Continuing our first annual The State of Derby series, we hear from the Men’s Roller Derby Association (MRDA). We sent our questionnaire to the initial invitees list and allowed them to respond by topic in general (omitting questions which may not apply to them) or the questions individually. Erich Bennar, aka Dr. Spankenstein, of the MRDA, responded to the individual questions. See how the MRDA is making sure men aren’t being shut out of the modernization of roller derby.

Introduction

RDIT: Who are you & how did you become involved in roller derby?

MRDA: Erich Bennar, aka Dr. Spankenstein . In February 2006, I joined Pioneer Valley Roller Derby and helped to build the first men’s flat track roller derby team: The Dirty Dozen. Friends of mine – Jake Fahy (aka Bazooka Joe) and Sarah Lang (aka Pink Panzer). Called me up one day and explained that they were starting a roller derby league. Initially I thought that the sport was only for women, but Jake assured me that he was starting a team for guys. They convinced me to take roller skating lessons with them. I have held positions of Team Captain, Director, League Coach, and Online Marketing Lead.

What is your title or primary responsibility?

MRDA: President of Men’s Roller Derby Association (MRDA). I am no longer involved with leadership in Pioneer Valley Roller Derby. I am focusing my efforts on the Men’s Roller Derby Association.

What is the mission of your organization?

MRDA: The Men’s Roller Derby Association is the governing body of men’s flat track roller derby. Originally founded in 2007 under the name Men’s Derby Coalition, MRDA promotes the sport of roller derby by sharing resources and knowledge gained through our experience as skaters, business owners and organization leaders.

The guiding principles of MRDA are:

• to foster the development of sustainable roller derby leagues
• to cultivate positive sportsmanship on and off the track
• to enhance the derby community

MRDA provides new leagues with direction and encouragement while we offer strategic benefits to member leagues. All MRDA member leagues have a say in the organization’s operating policies and its goals for the upcoming year. MRDA maintains standards for rules, safety, and gameplay for local, regional and international competitions. All member leagues are skater owned and operated, and agree to comply with MRDA’s operating policies.

Roles

What is your organization’s role in roller derby?

MRDA: The Men’s Roller Derby Association (MRDA) is the governing body of men’s flat track roller derby.

How many teams (leagues) are in your organization and how many skaters does this represent?

MRDA: Currently 11, with 20+ prospective leagues striving to meet our entrance requirements. There are about 200 rostered MRDA skaters, and between 200-300 prospective MRDA skaters.

What separates your organization from the other derby organizations?

MRDA: MRDA focuses on the development of men’s flat track roller derby.

How does your organization compliment the other derby associations?

MRDA: We function as the male counterpart to WFTDA – offering benefits, national competitions, functional policies, and game standards and official recognition of male flat track roller derby leagues. We keep in touch with JRDA and USARS representatives to ensure that we are not operating at odds with one another.

Are there too many derby associations? Why or why not?

MRDA: Every organization has a unique niche that it serves. Some organizations tend to have a larger following. Some have a more defined following. Each organization contributes something different and is valuable to the roller derby community.

As a sport, how would you rate the health of derby and what can your organization do to make it stronger, healthier, etc?

MRDA: On a scale of 1 – 10.. 10 being most healthy, I’d say 6.5. We are working with WFTDA to provide a complementary avenue for male skaters to train and play roller derby. We have an open dialog with JRDA to help provide resources and a model for young male skaters. MRDA’s ultimate goal is to see a greater unification of roller derby for all ages and genders.

Let’s talk about challenges

What’s the largest challenge your organization is facing currently?

MRDA: Our biggest challenge right now is developing our infrastructure. We want to ensure that our foundation is strong and serves the current and growing needs of our organization, our member leagues, and our brother and sister organizations.

The largest challenge to derby?

MRDA: Doing our part to ensure that all organizations are able to work together to progress the sport and the community.

What’s the biggest or most common misconception about your organization?

MRDA: That male skaters are unrefined and focus on physical prowess over strategy and teamwork. The reality is that MRDA represents skaters who have been involved in the modern flat track revival as skaters for anywhere between 1-5 years. There is a learning curve to marrying physical ability with team work and strategy that some of MRDA teams have mastered and others are still working on…just like any other organization.

What do you, as an organization, know you need to improve on?

MRDA: Communication with our member leagues and the skaters we represent. MRDA has spent several months working on re-branding and restructuring our organization, and have yet to develop more refined practices of disseminating information to our members.

