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If you're thinking of joining, please take note of our skate workshops (9/19 & 10/17) and our upcoming once-annual tryout on 11/14! Want to be a Philly Roller Girl? Are you female and at least 21 years old? Can you skate and/or kick ass? Then the Philly Roller Girls want YOU! Who are we? The Philly Roller Girls are a skater-owned and operated all-girl roller derby league and a proud member of the national Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. In the last four years, we have developed a league of athletic, ferocious, kick ass chicks on wheels that has brought roller derby back to Philadelphia. Our league is currently comprised of 50 plus skaters, dozens of refs and volunteers as well as countless fans and supporters. We have three teams: the Broad Street Butchers, Heavy Metal Hookers, and Philthy Britches. Our home season concludes with the Warrior Cup Championship bout at our home, the 23rd Street Armory, a venue that provides our fans amenities like bleacher seating, beer and more. Our all-star travel team, The Liberty Belles, has competed in a number of WFTDA-sanctioned bouts and is currently ranked 2nd in the Eastern Region. We have recently added a local travel team, The Independence Dolls, who compete with teams from all over the region. Why would I want to play Roller Derby? If you think you would enjoy playing hard while knocking around with some badass bitches on roller skates, then Roller Derby is for you. Along with being a good time, roller derby is excellent exercise. You will build strength and endurance while at the same time working off that beer belly! Within a couple of months you should be crushing beer cans with your thighs! Additionally, we host some exciting events and you’ll meet some awesome new people. So if you want to go fast, play hard, make some friends, and end your search for those illusive buns of steel, then come check it out! What is Roller Derby and how is it played? Roller derby is a full contact roller-sport played on quad skates. The game consists of two teams, each of which plays five skaters – one jammer, one pivot and three blockers – in each "jam." The games, called "bouts," consist of two 30-minute periods that are broken up into two-minute-long jams.
Is Roller Derby Fake? No way! It’s real, and you can get hurt. Just like any other sport, the competition can be fierce and the fights are real, but at the end of the day we are all friends. Is it like the 70's banked track? No. We skate on a flat surface suitable for skating in a track marked off by taped rope lines. Do I have to have a specific body type? No. Girls of all builds can be good at roller derby. Smaller girls often make good jammers: they are fast, easy to whip around the rink, and their lower centers of gravity make them a greater challenge to knock down. Big girls make excellent blockers because they are hard to push around and are more effective at pushing others. However, do not assume that your body-type will dictate which position you take: this will primarily depend upon which aspect of the game you excel at after you get comfortable on your skates. Do I have to be in athletic shape to play roller derby? Not to start out! We all began at different levels of fitness and athletic ability. Don’t worry; once you join the Philly Roller Girls, our coaching staff will whip you into shape soon enough! But it’s important that you are prepared to work hard. Roller derby is a tough sport and as a player, you will be expected to come to practice, push yourself and develop your athletic potential to the fullest. What if I don’t know how to skate? You are not required to be an expert skater when you begin skating with the Philly Roller Girls, but you must have some basic skills. We do not have spots for everybody, so make sure to practice on your own before coming to tryouts – particularly if you have not been on skates in a long time. We recommend that you go to an open skate at your local rink a few times before attending tryouts. How old do I have to be? You must be 21 or older to skate with the Philly Roller Girls. However, anyone can help us by promoting, helping with fund-raising, attending matches and events or donating uniforms, equipment, etc. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to lend your support in such a way. Will I get hurt? Unfortunately, injuries can – and will – happen in roller derby. Bruises are regular occurrences: sprains and broken bones, while not as common, cannot be ruled out. For this reason, all skaters must wear protective gear and are required to maintain current health insurance. What if I don’t have health insurance? If you don’t have health insurance through your employer, there are some affordable individual plans through reputable insurance companies. However, despite any other policies you may hold, liabilities dictate that all skaters must be insured by a WFTDA insurance. Please see www.wftda.com for more information. Our insurance committee head, Persephone, will be available to answer questions about WFTDA insurance and enroll you in the program as soon as you are accepted into the Philly Roller Girls organization. How much time will it take? Practice, meetings, fund-raising, bouts, promoting and planning for events can take a considerable time commitment. Practices and bouts will require about 8 hours of your time per week. Every veteran skater is required to attend a minimum of 7 practice sessions per month, but we encourage you to attend as many practices as possible and skate whenever you get a chance. This means skating on your own time to develop and practice skills learned during practice sessions. Activities such as outdoor skate sessions, endurance training and open skates at local rinks will be posted on our Yahoo group and announced during practice. If you cannot attend a practice please make sure to contact the appropriate person and let her know. We will be as flexible as possible with extenuating circumstances (vacation, illness, and family emergencies) but if you choose to join the Philly Roller Girls we will expect a certain level of commitment and dependability. Once you graduate and become an official Philly Roller Girl, you will be required to join one of our committees, and to take part in some of our events. We are skater-owned and operated. That means all skaters vote on every major league decision. Likewise, each skater must be involved, on some measurable level, in the organizational aspects of the league. For example, those who are able to dedicate more of their time may find that they can take on the responsibilities of a committee head, while others can help the league by flyering or setting up at our events. The only reason this league is successful is due to the dedication and efforts of every single skater to making things happen. The amount of time you dedicate to committee involvement will vary, but will likely be from 1 to 5 hours a week depending on how significant a time contribution you can work into your schedule. What expenses are involved? What equipment do I need? The largest expenses will be the cost of your equipment and health insurance (if you don’t already have them).
