Please reach us at noreastuprising@gmail.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Nor'east Uprising (NEU) is a Massachusetts nonprofit and the northeast's newest junior roller derby league for kids from 8-17. Created by passionate coaches, parents, and fans. Our goal is to develop a competitive junior roller derby league from the ground up, making sure every skater knows the basic skills and fundamentals necessary to advance to the next level of play. We aim to create and maintain a welcoming environment for all individuals regardless of gender, race, or creed.
Junior roller derby is a sport adapted from traditional roller derby, specifically designed for children and adolescents up to 18 years of age. In junior roller derby, safety is a top priority, so it’s played using both modified-contact (known as “positional blocking”) and full-contact approaches. This allows young skaters of varying ages and skill levels to participate while ensuring their well-being on the track. Whether they’re weaving through opponents or practicing precision footwork, junior roller derby empowers kids to embrace agility, teamwork, and the thrill of skating!
Yes, full contact is permitted at more advanced levels of play. However, contrary to popular belief, There are no elbows, clotheslines, tripping, eye gouging, or anything like that. There are specific blocking and target zones in roller derby to keep hitting someone on skates as safe as possible for both the blocker and blockee.
As with any sport, injuries are a possibility. However, the league requires safety gear to be worn at all times, and from your first day as part of the team to your last, emphasis on safe play will be paramount. You will learn to fall and take hits properly, reducing the chance of injury. Full contact is only allowed at the top level of play.
Junior roller derby has several levels of play:
Level 0-1: Skaters will begin to hone their basic skills, like how to fall safely, and basic stops, and they will also learn basic derby rules. During scrimmages and games, there is no hitting or leaning allowed.
Level 2: Skaters will have become proficient in basic skills and fundamentals and will have begun to learn more advanced techniques. During gameplay, some contact will now be allowed, but at this level, accelerating into a block is still not permitted.
Level 3: Skaters have become proficient in advanced skills and have learned all the skills needed to play full-contact derby. Level 3 skaters will be eligible to move on to Nor'east Uprising's All-Stars Travel Team.
NEU All-Stars: A team of Level 3 skaters selected by the coaches to represent NEU in competitive bouts. This team is for skaters who have demonstrated advanced skills and a readiness for more challenging gameplay. Selection for the NEU All Stars is based on tryouts and considers various factors, including good sportsmanship, teamwork, positive attitude, effort, coachability, and other important qualities. Unlike intra-league and other league games that follow an equal playtime structure, the NEU All Stars focus on competitive performance. The team will compete in both local and national games, providing skaters with opportunities to showcase their talents and gain valuable experience in various competitive environments.
NEU practices at Forrest's Family Fun Center in Taunton, MA, on Tuesday evenings from 6-8 pm, and Sunday mornings from 9-11am. Your practice day/days will be determined by your placement.
Depending on your age and skill level you'll be placed in one of our groups, either the Snow Flurries or the Uprising. The Snow Flurries program is for newer skaters and The Uprising is for more experienced skaters. Our goal is to have all Snow Flurries graduate to the Uprising program asap!
To play roller derby, certain equipment is required, including a pair of quad skates (preferably derby style), a good helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards, and a mouth guard. For more information about derby gear check out our derby gear 101 page!
We understand that the initial cost can be high, but we're here to help. As part of our league, we offer discounts on skates and gear. Additionally, we have plenty of loaner skates and a selection of pads and helmets that can be borrowed. If you want to try roller derby but aren’t ready to commit to buying your own gear, just let us know. We're committed to helping you get started and will do our best to find the right equipment for you. Don’t hesitate to reach out for assistance!
Our coaches are derby coaches and thus practices will be focused on derby. That said we won't turn anyone away who wants to learn! We encourage everyone who has never skated to take skating lessons at Forrest's Family Fun Center on Wednesday nights, in conjunction with our practices.
No prior knowledge of derby is required. Our coaches are passionate about the sport of roller derby and will teach you everything you need to know.
The dues are $80 per month and include all practices, home games, and scrimmages. We offer discounts for siblings to make it more affordable for families.
We believe that no one should be turned away due to financial reasons, so please reach out if you need financial support. We're here to help and ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate.
An automatic recurring payment will need to be set up, our outreach coordinator will work with you on your first or second practice to set it up, or head over to the set up payments page found under the Member Resources tab.
After registering you can expect an email within a day or two with more information. We may recommend a specific day to attend your first practice. This will allow us to give you a proper initial placement assessment. Once you get rolling, you can expect a fun, welcoming, challenging environment, where you can push yourself as far as you want. If you want to max out at level one, no problem. Want to get on the All-Stars? Great! It's your choice how far you take it. Rest assured though, regardless of how far you go, our league will be there to support you every step of the way.
If you are interested in joining our team, hit the button below!
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