FINALLY!!

It’s no secret that the Cubs journey has been a long and difficult one (just look at how long ago the first entry on this blog was posted!) but now, finally, after many, many hours of planning and organising, researching, drinking coffee and eating chips, not to mention several changes of committee members, it is finally time to announce that Fierce Valley Roller Cubs is ready to go!  We are beyond excited to announce that we have two trial dates coming up very soon, with our “official” launch to follow. 

 

The first trial session will be held on Sunday 1^st September, 13:30 – 15:00 in the Mariner Centre, Camelon, Falkirk.  This session will cater for our young age group, 5-10 year olds.  Our older Cubs-in-waiting, aged from 11-17, are invited to attend our second trial the following week, Sunday 8^th September, same time, same place.  These sessions are open to girls and boys – we initially intended to include boys to train as future refs, but with the recent explosion of male derby, there’s every chance they’ll want to play themselves.

 

If you/your Cub have your own kit, great, but if not, we will have some available to borrow on the day.  To register your interest, please drop us an email at cubs@fvrg.co.uk to let us know which session you or your child would like to attend, and what kit, if any, will be required.  Although kit will be available, participants will be asked to provide their own mouthguard and helmet on the day.  Without these vital pieces of kit, children won’t be allowed to skate.  The cost of the trial session will be £4.  We can only accommodate 15 kids per session so places will be granted on a first come, first served basis. 

 

Our first official session will take place on Sunday 15^th September.  The sessions will be split as follows: 5-10 year olds will start at 13:30 and finish at 14:15, and the older age group will start at 14:15, finishing at 15:00.  All sessions will be at a cost of £4, with the option of a monthly subscription of £15.  We recognise (and know only too well from experience) that roller derby can be an expensive sport, so we would encourage parents to make sure that their cubs are enthusiastic about participating before investing!

 

To sign up, or if you have any further questions, please get in touch.  Halls are booked, training plans are drawn up, coaches are ready: LET’S GO!!

It's disco time!

After lots of planning and organising behind the scenes, we are pleased to announce the first Fierce Valley Roller Cubs fundraiser!  We will be holding a roller disco on Friday 23^rd of August, 18:30 to 20:30, in Hallglen Sports Centre, Falkirk. 

 

 

Tickets are priced at £5 for adults and £4 for children, plus 50p skate hire if required.  Roller disco and skate hire will be provided by Dai-Ola Roller Discos.  Tickets can be purchased on the door, and you can reserve your skates by sending us a message on Facebook.  Check out our Facebook event page for more details: https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/602108569833315/

 

Also on the night we will have a variety of stalls including raffle and tombola, cake and candy, plus 5^th Blocker Skates (http://www.5thblockerskates.co.uk/) and Cherry Trinkets (https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Cherry-Trinkets-Custom-Designs/106099389461158?fref=ts), so there will be plenty to keep you occupied when you’re not skating!

 

All the money raised on the night will go towards finally getting Fierce Valley Roller Cubs up and running.  Speaking of which…. keep your eyes on our page for some VERY exciting news coming soon!

Moving forward

It's been a while since the last update, but don't think that means we haven't been working away behind the scenes!  

We're pleased to announce that we are now sponsored by Into The Nitemare Roller Derby Store, which means you can buy or order our awesome t-shirts there!  Pop in and pay them a visit at 25 Orchard Street, Falkirk, or check out their online store at http://into-the-nitemare-roller-derby-store.myshopify.com/

We've had a "wheel amnesty" going on for a while now, looking for old, unloved indoor wheels that you no longer use, which we can use on kids' skates.  In addition, we're now appealing for donations of any old kit which you no longer have any use for, which is doing nothing but clutter up your house.  Any pads or even skates which you or your kids have outgrown would be gratefully recieved.  They don't have to be perfect, merely functional (and safe, obviously!).  We won't be able to have full spare kit for everyone, but we would like to have at least bits and pieces that we can lend.  If you have any wheels or kit that you would like to donate, please contact us either on Facebook or by emailing cubs@fvrg.co.uk.

Similary, we're also looking for people to help out in various ways - no derby experience neccessary!  Being involved with the Cubs doesn't have to mean being a coach, there's lots to do so it's all hands on deck.  Contact us if you'd like to be a part of the fun.

