Goal

The Southern Alberta Junior Roller Derby Association (SAJRD) was created in response to the fact that very few alternatives existed for youth sport beyond those considered “traditional” staples – and that none were designed to encourage and celebrate individual expression and exploration while promoting teamwork, individuality, inclusivity, and equality in equal measure.

Situational Analysis

One of the fastest-growing sports in North America, today’s roller derby is played on a flat track (typically a gymnasium floor) and is a high-speed team sport requiring roller-skating skill and agility, strategy and athletic ability. While a light contact sport, junior roller derby promotes safety, cooperation, and wholesome fun and entertainment for the whole family.

Junior roller derby offers a unique alternative to more “traditional” youth sport – encouraging individual expression and growth while based on the principles of community, fair play and friendly competition. It is also wholly supportive of 2SLGBTQIA+ rights and freedoms.

Unfussy Recommendations

After extensive research and engagement to determine interest and viability, the league was formed as a not-for-profit and on a purely volunteer basis by a diverse group of parents and players representing the Foothills / South Calgary Regions (which in turn inspired an Alberta beef thematic). For strategic positioning and SEO purposes, the geographical descriptor of Southern Alberta was chosen as a naming convention vs Calgary to claim regional ownership and dominance.

Effectively forming a family of ‘miscasts,’ the group came together in the spirit of community, having not found it in any other group sport setting. Above all else, this sentiment was the driving force behind core brand development, which proved invaluable when attracting and engaging leaders and key stakeholders to help form, operate, and manage league activities and interests.