Junior roller derby

Last updated

Junior roller derby is the sport of roller derby, modified for children and adolescents up to 18 years of age. The sport is played in both modified-contact, known as "positional blocking," and full-contact approaches, to facilitate safety across multiple age and skill groups.

Contents

Competitive junior roller derby worldwide is facilitated by the Junior Roller Derby Association (JRDA).

Junior Roller Derby Association
Jrda logo original.png
JRDA logo
Sport Roller Derby
Founded2006
CountriesFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Flag of Chile.svg  Chile
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan
Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Official website http://www.juniorrollerderby.org/home

Growth of the Sport

The origins of junior roller derby are in contention, with multiple leagues claiming they were founded earliest. The Seattle Derby Brats and the Tucson Derby Brats, the first two junior roller derby leagues to present teams for inter-league play, are the two oldest leagues in existence. The Tucson Derby Brats were established in Tucson, Arizona by three young fans of the Tucson Roller Derby adult league: Tristan Hasman, Arlee Garcia-Thwing and Zoe Catalanotte Reeves. The Seattle Derby Brats were founded by Krista Lafontaine Williams, a member of Rat City Roller Derby, in Seattle, Washington. [1]

At the 2007 Women's Flat Track Derby Association Texas Shootout Nationals Tournament in Austin, Texas, the two existing junior leagues, the Tucson Derby Brats and the Seattle Derby Brats, held a demonstration bout between rounds in the tournament. Following this national exposure, leagues began forming in other towns across the United States. In order to support the growth of new leagues and standardize rule sets, the Junior Roller Derby Association (JRDA) was formed in 2009 and incorporated in March, 2010 in Austin.

In February 2010, there were over 40 junior roller derby programs across four countries at various stages in development. In 2013 junior roller derby grew its international presence including 38 international leagues located in Canada, Belgium, Japan and Australia. Inter-league competition of all junior leagues worldwide is maintained by the Junior Roller Derby Association (JRDA).

Junior Roller Derby Association (JRDA)

On October 1, 2009, the Junior Roller Derby Association (JRDA) was formally established. Continuing to grow and thrive, JRDA implemented a formal membership program providing junior leagues with resources such as:

In the last three months of 2009 the board of directors with assistance from dedicated committee volunteers drafted policies and mission statements needed to begin local grassroots junior roller derby programs.

In 2010 the JRDA began the process of incorporating in Austin, Texas as a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation for promoting the advancement of national and international amateur athletics through roller derby.

The mission of JRDA is to nurture bold self-confidence in youth by developing teamwork and athletic ability while treasuring individuality within a culture of integration, encouragement, and service to others. JRDA partners with competitive & recreational junior leagues, communities & schools, mentors & families; to empower youth through the international sport of roller derby. [2]

The JRDA uses The Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby as per the Women's Flat Track Derby Association with addenda. [3]

Junior Roller Derby championships

In 2014, the JRDA hosted the first junior roller derby championships in Daytona Beach, Florida. 17 National JRDA Member Leagues participated in a 2-day Tournament played on 4 tracks.

With the implementation of the JRDA Games Dept., and newly formed Games Sanctioning policy, Team Divisions, and Team Rankings System at the end of 2014, the JRDA highlighted the top teams in the world with an invitation to participate in the 2015 JRDA Championships, held in Kent, Washington. The top teams from each Division played at the highest level of Junior Derby over 3 days on 2 tracks.

YearHostFemale DivisionOpen Division
1st PlaceResult2nd Place1st PlaceResult2nd Place
2015 Flag of the United States.svg Kent, Washington Seattle Derby Brats-Galaxy Girls189 - 168I-5 RollergirlsCalifornia Mayhem231 - 160The Attack Pack
2016 [4] Lincoln, Nebraska Seattle Derby Brats291-98Angel CityDes Moines214-189Mob City Misfits
2017 [4] Loveland, Colorado Seattle Derby Brats210-142Santa Cruz Derby GromsDiamond City Minors218-157FoCo Spartans
2018 [5] Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Santa Cruz Derby Groms177-154Seattle Derby BratsDiamond City Minors230-188Des Moines
2019 [6] Loveland, Colorado Los Anarchists150-123Santa Cruz Derby GromsDiamond City Minors206-73Philly Roller Derby Juniors
2020 - cancelled Kalamazoo, Michigan
2022 [7] Phoenix, Arizona Rose City Rollers Juniors140-136Santa Cruz Derby GromsPhilly Roller Derby Juniors199-90Cherry City Cherry Blossoms

