Contact: AJ Epp Tel: 402-483-7551 x 11 Email: aepp@usarollersports.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

USARS Announces Roller Derby National Team Program

USA Roller Sports is excited to announce the development of the USA Roller Derby National Team program. The players and coaching staff selected to participate in the program will represent the United States during official international competitions and will bring a unified and distinctive face to the USARS Roller Derby program.

“This is the beginning of a long-term process for elite athletes in the U.S. to compete at the international level. We are excited to support the efforts of our governing body, FIRS, and participate in the 2017 Roller Games in Barcelona. We need to prepare the roller derby teams that will be representing the United States at that historic event, but also at other future international events where roller sports already have a presence, like the Pan-American Games,” said Fernando Regueiro, Chair of the USARS Roller Derby Sport Committee and member of the USARS Board of Directors.

The National Team program will include a team for each competitive category, starting with the Women’s category in 2015 and incorporating additional categories in subsequent years, depending on demand and number of athletes.

Trials will be open to athletes based on the following eligibility requirements:

Athletes must be members, in good standing, of USA Roller Sports as of the day of the tryout.

Athletes must be at least fourteen (14) years of age as of January 1st in the year of the tryout.

Athletes must present a passport or other proof of U.S. citizenship.

The USARS Roller Derby Sport Committee will designate the Head Coach for each competitive category, who will in turn select the Coaching Staff, including Assistant Coaches, Regional Assistant Coaches and designated scouts.

The first tryout will take place as part of the 2015 USARS National Championship in Philadelphia, PA. During the tournament, the Coaching Staff will perform in-depth observations during games and will also host tryout sessions in order to allow all athletes, including unattached players or players from teams not participating in the tournament, to be observed and considered for the National Team. More details about the tryout process, dates and other specifics will be made public as they become available.

Once the initial team is selected, athletes will be invited to participate in high-performance training sessions and will have opportunities to participate in clinics, training sessions, exhibition events and international tours in preparation for the 2017 Roller Games.

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USA Roller Sports (USARS) is recognized by the Federation Internationale de Roller Sports (FIRS) and United States Olympic Committee (USOC) as the national governing body for competitive roller sports in the United States. USARS is dedicated to creating, enhancing and conducting the best competitions and programs for roller sports. We instill the drive to win and be the absolute best in sports and in life.