Admittedly the fan base for Junior Roller Derby contains many different levels of knowledge about what it takes to support having the sport in our neighborhood. Some fans are very informed, some have at least a little knowledge, and some have no idea. This article is the first in a series to create a common level set of knowledge that can be learned by all.
For example, did you know that there is a minimum of 8 referees, 10 NSO’s, and 2 Coaches at every bout. None of which get paid. They are all volunteers, that without which, there would be no Roller Derby. Some of the Referees and NSO’s attend practices to help with drills, skills, rules interpretation, and scrimmaging activities. All of them are dedicated to ensuring the kids are safe, having fun, fully knowledgeable of the rules, and being, the best Roller Derby Players, they are capable of being.
Then there are the Parents of the players. They too are indispensable to the existence of Junior Roller Derby. Like the Referees and NSO’s, the parents also are not paid. As a matter of fact, they are the ones’ that get to pay. They pay for Helmets, Wrist Guards, Elbow Pads, Knee Pads, Mouth Guards, and last, but not least, Skates. Then there are the dues (which help pay rink fees), insurance, travel, and lodging expenses. They come to the practices, the bouts, and other team building events. They get the kids to/from practices, bouts, and other such events. They are yet another backbone without which Roller Derby would not exist.
Next we have the players. They come to practices and work hard; they come to bouts and work hard. They participate in parades, fund raisers, and other team building events. And most importantly, we hope they are having fun with each other and the sport. They are our future and we want them to succeed, not only at Roller Derby, but at life!
And last, but certainly not least, there is the Junior Roller Derby Association (JRDA). JRDA is the governing body for Junior Roller Derby. JRDA takes the WFTDA (Women’s Flat Track Derby Association) ruleset and makes some modifications to come up with the JRDA Ruleset. While most modifications are minor in nature, they are made to allow for skater safety, abilities, and endurance. JRDA, as well as, WFTDA have developed what they refer to as MST’s, or Minimum Skills Tests that the skaters must pass prior to participating in sanctioned bouts. Additionally, the following recommendations are set forth:
- 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.
In the next article I will be going into more detail about the MST’s and the three (3) levels of skaters that can be found in the JRDA. Future articles will discuss the flow of the game, the rules of the game, Player positions, Referee positions, NSO positions, Committees, Sanctioning, Charters, and so much more.