Freshmeat Frequently Asked Questions

Have questions about getting involved with New Hampshire Roller Derby? Your answer might just be here!

» What equipment do I need?
» How much does it cost?
» How much of my time will it take up?
» What if I get hurt?
» What are the rules?
» Is roller derby fake or staged??
» I'm really tiny. Don't you have to be big and burly to play derby?
» I'm a big girl. Don't you have to be athletic and in shape to play derby?
» I haven't been on skates since I was a kid. Don't you have to be a great skater to play derby?
» What are you looking for in a New Hampshire Rollegirl?

What equipment do I need?

The very first thing you need is a pair of "old school" quad roller skates. Artistic "high top" skates are ok to start but we reccommend purchasing ankle-height speed skates. Every skater is required to wear a helmet; mouthguard; and wrist, knee, and elbow pads. Some skaters even wear armored shorts to protect their tailbones. You will also need a bag to keep everything in and copious amounts of Febreeze (trust us).

The best local place to purchase gear is called The Bruised Boutique in Nashua, NH. "Bruised" is owned by one of the founders of NHRD, Dee Stortion, who now skates for the Boston Derby Dames. The store is staffed entirely by derby skaters so they know their stuff! They will work with your budget to put together a gear package that meets your needs. They also have all sorts of cool derby accessories like clothing, socks, stickers, and laces in addition to all kinds of equipment upgrades.

How much does it cost?

The league charges active skaters $35.00 per month in dues - about the same as the average gym membership - to cover the cost of our practice space. Once a year all skaters mumst purchase supplemental health insurance through our governing organization, the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), which runs about $55 for the year. Aside from that, your biggest expense will be gear. It will cost you about $200 to get started if you need to buy all your gear. Once you are playing, though, you will find that you want new wheels for a certain skating surface, or a fancier pair of skates, or upgraded bearings, or... it's easy to get carried away with new toys!

How much of my time will it take up?

Roller Derby is a big commitment: it's like a second (or third) job. You'll be expected to attend league practices for around three hours twice a week when you start on a home team. If you eventually make it onto a travel team you could be practicing up to four times a week. Everyone is expected to help at bouts and other official events and fundraisers. We are a skater run organization and everyone has to participate in order to make the league run! In addition to practices you are required to be an active member on at least one committee (a minnimum of five hours a month). We're not telling you this to scare you, but we want to be honest! There are many athletes on our teams that work,go to school, or have families so it's not an altogether unattainable goal. Any derby girl will tell you that it is totally worth it. And think of all the great people you'll meet!

We require you to participate in 75% of practices/meetings/activities to be rostered for bouts and at least 50% to remain part of the league. We're a DIY league - we rely on our members to form and support the league. Your teammates will also rely on you to be involved in order to play the game. You will miss out on important skills if you don't attend practices. We encourage people to spend any time with the league they can, finding sponsors, working on promoting, getting press coverage, making documentaries... whatever!

What if I get hurt?

It's not if you get hurt, it's when you get hurt! Pulled muscles, sprains, strains, bruises, and broken bones will happen. This is why protective gear is required and we also train, stretch and practice falling to help reduce injuries and their severity. Although we try to minimize the amount of injuries, accidents happen and a trip to the emergency room is way more expensive than health insurance. We require that ALL skaters have primary insurance AND secondary insurance through WFTDA.

What are the rules?

Roller derby is a competitive sport. Two teams compete against each other for points. Each team sends five skaters onto the track: a jammer, a pivot, and three blockers. The two pivots line up on the starting line with the blockers behind them. The two jammers line up 33 feet behind the starting line. A ref blows the whistle, the pivots and blockers start skating, the whistle blows again, the jammers start skating and the jam is on. The jammers have to skate through the pack of pivots and blockers, then lap them. Once they lap the pack, they can start scoring points. Jammers score points by passing skaters from the other team. Blockers try to stop the other team's jammer and get their own jammer through the pack so she can score as many points as possible.

» Click here to read more about roller derby rules.

Is roller derby fake or staged?

Modern roller derby is 100% real. Every hit, every fall, every unlikely comeback, and every tragic loss is completely authentic - not planned, scripted, or rehearsed. It is true that there were periods in roller derby's history in the middle part of the 20th century when theatrics were promoted over athleticism. The only thing fake about roller derby are the skaters names but more skaters are opting to use their real names rather than "derby names". Derby is fast-paced, action-packed, full-contact "real" sport.

» Click here for more information about the history of roller derby.

I'm really tiny. Don't you have to be big and burly to play derby?

No way! 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.

I'm a big girl. Don't you have to be athletic and in shape to play derby?

Get out of here! Big girls are hard to push around and make for great blockers. Skating on a Roller Derby team will most likely get you in the best shape of your life!

I haven't been on skates since I was a kid. Don't you have to be a great skater to play derby?

While you need to pass assessments to ensure that you have a certain level of skill before you are drafted onto a team, we provide lots of opportunities to learn and refine the required derby skills. We put on at least one basic "boot camp" each year where we teach beginners how to stop, fall, skate in stable "derby stance", and cross-over smoothly. You can work on these skills ANY time - on your own, or at open skates - there are almost always NHRD members around to help you out! In November and December, we put on formal "freshmeat training" where we make sure that everyone has the basics and then dive into more advanced derby skills like giving and taking hits, assists, transitions, and backwards skating.

All of this leads up to our annual tryouts in January. The important thing to remember is that if you don't make it the first time, keep trying! Come volunteer for us as a referee or NSO for the season, all the while honing your skating skills to come back the next season bigger and badder than ever!

What are you looking for in a New Hampshire Rollegirl?

We are looking for enthusiastic, dedicated women who can be team players and have positive attitudes. The ability to listen and apply new knowledge is a must. Everyone bring s a unique set of off-skates still to derby from their "real" life - we expect that you will contribute actively to the league as an organization. As for skills, we look for the following (basic skills can be learned at a boot camp!):

Basic Skating: Derby stance, smooth forward skating, gliding on one foot, endurance (numebr of laps in five minutes) smooth cross-overs, stationary stepping, balance, and gliding while squatting.

Derby Skills: Skating low, plow stops, T-stops, giving and taking hits, giving and taking assists, transitions (front to back, back to front), backwards skating, jumping, and avoiding obstacles.