Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Why was London LOCO Roller Derby founded, if London has a WFTDA-style league already playing in London?

A: Low Contact recreational roller derby is suited for a larger participation group, as it is geared for women that for varying reasons, do not want to play aggressive full-contact roller derby. Think of it like flag football versus the CFL, or playground basketball versus the NBA. We can still have all the fun and team spirit of roller derby, without being full-time athletes, and without the higher risk of injuries.

We encourage you, if you are interested in playing full-contact roller derby to please let us know! We’re here to help you enjoy roller derby in all its forms.

Q: What do I need to do to join?

A:

1) Show up! We practice every Friday night, 7-9 PM at the YMCA Centre Branch in downtown London, ON at 382 Waterloo St.
2) Get your roller skates, safety gear, and smile together!
3) Be willing to learn and overcome fears as you start training on roller skates!

Q: What does it all cost?

A: Skate for one session for $5. Purchase 10 sessions in advance for $40 in advance for convenience.
If you decide to become a full scrimmaging member, you’ll also need insurance to cover any expenses over OHIP if you happen to fall and get hurt. We may be reduced contact, but you’re still on roller skates and playing a sport, so we want to insure that you have all the money you need in the event of an injury. Insurance is only $50 per year and covers you to skate with LOCO at any LOCO practice or event.

Q: What equipment do I need?
A:

1) Skates
Quad roller skates or quad speed skates are required.
Artistic boots or speed boots are your choices. Artistic boots are higher and offer more ankle support if you have weak ankles, but provide less ankle mobility for roller derby skating. It’s a personal choice, and trust us, your starter skates may last a very long time, but will not be your last pair if you like roller derby! Speed boots are most common. We will strengthen those ankles in no time! If you do not have skates today, we have limited loaners available, but we will need to know when you plan to attend and what shoe size/skate size you need. We are currently sponsored by RollerSkates R Us and can refer you for used skates and new skates locally, and we recommend Rollergirl.ca. For clothing and other accessories, we’re sponsored by Wicked SkateWear, so once you are a member, you’ll get a discount code!

2) Safety equipment
a) Knees
Although we will let you skate with any pads of your choice, we recommend a skateboard/skating knee pad with at least 1 ½ inches of padding. This is so that you can learn to fall safely, and to perform exercises on your skates more comfortably. Recommended brands are Triple 8, 187 and Fatboy for skaters over 150 lbs, and Pro-Tec Street is a reasonably priced option for all skaters. These pads work for skateboarding and aggressive skating and offer the best protection for you.
b) Elbows
Same as above. Some falls we teach require elbow pads to connect with the floor, and we want you to be protected.
c) Wrists
A wrist guard protects the weak wrist joint from injury when you use your hands to prevent a fall, which is common for beginners when they fall backwards.
d) Mouth guard
You can pick a boil-and-bite mouth guard up at any sports/hockey equipment type store. We recommend you pay the little bit extra for a SHOCK DOCTOR mouth guard, as it comes with insurance. In case you fall and face-plant, you want your smile to stay pretty! Plus, it helps prevent concussions from biting down hard and suddenly during a fall.
e) Helmet
We recommend a skate or skateboard helmet, but any helmet certified for skating or cycling is acceptable for beginners.

For first timers:

Rollerblades, rollerblade starter pads, bike helmets, and low-level mouth guards are accepted for first-timers that are just trying it out.
We have very limited, first-come, first-serve extra pieces of gear, and loaner skates, but we don’t recommend that you depend on it! Please obtain your own safety equipment, even if you are borrowing it, or getting loaner skates from LOCO.

Otherwise, your first night can include some off-skate training and off-skate advice on what to work on until you have skates, and you can observe the practice to see if you are excited by it and want to come back. Please don’t be shy and don’t be scared. We start you off very slow and protected and teach you how to safely skate, stop, and even fall without injury.

Q: What if I can’t come to a practice?

A: That’s ok! There are no contractual agreements or attendance requirements for LOCO Roller Derby. We’d love to see you and play with you, but if you can’t make it, it’s fine. See you next time!

Q: Am I too old? Too big, too small, too young, too short, too tall?

A: No. If you’re female and aged 19 or over, you can come exercise with us on roller skates. All drills will be provided with modifications for beginners, intermediate skaters, and advanced skaters. You choose your own intensity level and your own skill level. And since are playing low contact modified rules, it won’t matter what size you are, you’ll be able to play when we start scrimmaging.

Q: Will I get hurt?

