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Derby Life: A Crash Course in the Incredible Sport of Roller Derby
Roller derby is an incredible, hard-hitting sport with a storied past dating back to 1935. Modern roller derby, restarted in Austin, Texas, in 2001, has been one of the fastest-growing sports of the 21st century. The modern punk-inspired DIY amateur athletic movement has spread to almost 2000 leagues all over the globe in less than fifteen years.
This book can't teach you how to skate, but it will get you up to speed on everything else!
With chapters on the history of roller derby, rules and strategy, exercise and nutrition, and the gear you'll need to play, Derby Life will teach you what you need to know to get rolling.
Veteran skaters will appreciate chapters on building mental toughness, dealing with derby drama, and getting back in the game after an injury.
Derby Life also includes advice from roller derby greats such as Bonnie Thunders, Scald Eagle, Swede Hurt, and others, and personal stories and beautiful photographs from derby people all over the world.
This book can't teach you how to skate, but it will get you up to speed on everything else!
With chapters on the history of roller derby, rules and strategy, exercise and nutrition, and the gear you'll need to play, Derby Life will teach you what you need to know to get rolling.
Veteran skaters will appreciate chapters on building mental toughness, dealing with derby drama, and getting back in the game after an injury.
Derby Life also includes advice from roller derby greats such as Bonnie Thunders, Scald Eagle, Swede Hurt, and others, and personal stories and beautiful photographs from derby people all over the world.
320 pages, Paperback
First published July 18, 2015
About the author
Margot Atwell
10 books29 followersMargot Atwell is a writer, editor, publisher, and creative community builder, once called “Book Biz Cassandra” by Publishers Weekly. Her books are Absolute Pleasure: Queer Perspectives on Rocky Horror (Feminist Press, 2025) Derby Life: A Crash Course in the Incredible Sport of Roller Derby (Gutpunch Press, 2015) and The Insider’s Guide to Book Publishing Success (Beaufort Books, 2013). She writes On the Books, a newsletter about writing, publishing, and money.
She was the Executive Director and Publisher of Feminist Press, and Head of Publishing and Director of the creative outreach team at Kickstarter. She played roller derby under the name Em Dash for over a decade, skating with the world champion Gotham Roller Derby, and co-founding Derbylife.com. She was a Publishers Weekly Star Watch Honoree and received the Digital Book World Outstanding Achievement Award for her work creating The Next Page conference. She lives in Brooklyn, New York and you can find her online @MargotAtwell and www.margotatwell.com.
She was the Executive Director and Publisher of Feminist Press, and Head of Publishing and Director of the creative outreach team at Kickstarter. She played roller derby under the name Em Dash for over a decade, skating with the world champion Gotham Roller Derby, and co-founding Derbylife.com. She was a Publishers Weekly Star Watch Honoree and received the Digital Book World Outstanding Achievement Award for her work creating The Next Page conference. She lives in Brooklyn, New York and you can find her online @MargotAtwell and www.margotatwell.com.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 20, 2015
I've read many a book about derby, and this one takes the cake. It's not just about derby either - it's about women changing their lives through a common sport they share. I skated for 10 years and these stories ring true in all parts of my life. Transformation, dedication, athleticism, and perseverance. Oh and there's some funny too. Highly recommend for anyone who wants to go beyond the "wtf are these girls up to" and past the "by day/by night" press coverage.
November 27, 2022
I decided to read this book because I signed up for a roller derby bootcamp. It helped me get more excited about participating and also eased my nerves about jumping into something so new to me.
November 21, 2015
As a long-time fan of roller derby and a non-skating participant for about six years, I looked forward to Margot “Em Dash” Atwell’s book, “Derby Life.” I was not disappointed. This book is for everyone, from those who are curious about derby to those already in the derby family. If you just want to know what makes derby tick, the answer is here, and if you feel the pull of this incredible sport, you’ll learn what you need to do to take those next steps as well as what to expect. Derby has changed over the years. While unique derby names are still around, the glamour costumes and glitz is being replaced by an emphasis on athleticism and skill. A flat track has replaced the banked track as the primary track style (though there are some banked track leagues) and safety is everyone’s number one priority.
Written in a conversational style, reading “Derby Life” is like talking to a friend as she tells you about what you need to get started, what kinds of training are important, the value of diet and nutrition and how to cope with an injury. Atwell talks about “derby culture” and how accepting derby is. Leagues are like families, and just like other families sometimes there are squabbles. Atwell acknowledges this and offers ways to handle those moments. She also explains the role of a critical derby component – the Afterparty.