Connecticut Death Quads trying to hold back Twin Cities Terrors’ jammer, Jonathan Elliott at Spring Roll 2011

History

Obviously without the invention of derby, we wouldn’t be here today. What from derby’s past has hurt or hampered modern derby the most?

MRDA: The colloquial history of roller derby that suggests that men had somehow ruined roller derby in past decades and threaten it’s sanctity in the current revival. Fortunately, this mode of thinking is outdated and doesn’t have as much impact on our organization anymore.

How important is it to your membership to know the history of derby?

MRDA: I don’t think it’s terribly important. It helps to understand the roots in order to further the cause and appreciate the contributions of past athletes and promoters. But ultimately, I think the modern incarnation of roller derby stands on its own.

How important is it to your membership’s fans to know derby history?

** **MRDA: Those fans who remember past incarnations of derby might be excited to see its revival. Beyond that knowing roller derby’s history doesn’t really apply to what we are doing today.

Future

What do you see as the biggest change happening for derby in the next 3 years?

MRDA: For the next 3 years, I see a greater push toward men, women and juniors working together to develop a foundation for roller derby that will make the sport more accessible internationally, in small communities, and perhaps in schools.

Over the same time frame, what big changes or improvements do you foresee in your organization?

MRDA: Our organization is still relatively young. WFTDA has done much to pioneer the sport and its development, I think MRDA will have a strong role in refining and providing feedback to other organizations to help us all work together more closely.

In 50 years, what will derby fans say about you/your organization’s contribution to the evolution of derby?

MRDA: I’m not sure. I guess that depends on what form MRDA exists in, and if it’s still relevant to fans in 50 years. Academically, I hope that people remember that MRDA helped lead the charge of inclusion for anyone who wants to play derby.

Media/Culture

With 500+ teams, sellout crowds in various cities, several teams using full-size arenas, and increasing mainstream-sponsors, there’s a growing awareness and following of roller derby. Why do some teams struggle to get fans, while others, in less populace cities, have no challenge in selling out games or attracting fans?

MRDA: In general leagues that promote themselves as fan centric, tend to do well. Such leagues publish stats, write articles about players and develop a relationship with fans. Some small derby leagues tend to do well because their skaters are well connected to the community. They work with local charities, have connections to small news media and advertising markets and can drum up support that way. Less successful leagues tend to focus on their own organization and the derby community and fail to establish rapport with their local fans.

Why can’t derby get on TV?

**MRDA: **In general, roller derby isn’t marketed to fans. When you go to derby tournaments, you’d expect or hope to see tons of fans watching days worth of exciting bouts. But in actually, 70-80% of the audience is involved in derby as players, officials or volunteers. Roller derby is still trying to just exist. I’m not sure it’s ready to really market itself yet.

There are various tournaments inside and outside of the WFTDA. Yet attendance at these events is almost exclusively derby players, coaches, or other “derby insiders.” Is modern derby still not ready for primetime?

MRDA: Ha ha! Yep – see the answer above.

The current brand of roller derby has its roots as a sport for the players, not so much for the fans. Since we mentioned the sellout crowds and sponsors, do you believe the sport still “belongs” to the skaters?

**MRDA: **I don’t think the sport could have begun without focusing on developing its own community. But at some point, the community needs to look beyond itself and be more fan friendly if it hopes to survive.

Going back to Roles & Professional derby, do you think competitive and recreational teams can exist together in the same association? Why or why not?

MRDA: For now, competitive and recreational teams can and should exist together. I say that because many of our organizations (including MRDA) are fairly small. Having that type of balance helps different members really think about why they’ve come together and what values are important. As organizations grow in membership they need to refine their focus. In MRDA’s case, most all of our member leagues are competitive, but there’s enough of a balance that we can develop a strong sense of leadership, business sense and sustainability.

Describe how your organization is structured to be better suited for recreational or competitive oriented teams?

MRDA: We are currently suited for both. In general, there is a strong demand within men’s derby for tournaments and competitions. Being able to serve this demand, while still providing resources for league mentorship and organizational development helps us to work with any type of men’s league. Strictly recreational leagues might not find value in what we do, if they aren’t too concerned about sustainability and growth.

Why is there a tug-of-war between those who want to hold onto derby’s grass roots vs. those who want to “take it to the next level?”

