BEFORE YOU GET STARTED

Before you strap on a pair of skates and get stuck in, you need to be aware of a few things.

Cautions and paperwork
First of all, roller derby is a full contact sport. It is played on skates, at speed. Injuries occur on a regular basis, ranging from a bruised bum to broken bones. You must be aware that when you get on track, you may get injured. We will try to teach you how to minimise the risk, and we aim to have first aid present at all practices and bouts, but the risk of injury remains. Before participating, you are required to sign a waiver relieving ARRG of any responsibility for any such injuries. You will find this waiver included in this welcome pack. Please complete it and hand it in before you get on track. This will also provide us with your contact information. We share the telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of everyone involved with ARRG, so if you would rather your number or e-mail are not shared, please let us know.
You will also need to complete a medical form, which you will find enclosed as well. In case of an emergency, this will provide us with an emergency contact and his or her details. At the bottom you will also be asked to provide medical details such as previous injuries, regular medication or allergies. This information is to make the first aiders aware and would be passed to healthcare professionals should you get injured. You are not obliged to complete this part of the waiver if you prefer not to. If you are uncomfortable, please state you would rather not say, rather than write ‘nothing’ or ‘none’. The information you do provide will be kept by our first aid team, and will not be shared with anyone else.

Equipment and clothing
Getting all your equipment together is not cheap. To find out if roller derby is for you, you may want to borrow equipment at first, and only spend money once you are certain you wish to become a roller girl.
To be allowed to skate, you must be wearing:
- Skates (you are allowed to practice on blades, but cannot bout without quads)
- A helmet
- Elbow pads
- Knee pads
- Wrist guards
When you are performing any contact drills, whereby you knock into one another, you will also be required to wear a mouth guard.
We will normally have at least one spare kit bag at practice and you are welcome to borrow the items in these bags for the duration of practice. Be aware that availability depends on how many new skaters there are. Spare kit is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The spare kit consists of items that skaters have donated, usually after they have upgraded their own equipment. It is normally not the best quality gear.
Skates are less readily available, and you may have to ask around to borrow a pair of skates that fits. If you do not do this well before your first practice, you may find yourself without skates.
Your clothing should be comfortable when skating. A pair of tight jeans or other very tight clothing may not be ideal to skate in. Think about the fact you will be falling over both intentionally and unintentionally and what kind of clothes would be most comfortable for you.
You are allowed to wear jewellery, provided it is not a hazard to other skaters. We do however encourage taking jewellery off before getting on track to prevent it catching on something or someone and injuring yourself. If you wear a ring, bear in mind that should you injure your arm, wrist or hand, your fingers are likely to swell. If that happens, the first aider will cut off your ring to save your finger. We have had to cut off someone’s engagement ring before, so consider leaving precious rings at home when you go skating.

Your first practice
Hopefully, a member of the New Skater committee will have told you when to show up where and who you should ask for. Don’t be afraid to approach a skater and ask who can help new skaters find their feet. A coach, experienced skater or first aider will be happy to take you through all the safety gear, find items in your size, answer your questions and introduce you around. Coming along for the first time can be a bit intimidating, but bear in mind all the roller girls started off as beginners, and will be happy to help themselves or point you in the right direction. We will make sure there will be somebody to look after you during your first practice.
One of the most important things to learn is how to fall safely, so be aware you will spend a lot of time during your first practices falling to your knees. Wearing decent knee pads makes this a whole lot easier. Also remember to bring a bottle of water to practice. You will need it.

GETTING INVOLVED
Should you find that skating with the Auld Reekie Roller Girls is the most fun you have ever had, and knocking girls off their skates is your sort of thing, you may want to get a bit more involved.
Protective gear and skates
To play roller derby competitively, you must wear quads. These are generally not cheap, and the ones that are cheap tend not to be very good. The girls will be happy to inform you where they got their skates and whether or not they were happy with their purchase. We have also added in this pack an information sheet containing the various places you will be able to buy or order your skates and safety gear. When buying your safety gear, remember that though expensive does not necessarily mean good, very cheap gear is often not suitable for roller derby. Helmets are generally quite inexpensive, easy to find and good quality. You may want to spend some extra time and money finding suitable knee pads that are the right kind for you. You will be using your knees to fall, brake and turn all the time, and wearing unsuitable pads may well cause damage to your knees. Your wrist guards may not come into contact with the floor as often, but when they do it is vital they protect you properly.