Women's Flat Track Derby Association Adds Six Member Leagues

AUSTIN, TEXAS – The Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) accepted six new member leagues Dec. 1. These women’s flat track roller derby leagues—including the first member in Australia — have graduated from the WFTDA Apprentice Program and now qualify for full membership benefits, including voting rights, ranking and tournament eligibility.

WFTDA congratulates the following new members:

Ark Valley High Rollers – Salida, Colorado Lowcountry High Rollers – Charleston, South Carolina Mid-Iowa Rollers, Des Moines, Iowa Red Stick Roller Derby – Baton Rouge, Louisiana Victorian Roller Derby League – Melbourne, Victoria, Australia New River Valley Rollergirls – Christiansburg, Virginia

This graduation continues WFTDA's steady membership growth and marks the expansion of the association's membership to a third continent with the Victorian Roller Derby League (VRDL), the first league to join from Australia. VRDL is a women’s flat track roller derby league founded at the start of 2007.

WFTDA comprises 200 member and apprentice leagues. There are 70 apprentice leagues working their way through the WFTDA Apprentice Program, which is designed to act as a “WFTDA 101” tutorial. The Apprentice Program matches new leagues with an established WFTDA mentor who guides her apprentice through the processes and requirements necessary to become a full member. The amount of time a league needs to be in the Apprentice Program varies according to the needs and experience level of that league.

New leagues are accepted to and graduate from the Apprentice Program quarterly. The next group of graduates is anticipated in March 2012.