Junior Roller Derby World Cup

YearHostFinals3rd place playoff
ChampionResultRunner Up3rdResult4th
2015 Flag of the United States.svg Kent, Washington Flag of the United States.svg USA West194 - 139 Flag of the United States.svg USA East Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada258 - 114 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia
2018 Flag of the United States.svg Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania Flag of the United States.svg USA West Flag of the United States.svg USA East Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia
2021 - cancelled [8] Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Regina, Saskatchewan

2015

JRDA 2015 World Cup Bracket WC Bracket Completed.png
JRDA 2015 World Cup Bracket

July 2015 the JRDA hosted the inaugural Junior Roller Derby World Cup held in Kent, Washington.

Although a number of nations were expected to participate, only 3 countries attended, with the USA providing two teams, one representing USA West and the other USA East. The two other nations were Canada and Australia. [9]

The first day of competition saw each team play each other to determine seeding for the following days competition bracket. The final was won by USA West defeating USA East. Canada took third place over Australia.

2018

The 2018 edition of the Junior Roller Derby World Cup was held in Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania in July 2018. [5] The participating nations again were Australia, Canada and the United States split into East and West teams whilst Team Great Britain Junior Roller Derby [10] and a Europe representative team were involved for the first time.

2021

The 2021 Junior World Cup host city was announced as the Canadian city of Regina, Saskatchewan. [8] however this was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [11]

2023

The 2023 Junior World Cup host city has been announced as the French city of Valence. [12]

JRDA and the AAU Junior Olympics

In February 2015 the JRDA made history when they announced their partnership with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) to bring Junior Roller Derby to one of the largest world stages by taking Junior Derby to the Olympics.

The JRDA was quoted in saying, "The Junior Roller Derby Association (JRDA) and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) are proud to present a unique competition opportunity for junior roller derby athletes in a co-ed event hosted in Lincoln, Nebraska July, 2016." [13]

They then went on to add, "In this collaboration with USARS to bring Jr Derby into the AAU Junior Olympics, the JRDA is taking a big step forward in the development of the sport." This will be the first Roller Derby games that will be played and recognized by an Olympic committee.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roller derby</span> Contact sport on roller skates

Roller derby is a roller skating contact sport played on an oval track by two teams of five skaters. It is played by approximately 1,250 amateur leagues worldwide, mostly in the United States.

The Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) is the international governing body for the sport of women's flat track roller derby. It sets the international standards for rankings, rules, and competition in the sport, and provides guidance and resources to aid development of roller derby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rat City Roller Derby</span> Roller derby league

Rat City Roller Derby is a women's flat-track roller derby league in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 2004 as Rat City Rollergirls, LLC, the league has incorporated alternative cultural influences, and has inspired and mentored other leagues. Rat City is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), and has achieved success on the WFTDA stage, qualifying for WFTDA Playoffs every season, including a second-place finish in the 2007 WFTDA Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose City Rollers</span> Roller derby league

The Rose City Rollers is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Portland, Oregon, operating as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). Established in 2004, the Rose City Rollers consists of a recreational program, four adult local home teams, and two all-star travel teams that represent the league in competition with others as well as junior skaters on six home teams with a travel team for Rose Petals (7–12) and a travel team for Rosebuds (12–17). Rose City's all-star travel team "Wheels of Justice" won the WFTDA Championships in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calgary Roller Derby</span> Roller derby league

Calgary Roller Derby is a not-for-profit women's flat-track roller derby league based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Calgary Roller Derby is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Cruz Roller Derby</span> Roller derby league

Santa Cruz Roller Derby (SCRD) is a women's flat track roller derby league in Santa Cruz, California. The first female, amateur flat-track roller derby league in Santa Cruz, SCRD is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Roller Derby</span> Roller derby league

London Roller Derby is a flat track roller derby league and a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). The league were founding members of the United Kingdom Roller Derby Association (UKRDA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denver Roller Derby</span> Roller derby league

