SUMMER LEAGUE MEMBERSHIP!

For the summer months of June and July between the dates of June 1 and July 31, 2025, Tilted Thunder is thrilled to offer a summer league member (SLM) to active roller derby skaters in the Puget Sound area.

AIM: Our goal is to offer a short-term option for experienced roller derby skaters to have the opportunity to experience banked track play at a higher level, get to know the league and bolster numbers for our banked track bouts in June and July. 

All SLM participants will be expected to meet the same requirements as regular league skaters and enjoy the benefits as well:

League member benefits:

-Thrice weekly practices on Mondays 7:30-9:30 PM in the gym at The Retreat in Bothell, Wednesdays from 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM at Seattle Derby Brats and Saturdays from 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM at Lynnwood Bowl and Skate in June and thrice weekly practices on Mondays and Wednesdays 7:30-9:30 PM in the gym at The Retreat in Bothell and Saturdays 7:30-9:00 AM at Lynwood Bowl and Skate.

-Bout weekend league practice, open skate and scrimmage opportunities as scheduled on the banked track.

-Priority rostering to bout at the coaches’ discretion based on attendance and skill level.  All regular and summer league members in good standing will be rostered before subs are acquired to fill any gaps.

League member requirements:

-Pay active skater monthly dues of $65 on or before the 5th of each month.

-Make practice minimums of half of all offered practices in order to be bout eligible.

-Fulfill volunteer requirements of staffing a track shift to build or tear down for each bout plus one volunteer shift on bout day (Track build generally begins at about 11:00 am or 12:00 PM on the Friday before a bout and track tear down generally begins at 1:00 PM on Sunday after a bout.  Each shift is estimated to take 3-4 hours).

-Follow the league code of conduct as described in the Summer League Membership Memorandum of Understanding.

SLM members in good standing will be invited to join TTRD as regular league members at the conclusion of the summer season and commit to our first full banked track season in 2025-2026!

FAQ

What are practices like? 

We do not currently have a space to set up our banked track full time so our weekly practices are all on the flat, following the Roller Derby Coalition of Leagues (RDCL) rule set. We have a core set of coaches who will generally set up drills and scenarios to work on key skills and provide skaters the opportunity to get better at working together as a team. During summer league, we will be particularly focusing on key differences in strategy and game play from flat track rules. Our team attitude at practice is hustle, respect for coaches and a “Yes I Can” attitude toward anything asked of us during a practice.  

How will I pay dues? 

Dues can be paid in cash at practice to our dues collector, Karny Aslaughta, or you can pay online on our Zeffy platform.  You will be invited to join the league Slack where Karny makes a monthly announcement including the Zeffy link, due date and instructions on making cash payments

How many practices will I need to make to be bout eligible? 

Making half of all practices for summer league members will be 6 for June, 5 for July.

How does the league communicate? 

You’ll be added to our Slack where we post announcements and maintain a variety of required and optional special interest channels.  Keeping your notifications on and setting a couple times a week to check Slack will help you stay informed!

Tiger Bomb will be your summer league coordinator, and her contact information will be provided in your welcome message soon after you register.  You may direct any additional questions or concerns to her. 

What are bout weekend shifts like for league members? 

They’re a lot of fun!  It’s amazing to help set up and tear down the track.  The biggest job is placing and bolting together the main sections of the track and it takes at least 16 people to execute this task (more is better!).  We get to be strong together lifting and holding track sections, using power tools and seeing it all come together (or come apart).  Our track commanders will be with you every step of the way guiding the crew on what to do to avoid damage and injury and if we all follow instructions, it comes together quickly and safely.  There are also light duty tasks set aside for volunteers who have lifting restrictions. 

Bout day shifts may include staffing the front ticket desk, concessions, checking IDs in the beer garden or putting up signs or the platform for the announcers, among other things.  There will be a sign up posted in the Slack for all skaters to sign up.  Captains check the rosters and attendance is taken to make sure we have the signups and attendance accurately recorded. 

Can I check out a practice in May to see if Summer League is for me?

Yes! We have a regular program to support drop-ins for a $10 fee. You're welcome to join a practice following this process. Please email recruiter@tiltedthunder.org to get set up.

What if I don’t feel ready to commit to the league for the summer but I still want to skate in the bout? 

It’s possible we may have a need for subs after all league members are rostered, and we can save your name for any sub openings we might have.  Summer league is set up to get new skaters more comfortable with the rule set, the strategy of banked track play and build camaraderie amongst all league skaters.  We just can’t build that same level of teamwork if we’re not skating together over time.  However you’re able to show up: as a league member, an official, a sub, a volunteer or spectator, you are a valued member of the Tilted Thunder community and we hope to see you at the track in Monroe! 

Will summer league become a regular feature of the Tilted Thunder season? 

It’s hard to say at this point.  The ultimate goal is to build a strong enough organization with a critical mass of league members to have the track set up full time in a dedicated space.  This summer, we’re thrilled to have more skaters join us in the league for these bouts and we hope it is so fun and fulfilling that we can continue to build this amazing community into a full, thriving, dynamic league that can support and maintain a dedicated space for the track so we can all skate on it year-round!