USARS (USA Roller Sports) is the national governing body for competitive roller sports in the United States.

When you hear skaters say “You should get USARS,” they’re probably referring to USARS health insurance. USARS annual membership includes up to $50K in supplementary medical/accident insurance for accidents occurring while on skates (though you’ll want to read the fine print to see exactly which types of accidents are covered). Membership is $55 per year, so if you can afford it we highly recommend signing up. Many roller derby leagues require USARS membership in order to try out for the league, or to attend their open league skate nights. Here’s the application for 2008-2009.

A few things to note:

• When filling out the application, you can leave the “Club ID” blank (PFM doesn’t have one). For “Signature of Club Officer,” ask our President (she who collects dues and drop-in fees) to sign.
• USARS insurance is supplementary, which means they only pay after you’ve maxed out your standard (primary) health insurance. If you don’t have primary medical insurance, USARS will still help pay your bills but your deductible will be much higher.
• If you need USARS insurance on short notice (such as for roller derby tryouts), they can generally hook you up. Just fax in your membership application and then call and ask them to tell you your membership number. They can usually give it to you that same day (or within a few days), so you don’t have to wait for your membership card to come in the mail.
• As mentioned earlier, USARS insurance doesn’t cover all skate-related accidents. For example, injuries incurred while skating on your own time (outside of official roller derby practices or events) aren’t covered. Read the fine print for more details.