Mission and History

Mission

New Hampshire Roller Derby is a 501(c)(3) non-profit sports organization that promotes athleticism while giving back to the local community.

As a member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), all of NHRD’s competitors identify as women. People of any gender are welcome and encouraged to participate as referees, non-skating officials, volunteers, and spectators. NHRD supports the greater Manchester, NH community through donations, volunteer work, and partnerships with a variety of other nonprofit organizations.

New Hampshire Roller Derby’s home venue is the JFK Coliseum, 303 Beech Street, Manchester, NH. It has been our home venue from 2009 to the present day. We practice and skate there from April through September.

 

League History

  • 2007
    • July: the Skate Free or Die! Rollergirls formed
    • November: the league incorporated as a non-profit LLC named New Hampshire Roller Derby
  • 2008
    • August: first scrimmage, played against the Killah Bees of Providence, RI
    • September: first away game, played against Maine Roller Derby
  • 2009
    • First full season with four home games: undefeated at home at the JFK Coliseum in Manchester, NH
    • All-Stars competed in Delaware, Montreal (Canada), New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island
    • September: accepted into the WFTDA Apprentice Program
  • 2010
    • League exceeded 70 active members
    • Added the Queen City Cherry Bombs (B travel team) and two home teams (the Seabrook Meltdowns and the Granite Skate Troopers)
    • June: inducted into the WFTDA as a full member league
  • 2011
    • Added the Nightmares on Elm Street as a home team
    • February: first sanctioned bout (for WFTDA ranking) against Montreal Roller Derby
  • 2013
    • Became a Class A WFTDA league
    • Formed a recreational team, the Millyard Misfits
    • September: All-Stars qualified for and received an invitation to the WFTDA Division I Playoff Tournament in Richmond, VA
    • December: became a member of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce
    • Ranked 35 of 176 on December 31
  • 2014
    • The A-team was ranked 44 of 225 on December 31
  • 2015
    • Renamed the Skate Free or Die All-Stars to the NH Roller Derby All-Stars
    • The A-team ranked 243 of 275 on December 31
  • 2016
    • Added the Cheap$kates as a C travel team
    • June: Cheap$kates played debut game against Monadnock Roller Derby
    • The A-team ranked 271 of 320 on December 31
  • 2017
    • Membership shifted from mainly veteran skaters to mostly new skaters
    • Withdrew from WFTDA rankings
    • Reinstated two home teams (the Nightmares on Elm Street and the Granite Skate Troopers) and reduced to one travel team (the All-Stars)
  • 2018
    • Membership increased
    • Returned to WFTDA’s international rankings
    • Competed only as the NH Roller Derby All-Stars
    • Ranked 352 of 352 on December 31
  • 2019
    • Competed as the NH Roller Derby All-Stars and the NH Cherry Bombs (A & B Travel Teams)
    • Ranked 329 moving up 20 spots from 2018
  • 2020
    • Season was cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic
  • 2021
    • NHRD had a soft reopening in October of 2021 with non-contact and masked practices
    • There was an influx of new rookie skaters spanning from the popularity of outdoor roller skating through the Covid-19 pandemic
    • No games were scheduled this year
  • 2022
    • By May we cautiously booked public scrimmages but not regulation or sanctioned games
    • We brought back scrimmages under the names of The Granite Skate Troopers and the Nightmares on Elm Street, even though the teams were not formally drafted
    • 2022 ended with our first public scrimmage against the Bay State Brawlers in August, and our first away game with Mass Attack Roller Derby in September
    • Rookie Camp began in the fall in preparation for 2023
  • 2023
    • 2023 began as our first real full season after the Covid-19 pandemic
    • Our home teams, The Granite Skate Troopers and the Nightmares on Elm Street were formerly revived via a draft
    • We held travel team tryouts in February and solidified A- and B-team rosters for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic. The A-team plays under the “New Hampshire Roller Derby All-Stars”, and the B-team competes under the name, “New Hampshire Roller Derby Cherry Bombs”.
    • Our first full season was booked at our Home Venue, the JFK Coliseum, in Manchester, NH for April 29, May 20, June 24, and August 5 — including sanctioned chartered games, regulation games, and home team games.