Ontario's Recreational Flat-Track Roller Derby League

LOCO Roller Derby will have it’s first Board of Directors meeting on Saturday March 20, 2010 at 1 PM. We invite all interested sponsors, members, current skaters and members, or other parties to send their questions or concerns to locorollerderby@gmail.com prior to the meeting so that the agenda can include your requests and issues. Meeting minutes and Board decisions will be published to the members of LOCO Roller Derby that have voting rights for final approval, and for non-members, if an issue has been raised, we will advise you of the decisions.

Following the BOD meeting, we are holding our first quarterly skate maintenance clinic. This first clinic is from 3-5 PM on March 20 2010, open to all LOCO Roller Derby members and skaters (so come on out and skate with us this Friday to get an invite!) and we’ll be teaching the new skaters how to take apart their skates and put them back together. How to clean bearings, and how to adjust stoppers. We’ll also talk about outdoor skating, with Spring on the way, and the differences in wheel types, hardness and skate setup for different styles of derby skaters.

We’ve also started showing the world our league, with video of our Games on Skates, and pictures in our Facebook Group. Check out some of us below:

POLO on Roller Skates – one of the games we play at the end of practice to help relax and practice skating.

We’re happy to report that more women are coming out every week. We’ve taught at least 4 women how to skate and already seen a dozen others get great workouts every Friday night. We are proud to announce that Loco Roller Derby now has an acting Board of Directors, as well as a Skater Training Committee and Promotions Committee.

Board of Directors:

Nia Capps, aka Tracy Brock, President.
Vansterdamn, aka Vanessa Winters, Vice President
Switch Hit Her, aka Natalie Hebert, Treasurer
Ashley Desjardine, Secretary
Roxem Hard, aka Melissa Schneider, Skater representative.

Training Committee:
Nia Capps
Roxem Hard – Skater representative
Betty Bones
Vegas
Assascin

Promotions:
Ashley Desjardine
Nia Capps
Vansterdamn
Julia Clobberts

If you’d like to learn to roller skate, or you’d like to join LOCO roller derby, and help grow the sport of roller derby in London, and SW Ontario, please read the information on this website, including the membership requirements, and come on out to skate with us on Fridays at the YMCA – Centre Branch, corner of Waterloo and King, London, ON.  7-9 PM, change rooms and showers available.  Please note, if you are a member of a full contact Roller Derby league already, you are more than welcome to come skate with us for extra practice time, but note, Low Contact means we do not do checks or hard hits.

In recent weeks, LOCO Roller Derby Skaters have worked on strength building and endurance training, as well as some agility and pack work. We’ve also had relay races in honor of the Olympics, and played freeze tag on skates as our drill break time. Not a bad way to sweat for 2 hours! And remember, after practice, you’re welcome to join the group that heads to The Morrisey House around the corner for drinks, water, after-practice snacks and laughs.

See you there next Friday!

Nia Capps, President

We’d like to think all the brave and fearless women that showed up to skate with us on Friday night. It so much fun to meet everyone and see everyone skating so well! The night went very well, and was a lot of fun. We started with a free skate time, while some beginners got a lesson in a simple way to stop, and a simple and safe way to fall to prevent injuries. A second round of beginners were then assisted with their first time on roller skates, while the skaters in our intermediate and advanced group did drills to help build strength and endurance.

We ended the night with a combined skating period, and then cooled down and practiced some of what we learned with a few rounds of “Red-light, Green-light” on skates.

Next week, we’ll increase the drill time, decrease the free skate time, but we’ll still make time to laugh and play a game or two.

So, LOCO Roller Derby is open for business. For the next few weeks, all you have to do is show up at the YMCA just before 7 PM on a Friday night and ask for the LOCO Roller Derby gym rental. Once inside, go down the stairs to your right, and turn right twice – follow the signs for LOCO ROLLER DERBY or the South Gym. (We get both gyms, but that entrance is best). You can change and lock your stuff in the ladies locker room that you don’t need near you in the gym (bring your own lock), and speak to our mini-pro shop owner, if you have any skate problems or want to shop for gear.

Tape  up your knee pads to protect the light-colored basketball courts (hockey tape – ask if you need some!), and get your skates on. We’ll start a but after 7 and we’ll skate until we leave at 9.

If you have any questions, please email us at locorollerderby@gmail.com or join our Loco Roller Derby facebook group.

See you next week!

- Nia Capps

It’s signed and sealed! Come on out to the opening night of LOCO Roller Derby on February 12, 2010, and get 2 hours of learn to skate time (if you don’t know how) and 2 hours of roller derby-style drills and free skate time for a great workout with some great people! Learn to play low contact roller derby!

When: February 12, 2010 (That’s a Friday)

Where: YMCA – Centre Branch, 382 Waterloo, London, ON.

Time: 7 -9 PM. Please arrive early, and particularly early if you need roller skates  or loaner gear. We start skating at 7 PM! Go to the front desk and tell them you are here for LOCO Roller Derby in the gym. Look for signs or someone wearing a LOCO T-Shirt or roller skates for help.

Cost: $5 per person

Bring:

Roller Skates – first timers, Rollerblades are okay. Limited skates available on-site starting as low as $10 for purchase.

Safety Gear – Knee and elbow pads, wrist guards, and a helmet are minimally required. Starter pads, bike helmets, anything will get you started. If you have skate pads, even better!

To ask for loaner gear, special skate sizes for purchase, or for more info on the group or membership,  Email us: info at locorollerderby.com

LOCO Roller Derby = Low Contact Roller Derby and we’re coming to London, ON! If you are female, over 19 years old, and you roller skate, or want to, come on out and skate LOCO. Have you seen today’s roller derby or  heard about the resurgence of roller derby with over 300 leagues currently operating and National events each year in the US and Canada? Why is this sport taking hold of so many women, from so many walks of life? Because it’s so fun!

But for those of us that want a little less bone-crushing hits and aggression in our playtime, LOCO Roller Derby is a way to learn and play recreational-style roller derby, which has modified blocking rules to prevent hitting. You thought it was hard to get through a roller derby pack when you could hit them, try it when you can’t! But don’t despair, we’ll train together until we are all at a level where we can play together safely, so let’s get started! We’ll learn to skate, to skate better, to skate aggressively, and then for those that want to play, we’ll learn no-hit roller derby.

You can skate for $5 per session or buy 10 sessions for only $40 and come play an skate at your own pace.

Check the ABOUT sections for more information, and for all the requirements to join LOCO Roller Derby! Contact us for details on any questions and we will see you on the skate floor!

ETA for first event: February 12, 2010. Get ready!