Interested in Skating?

For general questions about joining QCRG, please contact us.

If you’re an experienced skater (for example, a transfer from another league) please contact our training committee (training@qcrg.net) for more information.

Founded in 2006, Queen City Roller Girls (QCRG) is a skater-owned and operated all-women’s roller derby league in Western New York. We play competitive roller derby under the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) guidelines.

Roller derby is an amazing and exciting full contact sport. It is a sport that values all sizes, shapes, ages and backgrounds.

Expectations

Photo by Jim Bush
Roller Derby is a competitive, full contact sport and requires that every skater to learn its rules and strategy, improve a skater’s physical fitness, and work and communicate with teammates. The women in our league come from varied athletic backgrounds. Some have no sports experience, some have competed at the college level, and others are in between. No experience is required to join QCRG, we will teach you what every skater needs to know. However, new members need to have the desire to constantly improve and challenge themselves.

Queen City Roller Girls is a member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), which means we have additional expectations and standards above those of non-WFTDA leagues. We must adhere to all guidelines set forth by the WFTDA, and pay for yearly skater insurance.

QCRG also requires that all skaters maintain personal health insurance in addition to their WFTDA insurance. Roller derby is a full contact sport and serious injuries occasionally happen. Basic roller skating on its own has potential for injuries, and adding physical contact and speed increases those risks. Skaters are instructed on to reduce these risks during training, but it is mandatory that every skater carry his/her own health insurance.

How do I get started?

Photo by Sean Murphy
All potential skaters must pass a basic skills assessment before becoming full members in the league. To help new skaters master these required skills, we offer regular boot camp and other training opportunities where we teach everything new skaters need to master to pass. After passing assessments, skaters are then eligible to skate at league practices (instead of only ‘Queen’s Court’ – our skaters in training practices), as well as become eligible for our home teams annual draft.

Our three home teams (Dollies, Saucies, and Kats) add new skaters during our annual home team draft, typically held in October. The teams fill empty spots on their rosters from the pool of eligible skaters in the Queen’s Court. Our travel teams, the Lake Effect Furies and Subzero Sirens, hold their own try-outs to fill their rosters, typically held in November.

Effort

Once a skater has passed assessments, she is then considered a member of the Queen’s Court. Members of the court are be eligible to be pulled up to skate for a home team game (should a team be in need), and also skate in “fresh skater” games. Boot camp skaters attend their dedicated practice slot on Sunday mornings, but once a skater passes assessments, they begin skating at league practices (and sometimes teams open practices to Court skaters). Attendance at League Events is also encourage so that Court members meet other league members and to contribute to the league by volunteering to work events with their committees.

Photo by Jim Bush
As a league member, new skaters will be expected to attend a minimum of fifty (50%) percent of practices available to skaters to continue to be a League Member. The Queen’s Court may have additional requirements in order to bout or scrimmage. Skaters must attend Queen’s Court practices until they are drafted onto a home team. Once on a team, skaters trade Queen’s Court practice for their home team’s designated practice time.

Additionally – QCRG is a skater owned and operated sports league; we run everything ourselves. From bout production and after-parties to league training, community volunteering, poster designs, website design, everything is organized by our members — all league members must take on jobs within the league to help run our organization.

Costs & Equipment

All skaters and league members pay monthly dues. For new skaters who have not passed assessments, these total $20 a month, plus an additional $75 a year for WFTDA Insurance. Full league members (including those on teams) who are eligible to attend league practices pay $40 a month.

Skaters are responsible for all of their own equipment – this includes quad speed rollerskates and full protective gear including a mouth guard, helmet, wrist guards, elbow pads, and knee pads.