You’ve volunteered to coach your child’s basketball team and one of the first tasks is to come up with a team nickname. Should you be “The Fast and the Furious,” “The Banana Slugs,” or “The Basket Hounds”? Or, something else?
Here are 7 tips for deciding on a basketball team nickname:
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 www.sportsfeelgoodstories.com.
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, your players and your 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.” Doesn’t make too much sense unless you understand that the high school is situated 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 alternatives that are less common.
6.) Eliminate inappropriate options. You don’t want to offend others with your choice of a nickname for a youth basketball team.
7.) Give thought to 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 on your team communications. Tip off the season in style with a great team nickname and logo!