Denver Roller Derby (DRD) is a flat-track roller derby league based in Denver, Colorado. The league was founded in December 2005. Denver Roller Derby is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), joining in December 2007 as Denver Roller Dolls. In January 2015, the league changed its name to Denver Roller Derby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona Roller Derby</span> Roller derby league

Arizona Roller Derby is Arizona's first all female roller derby league. It was founded in 2003 making it one of the oldest resurgence roller derby leagues in America. Arizona Roller Derby, abbreviated as AZRD, is one of the founding members of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philly Roller Derby</span> Roller derby league

Philly Roller Derby (PRD) is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2005, Philly Roller Derby is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tri-City Roller Derby</span> Roller derby league

Tri-City Roller Derby is a women's flat-track roller derby league in Kitchener, Ontario. On December 1, 2010, Tri-City became the third Canadian roller derby league to be granted membership in the Women's Flat Track Derby Association, Having only completed two full home seasons, Tri-City gained membership status with WFTDA ahead of their Toronto-based sisters at Toronto Roller Derby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiger Bay Brawlers</span> Roller derby league

Tiger Bay Brawlers (TBB) is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded in April 2010, the league has two teams that compete against teams from other leagues. Tiger Bay is a member of the United Kingdom Roller Derby Association (UKRDA) and the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WFTDA Championships</span>

The International Women's Flat Track Derby Association Championships are the leading competition for roller derby leagues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terminal City Roller Derby</span> Roller derby league

Terminal City Roller Derby (TCRD) is a flat track roller derby league based in Vancouver. Founded in January 2006 as Terminal City Rollergirls, TCRD is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omaha Roller Derby</span> Roller derby league

Omaha Roller Derby is a flat-track roller derby sports-league based in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 2006 as Omaha Rollergirls, the league is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ottawa Valley Roller Derby</span> Roller derby league

Ottawa Valley Roller Derby (OVRD) is a flat track roller derby league based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The league was created from a merger in 2018 between two local leagues that had been formed in 2008: Rideau Valley Roller Derby and Capital City Derby Dolls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nottingham Hellfire Harlots Roller Derby</span> Roller derby league

Nottingham Hellfire HarlotsRoller Derby is a flat track roller derby league based in Nottingham, England. Founded in April 2010, the league has two travel teams who play against teams from other leagues. It is a member of the United Kingdom Roller Derby Association (UKRDA) and the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dead End Derby</span> Roller derby league

Dead End Derby (DED) is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Christchurch, New Zealand. The league currently consists of 4 teams. Two competitive adult travel teams, the "Death Stars" A team and "Living Dead Rollers" B team, 1 development team "Dead Seas" and 1 Juniors Team "The Rolling Dead".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlottesville Derby Dames</span> Roller derby league

Charlottesville Derby Dames (CDD) is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 2007, CDD is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).

The Men's Roller Derby World Cup is an international tournament in the sport of men's roller derby. The first World Cup was held between 14–16 March 2014 in Birmingham, England. The event has since been held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in July 2016, and Barcelona, Spain on April 5–8, 2018 The next tournament is to be hosted in St. Louis, Missouri, USA on 9–12 July 2020.

References

  1. "About Us - Seattle Derby Brats". 2021-04-16. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
  2. "ABOUT JRDA". Junior Roller Derby Association. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
  3. "RULES". Junior Roller Derby Association. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
  4. 1 2 "2014-2017 JRDA CHAMPS". Junior Roller Derby Association.
  5. 1 2 "2018 JRDA CHAMPS". Junior Roller Derby Association.
  6. "2019 JRDA CHAMPS". Junior Roller Derby Association.
  7. "2022 CHAMPS". Junior Roller Derby Association. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
  8. 1 2 "2021 JRDA World Cup". Junior Roller Derby Association.
  9. "Nations - Junior Roller Derby World Cup". Archived from the original on 2015-07-22. Retrieved 2015-07-18.
  10. "Team GB Junior Roller Derby". Team GB Junior Roller Derby. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  11. "Previous COVID Updates (through the end of the 2020-2021 membership season)" (PDF). Junior Roller Derby Association. 1 May 2020.
  12. "JRDA EVENTS". Junior Roller Derby Association. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  13. "JRDA/AAU Junior Olympics". www.juniorrollerderby.org. Retrieved 2016-03-25.