Team Name

[Garret]

On our team we have essentially 2 names. Our name that we use with sponsors is Hart District Robotics or Hart Robotics (though there is now a separate Hart High School team). However our name for the past decade has been Harburn Robotics and that's what we use when we are at competitions, logo, and team spirit stuff. We generally try to limit the use of Hartburn to being purely a nickname just because its much harder to seriously market to sponsors.

In my opinion the team name is the first part of the team's marketing/sales pitch to sponsors. When I say this though, it really is only the case for teams who are starting up. However in my experience sponsors will more likely sponsor a team that serves an entire community (in my case our community has around a dozen high schools) than just a single school team. In that sense if you can somehow associate your team name with your region, school district, city, or something of that source, it could go a long way towards getting sponsors to take you seriously from the first impression. In particular in places that have very few teams it gives the impression that you serve a larger area and thus larger population, which would make it easier for a sponsor to justify funding the team with larger sums of money.

This is just my 2 cents about naming teams.

[Chris is me]

This obviously isn't the FIRST priority in picking a name, but be sure your name can be shortened to something that can be said quickly in a match. In strategy huddles, while coaching, and some other scenarios, it's really handy to be able to say "chickens", "simbots", "aces", or "OP" than to have to say "terminal velocity". It turns out, "Shaker Robotics" is way easier to shorten.

[Jay O'Donnell]

Originally Posted by PayneTrain

Some teams like to go with something associated with their number (like Aces High 987). A good self check you can make is going to thebluealliance.com team page, then ctrl+f any name you are considering. If more than one team already uses it, avoid it. Ideally you want to become a well-known team, so have a unique name that people can associate with the quality of your team.

Just stating that Team 987 is the Highrollers, Aces High is 176, but nonetheless I agree with your point. I would suggest associating it with your school, team number, or something else about your team.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by PayneTrain

Some teams like to go with something associated with their number (like Aces High 987).

Better example, FRC39 (now not playing) went by "39th Aero Squadron", naming their team after an air group in one of the world wars.

(Oh, and on unique/intimidating names, particularly in FLL: try an all-boys team going by "Pretty Pink Princesses of DOOM!" for some scary factor. Yes, one did compete under that name...)

[JB]

Originally Posted by PayneTrain

A good self check you can make is going to thebluealliance.com team page, then ctrl+f any name you are considering. If more than one team already uses it, avoid it. Ideally you want to become a well-known team, so have a unique name that people can associate with the quality of your team.

I would make sure you check the blue alliance. I did a quick search on cougar and found 3 cougar robotics, 5 cougarbots, and 19 teams with cougar in their name.

[neshera]

Some completely unhelpful thoughts on reading this thread:

1) Leeeerooooy Jenkins?
2) JEWS is a great idea, but you're right, somebody out there will have trouble with it. (I'm Jewish, I think it's hilarious myself. The uniform/costume possibilities alone are almost worth it!)
3) I have a new partner coming in January, who is a Brain Surgeon and did research with NASA before entering medicine. I can't wait to introduce her to the team as a rocket surgeon!
4) Silly names can work fine, so long as you back it up with a pragmatic, successful attitude. Think Thunder Chickens, Pink Team, Space Cookies, and a hundred others.

[wendymom]

IF you go here: http://www.facebook.com/explodingbac...32826956843621

You can see our workshop on Image and Marketing. It might help you weed out and come up with some good names.

Good Luck!

[ace94x]

go with J.E.W.S! its the funnest team name I have seen yet!

and if anything at least you'll get laughs out of it

[EricH]

Originally Posted by ace94x

go with J.E.W.S! its the funnest team name I have seen yet!

and if anything at least you'll get laughs out of it

But would any Jews who happened to see the name think it was funny? Somehow I doubt it. And with the number of Israeli teams in FRC, I would guess that at least one Jew would see the name.

If you *think* that a name and/or acronym may be offensive to someone, or some group, then there are at least two ways to go about resolving the issue. You can put the name out of consideration, as some have suggested... OR, and this is a little riskier, you can approach representatives of that particular group (or approach that particular person) and say something to the effect of, "We were thinking of calling our robot team _____. However, we realize that you may not approve of this, and so we would like to ask for your permission to do so."

Naturally, if the group refused permission, then you would find another name. On the other hand, if they granted permission (or possibly even if they refuse), then you may have a new community partnership. If nothing else, they will most likely be pleased that you asked.

This is something that the NCAA had a number of colleges do--as I understand it, any college that used a Native American name for their athletic teams had to get permission from the tribe to use the name, or change their name. Some tribes granted permission, others did not.

[F22Rapture]

Originally Posted by neshera

1) Leeeerooooy Jenkins?

My first thought too, but Leeroy doesn't have the best reputation

[context]
[explicit language]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkCNJRfSZBU&t=01m22s

[dodar]

Originally Posted by F22Rapture

My first thought too, but Leeroy doesn't have the best reputation

[context]
[explicit language]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkCNJRfSZBU&t=01m22s

Well then whatever their team name is, "Let's Do this!" can be their team motto and cheer; and they should name their robots Leroy. lol

[Gray Adams]

Originally Posted by EricH

But would any Jews who happened to see the name think it was funny? Somehow I doubt it. And with the number of Israeli teams in FRC, I would guess that at least one Jew would see the name.

There's plenty of us right here in the US, and I really don't find it offensive. But I don't speak for anyone but myself.

[Brandon Holley]

Look to your sponsors for inspiration as well. Many older teams still use names that came from the partnership with their main founding sponsor (X-Cats, Delphi ELITE).

Our name came from integration of our two founding sponsors: Northeastern University (N.U.) + Textron Systems (Tron) = NUTRONs.

-Brando

[Brandon Zalinsky]

Another idea is to name it after a past robot. Our name (PVC Pirates) came from our 2004 robot, which looked like a tallship and was made out of PVC. We've used PVC on every robot ever since. Also, I think the JEWS idea is hilarious. There are far more suggestive acronyms for FRC teams- for example, Team 1687 uses DTF on their shirts (their team name is Doherty Technical Forces).

[Travis Hoffman]

Theodore Roosevelt's Disco Haircut - FRC4008

https://my.usfirst.org/myarea/index....ils&tpid=86879

I dare you to get weirder than that!