MRDA

Two tournament weekends in a row? HECK YEAH. Pittsburgh Roller Derby is hosting the Dawn of the Derby Part 2! Grab your friends, ignore the mall and hit the track! (or the twitch stream!)
Apart from the hosts, this weekend will also feature:
Austin Anarchy Roller Derby
Carolina Wreckingballs
Chicago Bruise Brothers Roller Derby
Disorder RD
Lane County Concussion

To those who have been asking… YES the games will all be streamed! And archived on our YouTube channel after the tournament. Follow Pittsburgh Roller Derby on Twitch to watch the action LIVE! All game times are in EST.
https://www.twitch.tv/pittsburghundeadrd

"Juneteenth celebrations are a chance for this country, for the United States to rethink not only its origins, but the relationship of everybody who lives in this country to each other," said Greg Carr, associate professor of Africana Studies at Howard University.

Juneteenth, the newest federal holiday, is gaining awareness Monday marks the Juneteenth holiday — a date commemorating the fall of slavery in the United States. While it's a new federal holiday, it's been celebrated since the 1860s.

MRDA scores so far this weekend from Sibling Rivalry, co-hosted by and
Sunday holds Casco Bay v Denver Ground Control at 12pm (CST) and the Saint Louis GateKeepers vs San Diego Aftershocks at 4pm (CST)

SD 236 vs CB 113
DEN 230 vs SD 120
GK 284 vs CB 77
GK 168 vs DEN 113

Remember the first pride was a riot!

Happy Pride Month*, here's a little history lesson on the origin of Pride in the USA

Roller Derby is an unabashedly q***r sport, often one where a lot of athletes discuss even feeling comfortable to being openly q***r in a sport, and we are here for all of our LGBTQIA+ skaters and those who support them wholeheartedly.

What Is Pride Month and the History of Pride? Your guide to the history, meaning, and future of Pride is right here.

Por favor, únase a el MRDA para dar la bienvenida a nuestra nueva liga miembro: ¡Disorder RD de la Ciudad de México, México!

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Please, join the MRDA in welcoming our newest member league: Disorder from Mexico City, Mexico!

New Member League – Disorder – Mens Roller Derby Association New Member League – Disorder Posted on April 25, 2023 by Static Shock La asociación MRDA ha agregado otra nueva liga, esta vez desde ¡Mexico! ¡Disorder! DisorderMexico City, Mexico ¡Esta liga causó un gran revuelo al fines del 2022 y tienen un hambre por competir! Estamos muy emocionados de d...

The MRDA is deeply saddened to learn about the events that took place over the past weekend at BOTAS. The Men's Roller Derby Association condemns all actions and behaviors that contribute to silencing, threatening, and marginalizing individuals in the roller derby community. Our organization is consistently working to examine our own organizational structures and hold all of our members and member leagues to the same standard. We will continue to revise our policies and instill knowledge with the goal of fostering an atmosphere of inclusion where all people feel welcome. The MRDA does not tolerate bigotry.

We stand with Black Diaspora Roller Derby and Team Indigenous Rising Roller Derby
(statements from both teams linked in the first comment)

The MRDA Board of Directors welcome questions, comments, and feedback related to this or any other incidents that have taken place. We can be reached by emailing [email protected]

The MRDA is dedicated to inclusivity in our sport and community. As part of that, we would like to affirm that the MRDA is more than willing to make reasonable adjustments for skaters, officials, and volunteers who have disabilities, so that they may participate fully in the game we love.

This coincides with the spirit of our Code of Conduct, as well as various disability legislation globally (such as the UK's Equality Act 2010 and the USA's American Disabilities Act).

If there are questions in a game, please see the Head Official; in a tournament, please see the GTO; or in advance of either, please feel free to contact us.

The MRDA has voted to remove the restriction against dual chartering with the WFTDA to realign the charter policies between both organizations. This allows a skater to be chartered within both organizations, assuming a skater joins an MRDA league and follows all guidelines and protocols of MRDA membership.