**MRDA: **There is always a dialog between the old and the new in any organization. The dialog between old values and the new ones helps each faction define their own place, carve their own niche and take their derby vision to the next level.

As professional derby begins to develop, there will almost certainly be an outside interest (non-skater) in ownership. This could take the form of a/an individual investor(s), a corporation or a combination. Presuming your organization isn’t the governing body for pro-level derby, would pro-level players and/or teams be allowed membership and to compete in your association?

**MRDA: **I’m not sure. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

How does your association deal with outside ownership inquiries and interests?

**MRDA: **One of the requirements to join MRDA states that your club must be skater owned and operated.

Equipment & Business Development

Companies such as Reidell, PRO-TEC, Triple 8, etc., have benefited greatly from the rebirth of roller derby. Several individuals in the roller derby community have also prospered as roller derby entrepreneurs. How are these companies contributing to the development and promotion of roller derby?

**MRDA: **On the most fundamental level, these companies are building a market and creating a desire to become involved in the sport. Skater owned and operated businesses are not only contributing to the development of the sport, but also to its community.

Which company/companies has received the greatest benefit from roller derby?

MRDA: Not sure.

Do these companies have an obligation to develop products specifically for derby?

MRDA: Obligation? No. If they are already creating products for roller derby, then it’s in their best interest to continue developing newer, better ones.

Which company/companies have lead the way in derby product development?

MRDA: Not sure.

The NFL and NHL both have lists of approved equipment. When do you anticipate your organization restricting equipment selection to an approved list as other contact sports have?

MRDA: In the future we might regulate the type of equipment more. Right now, the sport is still very DIY for some clubs and individuals. To require companies to develop high end equipment and then require skaters to use that equipment would be cost prohibitive and could easily stymie the development of roller derby. On the other hand, it could also force people to become more serious about their level of participation and commitment to the sport. Either way, it would have a fundamental impact on the sport and the community and I don’t foresee this happening in MRDA for a while.

There seems to be a resistance to earning a profit in derby as there are several roller derby teams set up as not-for-profit organizations, yet other teams have signed contracts with sports marketing organizations involved with professional level sports. As roller derby continues to evolve, will not-for-profit teams have to change classifications (to for-profit) to remain competitive at the higher levels?

MRDA: Not-for-profit teams can be just as competitive as for-profit teams. The major difference with for-profit teams is that they are thinking bigger in terms of their scope and influence. Aiming to offer a high level of competition and more exposure can be attractive to some skaters and may attract more talent.

How does your association help individual teams develop their business plans, fan base, and attract advertisers/sponsors?

MRDA: We expect leagues to demonstrate a level of sustainability before we accept them into MRDA. This means that league founders and owners are compelled to find resources – either through MRDA or other organizations. The MRDA forum provides a venue for people to ask questions, find others who have similar problems, and for experienced members to share their successes and failures. MRDA is looking to formalize that process as well.

How does being either not-for-profit or for-profit help or hurt a team’s growth and why would either classification be a better fit for your organization?

MRDA: The quality and quantity of a team’s growth is rests upon on its leadership – not its business structure. While it seems that for-profit clubs can provide more opportunities for growth, a not-for-profit club can be just as successful with strong and creative leadership. For MRDA – the operative value is leadership.

Disparity in Play/Set Season 

As of now, there isn’t a set derby season. The closest is the tournament season which happens mostly through the fall. The WFTDA is currently the most widely used rule set. Some of the rules have allowances for venue restrictions. Example: 10ft ref lane. With new teams joining the WFTDA, these allowances won’t go away soon. The WFTDA hasn’t set a saturation point for membership, nor has any other derby association.

What will be the process and determining factors for your organization to mandate a single playing surface for all teams? Which surface do you see becoming the standard?

MRDA: It’s way too early to answer this question. The beauty of flat track roller derby is that it can be played anywhere. As a skater, I love the opportunity to play on different surfaces and test out different types of equipment. The need to standardize a surface won’t happen until derby becomes professional and more dollars are at stake. At that point, the community will need to look at ways to restrict variables between venues and training facilities. We’re not there yet.

Does your organization have a size limit or capacity? Why or why not?

MRDA: Not yet. We have not reached a critical mass. However, MRDA is keeping a pulse on its growth so that we don’t outgrow our ability to manage ourselves.

If the potential membership is unrestricted, aren’t you really creating a big blanket trying to cover everyone? Why not?

