SCAR'D! South Central Alaska Roller Dolls

Who can join South Central Alaska Roller Derby?
How is the derby played?
What are the rules?
When is practice?
How much does it cost?
What equipment do I need?
Is Roller Derby fake?
What if I’m really little? And what if I’m really big?
What if I get hurt?
Don’t I have to be a great skater to be a rollergirl?
This sounds great! How do I join?

---

Who can join South Central Alaska Roller Derby?
All skaters must be female and between the ages of 11 & 17.   Moms, dads, aunts, uncles, grandmas and anyone else 18 and over is invited to join in a variety of roles including drill monitors, referees, stat trackers and eventually board members.

---

How is the derby played?
Watch this awesome video from the Seattle Derby Brats for a quick and fun introduction the wonderfully addictive and empowering game of Roller Derby!

---

What are the rules?
SCAR’D is working to become a member of the Junior Roller Derby Association.  The current set of SCAR’D rules can be found on here on our website. Look in the Links section on the right.

One of the common questions from parents is about the safety of kids taking hard hits. In junior roller derby, we will teach a variety of positional blocks and leaning blocks.  Skaters under 14 will NOT be allow to give or take checks or hits.  Older skaters will learn how to take and give checks ONLY after they have become proficient in a number of other foundational skills.

---

When is practice?
Right now, SCAR’D is in the development stage.  Right now, we’re meeting weekly for Skate Dates at Royal Roller Rink.  That session is from 6:30 – 9:00 pm and its $5 to skate. On Wednesdays, we get to know each other, learn a few skills, ask all of your questions and get ready for our official practices that will be starting soon.

We will begin the first of three 10-week practice sessions in January.  During those sessions, we’ll meet for 2 hours each week for on-skates practice and possibly for an hour of off-skates practice.  We will need to have a minimum number of girls to begin holding the 10-week sessions…so get out there and recruit everyone you know!

---

How much does it cost?
SCAR’D will hold fundraising events and seek out grant funding to help cover the costs for practice space, advertising and administrative costs.  Your biggest expense will be for your equipment and session dues.  Equipment is discussed below. The price for each session will be determined by our location and how many girls we pre-register.  We are making every effort to keep the cost for the 10-week sessions under $150 and we will allow you to pay all at once or with installments.  You WILL get a fat discount if you register early!

---

What equipment do I need?
The first thing you’ll need is protective gear; a skate helmet, wrist guards, elbow pads, mouth guards and knee pads are required for practice and bouts.  You’ll want to invest in a good pair of quad speed skates, which will run $80 – $150.

Because it is nearly impossible to find a store that sells roller skates (let alone good ones) most skating equipment must be purchased online. Because of the nature of mail order, and the costs of shipping, if you are unsure of what size you need or if you like a particular item, first see if someone has a pair of skates or pads you can try on, so you’re less likely to spend time and money returning equipment that is the wrong size. When you get your equipment in the mail, make sure you love it before you use it. Try on your skates on a carpeted surface and roll around for a while. Once you wear them skating, they are yours and cannot be returned. Before ordering skates and equipment from an online vendor, check their return policies. Also, ask around about the different sites as some have better reputations for good service and merchandise than others.

SCAR’D highly recommends Sin City Skates. They are a roller girl-run company, so they know what they’re talking about. They have some good rookie packages, which include all the necessary equipment, such as skates, pads and a helmet. You can order from them by phone or online at www.sincityskates.com.

---

Is Roller Derby fake?
No. The flat-track roller derby we play is a real sport, just like hockey, volleyball or soccer. It is an aggressive fast-moving sport and our skaters consider themselves athletes. We train accordingly, practicing often to keep our skills up to speed and our bodies trained for the grueling workout. We also like to keep a sense of humor with our great derby outfits and our fun rollergirl names. After all, the real reason we play the game is because it’s so much freakin’ FUN!

---

What if I get hurt?
Pulled muscles, sprains, strains, bruises, and/or broken bones do sometimes happen. This is why protective gear is required. We will also train, stretch and practice falling to help reduce the likelihood of injuries.

When you join the league, you will be required to join USA Roller Sports (USARS).  If you don’t have insurance through your parents, this plan will cover catastrophic injuries. It picks up where primary insurance stops. Injury is a realistic aspect of derby just as it is with any other aggressive sport, so it is highly suggested that you also have primary insurance.

---

What if I’m really little? And what if I’m really big?
Roller Derby has a position for every girl of every body type!  The smaller girls are, generally speaking, the faster girls and are usually placed in the jammer position as team scorers. They are squirrelly, quick, and easy to whip around the rink, and generally fall down less, since they have a lower center of gravity.  Big girls are hard to push around and make for great blockers! Not to mention that skating on a Roller Derby team will most likely get you in the best shape of your life!

---

Don’t I have to be a great skater to be a rollergirl?
Nope. A lot of derby girls have never roller skated or had not been on skates for years. We all started out at different skill levels, but with a lot of practice you will release your inner rollergirl!

---

This sounds great! How do I join?
Yeah!  We can’t wait to meet you!  We’ll have all the forms online soon, but in the meantime you can email Witch’s Brewski at scard.info@gmail.com or call her at 907-631-0903 to get information on meetings, skate sessions, gear and practices.