It is with much excitement that the MRDA confirms the Board of Directors for 2023, as elected by member leagues. All board members commenced in their new positions on 16th February and are currently being supported during a handover period whilst also eagerly working towards bringing in the first season since 2019.
Thanks to the departing board members for your efforts. We are all very grateful for your labour.

President - Julia Sleazer (Puget Sound Outcast Derby)

Vice-President - Mooose (Casco Bay Roller Derby)

Secretary - Malice in Wonderland (South Wales Silures)

Treasurer - Dr B (San Diego Aftershocks)

Director of Events - Girl Fawkes (Saint Louis Gatekeepers)

Director of Member Relations - Smash Ketch'em (Philadelphia Hooligans)

Director of Officiating - Macfarlane (South Wales Silures)

We nearly missed World Mental Health Day!

As almost everyone involved in this sport knows, mental health is just as important as physical health. And while no one has claimed roller derby has saved their knees, but they've sure said it saved their souls!

We all know this sport can be challenging and rewarding and maddening so let's continue to try and build it back as a more inclusive and welcoming space for all. let's end the stigma on mental health!

And to all of our leagues in the USA, Happy Indigenous People's day!

World Mental Health Day 2022 Find out about this year's World Mental Health Day campaign (10 October) and how you can get involved.

hey friends, we know we're just an international roller derby organization with a pretend robot for a social media manager, but the MRDA stands with everyone affected by the absolute trash decision in the United States today overturning Roe V Wade.
Abortion is a health care issue full stop and not just women get pregnant. Everyone should have the right to their bodily autonomy.

If you're capable, please contribute to an abortion fund: https://abortionfunds.org/funds/

If you can, find a rally near you: https://map.wewontgoback.com/

!!Important update!!

Hi Friends, Today two important updates have been posted up onto the MRDA forum.

We have our new Return to play guidelines outlining how the MRDA and their member leagues can return to sanctioned play as well as undertake games in a safe manner.

Forum post here:
https://forum.mrda.org/index.php?threads/rtp-update-covid-19-safety-protocol.742/

We also have an important update relating to dues for the 2022 season.

Forum post here:
https://forum.mrda.org/index.php?threads/2022-dues-information.743/

League Reps will be receiving emails shortly, but please make sure they head over to the forums and get all the information detailed there!

We hope you have a great day and look forward to seeing even more derby taking place going forward!

Stay well, be safe, and have fun.

Many thanks,

MRDA Board of Directors

Every year on March 31, the world recognizes Transgender Day of Visibility by honoring and celebrating the achievements of transgender people while raising awareness of the ongoing work toward equality for all.

Things you can do today: donate to a local trans activism group in your area; call your local government official if they are supporting anti trans legislation and voice your opposition; enjoy media made by trans creators, especially things that focus on joy!

hey all! it's Giving Tuesday!
(we're not sure if this has gone as widespread as we see more countries start holding Black Friday sales, but why don't we make it that way?)
Giving Tuesday isn't limited to monetary donations but also encourages people to donate their time and talents.
If you can today (or really any time you're able) consider donating to your local food bank- they're all hit hard due to the pandemic and increased need.
You can also check with your employer, especially if you work for a large company, as a lot of employers will match your donations today.

We're not going to share links as we hope folks donate to their local chapters (just search Cause + your city) but here are a few parent groups we like, plus some ideas for local causes: Planned Parenthood, The Trevor Project, Trans Alliance groups, animal shelters, voting rights projects like Fair Fight, groups that help homing insecure people, wildfire relief funds, and on!
Feel free to add any other ideas or causes in the comments

For those in the United States who plan on celebrating Thanksgiving, please consider making a donation to an indigenous group or cause as part of your festivities.
(Note: calling it Friendsgiving isn't an out.)
The attached link isn't exhaustive and if you want to donate to something more local or a specific issue closer to your heart (such as the water protectors) you should do it!

