Roller derby on the reccession

     Womens flat track roller derby is completely run and funded by the team players themselves, with a little help from a few local sponsors.  The team players do the marketing, advertising, business operations, human resources, game commission, public relations, training, bout production, volunteer coordinator, inter-league relations, events, merchandising, ticket and recruitment.  They play the bouts, pay for their own equipment, travel expenses and health insurance coverage, boutfits/uniforms and pay team dues each month. 

     The team players do not get paid or kick backs or government funds.  Roller derby is not considered a professional sport.  The roller derby news network sites and television broadcasts online and local do not receive paid revisions either.  Yet they still find a means and the way to keep up the sport they love so well.

     While professional sports worry about filling the seats to their huge bowls and stadiums, roller derby has been fortunate to see the increase in ticket sales and sell-out crowds. Gone are the days of $10 ticket prices for professional sports seats, but a roller derby ticket ranges $8-$12, and kids get in free.  What a great deal because it still makes family outings to a sporting event a possibility for the public.

     The fate of professional sports is in the hands large corporations with deep pockets.  Stadiums and ball parks now have "sport suites" to cater to high-end customers, that drive up the prices for all of the fans.  The new sports facility boom could take a big hit with some stadiums still sitting on the drawing board.  Not to mention sky rocketing concession stand prices.  The stadiums have plenty of empty seats which in turn workers are seeing a reduction in their working hours.

     Roller Derby plays in arenas and smaller already built sports facilities, warehouses and fairgrounds most of these places allowing fans to bring in their own chairs or blankets.  The smaller forums that have opened themselves up to roller derby, have low concession stand prices and allow you to BYOB (bring your own alcoholic beverages in) provided they are not glass.    Not to mention this also contributes to the environment by not adding to the extra cans and cups that land fills are already on over load with.  Reduce, reuse and recycle.  The use of the smaller arenas has brought more working hours for the workers of the smaller venues.

     Womens professional sports has been hit, golf in particular the LPGA, had to cancel seven tournaments because of the cancellation of sponsors.  The WTA,  Tennis world tour has only lost one sponsor and has not canceled any tournaments.  Womens Bass Pro Tournaments have been cancelled altogether.  Womens professional sports has definetly felt it, reminding us of the days of old and  the All American Girls Baseball League in the forties. 

     Roller derby has the sisters doing it for themselves literally.  While professional sports is suffering a loss of income, roller derby does not receive any income.  Do they love their sport or what?

     With the decline of tournament payouts and the steady costs of all athletes being able to provide their own equipment, we may see the decline of athletes in general that would normally be participating.  In return some sports disappearing on the grander scale or a change of the "sports model" as we know it.

     Will roller derby be the new demonstration of this?  Only time will tell.

     The next time your the roller derby teams come out on to the flat track, give them a standing ovation and cheer.  Are you already doing that?  The next thing you can do is write them letters, drop them an email, if you own a company become a team sponsor and still give the women an extremely long and loud and real proud standing ovation.

     Hang in there, we are pulling for you.

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