WFTDA Accepts 36 Apprentice Leagues

The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) is extending apprentice membership to 36 additional leagues worldwide.

Acceptance of this group marks changes in the WFTDA Apprentice Program that allow the organization to accept a larger number of leagues. These leagues had been wait-listed while we worked to create spots for them.

The WFTDA congratulates our new apprentice members:

• Ann Arbor Roller Derby of Ann Arbor, Michigan
• Boulder County Bombers of Longmont, Colorado
• Border City Brawlers of Windsor, Ontario, Canada
• Cedar Valley Derby Divas of Waterloo, Iowa
• Cornfed Derby Dames of Muncie, Indiana
• Devil Dog Derby Dames of Okinawa, Japan
• Durango Roller Girls of Durango, Colorado
• Enid Roller Girls of Enid, Oklahoma
• Fort Meyers Derby Girls of Fort Meyers, Florida
• Granite State Roller Derby of Concord, New Hampshire
• Greensboro Roller Derby of Greensboro, North Carolina
• Greenville Derby Dames of Greenville, South Carolina
• Happy Valley Derby Darlins of Salem, Utah
• Lansing Derby Vixens, of Lansing, Michigan
• Mass Attack Roller Derby of Taunton, Massachusetts
• Mid-State Sisters of Skate, of Stevens Point, Wisconsin
• Mother State Roller Derby of Richmond, Virginia
• North Texas Derby Revolution of Denton, Texas
• One Love Roller Dolls of Antwerp, Belgium
• Peoria Push Derby Dames of Peoria, Illinois
• Rainy City Roller Girls of Oldham, Lancashire, England
• Richter City Roller Derby of Wellington, New Zealand
• Rock n Roller Queens of Bogota, Colombia
• Roller Girls of the Apocalypse of Rhineland-Pfalz, Germany
• Rolling Arsenal of Derby of Huntsville, AL
• Salisbury Rollergirls of Salisbury, Maryland
• San Antonio Roller Derby, of San Antonio, Texas
• Savannah Derby Devils, of Savannah, Georgia
• Sheffield Steel Rollergirls of Sheffield, England
• Sun State Roller Girls of Brisbane, Australia
• Tiger Bay Brawlers of Cardiff, Wales
• Tropic Terrors Derby League of Puerto Rico
• Ventura County Derby Darlins of Ventura, California
• Vette City Roller Derby of Bowling Green, Kentucky
• Western Australia Roller Derby of Perth, Australia
• Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Roller Radicals of northeastern Pennsylvania

Since its launch more than three years ago, the Apprentice Program–designed to be a steppingstone to full WFTDA membership–has seen rapid growth in interest. We have recently restructured the program so it better meets the needs of the WFTDA and apprentice leagues.

Under the new format, apprentice members will use a self-paced, online tool to work through the program curriculum, with guidance from WFTDA area coordinators. This replaces the more time-intensive system, in which leagues had to rely on a mentor to lead them through all the curriculum steps.

“Streamlining the program will make it easier for leagues to graduate to full WFTDA membership, without sacrificing the many positive attributes of our prior program,” Apprentice Program Manager Femifist said.

The next round of apprentice leagues, including those who applied by the recent June 15 deadline, will be announced in early August. The program will then resume its normal quarterly acceptance cycle.