Native American Rights Fund Native American Rights Fund is the oldest, largest nonprofit legal organization defending the rights of Native American tribes, organizations, and people.

This week marked transgender awareness week across the world, ahead of the Transgender Day Of Remembrance Nov. 20th. And while remembering people is important, it is essential that we show up and celebrate and protect people while they are still here. Some tangible action items are:
1. Money- donate to causes. if you can set up a recurring donation, even better!
2. write your politicians/protest- chances are if you're reading this you live in a country that offers little to no protections for trans folks. help change that! and put it into action in the streets.
3. Share knowledge- educate the people in your life who might be getting their information from dubious sources
4. Work on getting better at using inclusive language- for most folks this also includes uprooting your idea of what gender is, not just memorizing pronouns of the folks around you

The MRDA stands with all of our transgender siblings.

Transgender Awareness Week Each year between November 13 – 19, people and organizations around the country participate in Transgender Awareness Week to help raise the visibility about transgender people and address issues members of the community face. The week before Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, people an...

hey MRDA leagues! we just wanted to make a quick post as folks have been reaching out to us through messenger, instagram, etc. ALL of the information for Return to Play is on the forums, please make sure your league reps are keeping up on the information there. That's also the best place to ask any questions you might have on the RTP and any processes involved.
We're excited to see just under half of our leagues have returned to practice under the RTP guidelines and we get closer to sanctioned games in 2022!

We know we've shared with one before, but this is still one of our favorite games from the 2019 MRDA Champs in Denver

2019 MRDA Champs- 14- NWO v GHS Manchester NWO vs Golden State Heat 2019 MRDA Championships, Denver, CO

It is International Pronouns Day! If you're unsure what that all means, here are some slides to give you a quick dive into what that all means.

(from the article)

"What might seem to some like a simple name change can lead to real social progress for Indigenous Americans, said Van Heuvelen.

"What these changes accomplish, piece by piece, is visibility for Native people in the United States," she said. "Until Native people are or are fully seen in our society and in everyday life, we can't accomplish those bigger changes. As long as Native people remain invisible, it's much more easier for people to look past those real issues and those real concerns within those communities."

Goodbye, Columbus? Here's what Indigenous Peoples' Day means to Native Americans A growing movement recasts Oct. 11 as a day to appreciate the diversity and history of Indigenous communities. That visibility, say Native Americans, can help us see what else needs to change.

Way back at the beginning of the year, we knew we wouldn’t be able to have a regular season and a regular post season, but we thought we might be able to host some regional invitationals to close out 2021 and start getting back to competitive play. We said we would check back in with y’all in the early summer to see what it might look like so our apologies for being a bit late but honestly, we just kept hoping the situation would get more positive than less and it’s just not the case. There is no way we can move forward hosting the hoped-for invitational events in December. At this point, whether we can have a season in 2022 still feels precarious based on the continuing increase in covid cases, anti-vaccination sentiment in countries where they are readily available, and the lack of empathy and care to help protect other people that feels starkly evident in the past 18 months.

So…what can we do? First off, given where the majority of MRDA Leagues reside, vaccines are readily available- PLEASE get vaccinated if you are able. Wear a mask when you are outside of your home or as common sense dictates. If you are in an area that meets baseline conditions to start practice per the MRDA Return to Play, please follow the guidelines carefully and make sure your paperwork is in order and filed correctly. (You don’t want to be the team who can’t sanction games in the future because you skipped steps this year!)

Encourage your members to not attend rogue scrimmages/events where they might become a vector in bringing covid back to a league practice. Encourage members who might have traveled or engaged in other high-risk behavior to not attend league practice for two weeks after returning. If you’re back to practice, make sure you are taking your time and moving through the tiers slowly and with purpose. There is absolutely no reason to rush through steps just for the sake of being on the next one. We've all been at very different levels of accessibility and ability to work out fully for 18 months and our focus should be on strengthening and rebuilding vs just jumping into the hitty contact bits. With the continued rise of covid cases, please think thoughtfully about your practices and whether they are the best choice for the general safety and well-being of your members in your area.

