No longer available online
Limited tickets available on the door
Tell your friends you're coming!
Want to learn to play roller derby? Come along to Rainy City Rookies! Rookies is open to everyone, whether you’re an experienced skater or you’ve never put skates on in your life.
The next specially designed programme starts on Friday 13th September (tickets are still available for 1 week after for those who can’t make the first week) and we are selling tickets for the first 9 weeks half price. What are you waiting for?
You can also drop in on Fridays, pay £6 a session and learn at your own pace. Just contact us to let us know you’re coming. Skates, pads and helmets will all be provided.
What you will learn...
Rookies covers all the skills you need to pass the minimum skills test and play roller derby. It’s also a great way to master the skills needed to become a Skating Official. Learn from some of the best! Rookies are coached by skaters from our competitive teams.
⚡️Beginners join Skate School and learn the fundamental skate skills: how to skate (forwards and backwards!), stop, weave, transition, jump and use your toe stops.
⚡️Once you’ve aced Skate School, you’ll join Derby 101 and learn more skills to play the game: how to accelerate, make walls, block, and jam.
Skate School and Derby 101 run simultaneously every 8 weeks and you can redo them as many times as you like. Your ninth week is the minimum skills assessment.
Join our Rookies Facebook group to ask any questions, meet your coaches, and get all the updates.
Rainy City Rising
So what happens when you’ve passed your WFTDA minimum skills assessment?
Rising is Rainy City’s fourth team and is a great place for Rookie graduates to learn everything there is to know about roller derby.
Rising also have regular pizza nights, and who doesn’t love piza?
FAQs
When are your Rookies sessions?
Rookies training runs every Friday 7pm until 9pm, but please arrive at 6.30pm if it’s your first time to get kitted up and put your skates on. We rarely cancel our Rookies sessions, but if we do, we’ll announce it on our Rookies Facebook group.
What should I wear?
Wear something that you can move comfortably in. You will probably get quite sweaty and will need room for leg movement – so leave the jeans and jumpers at home. Most skaters tend to wear shorts or leggings with vests or t-shirts.
What should I bring to Rookies?
We have plenty of pads, helmets and quad skates for you to hire, so you don’t need to buy everything before you’re ready to commit to the sport. If you have your own quad skates then feel free to bring them along, as long as they don’t have black toestops as they mark our floor. The only extra equipment you’ll need is a mouth guard, you can buy that at the Thunderdome when you need it.
Visit our Rookies page for answers to more FAQs.
@ the Thunderdome
Our home venue is entirely run and managed by Rainy City Roller Derby and all ticket sales go directly to supporting the league. It’s easy to get to by public transport or car, just next to the Oldham tram stop, or off junction 20 of the M60.
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