Category: press release

Philly Hosts 2017 WFTDA Champs

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Philadelphia, Pa., August 18 —  Philly Roller Derby (PRD) are proud to announce they will host the 2017 International Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) Championships, November 3-5, 2017, at Philadelphia’s own Liacouras Center. Tickets go on sale August 30.

 

Throughout September, the top 36 teams in the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association will compete in three fiercely competitive tournaments in Seattle, Malmö, and Dallas. All Playoffs feature 12 competitors, with the top four teams from each tournament advancing to the International WFTDA Championships at the Liacouras Center.

 

After more than a decade of pushing athleticism and competition to new heights, the 2017 International WFTDA Championships will bring the most talented, highly trained skaters and preeminent teams in women’s flat track roller derby together to fight for first place. Only the best have made it this far, and only the greatest will succeed.

 

“As a founding member of the WFTDA, Philly Roller Derby is excited and honored to host the 2017 International WFTDA Championships,” said PRD President Deborah Gorth. “Having finally established a home for our league in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia this year, we are more at home in Philly than ever and look forward to showcasing all our city has to offer when skaters, officials, and fans from around the world join us in November to watch the world’s greatest roller derby teams compete.”

 

In addition to hosting the 2017 International WFTDA Championships, PRD’s all-star Liberty Belles will compete for a spot at Champs during Division 1 Playoffs September 22-24 in Dallas PRD is currently the #8 seed in their playoff bracket. The Liberty Belles have participated in post-season Playoffs tournaments every year since 2007 and competed in all but four Championships tournaments.

 

Local media are invited to cover the 2017 International WFTDA Championships. Please apply for media credentials via https://wftda.com/tournament-credentials-for-media-and-photographers/.

 

ABOUT PHILLY ROLLER DERBY

Established in 2005, Philly Roller Derby’s mission is simple: to promote health, athleticism, and leadership skills in people of all ages through roller derby training and competition. PRD is a skater-owned and operated roller derby league and strives to develop relationships with other nonprofit organizations and charities, and to support groups within the great city of Philadelphia and beyond. For more information, visit http://phillyrollerderby.com/.

 

ABOUT WFTDA

The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association is the international governing body for the sport of flat track roller derby and a membership organization for leagues to collaborate and network. Founded in 2005, the WFTDA sets standards for rules, seasons, and safety, and determines guidelines for the athletic competitions of leagues on six continents. There are currently 404 WFTDA member leagues and 54 leagues in the WFTDA Apprentice program.

 

Contact: Amanda Alexander, “Infinite Zest”

Philly Roller Derby

(267) 546-6286

infinitezest1079@gmail.com

Don’t Be a Chicken!

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Philly Roller Derby is teaming with The Abbaye (637 N. 3rd Street in Northern Liberties) once again to showcase their fierce competition skills.  Do you think you have what it takes to beat them?  The event will be held on April 15, 2017 at 4 p.m (registration at 3:30 p.m.).  The $20 contestant fee includes all you can eat vegan wings as well as all you can drink Philadelphia Brewing Co. draft beer and related swag. The winner will receive a Philly Roller Derby goodie bag, cash prize and trophy. Second and third place winners will receive a Philly Roller Derby goodie bag and a gift card to Abbaye. Register by calling The Abbaye (215-627-6711) or in person at The Abbaye by 3:30pm on the day of the event.

The Vegan Wing Bowl started as a fun event amongst friends interested in competitive eating and, now in its seventh year, this messy, empowering, and athletic event will leave you with wanting more. The competition takes on a derby like style, minus the physical contact, in which competitors will attempt to eat as many vegan wings as they can within a two-minute “jam”, the term used for one round of roller derby.

If you can’t decide if you want to eat nearly two pounds of hot sauce soaked seitan wings (last year’s winner ate 27.4 ounces!), you can still join the raucous fun for a mere $10 general admission fee.

Interested in roller derby?  Join us for our rolling fresh meat program every Sunday and Thursday.  Check us out at http://phillyrollerderby.com/about-prd/join-us/fresh-meat/.

Philly Roller Derby (doing business as Philly Roller Girls) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, volunteer managed, flat track roller derby organization located in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Established in 2005, Philly Roller Derby’s mission is to promote health, athleticism, and leadership skills in people of all ages through roller derby training and competition.

Media Contact: info@phillyrollerderby.com

PRESS RELEASE: Philly Roller Derby and The Jefferson Comprehensive Concussion Center: History in the Making

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Partnership with Concussion Assessment Leader is the First of its Kind

PHILADELPHIA, April 9, 2015:  Philly Roller Derby (PRD) announced their partnership with The Jefferson Comprehensive Concussion Center (JCCC), a joint effort between Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Rothman Institute, and Wills Eye Hospital.  This collaboration is the first of its kind in the derby community.  PRD is proud to be the principal league offering ImPACT® Baseline Testing to all skaters, including Philly Roller Derby Juniors and Officials.

