The Green Mountain Derby Dames are recruiting for our 2012 season!

All practices between now and our holiday break will be focused on basic skating and derby skills and endurance. If you've been waiting to try roller derby, there's no better time than right now to join!

When's the last time you felt like this!

So you want to play roller derby?

It's understandable, it's pretty awesome! The first step would be to either come to an Open Skate Night or contact someone on the Skater Relations Committee. We hold tryouts and talking to someone about them, watching us in action, or trying out some skates at Open Skate Night can really help!.

Open Skate Recruitment Dates

7:00pm-8:00pm most Tuesdays at the Champlain Valley Exposition. Please check GMDD calendar for dates.

What you need: Mouthguard and good attitude, plus any gear you have including skates, knee and elbow pads, wrist guards and a helmet. We also provide borrowed gear.

Questions: Email Skating@gmderbydames.com

Who can join the Green Mountain Derby Dames?

All skaters must be 21 or over, and female. Men and women 21 and over can join as referees, announcers, coaches, or other volunteers. Anyone of any age can help support Green Mountain Derby Dames through promoting, fundraising, sponsoring, and attending events and bouts.

When can I join?

We welcome new skaters on an ongoing basis, with an emphasis on new skaters in November and December, which is our off season. Come check us out on any Tuesday evening that we’re practicing at the Expo. From 7-8 p.m. on those nights you’ll have access to the track and veteran skaters will be available to help you with skills.

Do I need any sports experience to play roller derby?

It’s helpful, but no. Roller derby is a physically demanding sport that requires speed, endurance, agility, strength, good awareness and communication skills. The more in shape you are, the more quickly you’re apt to pick up basic skating and derby skills, and the less likely you are to become injured. We’ve found that skaters with hockey, rugby, and other skating or sports backgrounds pick up skills more quickly. That said, many of our girls never played sports until they discovered roller derby and have grown to be remarkable athletes. Since we only practice 2-3 times a week, we encourage skaters to work out and cross train outside of our regular practices in order to stay in shape.

What can I expect at recruitment?

There is no formal training program at open skates, but our Fresh Meat Mistresses will be there to make sure you learn all the skating skills you need to master for your Basic Skills Assessment (see below for the WFTDA Minimum Skills). We can also answer any questions you might have. If you’re just getting back on skates after a long hiatus, or if you’ve never been on skates, feel free to just skate around for a bit to get used to them again.

What do I need to play roller derby?

All skaters are required to wear quad roller skates, elbow pads, wrist guards, knee pads, a helmet, and a mouthguard. If you have gear of your own, great! Bring it with you. If you don’t, we have plenty of old (slightly...okay, really stinky) gear that we will lend out for the evening on a first-come, first-served basis (sorry, you have to bring your own mouthguard, available at Dick's, Champs, or any other sporting goods store). If you decide to stick with derby, you’ll need your own gear once you pass your basic assessments and start attending regular practices. Unfortunately there aren’t a lot of skate shops in the area, but we’ve included a guide to gear to help you get started. Always feel free to ask another skater for advice!

What else should I bring to my first practice?

Wear comfortable clothes you can workout in
Mouthguard (available at sport goods stores)
Photo ID
Paperwork (hooray!): you must fill out a skater application, waiver, and emergency contact information BEFORE you put skates on. Our recruitment coordinator will have them available.
A positive attitude and willingness to learn

What skills do I need to learn to become a derby dame?

Before you can play derby, you will need to master some basic roller skating skills. We’re not talking about tricks and fancy footwork, we’re talking about the basic skills that will allow you to feel comfortable on your skates, for your safety and the safety of those around you. Once you’ve filled out paperwork and have some skates on, one of our Fresh Meat Mistresses will help you learn proper form and your basic skills, including: posture, stride, falls, stops, stepping, one-foot glides, crossovers, 8 on the floor, squats, lateral motion, weaving, hopping, focus, and speed/endurance.
The more comfortable you are on your skates, the better skater you will be, pure and simple. Read the complete description of what you need to pass our Basic Skills Assessment.

Okay, I went to recruitment and I'm totally hooked. Now what?

