I wanted a place where people could comment on items to do with the team that is a bit more organized than me just asking questions and then forgetting the answers.
Item 1: For the new season (and new field and new referees, etc...) I was thinking of changing the name of the team.
Item 2: Change of the team uniform.
There is a poll to the side for everyone to fill out and any comments on the subject of changing the name or not changing the name and possible new names are gladly accepted. Same with ideas on uniforms.
The going idea on the uniforms is white jerseys/red shorts/red numbers and either white socks with red accents or red socks with white accents.
We can add emblems to the jersey as well. Any emblem we choose we thought we would incorporate a mermaid.
Any comments on these issues or anything else are appreciated.
Posts
I'm partial to the Mermaids team name (not a voting option) and not just because Meredith chose it back when the team was formed and I was the only coach. I like it because it is unique and the girls seem to identify and have fun with it. Plus the name Mermaids strikes fear and angst in the competition.
ReplyDeletePurple is kind of a difficult color to get in uniforms, so a more common color might be better. Everyone invested in socks recently, so we might want to try and get some more miles out of those. As a Red Raider, I could certainly get behind red and black :) Of course, it follows I wouldn't much care for maroon or burnt orange.
The reasoning behind the name change is that the girls are older now, real soccer is just on the horizon. The mermaids was a great name when they were little, but it seems that since we are making a giant leap to a new field it would be a good time to spice things up on the name. We could still incorporate the mermaid symbol in a crest or something like that.
ReplyDeleteI vote for not changing the name... they are still young and should have a fun name. I think there is plenty of opportunity to change it later if they want to.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the uniform - I'm indifferent. I like that there arent many teams with purple, but I get what you are saying about difficult to match. might be careful of white shirts though - one miscalculated sip of Gatorade and it's over!
First and foremost, I have no issue with raising the question of team name. I appreciate the debate.
ReplyDeleteI can only offer my personal opinion as to what I think benefits my daughter particularly and what I think is good for the team. In the end I would hope each parent would do the same. Again, Meredith picked the name when I was the only coach and I had to submit a name before even getting a roster. So she is attached to Mermaids, but, even so, she is not going to spend much time worried about a name change. Beautiful things about kids, they sometimes realize life goes on better that we adults do.
However, I do believe she and the other players are very proud to identify themselves as Mermaids and I believe that since the team formed as the Mermaids, the continuity of keeping that name is beneficial to the girls (particularly to the ones who have been here from the beginning). From a sentimental standpoint, I think that as the girls become adults, they (and their parents) might like to look back at their soccer careers as a Mermaid from start to finish. Plus, the name is fun (as Heather said) and while I very much want the Mermaids to DOMINATE the competition, I also very much subscribe to the premise of LHSA – it is for fun as well as skill development.
The upcoming season will indeed be one of change and I think changing fields AND uniforms AND team name doesn’t seem beneficial for the girls (to me anyway). We will need new jerseys as we can no longer get the same ones and most likely there will be new players. Maybe the continuity of purple is beneficial as well, but I’d let the girls vote on the uniform color, though I will comment that red seems more common.
The majority should rule, but they should have the option of keeping Mermaids. This is the last I’ll say about this and I will happily roll with any changes we decide.
I was curious about this name change idea so I did what I do as an engineer and I looked up the facts. I looked at what the other older girls were calling themselves.
ReplyDeleteLooking at the names that the girls' teams are using (all the way up to under 19 - Cheetahs, Fire Angels, Lady Mustangs, Revolution!!, Shamrocks, and Strypers) it doesn't look like the majority of the girls consider their name to diminish their prowess on the field. They seem to stick with "girly" names all the way through and at least through 1st and 2nd grade (I was actually surprised at some of the high school names - Wings, Lady Hurricanes, Tigers, Rockets, Xtreme, Sparks, Shooting Stars, Diamonds, The Mystery, USA Girls and Panthers are some of the older girls' team names).
As far as the younger team names go they are:
U10
Fiesta Cats
Lady Tigers
FC Celtics
Hurricanes
U9
Kicks
Pink Panthers
STA Stars
Dolphins
STA Wildcats
Shooting Stars
Stingrays
F C Lake Highlands
U8
White Wildcats
Shooting Stars
Wild Horses
Pink Wildcats
Hurricanes
Lightning
Panthers
Rainbow Rockets
Kicks
U7 (our age next season and some girls we played last year)
Hearts
Pickles
Pink Panthers
Wild Things
Dolphins
Pixies
SPS Shamrocks
Cheetahs
Pinkies
Wildcats
Rug Rats
I like the idea of changing the uniforms and getting a "set". Something about a set makes the kids (at least Christopher felt this way when he got his first "power" uniform) FEEL powerful and important and even loved to some degree. Special.
Don't care about the mermaid symbol - I know Meredith is 'over' the disney mermaid stage but she still does identify herself as a Mermaid when it comes to soccer. There are some really great "serious" looking jerseys out there. I've also watched the 2nd and 3rd grade girls' teams and they generally are going with pink, orange, rainbow, and other girly colors. So I'd like to hear from the girls on what they think their color should be - within reason.
There are some good names in there. If you have an opinion, don't forget to vote. At least two say don't change the name, but in the poll it is unanimous to change the name.
ReplyDeleteSome people are not voting or commenting at all. If you don't particpate you will have to do burpies at the next practice. If you don't know what they are, ask the kids!
Chris, there isn't a voting option to NOT change the name. Just 4 names to choose from. I voted by not voting because Meredith prefers not to change the name.
ReplyDeleteAs for uniforms, we won't have a choice but to change if we get anyone new because those jerseys aren't available any longer. We got them cheap because they were on clearance - discontinued. Regular jersey prices (without the local deal that was new this last year) would have been more. I think we paid $50 or more for Christopher's last set.
Lord knows I don't want to do burpies so here is Faith's input on the matter. Realizing that we are new to the team, we understand that we don't know all the history and such, but here goes anyway.
ReplyDeleteFaith and I were on the same page with both decisions. I wish it were always like that.
We both vote for the same uniform - it is still new to us. Sounds like there are issues with getting more so this may not be an option.
On the team name, we both like the Mermaids. I understand the desire for a more formidable name, but at the same time Faith just loves to be a Mermaid. We did not vote because 'Mermaids' was not an option.
There are our two cents... No burpies for me.
Okay, I added a new poll on just changing the team name. I still haven't heard from the bulk of the team however.
ReplyDeleteI don't yet know what a burpie is - and Sloan is asleep so I shouldn't ask her. I'll just participate and avoid the risk.
ReplyDeleteI think to change to a larger field AND a name change AND a uniform change is too much.
I asked Sloan tonight - she really likes purple "it is her favorite color" but really likes red too. Her idea was "what if we change the color but not the name. Or can we change the name, but leave the color." What I got from that was - she'll be happy eitehr way because as Bob said - they are adaptable. But changing only one thing would be better than both. I plan to vote no to the team name change, but will vote for a name in case it goes the other way - she prefers Revolution. I think I prefer FIRE but will go with her vote - it is her team after all.
Great comments, keep em coming. There should be AT LEAST 12 votes on every poll....come on people vote. Everyone is allowed to vote, even kids, wives, husbands...
ReplyDelete