JCCC describes ImPACT, or Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing, as a computerized concussion evaluation system that helps physicians determine treatment management and safe return-to-play decisions for injured athletes.  If a patient suffers a head injury, ImPACT is repeated to evaluate changes in scores.  While PRD has its own concussion-related best practices, offering ImPACT testing to all on-skates league members reinforces skater safety as a top priority.

When asked about the partnership, Liberty Belle All-Star Ginger Vitis said, “PRD skaters have had their share of concussions over the past 10 years and while we realize the risks we take in order to play this wonderful sport, PRD is 100% committed to protecting our members as much as possible.” By assessing each skater prior to contact using ImPACT Baseline Testing, Jefferson’s physicians will be able to use those baseline measures as a tool for comparing an athlete’s ImPACT pre-injury and post-injury scores.  She continued, “This helps us to better understand the depth of injury and come up with a more comprehensive plan for recovery and return to play.”

PRD thanks the wonderful staff at Jefferson’s Comprehensive Concussion Center for their partnership and support. No matter what sport you play, never play with a concussion.  It’s not worth it.

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Philly Roller Derby is the premiere flat-track roller derby league in Philadelphia dedicated to developing and promoting strength and athleticism in people of all ages through regular, intense training and high-level local, regional, national, and international roller derby competition. PRD is a skater-owned and operated roller derby league comprised of over 60 skaters, dozens of officials and volunteers, as well as countless fans and supporters and currently ranked 10th in the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association comprised of over 300 teams worldwide.

PRESS RELEASE: Philly Roller Derby’s Junior Program Celebrates Expansion to All Genders

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Rapid Growth in 2014 Spurs All-Inclusive Change


Philadelphia, PA: Today, Philly Roller Derby Juniors (PRDJ) is excited to announce the expansion of their program to include all genders. PRDJ will happily welcome all skaters for the upcoming session beginning January 18, 2015. The program is open to youth aged 6 through 18.

When asked about the welcomed change, General Manager Joe Salenetri said, “Philly Roller Derby has always worked hard to be an inclusive organization. Opening up this program to any young person in the Philadelphia area who is looking for a place to belong is not only a good step forward for the league, but it’s good for the sport of roller derby, as well as the City of Philadelphia.”

PRDJ started in 2014 as an extension of the well-established Philly Roller Derby (PRD), founded in 2005. The program provides a fun, safe environment to learn about and play roller derby, and includes a variety of skaters from beginners to advanced. The prime objective of PRDJ is to increase skater confidence (both on and off the track) through positive mentorship, improved athletic ability, and leadership.

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Philly Roller Derby is the premiere flat-track roller derby league in Philadelphia dedicated to developing and promoting strength and athleticism in people of all ages through regular, intense training and high-level local, regional, national, and international roller derby competition. PRD is a skater-owned and operated roller derby league comprised of over 60 skaters, dozens of officials and volunteers, as well as countless fans and supporters and currently ranked 10th in the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association comprised of over 300 teams worldwide.

PRESS RELEASE: No Longer Girls: Philly Roller Derby Rolls Into 2015

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10th Season Redefines the Future with Gender Neutral Moniker

Philadelphia, PA: Today, Philly Roller Derby (PRD) is proud to announce the decision to drop the gender-specific ‘girls’ from the league’s namesake. General Manager, Joe Salenetri said, “As our league and the sport of roller derby continue to grow, it has become evident that identifying as ‘roller girls’ may feel exclusionary to some in our community.” The change comes at a perfect time; founded in 2005, PRD is about to begin their 10th season.

Many skaters in the league have no reservations about the update, and believe it’s more representative of the roller derby community in Philadelphia.

Heavy Flo, who joined PRD in 2008, is in favor of the revision. “We are comprised of women, men, young adults, and children,” she said. “We are athletes that should be recognized beyond our gender, but rather for our sport.” Her sentiment is echoed by fellow skater, Castro, who has been with the league since its inception in 2005 and seen the evolution of the sport: “Simply put, our organization is not just a group of girls. We are a collective of people who tirelessly work to bring the empowering sport of roller derby to our fair city.”

PRD will undergo a rebrand to accommodate the change, but not to worry – the iconic Liberty-Bell-roller-skate logo will not otherwise be impacted. Regarding future changes to the league, Salenteri noted, “A name change is just one step in creating a welcoming and safe environment for all of our current and future members.”

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Established in 2005, Philly Roller Derby is the premiere flat-track roller derby league in Philadelphia dedicated to developing and promoting strength and athleticism in people of all ages through regular, intense training and high-level local, regional, national, and international roller derby competition. PRD is a skater-owned and operated roller derby league comprised of over 60 skaters, dozens of officials and volunteers, as well as countless fans and supporters and currently ranked 10th in the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association comprised of over 300 teams worldwide.