You’ve volunteered to coach your child’s basketball team; one of the first tasks is to create a team nickname. Should you be “The Fast and the Furious,” “The Banana Slugs,” or “The Basket Hounds”? Or something else?
How To Decide On Your Basketball Team Names
1.) Start broad with your search before narrowing it down to your favorites.
Look at sports leagues from all different sports for inspiration. There’s a great list of basketball team nickname options at Sports Feel Good Stories.
2.) Involve your players.
Have your players suggest team nickname ideas and have them vote on 3 finalists that you’ve whittled the list of possibilities down to.
3.) Consider how the nickname sounds.
Is it easy to pronounce? Is it memorable?
4.) How do the nickname alternatives fit your team, players, and community?
“Runnin’ Rebels” works better for a fast team than a slow team. “Giants” might work best for a tall team. In Minnesota, a high school team’s nickname is the “Blossoms.”
It doesn’t make sense unless you understand that the high school is in Blooming Prairie. The school’s mascot is the “Awesome Blossom.” Is there a team nickname that fits your community to a “T”?
5.) Is the nickname distinctive?
Do you ever wonder how many teams are nicknamed “Tigers”? Be different. Find some less common alternatives.
6.) Eliminate inappropriate options.
You don’t want to offend others with your choice of a nickname for a youth basketball team.
7.) Consider how well your nickname plays out as a logo.
How do the options play out graphically? There’s a reason that many college names are linked to animals — they lend themselves well to logo creation.
Have fun with your team nickname. Develop a team logo and use it in your team communications. Tip-off the season in style with a great team nickname and logo!
By Mike O’Halloran
Mike has coached youth basketball for 15 years.
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