MRDA: There are certain values that MRDA considers important: sustainability, leadership, cooperation. Our restrictions mirror our values. At this point in the development of men’s derby, MRDA is erring on the side of inclusion. Fragmenting the men’s derby market through exclusion will only inhibit all of our organizations’ growth. Inclusion will help our leagues challenge and empower each other toward future development.

Why or why shouldn’t the various associations define a calendar-based season?

MRDA: Our season is based on our member leagues’ seasons. Individual leagues seasons tend to be based on the availability of venues to compete at. So – it’s very much appropriate for MRDA and its members to define our season.

Do the associations have a responsibility to their members and derby fans to place teams in different divisions based on ability? Would this be better addressed internally at the association level or should different associations be for different levels of play? Why/why not?

MRDA: To consider restructuring organizations based on level of play would be a logistic nightmare at this point. Many of the derby organizations exist to serve a specific demographic or type of play. Each organization has its own particular challenge.

MRDA struggles with geographic disparity. There is a concentration of men’s teams in the east, and not as many in the west and south. If the handful of western teams could only compete against other teams of the same caliber, then organizing competitions would be travel intensive and cost prohibitive. Since MRDA hasn’t reached a critical mass in terms of membership, and for-profit/professional competition isn’t a core value – a reclassification based on competition levels is a premature notion.

Officiating

Derby is very unique in that local teams are responsible for recruiting and training officials in their region. While it isn’t a requirement for them to do so, having access to some level of officiating practically mandates this.

What has been the largest challenge to “home grown” officials?

MRDA: Training and retention.

What has been the biggest benefit to derby with this type of officiating recruiting?

MRDA: Officials have a stake in the development of their leagues and their player’s training. Officials traveling to different leagues and sharing knowledge and experience promotes positive inter-league relations. Officials who officiate for the love of the sport contribute positively to leagues and its members by having a stake in their organization and cultivating its growth.

If previous officiating experience was required to become a derby referee, which two sports would you say best prepare potential derby referees?

MRDA: Not sure.

The WFTDA and OSDA have implemented certification programs. Do you see the certification process as the first step in creating a derby officiating organization that is not entirely controlled by its associated governing body?

MRDA: Well—creating a ref certification program could lead to an autonomous officiating body. MRDA isn’t currently interested in cultivating this though. Rather, a certification process enables officials and the association to track individual’s growth and aspire toward higher levels. This promotes interest for officials, as it gives people something to strive toward. It also serves to elevate the effectiveness of officiating, so that competitions can be staffed appropriately.

What would it take to bring the different derby governing bodies in agreement on a unilateral referee certification/accreditation program?

MRDA: I think there is a nugget of insight in the question, but I think the disparity between each organization’s focus and rules makes it hard to envision a unilateral referee certification program that can adequately address the nuances of different flavors of roller derby.

What advantage(s) do you see in keeping officials part of a governing body, rather than having their own association or union?

MRDA: Good question. Feedback and open communication between skaters and referees is extremely important to MRDA at this point in our development. MRDA is currently defining its culture, and having input from everybody enables us to understand the unique concerns of every party involved in our sport.

International

With the exception of a few professional hockey and baseball teams in North America, most countries have their own levels of amateur and professional sports. The WFTDA and USARS both have taken steps in becoming the preeminent internationally governing body or roller derby.

How can a sport whose membership is nearly 100% from the U.S.A. fairly oversee and govern teams not only in other countries, but on other continents?

MRDA: Being part of an established organization, wherever it is, means that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. It also decreases the amount of disparity that can develop by having different organizations creating different standards. Having the largest and most experienced roller derby organization, like WFTDA, providing a basis for international standardization can be extremely valuable.

It seems a governing body whose purpose is to govern international competition, such as FIFA (soccer) or the International Olympic Committee, would be better suited for such a role. How do you envision a derby governing body developing, which is truly international?

MRDA: MRDA has been in contact with other governing bodies to explore the various options open to us. At this point, MRDA’s focus is on its own development and the leagues that have shown an interest in us. Since men’s derby is underrepresented in other countries, our primary focus is on helping new leagues grow everywhere, but specifically in the US and Canada. In the future, the international roller derby landscape will have changed, and it will be easier to imagine an international governing body that represents men’s, women’s and youth’s flat track roller derby.

Outside of the North America market, where is your organization focused to further promote and help develop roller derby?

MRDA: We have feelers out in the UK and Australia. It’s exciting to see new leagues develop with a certain level of autonomy. We hope that they will continue to be involved in the development of men’s derby through MRDA.

