- Naptown Roller Girls? What’s that?
- Okay, well, who are the Tornado Sirens?
- Do rollergirls get paid?
- What if i don’t make the Tornado Sirens right away?
- Who can join Naptown Roller Girls?
- What are the rules?
- How is the game played?
- What if I get hurt?
- How much time will it take?
- How much does it cost?
- What equipment do I need?
- Is Roller Derby fake?
- What if I’m really little?
- What if I’m really big?
- What if I haven’t been on skates since Junior High? Don’t I have to be a great skater to even attempt Roller Derby?
- This sounds great! How do I join?
- What about dues? I need more info!
- How do I get a Rollergirl or Ref name registered?
- How long is a bout?
- How and where can I purchase tickets in advance?
- How early should I arrive?
- Is there beer?
- Are group discounts available on tickets?
- Do you have to pay for parking?
- Are the bouts kid-friendly?
- Can fans tailgate?
- Is roller derby real?
- Will you announce my group/birthday/anniversary/friend’s bachelor party?
- Suicide seats? What are those?
- Can I bring my camera or video cameras?
- Why is it called a bout anyway?
- Do people skate in roller blades?
- How do I get VIP tickets?
Naptown Roller Girls? What’s that?
Naptown Roller Girls is a league of great women and men who have come together to bring flat track roller derby to Indianapolis. NRG is a different type of league – we are competitive women who work to unlock our athletic potential. We have desire to bring our unique skills in order to run the league beyond “suiting up”. We are willing to push ourselves physically, willing to give altruistically to the betterment of the league, and willing to show a level of commitment and maturity to accept the NRG experience will change our lives for the better. We believe, with conviction, that being part of NRG is one of the most meaningful experiences of our lives.
Okay, well, who are the Tornado Sirens?
The Tornado Sirens are the WFTDA (Women’s Flat Track Derby Association) ranked competing team for the Naptown Roller Girls league. In order to become a Tornado Siren, you first have to be placed on the WFTDA Charter. The charter can include up to 20 people at one time and changes up to 4 times a year based on skill, attendance and attitude. Before each bout, fourteen girls from the roster will be chosen by the coach and/or captain to compete as a Tornado Siren.
We sure don’t. And if we don’t get paid – where does all that ticket money go? Well, we are lucky! Our fans pay for every thing we do when they buy a ticket to our bout. We are soooo very lucky to have each ticket purchased so that our league dues stay low and our travel to out of town bouts is paid for.
The money you spend buying our ticket pays for the program you received when you walked in, the posters we make to advertise our bout, renting the floor we skate on, paying the fairgrounds crew to set up the Coliseum, renting the Coliseum, paying the clean up crew to pick up all the trash when we leave, paying for the heat and lighting and sound system at the coliseum, buying the insurance for our audience and our skaters for the coliseum and at our warehouse, paying the rent at our practice warehouse, paying the astronomical heating bill at our practice warehouse, an accountant for our taxes, our taxes, the printing cost for the tickets, hotel rooms when we travel, rental vans or buses (depending on how far we are going), all the rope, tape, water, stop watches, projectors, screens it takes for the bout and practice space, paying the visiting team a bit for their travel, paying our refs and a very minimal staff to make our bouts happen….and all of this is just off the top of our heads! We are forgetting a list just as long! Thank you for your support – from the bottom of our hearts!
What if i don’t make the Tornado Sirens right away?
The top 14 gals play for the Tornado Sirens. The next set of 14 play for our JV team, The Warning Belles. This team will compete against other leagues in the area. Not only will this help improve your skills, but it will also give you bouting experience necessary before playing a WFTDA ranked team.
Who can join Naptown Roller Girls?
• All team skaters must be female and at least 18 years of age.
• Men and women 18 and over may join in a variety of roles including referees, stat trackers and general help.
• Anyone of any age can help support NRG through promoting, fundraising, sponsoring, and attending events and matches.
• If you are interested in trying out send an email to freshmeat@naptownrollergirls.com
NRG is currently a member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). The current set of WFTDA rules along with information on the minimum set of skill requirements can be found on the WFTDA website at http://www.wftda.com/official-rules/.