Hooray! Join our GMDD Skater Tots Yahoo group after your first practice, which is where new recruits can stay connected to one another and to GMDD. Keep coming to our Tuesday night open skates from 7-8. When you’re ready, you can take our basic skills assessment to make sure you’re ready to learn hitting, pack skating, and game play.

When are assessments?

Chat with our Fresh Meat Mistresses when you feel ready to tackle the basic skills assessment. She’ll watch you demonstrate all of the skills and sign off on them when she’s confident of your ability.

What if I don't pass on the first try?

You can do your assessments incrementally. If you fail some skills, keep practicing them. Feel free to ask veteran skaters for help, or to watch you and give feedback. When you can perform the skill, you may asked to be reassessed. This also goes for our advanced assessment.

What happens after I pass basic assessments?

Congratulations! We will teach you to hit and skate in a pack and play roller derby, and prepare you for your advanced assessment. You’ll be invited to our main GMDD Yahoo group and you’ll get more information about being a member of GMDD.

How long until I can bout?

You must attend at least 10 practices before you can take your advanced assessment, which includes pacing, weaving around moving obstacles, avoiding unexpected obstacles, leaning, bumping, and blocking other skaters, taking hits, giving and receiving whips and pushes, transitions, skating backwards, and speed endurance (if you didn’t pass it during your basic assessment). Your advanced assessment also includes a written test on WFTDA rules, which you must pass before your are eligible to bout.

After you pass your advanced assessment you are eligible to scrimmage. You must log three hours of scrimmage or scrimmage-simulating drills before you can be eligible for a bout roster. We do formal scrimmages and/or scrimmage-like drills at least once a week.

Once you meet your minimum scrimmage time you’ll be eligible to be placed on a team. Please note that we update team charters periodically, so there may not be an immediate opening.

What if I'm interested in becoming a referee?

We're happy to welcome new referees at any time! Contact our head referee Doomsday at refdoomsday@yahoo.com and let him know you're thinking about joining the crew. He'll be able to give you the scoop on what the job entails and help you get started.

What if I get hurt?

It's not a matter of if you get hurt, it's when! Roller derby is an aggressive contact sport and injuries are common, from bumps and bruises to torn ligaments and broken bones. We work with a local physical therapist who periodically gives us off-skate strengthening exercises to help prevent some more common sports injuries. GMDD does not require you to have health insurance to play, but it is STRONGLY recommended. All skaters must have supplemental WFTDA insurance once they begin scrimmaging and bouting.

How much time will GMDD take?

Skaters are required to attend 2/3rds of practices and monthly league meetings. Additionally, as a skater-owned and -operated league, everyone is expected to make some contribution to running GMDD. You should expect to spend some time each week tending to league business - meetings, promotion, events, planning, etc. We need help from all league members to keep things running smoothly!

How much does roller derby cost?

The biggest expense will be your equipment. You'll need to purchase and replace skates, protective gear, and other incidentals on an ongoing basis. There is gear out there for practically any budget — we usually recommend that Fresh Meat invest in a roller derby "rookie package" offered by a lot of online vendors - it will make sure you're adequately protected while you're learning the game without breaking the bank. You can always invest in swankier gear later.

We collect dues to help cover the costs of practice space and running the league. Skater dues are currently $30 per skater per month.

Once you're scrimmaging and bouting you'll need WFTDA supplemental insurance (around $50 annually), which is required for every skater.

What else do I need to know about joining GMDD?

In addition to developing your skating skills, you’ll need to learn the rules of the game. GMDD is a WFTDA (Women’s Flat Track Derby Association) league, and you will be tested on WFTDA rules as part of your advanced assessment. They’re about 40 pages long, so it’s never too early to start reading: www.wftda.com/rules.

Of course, the best (and most fun!) way to learn roller derby is to watch it. A LOT. So, come to our bouts, either as a spectator or as a volunteer, which is a great way to get up-close and personal with the game, and get to know how we roll. In addition to GMDD’s bouts, there are a number of leagues within a few hours' drive of Burlington that are worth checking out as well — Boston Derby Dames and Montreal Roller Derby are two more experienced leagues and are worth the drive. Also nearby are the Hellions of Troy in New York and New Hampshire Roller Derby.

The Derby News Network videocasts many national bouts. If you have good streaming capability it's worth checking them out as well.