We would really love to say now that we’re going to have an amazing 2022 season, and everything will be back to some kind of normal. But we cannot. We can hope for it, but this is a group project, and we need everyone working to the same goal. We hope the next time we have a big update it’s because the season is finally starting and we’re just sharing all the fun games and tournaments our member leagues are hosting or attending. In the meantime, be well, stay safe, wear a mask, get vaccinated, be kind.

we were going to write our own post but honestly, our friends over at East Midlands Open Roller Derby - home of the Super Smash Brollers did a great job and their hashtag game is strong, so we're sharing theirs!

It's Non-Binary Awareness Week! And today (specifically) is International Non-Binary People's Day 💛🤍💜🖤

Today, and indeed this whole week, is an opportunity for us to celebrate our most awesome non-binary league members, folx within the roller derby community and in the wider world.

Gender non confirmity has been around for centuries, if not longer, and we feel it's a brilliant thing that there is more language than ever today to help people express themselves and their gender identity accurately.

Whether you feel a mix of genders (maybe gender fluid), feel a connection to no gender at all (perhaps non-binary or agender), identify somewhat with a particular gender (demi-boy or demi-girl), or fall somewhere else entirely (the identities we've listed are in no way exhaustive!) you are valid and you are *so* loved. 💙

The graphic we're sharing with you today is from the great Victoria Barron Art over on Instagram () who has created some fantastic content relating to LGBTQIA+ identies and sexualities. We would definitely recommend checking out Victoria's page as her content is so helpful and accessible!

Today (May 5th) is the National Day of Awareness for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women in the United States.

"In 2021, the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (NIWRC) and our National Partners Work Group on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls are organizing a full National Week of Action (April 29-May 5) to call the nation and the world to action in honor of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. We encourage all individuals and organizations to take action by participating in these virtual events and organizing additional actions in your communities on and around May 5th. Join us in saying ‘enough is enough’—not one more stolen sister."

Take Action During the 2021 National Week of Action for MMIWG | NIWRC News Take Action During the 2021 National Week of Action for MMIWG Mar 25, 2021 Since 2017, grassroots actions on May 5th to honor and call for justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG) have increasingly grown at the local, regional, national, and international level. Nativ...

March 31st is International Transgender Day of Visibility!
Trans women are women, trans men are men, and no one needs to adhere to the binary to be valid
(We don't want to exclude our nonbinary pals so we want to give them a shout here while acknowledging not every nonbinary person includes being trans as an identifier.)

Things you can do today: donate to a local trans activism group in your area; call your local government official if they are supporting anti trans legislation and voice your opposition (in the US, there are 23 bills being pushed specifically against trans children in sports and school!); enjoy media made by trans creators, especially things that focus on joy (not just trauma)

8 expert tips for cis people who want to be better trans allies in 2021 Want to be a better trans ally? Eight transgender and non-binary people share how trans allies can be even better in 2021.

NPR's Code Switch has a great twitter thread going with resources for folks who might have questions about the spikes in violence and hate crimes against Asian and Asian Americans, especially in the past year

NPR's Code Switch on Twitter “We’ve been watching the spike in violence and hate against Asian +Asian American folks over the past year. We’re going to go deep on this topic on next week’s episode—but in the meantime, here's the people we're reading + listening to: (1/🧵) 👇🏾”

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center on Twitter “A thread of Dr. King in color, as we commemorate his 92nd birthday. ”

Hey Folks! More details at the link but we will not be holding Playoffs/Champs in 2021 due to the ongoing pandemic.
Later on this year we will look into the possibility of holding two regional invitational events (one in North America, one in Europe) in December.

