July 26, 2011
In response to your letter dated May 12, 2011, requesting that the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) “endorse our efforts and help pave the future of roller derby with USARS.”
We are delighted to see that USARS has taken a supportive interest in the modern roller derby movement as it flourishes and grows worldwide. However, the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association cannot offer an endorsement to USARS’ efforts to govern and direct the future of roller derby.
The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association believes that governance of roller derby should be seated with a body that has a particular knowledge of and influence with this unique discipline. It is our position that USARS is not widely recognized as an expert or leader in the modern sport of roller derby. The few roller derby resources USARS offers are vastly overshadowed by the membership, programs and resources developed by the WFTDA and other roller derby membership organizations. The leagues and skaters that participate in the modern sport of roller derby—inclusive of men’s and women’s roller derby, flat and banked track roller derby, adult and junior derby, US and international derby—do not acknowledge USARS as holding governance over the sport or providing resources in support of roller derby. Endorsement of the USARS governance efforts without the collaborative element that defines us would be a breach of our mission statement and a betrayal of our history, ideals, and members.
The governing philosophy of the WFTDA is “by the skaters, for the skaters.” Skaters are the primary owners, managers, and operators of each member league and of the association itself. The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association currently counts 189 member leagues, representing well over 10,000 athletes and officials. WFTDA develops and publishes all the rules, standards, and other guidelines by which the sport of roller derby is played. We promote athletic competition among our member leagues with public rankings and annual playoff and championship tournaments, where the highest level of roller derby play is showcased to a worldwide audience. Additionally, since 2005, WFTDA has been generating safety protocols for our sport, including recommendations for protective equipment, facility safety, return to play after injury, and emergency medical protocols.
Furthermore, the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association is the knowledge, training, and certification axis for roller derby officials. Since 2008, WFTDA has offered education for officials, consisting of a rigorous program of training, testing, evaluation, and certification. At this time, WFTDA has certified over 100 officials in one of five levels of officiating, and training clinics are available in ten locations worldwide this year. The WFTDA provides officiating resources to the general public as well, including the public release of the WFTDA rules, an annually updated guide to Officiating Standard Practices, and the recently released WFTDA Officiating Manual.
The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association actively partners with other roller derby organizations that share WFTDA’s core value of “skater owned and operated.” WFTDA has recently formalized a partnership with the Men’s Roller Derby Association (MRDA) and has burgeoning relationships with junior organizations and banked track roller derby groups. We value the development of all forms of roller derby, and encourage them to form membership organizations of their own, because their skaters are the experts on the game they have created and continue to play. We intend to stand next to these partner organizations as we collectively move toward standardizing and centralizing governance of roller derby internationally, across disciplines.
While we acknowledge and appreciate USARS’s support for roller derby as a growing and legitimate roller sport, we cannot formally endorse USARS efforts toward governance of roller derby. The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association is eager to work alongside athletes and organizations from all disciplines within roller derby to continue implementing universal rules and standards for the sport.
Sincerely,
Juliana Gonzales, Executive Director
Anna Krajcik, President, WFTDA Board of Directors
Alyssa Hoppe, WFTDA Board of Directors
Colleen Bell, WFTDA Board of Directors
Amy Hodge, WFTDA Board of Directors
Emily Trinks, WFTDA Board of Directors
Real. Strong. Athletic. Revolutionary.