In my usual early week review of all things roller derby, I heard about the Central New York Roller Derby league that has split. Now we have the CNYRD and the Utica Roller Girls.

So let's look at the Pros and Cons of starting a new league, or splitting your league:

Pros:
-You can correct mistakes and use your past experiences to build a better organization
-You can direct your new league to be more go or more show (concentrate on development of athletics, or development of crowd-pleasing as you see fit)
-You can have control over where your dues are going and can use a communication style that fits you better.
-You can make your own rules and not go by the original league rules.
-If starting a new league, you get the automatic gratitude of your future new recruits when they fall in love with roller derby.
- You'll have more networking opportunities. Let's face it, be honest, we all want to be popular.
-You may have a higher position than you had before, so you may have more access to training and information than a basic skater.

Cons:
-If you are splitting: You dilute the talent pool if there is a league in your city already. Depending on your numbers of new recruits each year, you'll now have competition for those new skaters that could be super stars.
-You will have to compete for media coverage, promotion, sponsors and fans. With the economy being in a recession, people do not have as much money to spend on a family of 4 at $15 ticket prices with snacks and merch as often.
-You may have a lot of drama and gossip and fighting amongst the former league members, and the ones that come with you. Now, if you're into that kind of drama, more power to you. This also depends on the amicability of the split and the size of your city.
-You undermine roller derby to the fans and the original league to other roller derby leagues, which can hurt fan sales, fundarising, and future bout contractual agreeements.

-If it's a new league in a new city, it will be a LOT of work. Be prepared for it! And be aware that you will not make everyone happy all the time.
-If you're a new league: Getting sponsorship is hard.
- You will have to devote twice as much time to roller derby, because now you're a skater, as well as part of the business that has to run the business.
- You will need partners and other board members to help you. And you will have to trust each other.
- Leaders have to lead. So you will need to work harder, try harder, practice more, and inspire others with your greatness, or at least your commitment to greatness.

I am sure there are other issues, I couldn't list them all. And every city is different. But if you're thinking of splitting, or of creating your own league in a own with or without roller derby, it's important to do what's best for roller derby in your town. Roller Derby is bigger than a single skater.

Everyone can't be happy all the time, but if some people can be happy most of the time, and most people can be happy some of the time, and a few people are unhappy only some of the time, then that's probably as good as it's going to get.

Ok, I am talking about this because I miss roller derby and if starting a new league would fix my time issues and allow me to go back to full-time training and practice tomorrow, part of me would say, YEAH! do it! But the logical, derby luvver part of me says, no. There's already a lot of roller derby and some awesome leagues in my part of Ontario (ToRD, GTA, Hammer City, Tri-City, London (Forest City)) and it would be bad for roller derby. So I'll be patient for '09.

In the meantime, I have the GMDD skills clinic with Bonnie D Stroir and Bully Julie of San Diego in two weeks, and I am trying to arrange a practice with the Blue Ridge Rollergirls in NC for my annual US Thanksgiving trip home, and I am also waiting for a final trip approval for a business trip that will allow me to catch a practice with the Rocky Mountain Roller Girls in Denver in early December.

Keep your elbows down and skate hard!
Later,
Nia

PS - 47th day of no smoking - I'm making it! Over halfway through my 90 day challenge. And I am a non-smoker!

Labels: GTA Rollergirls, Hammer City, HCRG, practice space, rollergirls, team building, training, Travel

my power adapter for my macbook recently broke, and a new one costs 80 #$%@&* dollars! therefore, if you have one to discard, please send it to me.

i recently just went to new york to skate with thegotham girls! they are great gals, and run an excellent practice. i am also very jealous of their sport court floor, and warehouse.

i would LOVE to have warehouse space. if only all leagues could have such accessibility to a great practice space all the time. my league practices outside of montreal at a roller skating rink. the space is great! although the rink is often coated in dirt, lame teenagers work at the rink, our practice times are limited, and they don't really want us there.

sometimes you just want to feel wanted. y'know what i'm sayin?

once you find a place though, i assume that it could be stressful. your leagues monthly expenditures would increase greatly, hydro fees are always a bitch (in canada anyway..). and security issues could also be problematic.

so in the end, is a warehouse worth it?

i think so. the only thought that continues to pop back into my head is, access to skating indoors, ALL OF THE TIME.

you southern ladies have it good. today in montreal it went down to about 6 degrees (i've seen MUCH worse!), and i froze my lil toe stoppers off. anyone who can skate outdoors all year round, has it made!

don't worry about me though..because next week i will be in san diego for the B&T training camp! hell yeah!

anyway, i'm rambling and need to go to bed.


farewell roller derby enthusiasts,

georgia w tush

Labels: Gotham Girls, practice space