So you think you want to be a Bradentucky Bomber...

That makes you a Wanna-Be. What do you do next?

1.  Contact Us Email our recruiting coordinator Miss Fitz at recruit@bradbomb.com. We like to know you’re coming so we can have some paperwork ready.

2.  Attend a Practice Come out to a practice and either watch or skate.

Tuesday is typically a night we scrimmage so it is a good night to watch the action and see what the sport is all about. While we try to knock each other down, new recruits can practice skating skills with one of our veteran skaters.

Sundays and Thursday are structured practices in which we work on endurance and skating skills. These are the best practices to attend your first time. You can participate in a number of the drills as long as your skating isn’t too rusty. Or you can spend some time getting comfortable on your skates while getting a look at our training regimen.

If you have quad skates and any safety gear (wrist guards, knee pads, elbow pads, a helmet, mouthguard) then bring it. If not, you can rent skates just to try it out. We do have some extra used gear that you can borrow the first time you skate with us, with the exception of mouth guards (obviously – yuck!).  For safety reasons, you will not be doing any full contact drills your first time so a mouthguard isn’t required.

You’ve come to a practice and decided you were destined to be a Bomber.

That makes you a Bomber Betty. Now what?

1. Buy Some Skates and Gear We can let you know the best places to get your skates and your gear. You cannot participate in contact drills without full gear - wrist guards, knee pads, elbow pads, a helmet, and a mouthguard – so get it.

2. Get to Know Our Derby Drill Masters Even though we look like pros (at least we think we do), we all remember what it was like to be a Betty. So don’t worry. You’ll have a Bomber guiding you through your first practices.

3. Get Used to Your Skates Before joining the League, most of us hadn't skated in a couple of years (or in some cases a couple of decades). We suggest wearing your skates around the house or your neighborhood (with outdoor wheels of course), or come to an open skate session at Florida Wheels and get real comfy with them.

4. Practice, Practice, Practice and Keep Your Butt Down You will be shown certain skills you must acquire before being assigned to a team. These will include things such as proper skate stance, knee drops, crossovers and how to fall safely. Basic skill requirements are for your safety as well as the safety of all derby girls on the track.

The biggest challenge for Betties seems to be remembering to skate in proper stance which means skating with your butt low to the ground, as if in a squat position. The lower you stay, the less likely you are to fall. So if we you see you skating too upright, you’ll hear us yell, “Get your butts down ladies!!”.

Betties must attend at least 4 practices before being considered for Bomber status.

5. Pay Your Weekly Dues Betties pay $10 per week. Once you graduate to Bomber status, dues are $25 per month.

6. Graduate to Full-Fledged Bomber Status Once you attend the required number of Betty practices (4), you’ll be an official Bradentucky Bomber. And there ain’t nothin’ better than that. But you still have a skills test to pass and some other things to learn before being assigned to a team and given clearance to bout. Once again, this is for your own safety and for the safety of all other skaters on the rink. So keep practicing!