USA Roller Sports
Encyclopedia
USA Roller Sports formerly the United States Amateur Confederation of Roller Skating, is the national governing body of competitive roller sports (inline skating
and roller skating
) in the United States
. It is recognized by the International Roller Sports Federation
(FIRS) and the United States Olympic Committee
.
USA Roller Sports has sponsored amateur roller skating competitions at the regional and national level since 1937 in figure skating
, speed skating
and roller hockey
. USARS has been the United States representative for the International Federation of Roller Sports (FIRS) since 1972, when it obtained this designation after the merger of two predecessor roller skating federations (the Roller Skating Rink Operators' Association or RSROA, and the U. S. Amateur Roller Skating Association, or USARSA). The organization exercises jurisdiction over matters pertaining to the participation of United States roller skaters in international competition, including existing or potential Pan American Games
and Olympic Games
participation.
The USARS slogan is: "USARS is dedicated to creating, enhancing and conducting the best competitions and programs for roller sports. We instill the drive to win and be the absolute best… in sport and in life."
".
USARS also accepts organizations (teams and leagues) and noncompeting members (coaches and officials, typically).
One of the biggest is USA Rink Hockey National Championship
.
. It is part of the Pan American Games
and the World Games
and is noted as an Olympic Recognized sport. In 2005, the International Olympic Committee
selected Roller Sports among four other sports for consideration into the Olympic Games. In particular, Inline Speedskating was chosen and submitted for consideration. In the 1990s, hockey was slated as a demonstration sport but was never added as a full-fledged member of the Olympic Games' program.
FIRS President Aracu has recently set up a multimedia site to make rollerskating sports more visible to the IOC. Enter that site from http://www.rollersports.tv/ So far figure rollerskating and inline speed skating are represented in online videos. Pres. Aracu also has posted on that site a few letters documenting some of the steps he has taken to promote international speed skating.
And, FIRS and the CIC proposed to the International Olympic Committee that inline speedskating be the rollerskating discipline presented at the 2012 Summer Games. http://olympic.patincarrera.com/eng/news.html
, the national governing body of ice hockey in the United States, challenged USARS jurisdiction over roller hockey; however, the United States Olympic Committee continues to reaffirm the charter of roller sports, eligible in the summer Olympics, to USA Roller Sports.
In the meantime, USA Hockey formed a separate branch called USA Hockey InLine that is also promoting inline hockey events, but does not send a national team to the FIRS Inline Hockey World Championships.
USA Hockey InLine does field its own national team, but it takes part in the IIHF Inline Hockey World Championships, a separate event operated by the International Ice Hockey Federation
since 1996.
In response, USA Roller Sports aligned itself with the Amateur Athletic Union
(AAU) to help with growth and legitimacy of its hockey programs.
Top roller hockey players have often shifted their allegiance from one organization to the other depending on opportunities. In some cases, players will appear at both World Championships in the same year.
On May 10th 2011, USA Hockey
announced that it was terminating its inline program, and that all inline hockey memberships would expire on August 31st 2011, and encouraged USA Hockey inline members to transfer to USARS.
Inline skating
Inline skating is a recreational sport practiced widely internationally. Inline skates typically have 2 to 5 polyurethane wheels, arranged in a single line. The in-line design allows for greater speed than roller skates and better maneuverability...
and roller skating
Roller skating
Roller skating is the traveling on smooth surfaces with roller skates. It is a form of recreation as well as a sport, and can also be a form of transportation. Skates generally come in two basic varieties: quad roller skates and inline skates or blades, though some have experimented with a...
) in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is recognized by the International Roller Sports Federation
International Roller Sports Federation
The International Roller Sports Federation or Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports is the world governing body for roller sports, including rink hockey, inline hockey, Inline speed skating and artistic roller skating...
(FIRS) and the United States Olympic Committee
United States Olympic Committee
The United States Olympic Committee is a non-profit organization that serves as the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States and coordinates the relationship between the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency and various...
.
USA Roller Sports has sponsored amateur roller skating competitions at the regional and national level since 1937 in figure skating
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
, speed skating
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
and roller hockey
Roller hockey
Roller Hockey is a form of hockey played on a dry surface using skates with wheels. The term "Roller Hockey" is often used interchangeably to refer to two variant forms chiefly differentiated by the type of skate used. There is traditional "Roller Hockey," played with quad roller skates, and...
. USARS has been the United States representative for the International Federation of Roller Sports (FIRS) since 1972, when it obtained this designation after the merger of two predecessor roller skating federations (the Roller Skating Rink Operators' Association or RSROA, and the U. S. Amateur Roller Skating Association, or USARSA). The organization exercises jurisdiction over matters pertaining to the participation of United States roller skaters in international competition, including existing or potential Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
and Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
participation.
The USARS slogan is: "USARS is dedicated to creating, enhancing and conducting the best competitions and programs for roller sports. We instill the drive to win and be the absolute best… in sport and in life."
Roller sports disciplines
In its bylaws, USARS acknowledges "artistic", "speed", and "hockey" discipline categories. Its membership application for individuals, however, has additional categories "noncompetitive", "recreation", "aggressive", and, in 2006, "roller derbyRoller derby
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...
".
