Recruitment

• Ability to stand still on skates without losing balance.

• Ability to skate without holding onto someone or a wall.

• Ability to skate with a regular stride.

• Ability to skate normally without being an endangerment to yourself or others.

• T-stops

• Cross-overs on corners

• Ability to squat while skating

• Ability to balance on one leg while skating

1. CLEAN YOUR SCHEDULE: Newbie (you will be called the Quad Killers)Training Practices are on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday to get 100% attendance, of which there is a prize. This is ideal, but if you can't be there 3 days a week, then it would be great to clear your schedule for Monday & Tuesday OR Tuesday & Thursday. Tuesday is not to be missed as you get the whole rink for the whole practice- the other days we share it with the league. Practices on Tuesday and Thursday are at 8:30pm-10:30pm in Pinellas Park (Astro Skate) and the Monday night practice is at 8:00 and are held on Armenia in Tampa (United Skates). You need to have a minimum of 66% attendance to graduate. Make sure you can do this.

2. EQUIPMENT: You will need your own skates (you can grab rental skates at first, but they will affect your skating)- See Linda at the Pro-shop @ United Skates in Tampa. She gives a discount for derby girls, and girls that are recruiting. She knows everything there is to know about derby skates and can help with adjustments and so forth, so it's worth going to her to get your skates and she will take care of you! Knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards, mouth guards and helmet are a must, but we have loaners for you to use until you get your own. Remember that loner pads will only be available for a short time, and it's first come, first serve. If you want to get your own prior to joining, make sure you talk to us about what type to get. You need really good ones, not the cheapy ones from sports stores (anything that comes in a package of multiple pads- do not buy!). We also get discounts from Skatepark of Tampa for pads. I also recommend getting tailbone protector which you can get in football packages from Play it again sports, and I think you can get some online on their own and probably pay less. Look around. You just get the plain ones and slip it between your tights/leggings and underwear. It's good to wear leggings or tights because rink rash is not fun!

3. WORK OUT: Skate as much as you can!! Learn how to T-stop! We teach you, but you will be ahead of the curve if you learn how to do this prior to training. Do core training and work on increasing your lung expansion by doing endurance workouts- do jumping jacks, run, walk fast, run stairs, jump rope, whatever keeps the heart rate up for awhile. Do a lot of squats, 2 legged and 1 legged. Stand in front of the TV and just hold a squat for as long as you can and do it again. Your knees should be at 90 degrees or close to it. Do leg lifts, especially working on your abductors and adductors as you will be using these a lot. You will also need to strengthen your upper body too. I guarantee that if you do as much as you can before training, you will be that much more ready for it, because training will make you really sore!!

4. INSURANCE AND DUES: Monthly dues are pretty cheap at $25 a month and there is an initial cost for insurance, which is due once a year and is also fairly cheap at $50. If you can work on getting the money together prior to joining, it won't be such a shock to come up with money out of pocket all at once. Just put some money aside or ask for money for your birthday or whatever. If this is something you really want to do, you will always find a way. My family is on a single income and I still managed it for 4 years, because I really wanted to do this. Now, I just coach the new girls and I love it!

5. FAMILY SUPPORT: We suggest sitting down with your spouse/significant other and family to discuss the finances and time that you will need to devote to this sport. Getting your family's support is essential. My husband was all for it and has made some great friends through derby, and he even plays on a soccer team with some of the husbands/boyfriends of the derby girls and they have become really great friends to him. My daughter also loves all the "Aunts" she has acquired since doing derby. I love the fact that this can not only involve you, but your whole family as well!

6. THE LOVE OF DERBY!: I retired last year and I don't skate on a team anymore however, I still coach because I just couldn't say goodbye to derby and these girls are phenomenal! It's addicting! I love the derby girls and they have become a large part of my life. They are there for you when you need them, and you will never have the kind of friends like you will make at derby. They are awesome and it is a real HIGH to play with them. Training is hard and sometimes tedious, but we move you through pretty quickly and before you know it, you are playing the game and having a blast. The crowds, the dressing up, the friendships, the celebrity, the fitness, the skills and the fun is what it is all about! There is nothing like it.