The Roller Rebels are Long Island’s first roller derby league, celebrating 15 years in 2020. The league is a member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, the sport’s foremost governing body with more than 270 member leagues. The Roller Rebels compete for international rankings in the WFTDA.
In the league’s past, the Roller Rebels also had three home teams: The Wicked Wheelers, Ladies of Laceration and The Rolling Thundercats. The three teams would compete in intraleague play against one another for the Anita Fixxx Memorial Trophy.
In addition to the skaters, league members also include referees and non-skating officials (NSOs) who help keep chaos at bay. Their duties range from tracking lineups, scores, the penalty box, stats, officiating gameplay and setting up the track. The league also receives crucial support from a host of dedicated volunteers such as announcers, EMTs, trainers, and photographers.
Our goal is to educate about, promote and foster the sport of flat-track roller derby through the competition here on Long Island while giving back to our local community.
The league is run by the skaters and other non-skating members. Day-to-day operations are handled by elected officers, long-term operations are handled by a board of directors, and specialized committee leaders are all chosen by a formal vote. Funding comes from skater dues, fundraising events, ticket sales and a wide array of sponsorships. The Roller Rebels received nonprofit 501(c)(3) status on March 7, 2016, so all donations and support given on or after that date are tax-deductible.
The Long Island Roller Rebels are proud to give back to our community. Each year we host a charity game in which we make contributions through ticket sales to local and national organizations such as the Suffolk County Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Dress for Success, The Keep A Breast Foundation, The Wounded Warrior Project, The John Theissen Foundation, Little Shelter, Cohen Children’s Hospital, Keep Moving Forward: Following Nate, Long Island Crisis Center, and Pride for Youth.
The Long Island Roller Rebels have also been very active in our local community by hosting food drives for LI Cares at every home game, volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, hosting a prom dress drive for the Town of Brookhaven’s Youth Bureau, volunteering at Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility and hosting a blood donation drive for the Red Cross.