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Hartford Area Roller Derby or H.A.R.D., is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in the Hartford, Connecticut area. Founded in 2011, the league is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).

History and structure

Hartford Area Roller Derby was founded as the third modern-day roller derby league in Connecticut in 2011 by Danielle "Diesel N’ Gin" Paine, who had previously played roller derby with Pioneer Valley Roller Derby and Central Mass Roller Derby. H.A.R.D. held its first public games in May 2012 at Nomads Adventure Quest in South Windsor, where they still play as of 2021. By July 2012 H.A.R.D. was drawing hundreds of fans to its home games.

In January 2013 H.A.R.D. became a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) Apprentice Program, graduating to full membership in the WFTDA in December of the same year. In January 2016 H.A.R.D. was granted 501 (3)(c) status.

H.A.R.D. is represented at the WFTDA level by their A team, the Hartford Wailers, named after the former local National Hockey League team, and the league's B team is the Hartford Banshees (formerly known as the Beat City Bedrockers). League members pay dues towards membership, with new members partaking in a "fresh meat" training program.

WFTDA rankings

Even though H.A.R.D. gained WFTDA membership in December 2013, they did not earn their first WFTDA ranking until 2015, debuting at #200 overall.

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (August 2019)

In the community

As a non-profit organization, Hartford Area Roller Derby holds regular community fundraising events and offers an annual scholarship to graduating high-school seniors. H.A.R.D. is dedicated to building roller skating skills, creating a local roller derby community, establishing positive relationships within the community, and promoting teamwork, respect, and empowerment of women and nonbinary individuals. Some charitable efforts include an annual "Polar Run and Pub Crawl" from 2013–2019 to benefit the local women's shelters Interval House in Hartford and Prudence Crandall Center in New Britain. H.A.R.D. has also designated the Prudence Crandall Center as its beneficiary should the league ever need to dissolve. Members of H.A.R.D. also took part in fundraising scrimmages in 2013 to benefit the Sandy Hook School Fund. H.A.R.D has participated in Red Cross blood drives, "Rebuilding Together - Manchester" events, Ellington's 1st Annual PRIDE, among other things.

References

1. ^ "CT June 2011 new business starts". hartfordbusiness.com. Hartford Business Journal. 22 September 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
2. "Hartford Area Roller Derby – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
3. Courchesne, Shawn (2 January 2012). "Women's Roller Derby: Sport Making A Comeback". tribunedigital-thecourant. Hartford Courant. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
4. "Hartford Area Roller Derby First Bout Saturday | Redscroll Records". redscrollrecords.com. 16 May 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
5. "H.A.R.D. 2017 Home Season Announced – Hartford Area Roller Derby". www.hartfordarearollerderby.com. H.A.R.D. 16 February 2017. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
6. Glanzer, Ted (16 July 2012). "Roller Derby League Finds a Home in South Windsor". South Windsor, CT Patch. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
7. "WFTDA Accepts 16 Apprentice Members - LatestNews - Women's Flat Track Derby Association". wftda.org. WFTDA. 31 January 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
8. "WFTDA Welcomes 22 New Full Member Leagues - LatestNews - Women's Flat Track Derby Association". wftda.org. WFTDA. 23 December 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
9. "Southshire Roller Derby launches 2015 season". The Bennington Banner. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
10. Hunter, Suzie (15 March 2016). "How To Join A Roller Derby League (And Make Lots Of Friends)". courant.com. Hartford Courant. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
11. "Rankings: April 30, 2015 – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
12. "Current Rankings", WFTDA
13. "Rankings: December 31, 2014 – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
14. "Rankings: December 31, 2015 – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
15. "Rankings: December 31, 2016 – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
16. "Rankings: December 31, 2017 – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
17. ^ Hunter, Suzie (16 January 2016). "Hartford Roller Derby League 'Gets Weird' To Benefit Women's Shelters". courant.com. Hartford Courant. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
18. "Roller Derby leagues team up to benefit Sandy Hook". snaptwig.com. Retrieved 12 March 2017.

External links

• Official Website

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• Roller derby leagues established in 2011
• Roller derby leagues in Connecticut
• Sports in Hartford, Connecticut
• Women's Flat Track Derby Association
• 2011 establishments in Connecticut