As we roll into the 2023 season, off-season has granted your Oklahoma Victory Dolls time for retrospection:

What direction do we want to take our league?

Who do we want our league to represent?

And most importantly, what does our league stand for?

For some time now, an integral part of our league name, “Dolls,” has not sat right with many of our members. This sport has evolved in many ways over the 15+ years since our league was founded. We spend hours each week training our bodies and our minds to excel at roller derby. Our competitive teams travel around the country to compete. Many feel that the moniker “dolls” diminishes this intensity and downplays the seriousness with which our athletes approach our sport.

This sport, this community, has also evolved to become more welcoming and inclusive as well. The word “dolls” suggests a somewhat narrow box for members to fit into. This is not who we are and not who we want to portray ourselves to be. We want our members and guests to feel at home, regardless of gender identity, and we want our league name to represent the inclusive community that we have worked so hard to build and foster. 

We needed a change.

Our decision to rebrand was not an easy one. Many of our members and retirees feel a deep connection to “dolls” and to the colors and symbols that represent OKVD. We made every effort to keep these colors and symbols alive: our all-star team will be renamed “Victory All-Stars” and remain represented by an anchor, and the primary color of that team and the league overall will be red.

Keeping the acronym “OKVD” was a bit more difficult. Many suggestions were discussed for a new name that dropped “dolls” but kept the acronym. In the end, none of these felt like a great fit. Preserving the acronym without the name had a false ring that protested: “this isn’t quite right.”

Eventually, we made the respectful but difficult decision of retiring both the league name, Oklahoma Victory Dolls,  and the league acronym, OKVD, untouched. 

But in the search for a league name, a contender emerged.  A name that represented not just what we do, but where we are from. A name that conjured images of strength and ferocity. A name conveys the intensity of our approach, the havoc we wreak, and the devastation in our wake. A name suited for serious athletes of a growing sport.

Let us introduce you to…Twister City Roller Derby!