2021 MRDA Competitive Season 2021 MRDA Competitive Season Posted on January 11, 2021 (January 11, 2021) by Commando Roll   The MRDA Board of Directors wishes the worldwide roller derby community a Happy New Year. As 2021 begins, we have obviously been monitoring the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Looking at the surge in COVID-19 a...

from the link:
I wish people would stop comparing what is happening at the capitol to BLM. Even to point out the hypocrisy of how black protestors are treated in comparison to white protestors by law enforcement. This is how we get historical false equivalencies like the comparison of Klansmen to Black Panthers.

Disdain for BLM isn’t rooted in passive ignorance it is rooted in active HATE. The disdain for BLM isn’t a sight issue it is a heart issue.

Don’t compare this open display of fascism in the spirit of the furtherance of white supremacy to BLM. There isn’t a shred of equivalence worthy of even the loosest of connections.

Don’t compare righteousness with evil. Compare evil to evil, and perhaps we can finally start to see that this is just what white supremacy is. Law enforcement doesn’t exist to quell white rage, it exists to quell the dissent of the oppressed.

“Omg what is happening at the capitol?” The same damn thing that happens EVERY TIME white Americans feel like the grip of white supremacy is loosening.

Compare this to Southern states succeeding from the Union to preserve white American’s right to OWN other human beings, leading to the bloodiest war in U.S history.

Compare this to the states that had two governments during reconstruction because white Americans wouldn’t accept black democratically elected officials.

Compare this to when white Americans beat and brutalized black people at lunch counters. Lynched black people for registering to vote. Bombed buses and churches, murdering children for the purpose or maintaining Jim Crow.

Compare this to white men hunting and killing Ahmaud Arbery because he was jogging.

Compare this to an entire police department being implicated in falsifying information to obtain a warrant to kill Breonna Taylor in her home while she slept.

Act like you see who is trying to force this country to live up to the ideals of the constitution, and who is literally trying to tear it down in the name of preserving a white supremacist wannabe despot. White supremacy and democracy cannot both exist in the same space. Y’all gotta choose a side.

I wish people would stop comparing what is happening at the capitol to BLM. Even to point out the hypocrisy of how black protestors are treated in comparison to white protestors by law enforcement. This is how we get historical false equivalencies like the comparison of Klansmen to Black Panthers. Disdain for BLM isn’t rooted in passive ignorance it is rooted in active HATE. The disdain for BLM isn’t a sight issue it is a heart issue. Don’t compare this open display of fascism in the spirit of the furtherance of white supremacy to BLM. There isn’t a shred of equivalence worthy of even the loosest of connections. Don’t compare righteousness with evil. Compare evil to evil, and perhaps we can finally start to see that this is just what white supremacy is. Law enforcement doesn’t exist to quell white rage, it exists to quell the dissent of the oppressed. “Omg what is happening at the capitol?” The same damn thing that happens EVERY TIME white Americans feel like the grip of white supremacy is loosening. Compare this to Southern states succeeding from the Union to preserve white American’s right to OWN other human beings, leading to the bloodiest war in U.S history. Compare this to the states that had two governments during reconstruction because white Americans wouldn’t accept black democratically elected officials. Compare this to when white Americans beat and brutalized black people at lunch counters. Lynched black people for registering to vote. Bombed buses and churches, murdering children for the purpose or maintaining Jim Crow. Compare this to white men hunting and killing Ahmaud Arbery because he was jogging. Compare this to an entire police department being implicated in falsifying information to obtain a warrant to kill Breonna Taylor in her home while she slept. Act like you see who is trying to force this country to live up to the ideals of the constitution, and who is literally trying to tear it down in the name of preserving a white supremacist wannabe despot. White supremacy and democracy cannot both exist in the same space. Y’all gotta choose a side.

hey all! it's Giving Tuesday!
Giving Tuesday isn't limited to monetary donations but also encourages people to donate their time and talents.
If you can today (or really any time you're able) consider donating to your local food bank- they're all hit hard due to the pandemic and increased need.
You can also check with your employer, especially if you work for a large company, as a lot of employers will match your donations today.