Finally, with a view to raising some much-needed funds, we now have a PayPal account so we can accept donations.  I, along with a group of skaters from Fierce Valley Roller Girls, am climbing Ben Nevis next month and have decided to try to raise some money for the Cubs at the same time.  Any donations would be much appreciated, and would make the blisters worth it!  Our PayPal account can be found here: https://www.paypal.com/uk/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=NVUfRa1f3v4rSdWQYoxudu1ibf1FYEa0ZzrxQ58D9e_5tjHYIHSa06fKQvK&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d96fc0752e9614158f04872d2f2ae25dc

Remember to look out for further information, hopefully coming soon.  If you're not already on our mailing list, drop us an email and we'll add you, to make sure you don't miss any important annoucements.

Thanks for reading! :)

2013... and beyond!

Apologies for the lack of communication recently, but we’d like to bring you all up to date with what’s happening in the world of FVRC.
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It’s no secret that setting up a junior roller derby league has proven to be a huge challenge. We’ve undergone some changes recently and unfortunately aren’t as close to starting as we would like. However, we remain committed to getting this league up and skating as soon as possible – this is where you could come in! We’re looking for volunteers to help out with the set up and eventual running of the league. You could be a skater yourself or the parent of a Cub-in-waiting, and no derby experience is necessary. If you would like to be involved, please leave us a note on our Facebook page or email us at cubs@fvrg.co.uk. This is an opportunity to be involved in something unique and exciting, and we’ve love to hear what skills you could bring to our league.

The biggest issue we have encountered so far is funding. With this is mind, we have a range of t-shirts available for sale in junior and adult sizes. These are available to order by emailing us or contacting us via Facebook, priced at £12 for adult sizes and £10 for juniors. A selection of our merchandise will also be on hand at the Fierce Valley Roller Girls bout against Preston Roller Girls, held on Saturday 16th of February at The Peak, Stirling. If you’re coming along to the bout, please drop by to have a look.

We realise that obtaining all of the equipment needed for roller derby can be expensive, and we are holding a “wheel amnesty” to source some spare indoor wheels for Cubs’ skates. If you have any old, unloved wheels that you could donate (sets of four or eight, without bearings is fine) please let us know. Caymens or any other starter wheels would be great.

Finally, we are aiming to hold an information session at some point in the not-too-distant future, giving Cubs and their parents a chance to come along to meet us and ask any questions they may have. We have several documents, including an equipment checklist and skill sets, available on our Facebook page.

That’s it for now. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or feedback.

Actually, one more important thing: we'd like to say a massive thank you to Frocky Horror for all of her hard work and commitment since we first started talking about a junior league.  We'll miss her input but will work hard to continue what she was such a big part of starting!

Update!

Just thought we should give you all a quick update (apologies for the lack of communication recently).
...

Firstly, we have finalised our logo, as you can see! This will be available on T-shirts and badges that we will be selling to raise funds for insurance, hall hire and other set-up costs.

Secondly, we will be selling the merchandise at our "big sister" league's first home bout on November 17th. Details on the bout are below. If you've never seen roller derby before, I strongly recommend you come and check it out. We will be there to answer any questions you may have :-)

On Saturday 17th November, Fierce Valley Roller Girls' Parma Violents will play host to Wirral Whipiteres Roller Derby in For Whom the Skate Rolls!

The Peak, in Stirling will be the venue for our first home bout, and we are hoping to make the Metallica-themed day one to remember!

Tickets are priced at £7 on the door, or £5 in advance if you buy online from Brown Paper Tickets http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/283751 Children are welcome to attend - under 14s go free when accompanied by an adult. Doors open at 2pm.

Thirdly, if you're wondering when we'll be starting then we're aiming for Feb/March 2013. We know this is a while away, but starting an Under-18s roller derby league has been more challenging than we first envisaged. We are the first league of its kind in Scotland, so have been doing this alone. We want to make sure that everything is set up properly before we start coaching your loved ones (some of our own kids will be joining too, so we understand the need to have all the i's dotted and t's crossed). Policies and constitutions are currently being written along with our training plans, and we hope to be able to furnish you with these at the start of 2013.

Fourthly, our coaches have all passed the WFTDA (Women's Flat Track Derby Association) mimimum standards for derby skaters and are all experienced rollerskaters. Our coaches are all enhanced PVG checked.

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to e-mail us or send us a message on Facebook.

