Invermere roller derby team looking for new recruits

The East Kootenay Roller Derby League champion Killer Rollbots are looking for some new players.

The East Kootenay Roller Derby League champion Killer Rollbots are looking for some new players to bolster their roster and help defend their championship title next season.

“We are looking for anyone who is interested in joining the team. You don’t need any skating skill whatsoever, most of us couldn’t skate at all when we started,” said Rollbots team captain Jess de Groot.

The Rollbots will be taking over the Invermere Community Hall on November 8 at 7 p.m. Anyone who has ever been interested in seeing what derby is all about is encouraged to drop by, keeping in mind that the team is women-only, and all participants must be over 19 years of age.

“Roller derby is a really fun sport for women to play that has a lot of contact, a lot of skill, and a great camaraderie between women, teams, and leagues that is unusual in other sports,” said de Groot.

During the introduction night, Nerd Roller Skates from Calgary will do skate fittings and bring new gear, including skates, helmets, wrist guards and knee pads. There will be general information provided during the event and the Rollbots will go over practices and general requirements to be a part of the team, as well as discuss how to play the game safely to avoid injury.

Those interested in joining the team will be put through a six-week training program where they will learn how to skate and the basics of the game so that the entire team can skate together once practices kick off in January.

“Derby takes people from all walks of life, and all athletic skills,” de Groot said. “It develops the skills they need so that they can be a skater.”

For more information on the Rollbots, visit their facebook page at www.facebook.com/TheKillerRollbots.