- Video shows youth in the Lansing Junior Roller Derby Basic Skills Boot Camp on Wednesday.
- Kids aged 12-17 come together to develop their roller derby skills during this eight week program.
- The lessons are designed for youth from all levels of experience.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
I'm here at Court One Training Center in East Lansing, where the Lansing Junior Roller Derby is hosting a boot camp…or skate camp… for kids in our neighborhoods.
It was Orientation Day for the Lansing Junior Roller Derby Basic Skills Boot Camp…
"To see these little minds play the sport that I've been playing for so long and do it so well..."
…The beginning of a two month course for kids to develop their roller derby skills.
"Roller derby is not your normal sport that you get to play in gym class like basketball or baseball…"
Ali Jahr is the President of Lansing Roller Derby and Head Coach of the Junior League.
She developed the first boot camp program back in 2014, and now, more than 10 coaches work with kids to build their skills.
"The structure, and the course, and the progression on the build of the skills you are going to work on, is something that we've over the better course of 10 years continue to work to perfect and modify, and make sure it keeps people as safe as possible when they learn to do this new thing," Jahr said.
Jahr says the lessons are progressive, and each week, skills build off of each other…and so does the kids' confidence.
Jahr explained, "Roller derby isn't easy, skating isn't easy. So when these kids accomplish it, and they have that 'wow' moment, and they look back at themselves a couple months ago, they're proud of themselves and they feel confident they can do more and more challenging things."
And it's not too late to sign up and give it a shot.
"If you've got a kid that's interested we want to see them on skates."
Practice begins again on Wednesday, April 3rd from 6-8 p.m.
For more information, visit lansingrollerderby.com.
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