Pro Derby/Olympic

While it may not be a topic in the immediate future, there are hopes for derby to expand beyond its current amateur and mostly adult leagues. There are different sports associations for the various levels of play. For example, ice hockey has the NHL (pro-football), the Olympics, the ECHL and AHL (semi-pro), NCAA (college), various state high school athletic associations, and numerous little leagues.

How do you define professional or semi-professional roller derby?

**MRDA: **Professional roller derby has a greater concentration of sponsors, and provides an avenue for skaters to train and skate for compensation.

How does your membership feel about creating semi-pro or professional level derby?

**MRDA: **It’s too soon to even discuss it in MRDA. There are far too few men’s teams and they are too geographically disparate.

Explain how your organization is can help pave the way in both directions, towards professional derby and youth recreational derby.

**MRDA: **MRDA can support the efforts of JRDA and other youth focused efforts. Regarding professional derby – MRDA needs to cultivate a larger pool of skaters and teams before we can even think about going pro.

Why or why not would each level of play need its own governing body?

**MRDA: **Again – it’s too soon to discuss this.

With nearly every Olympic event being having a men’s and women’s competition, it stands to reason that derby must become more gender inclusive, specifically more male competitors. How is your organization helping promote gender equality in the sport?

MRDA: Well, we are the Men’s Roller Derby Association! Our focus is on male skaters and teams, but our mission is to develop the relationship between male and female organizations. We do this primarily through educating people about the misconceptions of men’s roller derby, via word of mouth and performance at local and national events.

This year (2011) will be the third year that men’s derby will be featured at the East Coast Derby Extravaganza in Philadelphia. Last year, our 30 minute mixed challenge bout was one of the most well attended bouts of the weekend. This year, Philadelphia Roller Girls have asked us to play a full MRDA sanctioned bout during the event. Events like this and Spring Roll, where all MRDA teams played a total of 3 bouts each to establish season rankings, is how we get out there and showcase our skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship

Why or why not is gender equality necessary for roller derby to continue to grow?

**MRDA: **I’m not even sure why this question is here. I think it’s less about gender equality and more about everyone valuing each other’s opinions, insights and contributions to the sport and the community. How could it exist otherwise?

How would male or co-ed derby hurt or help modern derby grow in popularity or move towards becoming an Olympic event?

**MRDA: **For starters, the International Olympic Committee won’t even consider roller derby for inclusion without men’s roller derby. Co-ed derby is a little trickier. My home league, Pioneer Valley Roller Derby, practices co-ed but our men and women compete separately. For co-ed competitions, you’d have to ask audiences to cast aside their preconceptions about aggressive male vs. female contact. Some leagues can successfully do that.

Please explain the 3 biggest obstacles in derby becoming an Olympic event or some level of professional sport?

**MRDA:
**1. The sport needs to be more fan-centric to generate more exposure.
2. It needs to demonstrate sustainability through commercial support, product development, training standardization and/or organizational fortitude.
3. Men’s, women’s and youth roller derby need to be cross promoting each other’s interests and goals.

How should the derby community as a whole overcome these issues?

**MRDA: **This begs the question: Do we even need to overcome these obstacles yet? Does the current incarnation of roller derby have a place in the professional sports world?

Bottom line is: We all need to be questioning the values that initiated this movement and the influences that are pushing us in one direction or another. Which ones apply to your organization right now, at this moment in time? What’s hopeful? And what’s realistic?

Next Year

When we revisit this conversation next year, what will be the most noticeable changes in derby?

**MRDA: **MRDA will have a stronger infrastructure and might be ready to consider lofty next steps like the Olympics or professional roller derby. MRDA will have a hand in the development of international standards. I also expect that MRDA and WFTDA will have a closer relationship with each other. There will be more exposure of roller derby to fans and promoters.

What changes would pleasantly surprise you if they happened within the next year?

**MRDA: **I’m surprised on a daily basis by the changes that occur in the derby world.

What is your personal derby mission for the next 12 months?

MRDA:I’m surprised on a daily basis by the changes that occur in the derby world.

Final thoughts?

**MRDA: **My hope is that my colleagues will continue to share their leadership experiences with each other and with other leagues, and that MRDA can become a standard for positive team development and organizational sustainability.

*****

Next: The State of Derby – Part V: USARS.

Previous: The State of Derby – Part III: MADE.