As we prepare for the 2010 Windy City Rollers local season, our four home teams are hard at work gearing up for the season opener on January 30. Going into the Rollers' sixth season, the league can boast some pretty good parity. All four teams have at least one Ivy King Championship; The Fury being the team with two. The 2010 season will see the most new faces of transfers and rookies on the four home teams since 2006, due to retirements and a new league rule that allows some veterans of the Windy City Roller All-Stars to declare travel team-only status.

The Manic Attackers

The first team we will look at will be the 2009 defending champions, the Manic Attackers. This team, led by the driving force of team captain Beth Amphetamine, looks poised to contend for the Ivy King Cup once again this year. Returning with five members of the All-Star team still on their roster is impressive. They are: Beth Amphetamine, who led the Manics in points scored in 2009; co-captain Ruth Enasia, who had a break-out sophomore season as a jammer and won Most Improved Player 2009 honors; Rookie of the Year 2009 and power blocker, Amy Nonamey; six-year veteran, Mo Vengeance; and the wrecking ball Wreck 'N' Shrew. In addition to the All-Stars, the Manics have a pair of very solid veterans at work as well. Di Richmond is a very competent blocker, and Ada Hatelace has improved greatly over the last year. In their second seasons I will be paying close attention to promising sophomores Rose Feratu and Zoe Trocious. Other than fan favorite Val Capone starting the year on the disabled list, all signs point "go" for the 2010 Manic Attackers.

The Hells Belles

The Belles have been a power house within the league for years, making it to the championship game every year for the past four seasons and winning it in 2008. With only two skaters that have been on the team for more than one season, making it to the championship game this year will be an uphill climb. The Belles have clearly lost the most in this off-season, but are bonding quickly into a tight group. They are led by star jammer and captain, Shocka Conduit. Shocka, the lone all-star member on the Belles, led the entire league last year in points scored. I expect the pack to be lead by veteran Loco Chanel. She is an improving blocker that will have to step up her game even more if the Belles are going to contend. The three team sophomores will have to quickly become a veteran core. Deb Autry showed a great deal of promise as a jammer in her break-out rookie season. Captain Hermione Danger, and Mya Ssault are both progressed into solid players. The Belles get some much needed experience from transfer skater Dinah Party (not to be confused with her Double Crosser sister, Donna Party) from the Gotham Girls of New York. Typically a team in the Windy City Rollers league doesn’t rely a lot on rookies. The Belles will have to. I expect to see Pominatrix make an impact from the jammer line. Payne D. Spencer, Brig2Hell, and Nancy Pagan will have to make the pack presence known very quickly. The rest of the rookies will have to learn in the fire to make an impact. On paper, this team appears to be in a rebuilding year. However, I’ve seen them scrimmage and they show a lot of promise and potential. They are learning quickly, and may sneak up on a few teams.

The Double Crossers

Traditionally this is the hardest team in the league to predict, and I expect 2010 to be the same. They finished the 2009 season at 3-3, beating and losing to each and every team in the league. This is a very veteran team that prides itself on playing as a smart pack-oriented unit. The two captains of the Crossers will definitely have a good cop, bad cop feel. The knowledgeable six-year veteran skating under her real name, Julia Rosenwinkel, is known for being no-nonsense and intense in her coaching and training style. She will be offset by the very professional hard-hitting 2008 rookie of the year and All-Star Georgia On Yer Behind. Their pack will be anchored by two of the league’s All-Stars, Nina Millimeter and Donna Party, both looking as good as ever going into their fifth seasons. Norma Lee Wright, coming into her third season, is starting to make a name for herself as a very solid player. Multi-year veteran Karmageddon (going into her third season with WCR and having skated for two with the now -defunct Chicago Sirens) certainly knows her way around a pack. Opposing team jammers will also have to be very wary of being squashed by the imposing blocker who lives up to her name, Sassy Squash. The veteran blocking core is rounded out by the solid skating of Indy Cent , the tenacious Reina Chaos, and the improving Slammah Montana. The lone sophomore Myra Maines showed promise in her rookie season, and looks to make an impact in 2010. Traditionally the Double Crossers play a very short bench and rookies don’t get much playing time, however I expect to see a few big hits from Tina Flay, and the Crossers anxiously await the return of Tru Shove. With the offseason loss of Peg Legs, the position of jammer appears to be a little depleted this season. The rotation will be anchored by the quick and nimble veteran Riley Coyote coming into her fourth season. I expect to see captain Rosenwinkel to take the star into her own hands on many occasions. This is an area the Double Crossers will need to bolster this season if they want to contend. At this point my intelligence is limited as to how the Crossers will handle the jammer position. I’m sure captains Rosenwinkel and Georgia have plans.

The Fury

The Fury have not won a championship since 2006. They will attempt to be the second team in a row to go from worst to first, which would end the league’s longest championship drought. There seems to be a lot to get excited about for the loyal Fury fans in 2010. They are led by captains Go-Go Hatchet and Tori Adore, both WCR All-Stars. The veteran Tori Adore returns as a power-blocking staple in the Fury pack. Go-Go has really turned into a very well-rounded player, able to excel at every position. The 2008 league MVP, Kola Loka, returns to The Fury after a year off to have a baby. The Fury also add a pair of very skilled transfers to their roster. The first is a national superstar from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Jackie Daniels, and the other is Ska Face from the military roller derby league Rogue Rollergirls out of North Carolina. In addition to this, The Fury return with a very solid core of veteran skaters including; Ivy Sedation, Dee Monica, Red Zeppelin, Carnage Wilson, Sonya Mouthshut, and Juanna Rumble. Even their sophomores Sargentina and Mel Content are looking good. This team is looking very solid from top to bottom. Expect the Fury to make some waves this year.