are smaller and faster. In truth they are as varied and unique as we are on the female side of things. Tall, small, fast, strong, hard-hitting, positional and/or agile everyone has strength it’s just finding out how they compliment each other.

ARE THEY JUST A BUNCH OF “LADS?”

Cracking dirty jokes and messing around? As for the dirty jokes I know some female skaters who could make them blush……….But in all seriousness the answer here is no. They are 100% dedicated to the sport and the progression of their regional leagues, the passion they have for the sport is no less than we have in the female leagues and the drive they have shown in starting from scratch has been nothing short of impressive. As a female skater they have always been nothing less than welcoming and supportive of me and since skating with them I have seen a real improvement in certain areas of my skating.

From a personal perspective I am fully in support of Merby in the UK. I would urge everyone to support their local Merby league alongside their local derby league, Capital City in Edinburgh, Mean City in Glasgow, The Skelpies in the Central Belt and The Tayminators in Tayside. I have had the pleasure of knowing people from most of these teams and can tell you they are a cracking bunch of guys, we should be proud to have them as a part of the Scottish Roller Derby scene. I hope to see a lot more CO-ED action in the future with my Jakey Tayzers. The Skelpies League, Bairn City are already establishing a Co -Ed league so it is onward and upward.

If you want to make up your own mind or have a male friend you’d like to wrangle into taking up the sport, the Jakey Bites (Comprising of members from 3 out of 4 of the aforementioned teams) have a bout coming up against The South Wales Silures on April the 6^th in Grangemouth. Check their Facebook page for event details and ticket sales. The venue only holds 100 so buy in advance to avoid disappointment. Bairn City men’s team will also be playing South Wales the day after on the 7^th at the same venue, for more details and ticket sales check their Facebook pages.

http://www.facebook.com/events/122071404642449/      (SKELPIES VS. SILURES)

http://www.facebook.com/events/432929060108875/     (JAKEYS VS. SILURES)

An Interview With Krusty Thud:GCRG’s 2012

Photography by Man On Gerrard

Latest in a series of end of year interviews, this time it’s the turn of Krusty Thud, Chair of Granite City Roller Girls to look back over the last year and forward to 2013.

Granite City Roller Girls had a less than ideal start to 2012,with the news of the loss of your bouting venue,after nearly a year without a home,are you any closer to finding a new venue in Aberdeen?

It has been a constant struggle. Alternative venues were approached but we’re very limited with venues in Aberdeen as they are generally too small. We’ve had various support and at the moment we’re in talks with other medias outside Aberdeen. If our current plan doesn’t end positively then we’ll seek help from them. I am limited as to what I can say at the moment but I will keep you posted.

Impressively ,the lack of a home venue did not prevent GCRG having a season,albeit an all away one.With the help of Fair City Rollers,you hosted Granite City’s first Intraleague bout in Perth,which featured skaters from every bouting league in the country lending a hand.Were you surprised at the level of support shown by the other Scottish leagues?

I wasn’t surprised but more humbled by the support within Scottish Roller Derby. Slaughtership Down was a fantastic day and FCR were brilliant hosts, the intraleague bout was a cracking way to unite varied talents from various Scottish leagues and give skaters a chance to skate with all levels of skaters. It was also something a little different for spectators.
DRG supported us by inviting us to do a double-header bout with them in November, we had a home for the day
This meant we could invite Newcastle for a return bout, and as you know it turned out to be one hell of a game! DRG did us proud with all the organising and being so supportive.

With road trips to Lincolnshire and Belfast amongst other places,having a GCRG skater carry the Olympic Torch and one of the most nail-biting bouts of the year against Newcastle Roller Girls to pick from,What have been the team’s highlights for the 2012?

Despite the lack of venue, GCRG did fantastic in 2012 and indeed we have had many a highlight, all difficult to choose from because there were proud moments in all events. Being able to watch Carolyn (Clinically Wasted) carry the Olympic Torch was amazing, we couldn’t be more proud of her and it was well deserved.
Personally I think the Newcastle bout ended 2012 on a huge high for us as it was a 50 point difference last time we played them in Newcastle. And yes – a nail-biter of a finish it certainly was! It proved to us that all the hard work we’ve been putting in is paying off with regards to training and gelling as a team. All members of GCRG are putting in 100% and I am so proud of everyone and their own personal achievements.

GCRG started a rather slick quarterly newsletter in August,how did the idea for that come about and how did you get it up and running?

Lynne (Hugger-naut) came up with the idea and with her past experience of being a journalist and sub-editor, we jumped at the chance. Lynne felt she was unable to commit fully to our Promotions team due to her work and other sporting commitments, so this was her way of helping promote GCRG. Originally it was supposed to be a couple of pages long, but it grew to 8 pages, clearly GCRG have a lot to say! And I am very privileged because I’m allowed a sneak peek before it’s published
She comes up with ideas and with input and help from members she produces a fun and informative newsletter. It’s great for everyone to get involved in with their thoughts and ideas, and it gives an insight to GCRG and roller derby for our newer members and supporters.

Looking to the future,we have the new rule set on the horizon,are you looking forward to the change to no minors and do you think that WFTDA have been successful in streamlining the game for both fans and skaters?

I was a little apprehensive at first but think it will be quite exciting now the rules are out there. With regards to streamlining I think it will work, but I guess that will become apparent in time.
It will be faster game with the elimination of the minors which slowed the game in my eyes. Also it will be a nice challenge for GCRGs referees being bombarded with questions and also the skaters for coming up with some new tactical game plays.

Finally,can you drop any hints about GCRG’s plans for 2013?

We have a few away bouts already in the pipeline, one being Tenerife in September, so we’re very excited about that. It will be a nice holiday too. At this moment in time we are restricted with lack of home venue but regardless of this, we will have plenty of bouts in 2012, watch this space!
Also, we have our next ‘Fresh Meat’ Saturday 26th January 2013. We have a busy Fundraising team getting ideas into motion to help raise money for all our away games, as we don’t have the income from home games, as well as our charity and community events that we’re heavily involved in. There’s never a dull moment for GCRG and we’re always working and training as hard as we can. We never give up, we love this game and will do what we can to keep on playing it!

Auld Reekie Roller Girls:Home Season 2,Bout 1-Cherry Bombers Vs Leithal Weapons

Image courtesy of Auld Reekie Roller Girls

Auld Reekie Roller Girls kick off the new year with their second Home Season, featuring a bout between the Cherry Bombers and, last seasons winners, the Leithal Weapons.
The action takes place at Meadowbank Sports Centre, London Road, Edinburgh,on Saturday the 19th of January.Doors open at 2pm.Entry is $7 on the day, £5(plus booking fee) for an advance single bout ticket, or there is also the option of a Season ticket, which will allow entry to all Home Season bouts for £15(plus booking fee)
Please note, Season tickets may only be purchased up to the first game.
More info at the Facebook event page.