The Bench Coach Companion is a series of structured forms to quickly capture a variety of roller derby-related details, from planning your lines to tracking penalties!
This free tool helps bench coaches quickly document specific areas of game play for future decisions! The Bench Coach Companion exists so you don’t have to hold it all in your head!
Printable and tablet formats are available! This tool is a work in progress. Expect tweaks and version updates as community feedback is gathered!
Print it, laminate it, tap it, make it your own!
We’re so glad it found its way to you!
Have a suggestion to make the tool better? Found a glitch? Do instructions need clarification? Send it to benchcoachcompanion@gmail.com.
What’s inside:
Trips
Track jammer trips, leads and cover passes!
Penalties
Log fouls fast, without losing the jam!
Lines
Space to keep rotations straight!
Reviews
Track it, call it, settle it!
Points
For when the points on the fingers don’t match the scoreboard!
Stats
Track your favourite data by player number!
Kudos & Notes
The wins worth remembering! The goals for next time!
Track Diagram
Sketch out your vision!
How to get started:
Choose your format: printed book or tablet (pdf form is optimized for Acrobat Reader app)
Printed book instructions:
Click the links to view/download book-making instructions. Instructions will explain how to print, trim and laminate your sheets for a small binder.
Printed book files:
Click the link to view/download your desired size format. Size format explanations are on the “Instructions” document.
*Sorry, only colour PDFs are available at this time. Adjust your print settings if you prefer b/w.
Tablet format (currently in testing phase):
Click the link to view/download, then upload pdf form to tablet-accessible storage. Acrobat Reader is recommended for best interactive experience.
Prefer handwriting? Use Acrobat’s drawing tools with your stylus and write/draw directly on the form!
Please note: this form is currently in testing phase. Expect glitches and report specific function issues to benchcoachcompanion@gmail.com. Please include your device model, operating system and software used to view the form as part of your submission!
*Sorry, this format only optimized for tablets. It is not recommended to use with mobile devices.
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International
This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International.
BY: Credit the original creator (Bench Coach Companion / By Cherri Blaster and TNT) when using or adapting this work.
NC: No commercial use. This can’t be sold or used to turn a profit, including adaptations.
SA: Share alike. If you remix, adapt, or build your own version, it must be released under this same license.
Full license: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
About Bench Coach Companion
What started as a “You know what would be handy?” conversation driving home after a game has evolved into the Bench Coach Companion (BCC) notebook!
Hi! I’m Cherri Blaster, along with TNT, and we’re the creators!
The initial reason for developing this tool was for fast communication of official reviews. TNT is our line coach for the junior team during games, but they also have an eagle-eye for official review opportunities.
They often come to me during jams and rattle off a “You should official review the ‘…’” but my cognitive function is often at full capacity to be able to remember all the details.
The “You know what be handy?” chat birthed the “Official Review Form.” Another few brainstorms and suggestions from the fine folks in the “Derby Hell” Facebook group evolved into the final version available today!
The purpose of the Bench Coach Companion is to simplify note-taking for active decision-making during coaching. It contains structured forms to quickly capture a variety of game-related details.
ABOUT THE CREATORS
Cherri Blaster is a founding member of the Lethbridge Roller Derby Guild (2010) and its current head coach (2025). Over the years she’s also been a player, board member, committee head, referee, NSO, skating coach and assistant coach.
Outside derby, she runs Roller Skate Lethbridge which includes discos with skate loan, club activities, instruction, plus skating and gear tutorials on YouTube and Instagram.
Civilian Cherri works in marketing, graphic design and communications.
TNT started playing roller derby at 8 years of age in 2012 and is an originating player of the Lethbridge Roller Derby Guild junior program. They are a 2020 Junior Team Canada member (boo COVID). Today, they skate in the league’s adult program and has been a league junior coach since June 2021.
Civilian TNT is a CIT graduate who enjoys things and stuff.
Yes, this tool is free!
Helping bench coaches improve through game note taking is payment enough! We’re not here to gatekeep or make a big profit. Feel free to recreate this idea using your own tools and adapt it for your league. However, I’d give you a side-eye you if you took the idea and resold for profit.
Want to say thanks anyway?
Make your first choice a donation of money or time to your nation’s Junior Team who are preparing for the 2027 World Cup or your local junior roller derby program.
If you have a little left after donating, you can send a gift through paypal.me/CherriBlaster
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you to everyone who reviewed prototypes, tested forms and gave feedback for improvements. Special shoutout to Derby Hellions who were a big factor in this project’s evolution.