During a bout, two teams of five skaters each face off on the track. In our case, it’s a flat track. Each team consists of a pivot, three blockers and a jammer. The pivot sets the pace and leads the group of skaters, and the blockers stay behind them, guarding each other in what we call “the pack.” The jammers are the scoring skaters and start about 20 feet behind the pack. When the whistle blows, the pack takes off. On a second whistle, the jammers start fighting their way through the pack. When the first jammer makes it through the pack legally, she’s designated the “lead jammer” and the jam officially begins. The jammers must lap the pack once before sprinting through the pack to score points by passing members of the opposing team. A jam lasts a maximum of two minutes, but the lead jammer has the right to call off the jam by putting her hands on her waist. The rest of the team tries to stop the opposing jammer from passing them and scoring. At the same time, they knock around the opposing team’s blockers to help their jammer score.
Pulled muscles, sprains, strains, bruises, and/or broken bones will happen. This is why protective gear is required. We will also train, stretch and practice falling to help reduce injuries and their severity. The stronger you are the less likely you are to seriously injure yourself. Once you join the league, you will be required to have supplemental insurance offered through the league. If you don’t have insurance through your employer, this plan will cover catastrophic injuries. It picks up where primary insurance stops. Injury is part of Derby, so common sense says it’s wise to have health insurance. Research individual health insurance costs: www.bcbsks.com, www.insurance.com and www.healthinsurancefinders.com.
We won’t lie, derby is a definite time commitment. NRG requires 60% attendance in order to ensure you are strong enough to take those heavy hits. We also require participating at our fun public events. Roughly 2 practices a week and 1 or 2 events a month will get you 60% every time. There are also ways to make extra credit practice points. Don’t let the attendance requirement scare you away. All of our girls have lives outside of NRG and most make 80 – 100% attendance every month.
Since it’s your league to help run we require you to join a committee. You can find a job to do that requires little time, up to as much time as you would like to give. We are an all-volunteer army, and in addition to our on-skates training, we do all of the organizing ourselves, with help from many fantastic volunteers.
The biggest expense will be for your equipment and dues. Dues for Fresh Meat are currently set at $20. You’ll need: protective gear, skates, a uniform, and other incidentals as well. NRG will hold fundraising events to help pay for renting our practice space, advertising, and admin costs.
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 will like a particular item, first see if someone has a pair of skates or pads you can try on, so that it will be more likely you will not have 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 out 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.
We highly recommend Sin City Skates. Not only do they sponsor us but 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. When ordering your skates, mention Naptown Roller Girls. We do get discounts on select skates. There are more details in the sponsorship section of the NRG board about that.
The first thing you’ll need is protective gear; a skate helmet, wrist, elbow, mouth guards and knee pads are required for practice and bouts. Tailbone and hip pads are also highly recommended. It makes good sense to avoid and reduce the severity of as many injuries as possible. Once you’ve decided that roller derby is really for you, you’ll want to invest in a good pair of speed skates, which will run $80 – $150. Once you’re hooked, you’ll find the cheaper skates will slow you down, and make skating harder. In the very beginning at open skate sessions you’ll be able to rent skates at the rink.
No. The flat-track roller derby we play is a real sport, just like hockey, rugby or soccer. It is an aggressive full-contact sport and our skaters consider themselves athletes. We train accordingly, practicing several times a week 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 smart and/or saucy names. After all, the real reason we play the game is because it’s so much FUN!
No.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. Skating on a Roller Derby team will most likely get you in the best shape of your life!
Nope. A lot of us had not been on skates for years. We all started out at different skill levels, but with a lot of practice we created a nationally ranked roller derby team in a short amount of time. Before you decide you want to be a roller girl we ask that you work on getting your skate legs under you at many of the open skating sessions around Indianapolis, skate the monon, the park near you or in your drive way. Don’t forget your protective gear every time you skate! Try outs happen once or twice a year. Get your legs under you and come skate with us!
This sounds great! How do I join?
Join our website forum and our mailing list to get information on meetings, skate sessions, gear, promotional events and practices. If you want to tryout to be an NRG Rollergirl after our season you will need:
1. Photocopy of valid ID & insurance card
2. Sign legal waivers and complete info sheets
3. Attend 60% of practice sessions, meetings and public events (roughly 2 practices a week, 1 meeting a quarter and 1 or 2 events a month)
4. Pay monthly membership dues of $20
5. Bear the expense of all personal equipment, practice fees, uniforms, dues.
6. Understand and accept the inherent risks of playing in the league as per the waivers
7. Understand and accept the time involved to be part of the league
Support staff and volunteers are required to complete info sheets and legal waivers.