How can I get involved? The Philly Roller Girls will hold skating workshops prior to our tryouts. Attendance is recommended but not mandatory for women interested in joining the league. You will have the opportunity to learn the skills we will be looking for at tryouts. You will also get to meet some of the skaters and get an idea of what our practices are like. Please contact Sunshine Skate ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) for information about future workshops. Tryouts are held yearly in November at Millennium Skate World in Camden. The tryout is free. Valid ID is required as proof of age. Skates are available at the rink for no extra charge if you need them. Each girl will be asked to fill out a short questionnaire and undergo a skill assessment to ensure she has the potential and dedication necessary to becoming a Philly Roller Girl. Our coaching committee will observe your style and agility on skates and then choose the best skaters. Everyone who tries out will be contacted by the end of the week and told whether or not they made the cut. Those that do will be invited to join our Fresh Meat team. What is Fresh Meat? Fresh Meat is the term we use for all new recruits. The Fresh Meat are essentially Philly Roller Girls in training. As Fresh Meat, skaters will learn all the necessary skills that they will need to scrimmage and bout with the league. During the Fresh Meat period, skaters must attend a minimum of 7 practices a month. Girls who fail to make the attendance requirement will be cut from the team. For this reason it is important that you consider your schedule and time constraints before deciding to join. Fresh Meat undergo a series of assessments to determine their readiness to scrimmage with the rest of the league. After passing assessments, Fresh Meat will join the veteran skaters for Sunday evening scrimmage practice. Fresh Meat will then be evaluated in the Team Assessment. Skaters who pass the evaluation then become official Philly Roller Girls and are eligible for Independence Dolls B level travel team roster votes and the annual home team draft. At that time you will be officially invited to join the league and be christened with your roller derby name and number. Please remember, Fresh Meat are not considered Philly Roller Girls until they have been officially inducted into the league. Members of the Fresh Meat team may at no time represent themselves as a Philly Roller Girl to the press, sponsors or other leagues. All inquiries should be fielded to the appropriate committees and any violations of this rule may result in dismissal from the league. What are the coaches' expectations during the Fresh Meat training period? Tryouts: All prospective Fresh Meat will have their basic skill levels assessed by the training committee. For information about Tryouts contact Olivia Face, Head of Assessments, ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Sunshine Skate, Head of Recruitment, ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). We will be looking to see if prospective Fresh Meat are comfortable on their skates, have good balance, basic skills, take direction well, and are in good physical condition (i.e. you can skate a few laps without getting winded). If basic skills are below requirements necessary to enter the Fresh Meat program, skaters will be given pointers on what to work on and urged to tryout again for the next Fresh Meat training season. We will also conduct an interview to learn about your athletic experience, work schedule, and personal interests. Fresh Meat Training Sessions: The training session begins with the first practice (date TBA) and ends with final evaluations. During this period, a new recruit must attend a minimum of 7 practices a month. Skater names will not be granted until you have passed their skills evaluations at the end of the tryout period. At that time you may submit name requests for registration. NOTE: As stated above, you are not considered a Philly Roller Girl until you have completed your Fresh Meat period, and you are not to refer to yourself as such. You will become an official Roller Girl only after your training period is complete and you’ve passed final evaluations. MANDATORY: All pads (knee, elbow, and wrist), and helmet are required to tryout. A mouthguard will be required at the first practice. The Fresh Meat Training curriculum will include:
Assessments: Fresh Meat will be tested on all skills taught during the Fresh Meat training session. Assessments will be held every two months. There two assessments that fresh meat must pass before they are eligible to assess for team placement. All fresh meat come in as Level One fresh meat and will assess in order to advance to Levels Two and Three. Only Level Three fresh meat are eligible to assess for team placement. There is no defined time period for fresh meat training. Fresh meat will be passed to the next level based on their skill and their readiness to participate safely in team scrimmage and bouts. The length of fresh meat training will be different for all skaters and will be ultimately dependent upon their skill, attendance and understanding of the game. Following Team Asssessments, Fresh Meat who pass the Team Assessment are granted permission to use a skater name, will officially become Philly Roller Girls, and will be placed onto teams where individual skill levels and player positions are needed. When and where do you practice? Our regular closed-session weekly practices are on Sundays 11am-2pm or 7-10pm (veteran skaters only), Mondays from 7-9pm (veteran skaters and fresh meat) and 9-10pm (travel team skaters only), and Wednesdays from 7-9pm (veteran skaters and fresh meat). We practice at Millennium Skate World, 1900 Carman St., Camden, NJ. Millennium Skate World is located right off Admiral Wilson Blvd/Rte 30 - b/t the BP and Exxon. There is a bus route that runs from Philly to there. It is the 404 bus, and you can get off at the corner near the rink and walk down a block to get there. Carpool arrangements can also be made with fellow skaters or league members. What are the different teams?
What is the PRG roller derby "season"?
Directions to Millennium Skate World: Take the Ben Franklin Bridge to Camden Take exit 5A toward Mickle Blvd./Campbell Place/State Aquarium Turn a slight right off the ramp onto Federal Street Immediately after the railroad bridge underpass, bear left over a small bridge to continue on Federal Street Turn right onto S 19th Street End at 1900 Carman Street More questions? Feel free to contact Sunshine Skate at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Olivia Face at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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