 

Frocky Horror

Wheel Amnesty

We realise that sourcing equipment for potential Cubs can be difficult, not to mention expensive, so with that in mind, we are asking if anyone could donate any old indoor wheels for us to use.  We can fit them on to Cubs' skates so they can keep their other wheels for outdoor practice.  Sets of 8, or even 4, indoor wheels (we don't need bearings) would be much appreciated.  If anyone can help, please email us at cubs@fvrg.co.uk and we will try to arrange collection.  A big Cubs thank you!

Back on track

Due to a busy time with Fierce Valley Roller Girls, with Fresh Meat, mins, try-outs and two bouts coming up, the Cubs has taken a bit of a back seat, but we got back on track this weekend.  Skaters representing FVRG and FVRC took part on Saturday in a launch event for The Helix in Falkirk (www.thehelix.co.uk), signing up potential Cubs, skating, meeting Mark Beaumont and generally spreading the FVRG word.

From there, it was straight to Grangemouth to take part in the nationwide Roller Derby Torch Relay, a sponsored skate in aid of SportsAid.  Collectively, skaters from FVRG managed almost 12,000 laps (or 434 miles), the first 10 of which were skated by one of our Cubs, Cam Cam Thank You Ma'am.  He did a great job in getting the night started and we loved having him along.

On Sunday, a couple of us headed to the Scribbler's Picnic in Stirling with a stall to promote all of our activities.  Depsite the weather (we were plagued with rain all weekend), we spoke to lots of people and drummed up interest in the Cubs and our big sister.

All in all, a great weekend taking part in community activities and spreading the word.  Hopefully we're a huge step closer to getting started with the Cubs and we look forward to taking part in many more events like these.

The Big Day

It was with nervous anticipation that I waited for the Fierce Valley Roller Cubs first public outing – The Fierce Valley Roller Girls Craft Emporium <http://www.fvrg.co.uk/news-story.php?id=31>. I was worried that I would not be able to answer any questions, worried that no one would ask questions and worried that we would have no one visit us all day.

The table was set up in lightening-speed time as the clock approached midday and our first guests started to visit us. Thankfully they knew about roller derby and asked some helpful questions about the age range of junior roller derby, and how this affected game play – thankfully questions we were able to respond to. Our next visitor was interested in finding out some more information for her niece and appeared happy with our responses and the leaflets that she went away with.

The next few hours seemed to pass by quickly with enquiries, people popping by to complete our questionnaire, and adults and potential Fierce Valley Roller Cubs taking part in our fundraising activities. We had an afternoon visit from the girls behind the Roller Grrls Comic < http://www.rollergrrrls.com/ >, and they were telling us all about their new venture Lil Rollers.

With the help of our founding cub members ‘Cam Cam Thank You Mam’ and ‘Itty Bitty Bang Bang’ we had the Fierce Valley Roller Cubs t-shirts being fashioned around the hall and Falkirk. Cam Cam took a stint on the table encouraging visitors to Find the Treasure and Guess the Number of Sweeties in the Jar. Unfortunately ‘Jenny and I Scream’ didn’t get her chance as she wasn’t well on the day.

All go...

The committee is deep in prep mode for this Saturday's Craft Emporium (come along - Masonic Temple, Lint Riggs, Falkirk, 12-4pm!) where we'll have a stall of games and goodies, plus skaters on hand to answer any questions.  Frocky Horror and Evil Moogle have been hard at work producing these great documents: What is junior roller derby, an equipment checklist, and FAQs - all found on our Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/fiercevalleyrollercubs/app_119178388096593

We're also the subject of a great article from Scottish Roller Derby: http://scottishrollerderby.wordpress.com/2012/04/25/the-fierce-valley-roller-cubs-are-coming/  Big thanks are due for that, we're so excited that other people are taking such an interest!

Action!

Derby stance, a few jumps and even a swish wee turn at the end - go Zombocalinsay!

Coach-in-training

I'm keen to be a coach but don't have much experience - that's where my niece comes in handy as a willing guinea pig!  Zombocalinsay (as we'll call her) and I went for an outdoor skate today, but my plans to show her a few basics were scuppered when I found out she could do it all already...  A few tips on derby stance and a quick run through of stops were about all I managed before she was off, scooting around, hopping and jumping and finishing off with a few flashy turns.  And as I was trying out my retro disco style skates for the first time (such a difference from derby skates), she was skating rings around me and showing me up.  Great.  Ah well, it's a learning experience for everyone - I could claim that what she was able to do was down to me being super coach, but really, I don't think anyone would believe that!

