Hartford Area Roller Derby

Hartford Area Roller Derby
League logo
Metro area Hartford, Connecticut
Country United States
Founded 2011
Teams Hartford Wailers (A team)
Beat City Bedrockers (B team)
Capital City Liabilities (rookie team)
Track type(s) Flat
Venue Nomad’s Adventure Quest (South Windsor, CT)
Affiliations WFTDA
Org. type Non Profit Organization
Website hartfordarearollerderby.com

Hartford Area Roller Derby or H.A.R.D., is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded in 2011,[1] the league is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).[2]

History and structure

Hartford Area Roller Derby was founded as the third modern-day roller derby league in Connecticut in 2011 by Danielle "Diesel N’ Gin" Paine,[1] who had previously played roller derby with Pioneer Valley Roller Derby and Central Mass Roller Derby.[3] H.A.R.D. held its first public games in May 2012 at Nomads Adventure Quest in South Windsor,[4] where they still play as of 2017.[5] By July 2012 H.A.R.D. was drawing hundreds of fans to its home games.[6]

In January 2013 H.A.R.D. became a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) Apprentice Program,[7] graduating to full membership in the WFTDA in December of the same year.[8]

H.A.R.D. is represented at the WFTDA level by their A team, the Hartford Wailers, named after the former local National Hockey League team, and the league's B team is the Beat City Bedrockers.[9] League members pay dues towards membership, with new members partaking in a "fresh meat" training program.[10]

WFTDA rankings

Even though H.A.R.D. gained WFTDA membership in December 2013, they did not earn their first WFTDA ranking until 2015, debuting at #200 overall.[11]

Season Final ranking[12] Playoffs Championship
2014 unranked[13] DNQ DNQ
2015 190 WFTDA[14] DNQ DNQ
2016 197 WFTDA[15] DNQ DNQ

In the community

Hartford Area Roller Derby holds regular community fundraising events as part of its mandate as a non-profit organization, including an annual "Polar Run and Pub Crawl" since 2013 to benefit the local women's shelters Interval House in Hartford and Prudence Crandall Center in New Britain.[16] H.A.R.D. has also designated the Prudence Crandall Center is its beneficiary should the league ever need to dissolve.[16] Members of H.A.R.D. also took part in fundraising scrimmages in 2013 to benefit the Sandy Hook School Fund.[17]

Hartford Area Roller Derby has been a regular participant in the annual Hooker Day Parade in downtown Hartford, since first forming in 2011.[18]

References

  1. 1 2 "CT June 2011 new business starts". hartfordbusiness.com. Hartford Business Journal. 22 September 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  2. ↑ "Hartford Area Roller Derby – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  3. ↑ Courchesne, Shawn (2 January 2012). "Women's Roller Derby: Sport Making A Comeback". tribunedigital-thecourant. Hartford Courant. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  4. ↑ "Hartford Area Roller Derby First Bout Saturday | Redscroll Records". redscrollrecords.com. 16 May 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  5. ↑ "H.A.R.D. 2017 Home Season Announced – Hartford Area Roller Derby". www.hartfordarearollerderby.com. H.A.R.D. 16 February 2017. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  6. ↑ Glanzer, Ted (16 July 2012). "Roller Derby League Finds a Home in South Windsor". South Windsor, CT Patch. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  7. ↑ "WFTDA Accepts 16 Apprentice Members - LatestNews - Women’s Flat Track Derby Association". wftda.org. WFTDA. 31 January 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  8. ↑ "WFTDA Welcomes 22 New Full Member Leagues - LatestNews - Women’s Flat Track Derby Association". wftda.org. WFTDA. 23 December 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  9. ↑ "Southshire Roller Derby launches 2015 season". The Bennington Banner. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  10. ↑ Hunter, Suzie (15 March 2016). "How To Join A Roller Derby League (And Make Lots Of Friends)". courant.com. Hartford Courant. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  11. ↑ "Rankings: April 30, 2015 – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  12. ↑ "Current Rankings", WFTDA
  13. ↑ "Rankings: December 31, 2014 – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  14. ↑ "Rankings: December 31, 2015 – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  15. ↑ "Rankings: December 31, 2016 – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  16. 1 2 Hunter, Suzie (16 January 2016). "Hartford Roller Derby League 'Gets Weird' To Benefit Women's Shelters". courant.com. Hartford Courant. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  17. ↑ "Roller Derby leagues team up to benefit Sandy Hook". snaptwig.com. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  18. ↑ Hagan, Maria (25 October 2011). "2011 Hooker Day Parade". Living In Greater Hartford. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
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