- "speed" refers to inline speed skatingInline speed skatingInline speed skating is the sport of racing on inline skates It is often called inline racing by participants. Although it primarily evolved from racing on traditional roller skates, the sport is similar enough to ice speed skating that many competitors are now known to switch between inline and...
and quad speed skating - "artistic" refers to roller figure skatingArtistic roller skatingArtistic roller skating is a sport similar to figure skating but where constestants run on roller skates instead of ice skates. Within artistic roller skating there are several disciplines:* figures...
, including singles, pairs, dance, figure, and precision - "hockey" refers to Rink Hockey formerly hardball, inline, select, and "house" roller hockeyRoller hockeyRoller Hockey is a form of hockey played on a dry surface using skates with wheels. The term "Roller Hockey" is often used interchangeably to refer to two variant forms chiefly differentiated by the type of skate used. There is traditional "Roller Hockey," played with quad roller skates, and...
on wheeled skates - "recreation" refers to fitness skating and jam skatingJam skatingJam skating is a combination of dance, gymnastics, and skating, performed on roller skates. The style of skating has its roots in traditional roller disco, but has been influenced by breakdancing, artistic skating, gymnastics, and modern dance...
(recreational dance skating) - "aggressive" refers to aggressive skating, including speed skatingSpeed skatingSpeed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
and extreme inline skating - "roller derbyRoller derbyRoller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...
" is a category all its own in 2006, but was under "aggressive" previously
USARS also accepts organizations (teams and leagues) and noncompeting members (coaches and officials, typically).
Competitions Organized
The USA Roller Sports is responsible for many competitions taking place each year.One of the biggest is USA Rink Hockey National Championship
USA Rink Hockey National Championship
The USA Rink Hockey National Championship is the biggest Roller Hockey Clubs Championship in USA.-Participated Teams in the last Season:The clubs that competed in the season of 2009 were:* Boyerton Phoenix* Bremerton Hurricanes...
.
Olympic status
For several years the sport has pushed to be part of the Summer Olympic GamesSummer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
. It is part of the Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
and the World Games
World Games
The World Games, first held in 1981, are an international multi-sport event, meant for sports, or disciplines or events within a sport, that are not contested in the Olympic Games...
and is noted as an Olympic Recognized sport. In 2005, the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
selected Roller Sports among four other sports for consideration into the Olympic Games. In particular, Inline Speedskating was chosen and submitted for consideration. In the 1990s, hockey was slated as a demonstration sport but was never added as a full-fledged member of the Olympic Games' program.
FIRS President Aracu has recently set up a multimedia site to make rollerskating sports more visible to the IOC. Enter that site from http://www.rollersports.tv/ So far figure rollerskating and inline speed skating are represented in online videos. Pres. Aracu also has posted on that site a few letters documenting some of the steps he has taken to promote international speed skating.
And, FIRS and the CIC proposed to the International Olympic Committee that inline speedskating be the rollerskating discipline presented at the 2012 Summer Games. http://olympic.patincarrera.com/eng/news.html
Controversy
In October 2001, USA HockeyUSA Hockey
USA Hockey is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for amateur ice hockey in the United States and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. The organization is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has...
, the national governing body of ice hockey in the United States, challenged USARS jurisdiction over roller hockey; however, the United States Olympic Committee continues to reaffirm the charter of roller sports, eligible in the summer Olympics, to USA Roller Sports.
In the meantime, USA Hockey formed a separate branch called USA Hockey InLine that is also promoting inline hockey events, but does not send a national team to the FIRS Inline Hockey World Championships.
USA Hockey InLine does field its own national team, but it takes part in the IIHF Inline Hockey World Championships, a separate event operated by the International Ice Hockey Federation
International Ice Hockey Federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members...
since 1996.
In response, USA Roller Sports aligned itself with the Amateur Athletic Union
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
(AAU) to help with growth and legitimacy of its hockey programs.
Top roller hockey players have often shifted their allegiance from one organization to the other depending on opportunities. In some cases, players will appear at both World Championships in the same year.
On May 10th 2011, USA Hockey
USA Hockey
USA Hockey is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for amateur ice hockey in the United States and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. The organization is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has...
announced that it was terminating its inline program, and that all inline hockey memberships would expire on August 31st 2011, and encouraged USA Hockey inline members to transfer to USARS.
See also
- Ohio Speedskating TourOhio Speedskating TourThe Ohio Speedskating Tour is the oldest continually running roller-skating racing state league in the United States. It is also known as the Ohio Buckeye Speed League. It is sanctioned by USA Roller Sports....
, oldest USARS speedskating league - Roller hockeyRoller hockeyRoller Hockey is a form of hockey played on a dry surface using skates with wheels. The term "Roller Hockey" is often used interchangeably to refer to two variant forms chiefly differentiated by the type of skate used. There is traditional "Roller Hockey," played with quad roller skates, and...
- USA Rink Hockey National ChampionshipUSA Rink Hockey National ChampionshipThe USA Rink Hockey National Championship is the biggest Roller Hockey Clubs Championship in USA.-Participated Teams in the last Season:The clubs that competed in the season of 2009 were:* Boyerton Phoenix* Bremerton Hurricanes...