One thing I particularly liked was Atwell’s incorporation of comments from her colleagues. In the chapter “How to Improve” Atwell turns to many of her colleagues from the sport’s top leagues to have them offer their viewpoints. This is one of the strong points of this book: not only do we get advice and tips from Atwell herself, but also we learn from other all-star skaters. This is a fantastic chapter. The next chapter, “The Mental Game,” augments the previous chapter and the two together are a dynamic training guide that a skater at any level can – and should – refer to again and again.
Atwell also talks about the business end of derby. While the face of derby is the skating, there is a lot of activity that needs to go on in order to produce the bouts. Sometimes would-be skaters forget about the committee work, venue set up, public relations, travel arrangements and all the other unseen activates that support derby – and involve time commitments. And derby involves a lot of support people, from refs to Non-Skating Officials to volunteers, so that means even if you don’t skate, there is a place in derby for you.
In a section entitles “Derby Stories,” sixteen skaters recount how derby impacted – no pun intended – their lives. There are stories of recovery and redemption, of accepting oneself, of mutual support, of being short, of hitting the track in your 40’s, of using skating to deal with cancer, with loss. All are candid, and sometimes brutally frank. There is a piece about going to practice that is written with such rhythmic repetition that it is reminiscent of the sound of the pack’s wheels as they whir around the track. Another piece explains why there is crying in derby and another offers bite-size bits of sage advice distilled from years of experience. There is humor and pathos in these stories, honesty and humanity and humility and vulnerability and pride and all the things that make us human. The author recounts her own story of how she tried out for the legendary Gotham Girls, made the first cut, but not the second. Later, encouraged by another Gotham skater, she tried again and made the League. And it is her wonderful, prophetic final line in her story that sums it up for not only herself, but also for everyone who has ever joined the derby family in any role: “I couldn’t imagine how much my life was about to change.”
In short, “Derby Life: A Crash Course in the Incredible Sport of Roller Derby,” is an excellent book, a well-written, perfectly balanced derby introduction/manual, and is of value to a wide range of people -- from those who want to know about the sport, to those who may want to be involved but don’t skate, to new skaters, to veterans who need a refresher and a reminder now and then. If you’re involved with derby, you’ll want to go back to it again and again. I was particularly impressed not only with the wealth of information presented, but also with the informal, casual style of the writing, with just the right amount of humor. Reading it was like talking with a friend. While Atwell wrote the book, she was generous in giving her colleagues a voice, and it was nice to hear those voices. Their comments throughout the book reinforced and gave credence to what the author wrote. The book has numerous citations and additional resources for those who want more information. There is a listing of selected skate shops in the United States and elsewhere and contributor biographies. And, of course, there are pictures. If you want to know about roller derby or are a part of the derby family, you need this book.
Written in a conversational style, reading “Derby Life” is like talking to a friend as she tells you about what you need to get started, what kinds of training are important, the value of diet and nutrition and how to cope with an injury. Atwell talks about “derby culture” and how accepting derby is. Leagues are like families, and just like other families sometimes there are squabbles. Atwell acknowledges this and offers ways to handle those moments. She also explains the role of a critical derby component – the Afterparty.
One thing I particularly liked was Atwell’s incorporation of comments from her colleagues. In the chapter “How to Improve” Atwell turns to many of her colleagues from the sport’s top leagues to have them offer their viewpoints. This is one of the strong points of this book: not only do we get advice and tips from Atwell herself, but also we learn from other all-star skaters. This is a fantastic chapter. The next chapter, “The Mental Game,” augments the previous chapter and the two together are a dynamic training guide that a skater at any level can – and should – refer to again and again.
Atwell also talks about the business end of derby. While the face of derby is the skating, there is a lot of activity that needs to go on in order to produce the bouts. Sometimes would-be skaters forget about the committee work, venue set up, public relations, travel arrangements and all the other unseen activates that support derby – and involve time commitments. And derby involves a lot of support people, from refs to Non-Skating Officials to volunteers, so that means even if you don’t skate, there is a place in derby for you.
In a section entitles “Derby Stories,” sixteen skaters recount how derby impacted – no pun intended – their lives. There are stories of recovery and redemption, of accepting oneself, of mutual support, of being short, of hitting the track in your 40’s, of using skating to deal with cancer, with loss. All are candid, and sometimes brutally frank. There is a piece about going to practice that is written with such rhythmic repetition that it is reminiscent of the sound of the pack’s wheels as they whir around the track. Another piece explains why there is crying in derby and another offers bite-size bits of sage advice distilled from years of experience. There is humor and pathos in these stories, honesty and humanity and humility and vulnerability and pride and all the things that make us human. The author recounts her own story of how she tried out for the legendary Gotham Girls, made the first cut, but not the second. Later, encouraged by another Gotham skater, she tried again and made the League. And it is her wonderful, prophetic final line in her story that sums it up for not only herself, but also for everyone who has ever joined the derby family in any role: “I couldn’t imagine how much my life was about to change.”
