Sept. 7, 2010

See the campaign here

You may have heard whispers that a roller derby league is starting in Lethbridge. Those whispers are about to become yells as the Lethbridge Roller Derby Guild kicks off their fall recruitment campaign.

Still in its infancy, the Guild hopes to stop the misconception roller derby caters to a few. Members of the league’s premiere team, the Deathbridge Derby Dames, want to tell you their story with the ‘Why I Play Roller Derby’ recruitment poster campaign. Dames are sharing their reasons why they play, and the reasons are vast.

“We have women from all walks of life ranging in ages from 18 to over 40 skating with us right now,” said Guild president Heather Zarichney. “Some women do it for stress relief, others do it for exercise and we also have many who feel they just didn’t fit into conventional sport but there was a place for them with derby.”

“It’s empowering to see women of all body types come together to play. Big or small, we have a role for you to play,” adds Zaricheny, aka Half Pint Havoc.

To encourage new players, the Guild hosts ‘Fresh Meat’ practices once a week and also opens those practices up for general viewing to the public, with a donation to the food bank as admission.

Fresh Meat Coach Martina Emard, encourages all to come out and watch and even strap on a pair of skates if you’re feeling courageous.

“We understand there can be uncertainties with joining a full-contact sport such as this and it’s a big commitment to purchase equipment to try it out. We have gear available for loan at our Fresh Meat practices, or you can just observe,” said Emard, aka Cherri Blaster.

Members have heard many excuses from those who are curious about the league, but are apprehensive about joining. The most common being not knowing how to roller skate.

“Right now we are accepting all levels of skaters, from never-strapped-on-a-pair to advanced. We then train you and fill in the blanks with the skills you need to play,” says Emard.

“Most of us only started skating this spring and some of us have already played in bouts in Medicine Hat and Regina. So it doesn’t take long to really get into it,” adds Zaricheny. “Plus the camaraderie, fitness and fun is an added bonus.”

The Lethbridge Roller Derby Guild is looking for men and women 18 and over to join. While men don’t play in games, they are invited to become league referees who train with and become part of the team. All are invited out to Bo’diddly’s Pub & Grill on Sept. 11 for a league fund raiser and to also meet and talk with team members about how to get involved.

To receive information about joining the Lethbridge Roller Derby Guild, you’re encouraged to email iwanttoderby@yahoo.ca to receive your Fresh Meat package. All information about gear, cost of joining and practice schedules will be sent directly to you.