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How and Why to invest in derby skaters that are NOT the Super Stars

I have seen it all before. One of two things will always happen when one of your best players quits, or if you just can’t seem to control your turnover rate.

1) You feel the loss immediately and panic, 2) or the noticeable effects are felt a year or three down the road.

This article is a little insight and advice on why you shouldn’t panic, and what you should focus on.

Does Size Matter?

Whether you are in a big league busting at the seams with six friggin teams like Toronto, a medium-sized league like Oly Rollers, or a small team that is petrified to lose their best jammer — it scarcely matters.

The big cities usually have the easiest time keeping a full roster, and by no coincidence these are the teams who are most susceptible to the dreaded sink-or-swim mentality. “Perform or we’ll find someone who will!” These leagues have the potential to create huge derby empires–in scale and popularity–with  lots of sponsorship opportunities and large capacity venues.

Unfortunately, high turnover rates occur in small teams just as often, and are extremely costly to any business and even more so to volunteer-based orgs. A smaller team usually means a smaller town, but not always. Large towns can have difficulty keeping members as well. Any number of missed opportunities, poor programming and just bad luck can effect membership numbers no matter how you slice it.

A league that was once on top of the rankings can easily slip if you ignore your volunteers and the skaters who dream of the day when they will be on the starting line-up. You know them, these are the people that do the sh*t that you can’t so you can skate.

Hey, ladies… don’t let the success of today screw you up later! And if you already screwed it up, it’s not too late. Yo is here.

Some Practical Ideas That Can Prevent (or Reverse) the Problem

  • Create a program that is just for non-skating members — if your volunteers are a part of things they will be around more regularly, take on more tasks and require less management.
  • Allow room for aspiring skaters to skate within your league on a Fresh Meat team or a B-Team without having to pass WFTDA — see who wants in and create programs accordingly. Then provide regular opportunities for lower-skilled skaters to scrimmage and compete in exhibitions — don’t limit their play time because they are not “good enough”, give them real-game situations to learn from.

Ideas from an HR Standpoint

  • Provide lower-skilled skaters opportunities to give public appearances and press interviews — these are the girls that are the thirstiest for the derby life, and this is the kinda stuff that keeps that much-needed spark in their eyes.
  • Religiously follow a protocol for skaters who are injured — sign up your healthy members for shifts of bringing over dinner and lots of regular visits. The majority of injured skaters want to return to skating, so give the needed encouragement.

And oh yeah, did I mention Junior Derby? Who else is gonna take your spot when you are old and criple and have long since expired your derby shelf-life?

A Word About Your Culture

Take an active role to foster mentorship programs and pair up veterans and fresh meat on a regular and ongoing basis — teams are only a strong as their not-as-strong skater! Impress upon your “stars” that is their duty to “give back” to derby. It is far too easy to forget that someone gave it to them, and contributed to their success.

Besides, if a star isn’t interested in nurturing her own derby community, she is not really a star.