Roller Derby is about inclusion.

"Everyone's welcome. You don't have to be a figure skater or an ice hockey player – you don't have to have skating experience. We welcome girls from all athletic backgrounds and abilities,” said Stephanie Hammond of the Yukon Junior Girls.

This ethos is true of the already established club – which held its first annual Derby-versary and fund-raiser at the Boiler Room Saturday night – and will be true of the Yukon Junior Roller Derby (YJRD).

Hammond – aka Soupmix – coordinated a junior league in Prince George, B.C., where she was a member of the Rated PG Roller Girls before moving to Whitehorse earlier this year.

And she's getting the ball rolling to establish junior roller derby in the Yukon, for girls between the ages of 12 and 18.

There will be an information session for anyone interested in junior roller derby held at the Whitehorse Public Library at 7 p.m. on May 16.

"I love it; it was so exciting. Because with juniors, it's more than just a sport, it's such a community for girls who are often a little quirky. They may not be the ones who play on the high school volleyball and basketball teams – for sure, those girls are totally welcome – but you do get a real range of abilities and a whole range of skills,” Hammond said.

"We had a really positive experience with the junior league that's still going in Prince George.

"As roller derby becomes more popular all across North America, you're getting a lot more junior leagues too. Fairbanks has an active junior league. Edmonton has an active junior league.”

Anyone interested in seeing what roller derby is all about can also check out the Yukon Roller Girls first ever public scrimmage, to be held at the Takhini Broomball rink starting 7 p.m. Saturday.

Practices will run at the broomball rink on Tuesdays, with the juniors starting at 6 p.m. and overlapping the senior league practice.

Building upon an established senior league is the best way to creating a successful junior program, Hammond said.

"They get to be exposed to the practices that the women's league is having, because they can see what the next level up from them would be,” she said.

"We're drawing on the women's league to provide coaches who are going to serve as role models for the junior league.”

Running both groups in conjunction will also help when time comes to hold bouts.

When the Yukon Roller Girls take on a team from Fairbanks, for instance, the local club will have the YJRD to match against the Alaskans' young club.

"We're not looking at traveling or hosting people immediately. But our longer-term goal would be to get involved with some other leagues, and then have some bouts with juniors from the provinces and from Alaska,” Hammond said.

Monday's meeting will consist of expressing the league's short- and long-term goals, and giving details of the necessary equipment, which as of today is more accessible through the Youth Investment Fund.