The Lake City Roller Dolls, shown here in their 2014 publicity photo, are ready to begin its 2015 campaign May 2 in Warsaw. (Photo by Remembered Photography)

WARSAW – Spring is upon us, and we all want to get outside after a long, brutal winter. In contrast, the Lake City Roller Dolls are ready to roll inside, looking to ramp up what should be a very exciting and energetic 2015 roller derby season.

The Roller Dolls will kick off its competition season May 2 against South Bend at Hansen’s Eastlake Skate Center in Warsaw. Start time is at 5 p.m. While the team has been in existence for several years, this year’s season opener will be extra special. The team will be elevating from amateur status to join the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association as a full-participation member. The team had been on a probationary period until being granted elevation for this season.

“We’ve really worked hard to get this team to where we are, but also are working on where we want to be,” said Bobbie “Dyrtie Gyrtie” Tevis. “I really feel these girls understand what derby is really all about, and we are on a high note right now. The girls are amped up to get started with the season.”

The Roller Dolls, as currently constructed entering the season, have over two dozen skaters, giving the team some needed depth. With a schedule that has six bouts booked, including a home-and-home with the South Shore Roller Girls from Hammond later this summer, and a visit to Fishers to square off with the Terrorz of Tiny Town in mid-June, the squad will need the extra bodies.

Tevis noted the team is excited to see several of its key skaters returning, led by jammer/blocker Brittany “Buckwyld Barbie” Elliott, blocker/jammer Leslie “Les Duit” Wilburn, jammer Heidi “Legs ForDays” Orr and jammer Alyssa “Block N Deck Her” Decker.

“We definitely have a lot of skilled skaters coming back, and we need skill and not renegades,” Tevis noted. “We had a few girls that just wanted to go in and run people over. We need to be smarter skaters, and use our smarts to our advantage.”

The Roller Dolls have been a staple in the Warsaw community, participating in First Fridays and doing its philanthropic work. Pairing with the Baker Youth Club, proceeds from its bout with South Bend will help the club. The October bout with Kokomo is the Breast Cancer Awareness event, which is a big event for the club and the community.

But for now, the Dolls are focused on May 2 and getting back into the swing of things.

“We truly feel like a family, and we are ready to get back into competition,” Tevis added. “If we lose, so be it, but we want to be a competitive team, not an easy team on someone else’s schedule. This year, we are looking to tighten up our skills.”

For more information, including a full schedule, visit lakecityrollerdolls.com or find them on Facebook.