want to learn how to play roller derby?
Kent Roller Derby welcomes women, trans women, intersex women and/or gender-expansive over 18 and want to skate with us!
Experience skaters, lockdown learners and “Never worn a pair of skates” folks have a place here to develop and grow their skills in our Rec League.
Founded in July 2013, our rec league skaters follow a program which is designed to teach all the skills needed to be a main league skater for KRD. However, if you just want to come along on a more casual basis and have a bit of fun on 8 wheels, that’s cool too!
We hold open sessions the first Sunday of every month which are run by our Main League skaters. These sessions are great opportunity to meet some of the KRD team and Rec Leaguers as well as an introduction to Roller Derby.
So, wanna play some roller derby?
✮ Open sessions ✮
first sunday of every month
Do you want to join sooner!? Join us for our Rec League sessions every Sunday from 4:45pm to 6:45pm at The Bay Arena in Herne Bay.
So mark your calendars and get ready for an exhilarating roller derby experience with the Kent Roller Derby Rec League!
Join our Rec League Sessions and Experience the Thrills of Roller Derby!
Follow us on social media for updates
What Will I Need?
SKATES:
For our recreational league we can supply the skates. However, if you would prefer to buy your own there is no need to shell out lots of money on skates, you can get quad skates for about £30-£50 to start with. If you are looking to spend slightly more money, we urge you to seek recommendations from other skaters about different makes and styles as everyone has their favourites and have had issues with others! You don’t want to shell out the big bucks for equipment that is not suitable. All our members love chatting about their gear and will help you out in our dedicated Facebook groups.
ELBOW AND KNEE PADS:
We can’t stress enough the importance of decent kneepads, you only have one set of knees and they are very expensive to replace! You’ll want to look for the “vert” or “aggressive” styles that skateboarders use on ramps. Be wary of knee pads that come in sets, the protective plastic covers tend to be small, and chances are that if they are small, they won’t protect your knees properly. With kneepads you will find that it is worth buying the best you can afford but we have loads of different styles you can try while you save up. You will also need a set of elbow pads, again look for the “vert” or “aggressive” styles.
WRISTGUARDS:
Double splint styles will give you the best protection possible so we highly recommend them. They are reasonably priced, around £10-15. Make sure you get the correct size so they fit securely and don’t move on impact.
HELMET:
A skate helmet is the best thing to get for roller derby. Cycle helmets do not offer the right protection for your head. Skate helmets start from around £15. You don’t need to spend a fortune on a fancy helmet you just need to make sure it protects your head adequately and that it fits properly, wearing a helmet that is a million miles too big won’t protect your head if you fall.
MOUTHGUARD:
Way more necessary than you can imagine! You can pick these up cheaply at most sports shops so there’s no reason to put anything at risk! If you can afford to spend a bit more cash, Sisu mouth guards are excellent and come highly recommended as they allow you to drink and speak much more freely!
Please don’t hesitate to contact us to ask if a certain make or style of any pads/skates/helmets will be suitable and worth spending your money on. There are plenty of great derby-run skate shops (like Double Threat Skates) and websites online that you can contact too, so don’t hesitate to ask if your unsure. Its better to send a few e-mails rather then buy a load of gear you can’t use.
Although KRD does have a good selection of spare pieces of equipment, these are available on a first come first serve basis and you won’t be able to participate in practices if you are not properly protected – our free open days can get pretty busy!
FAQs
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You do not to have your own kit before you’ve given roller derby a go. KRD are able to supply skates and protective gear, thought we have a limited supply therefore, we do first come first serve basis. Before you attend an open day/rec session, you’ll be ask what gear you will need and we’ll our best to cater to everyone.
The only piece of kit we don’t lend out (for hygiene reasons) are mouth guards. It’s important to state that you cannot skate without your mouth guard.
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Comfort is key! Wear clothing you can move freely in and breathable is ideal.
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Absolutely! Everyone at Kent Roller Derby started somewhere.
No matter your ability, we’ll support you throughout the sessions until you’re ready for competing at main league, if thats where you choose to be!
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No worries if you missed an Open Day event, you can still join us on Sundays at our Rec League sessions! Whatever level or ability you are at, we’ll help you along your roller derby journey.
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If you’d like to transfer to our team then message us here.