What about dues? I need more info!
When you are ready to commit to our league, you can begin to pay dues. Dues are currently set at $20 per month. Dues must be paid at the first practice of each month or via pay pal prior to the first practice. Contact our finance chair, Sweet C, via the message board forum if you need more info. Your $20 per month will pay for the rental of practice space each month, website hosting, practice and bout equipment, NRG club insurance, legal fees, bout rental space – the list of expenses is endless!
How do I get a Rollergirl or Ref name registered
Your derby name can be anything you want it to be, provided that its something that is suitable to be said in front of a large crowd of people. Here’s the catch, it has to be a name that no one else in derbyland is currently using. There is a master roster of all currently registered derby names. So, once you think of a name that fits you, check the master roster to make sure that no one has it. The roster is located at: http://www.twoevils.org/rollergirls/ Don’t worry if it takes a while to find a derby name you love. Get creative, and you’ll find something that fits.
Once you have officially joined the Naptown Roller Girls league and you have met the requirements in the code of conduct, you can submit your requested derby name to the name wrangler (currently Slammy Faye). She will submit requested names to the master derby list. Your name will then be checked against the master list. If it is not too similar to a name currently registered, it will be approved and your name will be added to the master roster. If the name is similar, you may receive a request to ask permission of the skater with a similar name and it will be up to that skater to decide if your name is too close to hers. Or, if the name is extremely similar your request may be denied and you will need to think of a second choice. Please, DO NOT email your name to the national list on your own. This causes MUCH added stress to the ladies that keep that list updated.
There are 60 minutes of actual playing time in a bout. However, because of a bout’s half-time entertainment, time outs, and player injuries, the event can last up to two hours. Double headers usually last 3 – 3.5 hours but your ticket is good for the whole thing or for just one bout. Come for one or come for both – just be there!
How and where can I purchase tickets in advance?
We hope you will arrive with a ticket in hand to avoid the long Will Call line. You can purchase advance tickets at Indy CD & Vinyl (CASH ONLY), and Strange Brew (Greenwood). You can also purchase online through http://brownpapertickets.com. And, finally, don’t forget you can purchase tickets through your favorite roller girl.
Doors open at 6:30 for bouts that begin at 7:30 p.m. We recommend arriving at 6:30 for the best seats. For double headers the doors open at 5:00pm for a 5:30pm bout.
Yep! The State Fair provides a concession stand, which sells beer and food for guests.
Are group discounts available on tickets?
Yes! Online only if you purchase 10 or more tickets at one time you get them for $10 each.
Do you have to pay for parking?
Yes. The fairgrounds charge $3 (cash) for parking.
Yep! We are a family-friendly event. In fact, kids ages 6 and under get in FREE! However, our fans are excited! If your child is scared easily by loud noise, a roller derby bout may not be a good place to be. You may also want to bring ear protection for your little ones.
Oh yes! Bring your corn hole and your good times…just don’t bring a grill; the fairgrounds doesn’t allow them.
Very! Just ask our skaters who put their bodies on the line each and every time they strap on their skates. Don’t forget to ask the girls who have had broken bones due to derby as well.
Will you announce my group/birthday/anniversary/friend’s bachelor party?
Sure! But you’re going to have to fork over a $5 donation to have something announced during a bout. The donation goes to our charity of the month. You can submit your $5 and announcement request at the merch table before half time.
Suicide seats? What are those?
Wanna get as close to the action as possible? Suicide seats are for you. NRG is a flat-track derby league, which means there is no rail to keep flying skaters from their fans. Only the ref lane stands between you and having a roller girl land in your lap. Warning: you must be 18 to sit in the suicide seating section.
Can I bring my camera or video cameras?
Cameras and small hand held video cameras are allowed. Please share your work with us through our message boards: naptownrollergirls.com/boards.
Why is it called a bout anyway?
As in boxing – each roller derby bout is a fight to the finish!
Do people skate in roller blades?
Some refs skate in blades… but we make fun of them. All skaters are required to skate in quad skates.
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