Moving forward...

We have a couple of things on the go just now - those of us that wish to be coaches have now been approved and accepted as PVG scheme members, which enables us to work with children.  This is a huge step for us as this had to be in place before doing anything else.  We're all very excited (and reassured to know that we're not working alongside any secret criminals...)!
Interest in the Cubs continues to grow, Scottish Roller Derby has been very supportive and taken an interest in what we're doing - watch out for an article in the future!
Finally, we're busy planning for our stall at the Fierce Valley Roller Girls' Craft Fayre (Masonic Temple, Falkirk, 28th April, 12-4pm).  We'll be on hand to spread the word about the Cubs and answer as many questions as we can.  We'll also have a few games and competitions, as well as some yummy treats.  It'll be our first fundraising effort too so we hope to see loads of people there!

Cub-in-training

Here's one of our first Cubs trying out her new skates for the first time - my niece (a Junior Diaz perhaps), who is really looking forward to being part of something new and exciting.  So looking forward to it that she's offered herself up as a guinea pig - good for us to practise our coaching on family members!

FAQ

Calling all parents! As a further part of promoting the Cubs, we're hoping to have leaflets at the upcoming Craft Fayre explaining a little more about Junior Roller Derby. We thought it'd be a good idea to include a Frequently Asked Questions section and thought who better to ask for suggestions for this than you guys! If you could help us out and post up any questions either here or on our Facebook page that first sprang to your mind about the Cubs, we'd be extremely grateful, thanks!

Craft Fayre

We're going to be in attendance at our big sister's craft fayre in Falkirk on Saturday 28th of April.  This will be our first fundraising/promotional event and it's going to be a great opportunity to spread the word in person, drum up a bit of interest and get some more cubs signed up.  We're lucky to have some crafty people and some talented bakers to make sure our stall will draw the crowds.  Anyone in the Falkirk area should drop in to see us - and if you're not in the Falkirk area, come anyway, it'll be worth it!

The all-consuming world of derby...

Those of you already involved with roller derby will know that it takes over a huge chunk of your life.  We’re quickly discovering that thinking and planning for junior derby will consume whatever is left.  There’s a baffling range of information available on insurance policies.  We’ve found a number of funding opportunities, all with their own specific conditions to meet.  How will we start fundraising?  Should we have kit available for the kids?  Who’s going to coach?  How involved will the parents be?  It’s hard to go into a hall without thinking “Ooh, I wonder what this floor’s like for skating” (and harder to convince people that we won’t ruin their floor).  You work hard to get your 12 year old niece to tell all her friends about it (eventually bribing her with a FVRG t-shirt).  You may even use your own children as guinea pigs.  Youtube is your most visited website.  You check the Facebook page to see how many likes you have.  You spend free moments at work updating the blog…  And it will all be worth it the very first time we have our Cubs together on skates!

Who we are

So who are we?  We're a committee of skaters with Fierce Valley Roller Girls, chaired by Frocky Horror and made up of Bobbie Bang Bang, Calamity Jen, Camelon Diaz, Elburnzo, EvilMoogle, Iona, Sundance Skid and Zombette.  We may all have different reasons for getting involved but we do share an enthusiasm and desire (as well as a fondness for meetings fuelled with tea and cakes) to get kids on skates and let them discover the wonder of derby.  Undaunted by the hard work in front of us, we're determined to be up and running (well, skating) as soon as possible!  If you have any questions or want more info, feel free to drop us a line at cubs@fvrg.co.uk.

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog!  We are Fierce Valley Roller Cubs, Scotland's first junior roller derby league.  We are currently laying the foundations of our league and thought it might be interesting/fun/therapeutic to record and share the trials and tribulations that setting up a junior league will no doubt bring.  So far, we are registered with CRBS and those of us that wish to be coaches have sent off our PVG applications.  Now it's on to pricing insurance, scouting venues and investigating funding.  We're also in the process of conquering the world of social media with our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=717161103#!/pages/Fierce-Valley-Roller-Cubs/243017122450097) and Twitter feed (follow Fierce V Roller Cubs), and now our blog - keep coming back to check our progress!