07 Apr, 2019

Photo credit : Shirlaine Forrest I had the pleasure to interview Wolf #57, who I met a few years ago for the first time and whose determination inspires me every day.  If anything I learned that determination is key in becoming a successful Roller Derby Player!     Skater Name: Wolf Number: 57 League: Manchester Roller Derby Team: New Wheeled Order / Chaos Engine Crossover Year you started roller derby: 2017 Q. What is your pre-derby sports/skating background? A. I didn't do much sport from

02 Apr, 2019

This is an open letter to anyone who feels different. Oh hey, that’s all of us. It’s been a big few days for me and my league. All in the same weekend, I refereed my first British champs games and my league was shortlisted for a diversity award, the day before Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV). All of these events, for me especially, have a really important connection. You see, I’m a transgender man. Refereeing champs as my true self was scary, exciting, tiring… but most of all, a bit

27 Jan, 2019

It’s such a joy to see your team mates pass their minimum skills. It’s especially a joy when you are their coach, and you watch them blossom from a wobbly-legged freshie into a fully fledged skater and a pivotal part in your wheelie family. This interview is with someone who to me, is just that. Briony (Frostbite #85) passed her minimum skills last night (25.1.2019 at time of writing) after starting on our beginner’s course only 7 months ago! What a roller coaster it has been, and a pleasure to

22 Nov, 2018

Just yesterday I contributed to a post in the "Freshies worldwide" Facebook group, about the most effective ways to recruit for your league. This is such a huge part of roller derby, obviously because you need members to form a team! My league is 3.5 years old now, and part of my role has always been finding the best ways to recruit people. My contribution to the post yesterday was all about our skate & cake event, and it seemed to get a lot of interest, so I thought I'd write a bit about what

15 Aug, 2018

You may have heard about a brand new venture in Manchester, "Hive Skate Hub". We got really excited about this and wanted to find out more, so last week we caught up with Missy Rascal & Blondie from Rainy City to find out what makes it stand out from all the rest. Here's the low down: "Hive Skate Hub is primarily a skate shop, providing a range of roller skating products with a specialism in roller derby. We stock the latest products that a beginner or advanced roller derby skater will need

05 Jul, 2018

Our very first blog post is the first in a series of guest interviews, and this interview is with none other than the amazing Coffin / Spark Plug from Anchor City Rollers. Thank you Coffin for a great interview! Hi! Can you start by telling us a little about yourself? Where are you located? What league do you skate for? How long did you coach fresh meat? So my name is Stephanie Coffin, I am located out of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. My derby name is Coffin, my ref name is Spark Plug, and my