In short, “Derby Life: A Crash Course in the Incredible Sport of Roller Derby,” is an excellent book, a well-written, perfectly balanced derby introduction/manual, and is of value to a wide range of people -- from those who want to know about the sport, to those who may want to be involved but don’t skate, to new skaters, to veterans who need a refresher and a reminder now and then. If you’re involved with derby, you’ll want to go back to it again and again. I was particularly impressed not only with the wealth of information presented, but also with the informal, casual style of the writing, with just the right amount of humor. Reading it was like talking with a friend. While Atwell wrote the book, she was generous in giving her colleagues a voice, and it was nice to hear those voices. Their comments throughout the book reinforced and gave credence to what the author wrote. The book has numerous citations and additional resources for those who want more information. There is a listing of selected skate shops in the United States and elsewhere and contributor biographies. And, of course, there are pictures. If you want to know about roller derby or are a part of the derby family, you need this book.
July 21, 2015
My favorite book on Roller Derby as a sport, a culture and example of what women working together can build. If you are thinking about playing, already playing for years, trying to understand your loved one or friend's obsession, or a fan trying to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the game, this is the book for you. Starting with historical information from the earliest days of the sport you get invaluable information on how leagues are structured and run, practical advice on nutrition, conditioning, equipment and the all important mental aspect of the game. Basically all the information that those who are playing now will tell you they wished they had starting out. Then there are the stories written by
skaters that illustrate the various ways that Derby has empowered them and become such an important part of their lives. Clearly written by someone with an intimate knowledge of every level and aspect of the game this is a refreshing look at a world where playing for the love of the game is more than just another sport's cliche.
skaters that illustrate the various ways that Derby has empowered them and become such an important part of their lives. Clearly written by someone with an intimate knowledge of every level and aspect of the game this is a refreshing look at a world where playing for the love of the game is more than just another sport's cliche.
April 19, 2018
Derby Life: A Crash Course in the Incredible Sport of Roller Derby is just that: a crash course. Margot Atwell, also known as "Em Dash" in the derby community (one of my favorite derby names ever), offers a good primer on roller derby, touching a little bit on everything, from derby history to how to get involved with a league, from what sort of things you need to play to how to cross-train for your best derby experience. I contributed to this book's Kickstarter campaign with a few other of my leaguemates a few years back, but I never really got around to reading it. Thank you, reading challenges, for helping me remember gems on my own shelves before I go out in search of others!
I really enjoyed the Skater Stories section of the book, and I kicked myself through every page for not getting my act together and submitting anything. I've written a few things about derby since I started, some for the league's blog, most recently some playoffs recaps for Derby Central, but for whatever reason I didn't make time for this book. I loved reading the ways other skaters internalized derby and how it came out again through their writing.
This year marks a big one in derby for me, and I feel as if I'm at a standstill, waiting to see what is wrong with my knee and how long it will take to fix. It was helpful to read through Derby Life from start to finish as a sort of salve for my nerves. Remembering how I began, how I got here, where I can go. Taking deep breaths through the injury section, knowing that my body doesn't feel broken, just overworked, and praying that that's all. I just need the next steps because I've got things to do this season!
I really enjoyed the Skater Stories section of the book, and I kicked myself through every page for not getting my act together and submitting anything. I've written a few things about derby since I started, some for the league's blog, most recently some playoffs recaps for Derby Central, but for whatever reason I didn't make time for this book. I loved reading the ways other skaters internalized derby and how it came out again through their writing.
This year marks a big one in derby for me, and I feel as if I'm at a standstill, waiting to see what is wrong with my knee and how long it will take to fix. It was helpful to read through Derby Life from start to finish as a sort of salve for my nerves. Remembering how I began, how I got here, where I can go. Taking deep breaths through the injury section, knowing that my body doesn't feel broken, just overworked, and praying that that's all. I just need the next steps because I've got things to do this season!
November 12, 2024
Picked this up after starting derby bootcamp to help me learn more about what I was getting into. Loved getting a bit of the history of Roller Derby and all the derby stories at the end of the book. Also, appreciated the nutrition and fitness advice.
Please note that this book only covers the most basic aspects of gameplay. Roller derby rules can change yearly so if you want the details of those it is best to go direct to the source (ie the website of the governing body your league uses for its ruleset).
Please note that this book only covers the most basic aspects of gameplay. Roller derby rules can change yearly so if you want the details of those it is best to go direct to the source (ie the website of the governing body your league uses for its ruleset).
July 30, 2017
Amazing and inspirational book. This is a soup to nuts description of what it's like to do roller derby. There is input from other skaters and multiple perspectives, you can find helpful insight for any situation. I think this is a book to reread as you change levels and find yourself up against new challenges.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews