Roller Derby Update: 9/4/10

When women who have never seen Roller Derby before attend their first bout, usually the first thing they say is, "I could never do that." The second is, "How can I get to do that?"

Well, worry no more: There are three ways to get involved with the flat track Texas Rollergirls this month, for youngsters, rec leaguers, and top tier competitors.

If you attended the last Texas Rollergirls bout of the 2010 season, you'll have seen the Best of Austin-winning Austin Derby Brats on the track before the main event. The Roller Derby peewee league, which is open to girls age 8 to 17, is expanding this year with a choice of two different practice sessions a week (Sundays 12.30-2 pm at Austin Sports Arena or Thursdays 6.30-8pm at the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex). Registration for the Fall 2010 session, including 12 practice sessions and three scrimmages, is open now until Sept. 19 (details here). You can register online or contact austinderbybrats(at)txrollergirls.com for more details.

The Rec-N-Rollerderby league is also starting a new session: The 2010 scrimmage session II, intended for experienced returning skaters, runs Sept. 15-Oct. 10, with a skills assessment session on Sept. 12. Qualified applicants can find the enrollment forms here. Sometimes self-described as the mom's league, the rec league has produced more than a few Texas Rollergirls, including several of this year's red shirt Texecutioners. We'll have the details about next year's sessions as soon as they become available.

For the more experienced competitors out there, the Texas Rollergirls will be holding their 2010 try-outs at Playland Skate Center at 7pm, Mon. Sept. 13. This could be your opportunity to skate in one of the top leagues in the nation, so be prepared to pack your A-game along with you pads and water.

Over in the banked track world, the TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls hold a fundraising garage sale today, Sept. 4, at The Thunderdome 510 E. St. Elmo, 8am-4pm. All cash raised will go to help their touring team, the All-Scar Army, on the road.