We're not going to share links as we hope folks donate to their local chapters (just search Cause + your city) but here are a few parent groups we like, plus some ideas for local causes: Planned Parenthood, The Trevor Project, Trans Alliance groups, animal shelters, voting rights projects like Fair Fight, groups that help homing insecure people, wildfire relief funds, and on!

Feel free to add any other ideas or causes in the comments

"Today, November 20, is Transgender Day of Remembrance. The observance grew out of a vigil for Rita Hester, a member of the Boston LGBTQ+ community who worked locally on education around trans issues and nurtured many of the city’s LGBTQ+ youth. She was killed in her home on November 28, 1998, a few days shy of her 35th birthday. Twenty-two years later, her murder has not been solved.

On the first anniversary of Hester's death, trans advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith organized a vigil to commemorate Hester and all transgender people lost to violence since her death. That vigil began the tradition that is Transgender Day of Remembrance. “When the Transgender Day of Remembrance first began, trans people were nameless victims in many cases," Smith wrote in 2014 for The Advocate. "Our killers would do their best to erase our existence from the world. And law enforcement, the media, and others would continue the job."

On this Transgender Day of Remembrance, please consider the fact that 350 individuals were murdered this year simply for identifying their true selves. And worse than that, many of these victims are misgendered by their families and news outlets; even in death, their true selves are not identified.

The Names You Should Know on Transgender Day of Remembrance 2020 It's the deadliest year on record for the trans community.

hey folks, last one on this topic so bear with us (thanks derby skaters and fans in every part of the world that's not the USA)
so to all of you eligible to vote, you have one week left. If you haven't voted yet, if you haven't made your plan, this is it. Game clock is ticking down.
You are just one person, but you count. You make a difference in your life and the lives of those around you. Don't let anyone tell you that you don't count, regardless of where you live. Voting is a step, it's just one step, but so was buying that first pair of skates and showing up to that grungy roller rink.
If voting didn't matter, forces in this country wouldn't make it so hard to vote. If you can't see a point in voting for yourself, vote for your teammate. Keep them safe off the track just like you would on.

Vote Save America 2020 Your one-stop shop for everything you need to get informed, get involved, and get out the vote in the most important election of our lifetime.

"Are you a parent, grandparent, or other caregiver wondering what to do for Indigenous Peoples’ Day this year while you and your family are home? Perhaps you’re a college student, discussing social justice and hoping to do something meaningful that also respects public health guidance on in-person gatherings?"

Five Ideas for Celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2020 On Monday, October 12, 14 states and the District of Columbia, more than 130 cities, and growing numbers of schools will observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day. If you and the young people in your life are looking for ways to honor and celebrate Native America at home, the teacher services coordinator at...

And crowning (medaling?) the winners of the 10th MRDA Champs is where we wish we all were tonight. But last year's gold medal game was definitely a biting your nails to the quick type with GK going for their 5th gold and Magic City in the final for the first time since 2011 but coming off a June win against GK which had ended an undefeated game streak since fall 2015.

2019 MRDA Champs- Game 17- STL v MCM- Gold Medal Game StL GateKeepers vs Magic City Misfits Awards ceremony following conclusion of the game Feed produced by fiveonfivemedia

And your Saturday programming is....

MRDA Champs 2017- Cymru Clash- Game 14 Toulouse Quad Quards vs New Wheeled Order

Our 2019 hosts playing against our would be 2020 hosts, all the way back in 2018!

2018 MRDA Championships, Game 10 Denver Ground Control v Tyne & Fear

who remembers the false alarm fire alarm from this weekend?

2013 MRDA Championships- Bridgetown Menace vs New York Shock Exchange 2013 MRDA Championships- Bridgetown Menace vs New York Shock Exchange

all the way back to our very first MRDA Champs, held over one day on two tracks in NY! two whistle starts, last blockers over the line to get the whistle, minor penalties!
(warning- no audio until games start, about 15 min mark)

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