Coastal Assassins Roller Derby

The Coastal Assassins Roller Derby (CARD) league is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to promoting women's flat track roller derby on the Sunshine Coast.

CARD was formed in April 2010 as a result of a few friends from Queensland's Sunshine Coast discussing their interest in playing roller derby, but unwillingness to travel long distances to join a Brisbane-based league to participate in the sport. From that discussion, a 'call out' on facebook for expressions of interest from others who felt the same way was put out. The result was an initial meeting of 12 people who were keen to bring roller derby to the Sunshine Coast.

As a developing league in its first year, CARD has been steadily building its numbers – recruiting 'fresh meat' – and developing a systematic training program with the initial aim of creating a team of 'bout ready' players who are competitive enough to bout against other roller derby leagues from Queensland and across Australia. From there, CARD hopes to build its own intra-league competition with at least two independent teams that bout each other regularly at a home venue on the Sunshine Coast.

In December 2010, CARD, along with the Brisbane City Rollers (BCR), co-hosted the first modern day all women flat track roller derby bout on the Sunshine Coast at the Caloundra Basket Ball Stadium. The success of that event – over 800 people attended – not only confirmed the need for a roller derby league on the coast, but brought roller derby into the public consciousness of people living on the Sunshine Coast.

Capitalising on that momentum and the growing popularity of roller derby as an alternative sport for women, CARD has seen its ranks of skating members steadily grow and is now busy planning for the next stage of their development as a competitive league in Australia.

As an organisation dedicated to a sport that promotes female empowerment, CARD aims to foster positive relationships between players, other leagues and the wider community. Within an inclusive framework, CARD also strives to create a culture that respects health, participation and community with an emphasis on individual achievement and teamwork.

In line with this philosophy, CARD has chosen to donate a percentage of its earnings to the STEMM program based at Burnside High School. STEMM – Supporting Teenagers with Education, Mothering and Mentoring – is a program designed to re-engage young mothers in education and assist their transition into higher education at TAFE and university.