WOMEN’S FLAT TRACK ROLLER DERBY MAGAZINE ISSUE 41, FALL 2018
proud partner of the WFTDA
fiveonfivemag.com
fiveonfive contents
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advice ask swede hurt and midge mayhem!
WFTDA This year WFTDA partnered with Chicks in Bowls (CIB) to strengthen both sports and diversify any skater’s skills.
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business building derby-centric business relationships
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games and coaching new position? no problem! tournament analysis
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gear leather repair and maintenance
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Tony McKay Photography
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health and fitness evaluating nutrition information on the internet
34-35 Starting a Chicks in Bowls chapter in your town Whether you’re a vet or a new skater, if you’re interested in skating Chicks in Bowls style and want more people to join you in shreddin’ your city, here are some tips on starting your own local chapter!
junior derby junior derby: a life changing experience
32-33 rookie
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fresh meat advice
Building our own venue
42-45 art and media
No place to skate? No problem! The Albany Roller Derby League of Australia built their very own venue.
building derby-centric business relationships SLAMABELLE LEE, JERSEY SHORE ROLLER GIRLS
I have worn many hats since I became involved in roller derby. and with the young athletes programs, giving us the opportunity I have been fresh meat skater, veteran skater, jammer, blocker, to work firsthand with the athletes SONJ benefits throughout pivot, impromptu coach, captain, interleague coordinator, and the year. events and community service coordinator. I’ve juggled a lot of By involving ourselves with such a great organization, we were moving parts in different ways to get things done effectively, able to elevate ourselves within the community as well. When we and the skills I’ve utilized serve me well in derby, as well as in give back, we show that derby is more than just a sport – we are my professional, educational, and personal lives. active, involved members of the communities where we live and As Events and Community Service Coordinator, one of my most we skate. important duties was building functional professional relationships While SONJ was the organization we paired up with the most, between our league and other local/national non-profit they were not the only organization we worked with. At our home, organizations, as well as local businesses whom we partnered intraleague bouts, we held two fundraisers in the last home with for promotional events and fundraisers. season. We held a food drive/fundraiser My two and a half year tenure as Events in conjunction with Move for Hunger NJ, Coordinator helped me (and therefore, my and a fundraiser/animal adoption event with By involving league) cultivate many valuable relationships SAVE Animal Shelter in a themed Team Cat
ourselves with that were mutually beneficial for both our vs Team Dog bout. We have also, in the past, league and the organizations in question. worked at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, such a great One of the most prolific organizations my a thrift store which directly benefits the organization, we league was able to partner with was Special mission of Habitat. By pairing our relatively were able to Olympics New Jersey. I had initially reached unknown league with big names in out to SONJ to have league members non-profits, we were able to show elevate ourselves volunteer at the annual Polar Bear Plunge – how far roller derby is able to reach. within the a fundraising event that takes place each In partnering with these organizations – community as well. February, where participants run into a as well as pairing up with restaurants to have freezing Atlantic Ocean. While none of the Dine to Donate fundraisers (where a portion league members actually took the plunge, we of sales is returned to the league) – one spent an early morning checking in registrants and handing out thread holds it all together. That thread is communication. To be swag to those who were brave enough for the freezing water. successful in these sorts of ventures, you need someone strong Later that same year, we volunteered at SONJ’s Great Coaster at the helm of your organization in an Events Coordinator-type Race. We stamped coaster “passports” at the exits of roller position. You need someone who isn’t afraid to contact someone coasters at Six Flags Great Adventure (in Jackson, NJ), another who they think might be in charge. In my tenure, I made a few great fundraising event put on by SONJ. On smaller scales, several missteps. I contacted people who didn’t work for certain of our skaters volunteered during the spring and fall sports league companies anymore. I missed an important contact’s maternity To be successful in these sorts of ventures, you need someone strong at the helm of your organization in an Events Coordinator-type position
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Fall 2018 | fiveonfivemag.com
leave and thought we no longer had a presence with a certain organization. I’ve tried to schedule things too late and ended up missing the boat completely. The good news is – especially in dealing with other volunteer organizations – is that people understand. When we are all volunteers, it seems that mistakes get forgiven a little more easily. We tend to have jobs and lives outside of this crazy volunteer side gig. Be prepared to make mistakes and own them, and make sure that you keep communication open all the time. When you’re working on these types of business relationships, constant communication is the key. You need to constantly remind people that you’re there to help them. You want to prove your organization as one that can show
up in droves to volunteer for a good cause. In the same vein, you have to show that the relationship will be mutually beneficial. For example, when we do a Dine to Donate, we make it a practice to patronize that restaurant to show that we want to help the business do well. When they support us, we support them. To wrap up, in building beneficial business relationships outside of the immediate derby world, open communication and mutual beneficence are the two main keys. Focus your sights on organizations that match how you want your league to be perceived and go from there. Persevere if your first path doesn’t work out and continue the hard work to build lasting relationships.
fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2018
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“Park skating is all about patience and commitment,” she said. “If you can learn the skills and build up to tricks, the only difference between nailing or failing is the ability to commit to it. I’ve learned a lot about myself as a human and developed myself as a skater because of the time I spend in transitions.”
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For anyone interested in trying park skating for the first time, or expanding their current involvement in it, visit chickinbowls.com/chapters to find a local group near you, where you can find outstanding resources and eager skatepark vets who can’t wait to help you learn the ropes. Lady Trample advised that anyone new to this type of skating treat it just like roller derby – taking their time to learn and master the basics before just diving right in. Skaters who don’t have access to a local CIB chapter should take some time to watch online tutorials for extra support first. WFTDA looks forward to working with CIB on more events in the future.
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