Are you interested in being involved with the Cincinnati Rollergirls, but not in taking the big hits? Have you wanted to be in the middle of the action on CRG game nights? You can be a part of the team that makes our games run smoothly! We’re currently looking for volunteers to help during games and scrimmages as referees, non-skating officials (NSOs), and track setup.
There will be an orientation meeting for new volunteers on Sunday, January 15 at 2:30 PM. The meeting will be held at the Cincinnati Gardens, please contact us for details or RSVP through our Facebook event.
Game-Day Track Setup
For our home games this season, we need some reliable volunteers to help set up the track a few hours before the game and make repairs as needed throughout the night’s games. This is a physical job, but it won’t kill anyone! You need to be able to do a lot of stooping and kneeling on the ground to tape off the track on the floor.There will be a couple of small teams working together with instruction by an experienced track-master before each game.
It should be a fast job each time, but the more volunteers we get, the easier the job will be, so tell your friends. In addition, when you help with track setup, you get to watch the game for free. You will only be needed at the 5 Cincinnati Rollergirls home games this season, which makes this a great way to get to know the roller derby world and see how it can fit into your busy schedule!
Non-Skating Officials
If you love roller derby but not the idea of skating around a hard, concrete floor while people try to knock you down, NSOing might be for you. The Cincinnati Rollergirls’ NSO crew is a dedicated group of women and men who work hard to keep the games moving they way they should. NSOs are responsible for many different jobs at scrimmages and bouts, including: score keeping, penalty box timing, running the scoreboard, and tracking the big hits.
You will need to be available for training days and scrimmages with the league, in addition to CRG’s 5 home games this season, to learn different jobs, the rules of the game, and work with one of the best officiating crews in roller derby. No previous experience in sports officiating is necessary, we will take care of teaching and testing you on all you need to know, but a passion for roller derby is encouraged.
For more insight into the life of an NSO, take a look at the Cincinnati Roller Derby Examiner’s interview with co-head NSO Stabby McNeedles.
Referees
Do you have skating skills and love enforcing the rules? Do you look amazing in black and white stripes? Does the roar of the crowd after you have sent their favorite player to the penalty box just roll off your back? Then we need you on the front lines as a roller derby referee, keeping the skaters safe and the games fair.
Referees will be trained in the necessary skating skills to keep up with a pack of rollergirls without getting knocked out (most of the time), as well as learning the rules of the game and how to work with the other referees and NSOs. You will need to attend practices and scrimmages in order to learn the necessary skills before you are able to start working during CRG games, but the rewards are amazing. You will travel to exotic locations, meet fascinating rollergirls, and penalize them.
To learn more about being a referee, read about the experiences of Dr. Funkenstein after his first season with CRG in this article.
For more information on volunteering and details on the orientation meeting, please contact [email protected].