A. Just like any physical activity (running, cycling, skiing, swimming) there’s always a chance of an injury occurring.   For our regular practices at the YMCA location, first aid is on-hand. For your own and informal practices, we recommend you skate in locations like the North London Optimist Center, where you can get help. Once you are comfortable on your skates, you can start skating outdoors, but skate in a buddy system, have a cell phone, or skate in public areas.

Q: Where will we practice?

Our formal practices are held at the YMCA Centre Branch, 382 Waterloo St., corner King, London, ON. We have the North and South gyms, entrance is North Gym. When you enter the YMCA, tell the desk you are there for LOCO Roller Derby and they will let you in. Go downstairs for the gym.

Informal skate groups for more practice attend Wednesday and possible weekend skate times at the North London Optimist Center. Skating costs about $7 with your own skates.  Rental skates are available there. Talk to Doug – who also owns our RollerSk8tesRUs sponsor company, for assistance at NLOCC.

And others skate everywhere. If you have outdoor wheels, go skate outdoors! The bike paths, park spaces, ball hockey outdoor area, skate parks, and your quiet residential streets(with smoother asphalt) are perfect places to skate. Please wear your safety gear when you’re outdoors!

10. When will we practice?

We practice on Fridays 7-9 PM, followed by a post-practice gathering at The Morrisey House around the corner. We will have beginner skating instruction, and drills to help you improve your skating abilities, speed, endurance, and agility, as well as advanced skating drills and roller derby scrimmages and practice.

Q: What should I expect? What should I wear and bring?

A: Expect to be welcomed, and we’ll first ask if you are already a skater, and you can choose what level to start at. Beginners will be Rookies, and we’ll have a rookies instructor assigned at every practice to help you learn the basics. You’ll also participate in some group drills and skate with the more advanced skaters so you can learn confidence and mingle. One you can safely skate, stop, and fall, you’re ready to start practicing more advanced movements.

Intermediate and Advanced skaters will have another instructor to give you some fun drills and practice things to do. Sometimes, we’ll play games as a group, or advanced skaters may pair up with less advanced skaters so we can all learn together.

And don’t forget, it’s about playing roller derby, so insured players will also be scrimmaging and playing roller derby in preparation for fun scrimmage bouts.

As for what to wear and bring:

Wear comfortable clothes that make you feel good in them. It’s not recommended to wear jeans or club-style clothes, as we will be wearing safety gear and sweating, falling, and sliding, but other than that it’s up to you. Anything from work-out pants to shorts, knee socks to fishnets, from skating skirts to athletic gear – it will work just fine. Think of comfort! Derby girls often wear leggings and shorts or boy-shorts, or mini-skirts over leggings or fishnets and boy shorts, or workout pants, or shorts, with knee socks, (to protect their legs from falls/slides). T-shirts and tank tops are best, but bring a track jacket or something to prevent chills when you leave if we have been sweating. Whatever you want to wear that you can skate, fall, and slide in – will work just fine. All of our indoor practice locations will have somewhere to change prior to and after practices.

Once you are insured and ready to scrimmage, please bring a red and a black shirt to practice, so we can split into teams easier.

Bring your skates and safety equipment and a water bottle! It’s important to hydrate, and particularly important if you are new.

Q: Will we do anything besides skate and train like derby girls?

A: Yes! London LOCO Roller Derby hopes to grow into an organization that is part of the London community, and that will raise funds, not only for our own training and playtime, but for organizations important to our city. We might do parties, sell raffles, or show up in skates at various events. We’ll decide as a league what fund-raising and charities we will participate in.

There will often be after-practice gatherings (after-parties) drinks, sewing/craft circles, gear cleaning and repair clinics, and informal gatherings, as well as formal league meetings when we’ll talk about how things are progressing and what we want to do next. We hope that many friendships will grow from our time sweating together, and are open to suggestions for events. This is not only an exercise class, but can also be a great way to network, make new friends, and participate in charitable activities while you get in shape! We are about the three Fs of roller derby: FUN, FITNESS and FRIENDSHIP!

Special Events will also be common occurrences. Everyone will be welcome to join! Just because we are retired and non-hitting skaters that don’t want to get hurt anymore, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t remain fans and supporters of full-contact roller derby, too!

You can also volunteer! Are you interested in becoming a board member? In leading practices? Can you help with promotions for LOCO Roller Derby? Do you know of any sponsors or companies that might help us procure training space, equipment, gear, or money for promotions? Can you sew and help make training equipment? Let us know and we’ll find jobs to suit you!



For more info: info@locorollerderby.com