Creating Healthy, Safe Athletic Spaces for Women and Gender Expansive Individuals

Community safety

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit) City of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a citywide benefit)

Applying a proven solution to a new issue or sector (using an existing model, tool, resource, strategy, etc. for a new purpose)

Since 2006, Angel City Derby has provided opportunities for women and gender expansive individuals to participate in team sports. ACD lost our venue in 2022. Since then, we have relied on city parks, but we’ve had to cancel nearly half of our practices and events due to rain, heat, and sun exposure. No uncovered park hockey rink replicates the benefits of having our own dedicated space.
Our facility provided our members with a place to play roller derby and stay physically active, have face-to-face meetings, and find supportive community. We hosted local events and worked with like-minded organizers. We housed a unique program with a fun, safe, and supportive environment.
Roller derby is an incredibly unique club sport featuring group activity, belonging, empowerment, camp, creativity, and fun. ACD offers a place to put down your phone, find your people, and enjoy the health benefits of being on a sports team while nurturing an environment of safety and inclusivity for all individuals.

Our league is a democratically-run, volunteer-led initiative. We voted as a league to pursue a new facility, knowing that it would be the first step to bringing our programming back to life and creating a sustainable future.
We raised money and searched for two years for a space that met our needs, but the cost of real estate in Los Angeles is high. The LA2050 grant will enable us to establish programming and partnerships that will benefit our athletic program, and to set up our new space to bring an exciting destination to the broader community.
We will host events in the new space that benefit the greater LA area, including the LGBTQ+ community, BIPOC community, SoCal skaters, small business networks, local nonprofits, residents, and families. Our organization is built by volunteers and members, so we understand the value in having many hands to support the work it takes to keep a community afloat.
We welcome, understand, accept, learn from, and value the differences among skaters and members. These differences span social class, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, level of ability, culture, language, and education. We welcome all genders to our sport, and we are committed to providing a space where queer and gender expansive individuals can thrive in an inclusive, athletic setting. We believe everyone deserves places to play.
Our new facility will bring physical and emotional safety to our league members, volunteers, friends, families, fans, and community.

Angel City Derby has a nearly 20-year history of enriching the community through our work. We provide a safe space for athletes of all genders to play and excel. We provide exciting and unique events all across Los Angeles county.
With our new facility ready to go, we will be able to host events not just for our skaters and fans, but also for the broader community who may not feel welcome elsewhere.
LA County currently does not have a dedicated space for women and gender expansive people to come together in sport and community. Our work will create that space and celebrate inclusivity to the benefit of all Angelenos. We foresee art shows, game nights, drag performances, vendor markets, and more.
We plan on making the space available for inclusive community gatherings by partnering with local organizations. We believe that we can make our new home a true destination by hosting teams from all over the world and attracting visitors looking for something unique to do in Los Angeles.