New Team Name? (Poll)
 

First, feel free to move this if it isn't in the right place.

So, I'm thinking of starting a team next year, and I'm trying to decide on a name. I've narrowed it down to the following six possibilities, and I'm curious to see which ones everyone likes best.

The fourth choice is best when announced by the MC.

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

Don't ask us. Ask the people who will be part of the team.

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

I'm generally not in favor of pre-picking a team name before you know the nature of the team. That didn't happen with Garnet Squadron, but we had our reasons. What are yours?

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

I will do that. I'm doing this just to get some general feedback on the current possibilities.

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

Most of those names feel more like robot names than team names. You should probably ask the team members that will be on the team what the name should be.

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

Once again, to be clear, the results here will not at all give a final decision (and I also consulted some potential team members to come up with these). Actually, only one of the choices was my suggestion. We are only trying to see how the results lean, but we are really leaning towards "Unobtainium" now. And, again, I will not make a final decision before discussing with the rest of the team.

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

^This

If you like really like those names add the word "Team" in front to make it more of a team name than robot sounding name. Or make it plural.

Ex: Team Unobtanium -or- Unobtaniums

I would make whatever you choose, cool sounding to say for the announcer in games.

My favorite is
"WARLords" sounds so cool at competitions.

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

A little history on "unobtainium"...

Since the late 1950s,aerospace engineers have used the term "unobtainium" when referring to unusual or costly materials, or when theoretically considering a material perfect for their needs in all respects, except that it does not exist.

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

If you can't make up your mind, you could go with one of my favorite FLL teams names from last year:

[insert team name here]

The story is, the kids saw that on a form the mentor was filling in, and one of them asked, "Is that our name now?" They went with it, including the brackets, and designed everything in plain text black and white, like generic groceries.

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

True Deadmau5 style!

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

I see a lot of teams with interesting team names/branding based on their school or something unique about them. It's best if it is meaningful to the team members. It's also nice to have a straight forward name. A lot of your suggestions are so complicated that you'd end up with a nickname by day 1 at your first event. I may be alone on this, but I dislike team names that are designed to cause confusion and/or frustration (people may laugh once, but then hate the name for the rest of the event).

Shockwave, for example, was created when the team started with the school's mascot (a wave called Tide Guy) and brand (Crimson Tide) and wanted to tie it into robotics and engineering. Thus, the electrical shock was introduced and the Shockwave name and logo was created.

Best of luck to you and your team!

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

I was a programmer on Team 2823 my freshman year and a web developer my sophomore year. I'm a senior now and this was all before I transferred to Central and joined Team 4536. Which school are you planning on attending next year?

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

I'm actually homeschooled, but I joined 2823 this year after discovering that this was possible. I'm going into college next year, but FIRST was much to great an experience to end after only one year, so I'm starting a team for homeschoolers (and I know at least one other homeschooler who joined a school team this year).

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

That's awesome. If I'm not mistaken, I think that would be the third team that stems from Highland. MinuteBots, Open Circuits, and... Unobtainium? Good luck!

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

Thanks!

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

x all of it.

I bet that a name will present itself.

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

You are NOT alone.

Simple, concise, no inside jokes, nothing that could be construed as offensive, and ideally something memorable.

Of all the options in the poll I thought Unobtanium fit this bill the best, hands down.

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

I've asked a few people, and "Unobtainium" has been the general favorite.

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

Yup, it's the most "accessible" of all the names you've provided to vote on.

Partybot - sounds like a robot name rather than a team name.

Heliusmahydrolinecarverrio - I have no idea how to even pronounce this, and neither would virtually anyone else. It sounds like an inside joke and it would take far too long to say. You'd probably be referred to forevermore as "Team 1234 - Heliu-whatever."

Indefinite Egg - Again, sounds like an inside joke, it doesn't evoke robotics at all.

The Snacks Are Around The Corner - Another inside joke? And a bit long besides.

Heliotrope Sun - This could work as a team name, but it's a bit of a mouthful to say.

Unobtainium - Most of us like this the best because it is short, and while it is based on an inside joke, it is one shared with anyone who is a fan of science and comic books (which is, basically, all of us).

You want people to say "Ahh, I get it" or "Cool name!", and not "... huh?"

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

my team, Bear Metal is similarly named: Our school is the Tahoma Bears.

also to be kept in mind is that whatever name you pick now could be changed if you so chose: we were TRC (Tahoma Robotics Club) in the first few years of our existence

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

I guess it would be easier if this wasn't a homeschoolers' team. Anyway, we are going to vote on a team name at our first meeting.

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

I recommend you consider the full team branding and imagery, not just the name. You can make a brand from a name or start with a theme and let the name follow. It is important to have a complete brand when selling yourselves to sponsors or game announcers.

Here's a few non-school mascot examples with very strong branding.
- 2655 Flying Playtpi http://team2655.org/
- 2059 The Hitchhikers http://team2059.org/
- 1902 Exploding Bacon http://www.explodingbacon.com/

In our case, we started with a hot rod car theme and the name followed.

Good luck with the new team.

David Allred
Mentor, ROBOTZ Garage

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

Shouldn't that be Unobtania?

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

I think that Unobtainium will work in this case, because its plural form is not commonly known (like Titanium, for example).

Re: New Team Name? (Poll)
 

Glad to hear someone else thinking about homeschoolers. In my case, we are in process facilitating creating of couple of FLL teams and probably jrFLL teams, as people who responded fall in that age category.

I wish you luck. :cool: