Not too long ago on a pickleball court far, far away, two players randomly crossed paths. Each was known as a titan of singles in their league, yet somehow they had never played one another. And fate intended it to remain this way.
That's because the same day they met, they were nearly forced into pairing up since the only open court was down a team. Instead of waiting they decided to partner up.
By magic or some other force entirely, they could read each other's minds. They played as one, moving up and down the court like they had been partnered up for decades. Not only that, but they complemented each other's strengths perfectly.
After handily winning their first game, they knew something special at play. So they decided to enter an upcoming tournament. They went on to sweep the tournament, and the one after that, and the one after that too. They were eventually asked to join a professional league, but there was just one catch - they needed a team name. This was their kryptonite.
While they could beat any duo on the court, coming up with a team name was next to impossible. So they decided to just rush it and submit a name.
Well, wouldn't you know it, they would end up winning their first event. And as the winning ceremony unfolded, they were called up to receive their winnings and a nice trophy to go with it. As they held the trophy up and then brought it back into eyesight, all they saw was City: Pickleball Team Name etched permanently on the trophy.
Why You Should Have a Good Pickleball Team Name
Okay, so this parable treads into novel territory, but we hope it illustrates why you should take your time and pick a name you like when you form a team. Maybe you won't go pro, and perhaps a team name isn't all that important, but it's something that you can have a lot of fun with.
You can learn a lot from the City: Pickleball Team Name duo - with great power comes great responsibility; so taking your time and carefully considering your options can mean all the difference between a name you love or despise as it sticks with you for years.
Choosing an awesome pickleball team name is no easy feat; you need skill and imagination. So to get you over the creative hump, we've prepared a few things for you.
First, we'll show you what names teams are using in MLP today. Then we'll walk you through the steps to come up with a name yourself, and finally, we'll leave you with a list of 109 pickleball team names that we've come up with.
What Team Names do the Pros Use?
Now, if somehow the City: Pickleball Team Name crew had known they'd end up in a professional league, they surely would have submitted a more appropriate name.
Thankfully, creative minds at Major League Pickleball (MLP) exist, so you can get an idea of what a professional caliber pickleball team name looks like to help inspire your team naming process. With some of the biggest names in pickleball on the courts and many well-known names supporting each team off the courts, you'd expect nothing less of MLP team names.
Since MLP consists of two levels, we'll separate the team names accordingly, but it has no bearing on creativity, it's simply to feed a compulsion.
MLP 2023 Challenger Team Names
The Challenger Level consists of 12 teams with 4 players per team. This level of play is for the next big names in pickleball to get their shot and show the world what they can do.
- AZ Drive
- Atlanta Bouncers
- Bay Area Breakers
- Brooklyn Aces
- Chicago Slice
- Columbus P.C.
- D.C. Pickleball Team
- Dallas Pickleball Club
- Miami Pickleball Club
- Texas Ranchers
- Utah Black Diamonds
- Valhalla Volleys
Being as unbias to location or player as possible, Chicago Slice is a nice touch - paying homage to the city's culinary perfection and also knocking out a great pickleball reference. Unfortunately, there are a couple of teams on the list aiming for a soccer-inspired name but landed somewhere closer to the parable we shared earlier.
MLP 2023 Premier Team Names
The top players in MLP compete at the Premier Level. You'll recognize the biggest names in pickleball are on each of these teams - you won't find a higher caliber assembly of players anywhere else. The Premier Level is also made up of 12 teams with 4 players on each team. Let's see how their names stack up.
- ATX Pickleballers
- Cabo
- California BLQK Bears
- Florida Smash
- Frisco Clean Cause
- Las Vegas Night Owls
- Los Angeles Mad Drops
- Milwaukee Mashers
- New Jersey 5's
- New York Hustlers
- Seattle Pioneers
- SoCal Hard Eights
The Premier Level has a lot of creative names, but the Seattle Pioneers stand out. It's a nice nod to the people of the Pacific Northwest and also Bainbridge Island, which is where this crazy game we love so much began.
At the pro level, it seems like the names that have sticking power include dual meanings, like Slice, Pioneers, or Breakers. And there's some science behind that too. So place a mental note here as we jump into the next section and get you started on your journey to the best pickleball team name around.
How to Come Up With the Perfect Pickleball Team Name in 5 Steps
If you feel like you're about to try and find a needle in a haystack, then you need this how-to guide the most. Coming up with a name can seem difficult, but if you approach it methodically and break it into pieces, you'll end up with a name you love that was pretty painless to get to.
Here are the essential tips and steps you need to come up with that perfect pickleball team name that stands out from the crowd:
- Brainstorm – Get your creative juices flowing by jotting down ideas and indulging in some free association. Aim for quantity, not quality here; come up with as many possible names as you can think of!
- Research – Look at existing teams and learn from their choices; see what works well, and what doesn’t quite work so well when it comes to names.
- Keep It Snappy & Sweet - Short, catchy, memorable, and easy-to-pronounce names are best; this will ensure people remember (and recognize!) your pickleball team!
- Get Creative – Create something out of the ordinary by coming up with puns or jokes related to pickleball, or use your imagination to craft something nobody has ever seen before!
- Select – Narrow down your list of potential names until you reach a shortlist of one or two winners most suited to your team.
There's a lot to unpack here, so let's look at each component in greater detail.
1. Brainstorm As Many Pickleball Team Names as Possible
Step one is to really put in the effort to brainstorm ideas – don't be afraid to get wild with it! Write down every idea that pops into your head, and let yourself go crazy.
Nothing is too far at this point and you really are trying to prioritize quantity over quality. You could even set a goal of trying to list 100 names in 30 minutes.
You can pull from all sorts of places for inspiration - where you live, the colors or symbols of your team, puns or jokes, memorable moments from past games - whatever speaks the most to you and captures what makes your team special.
2. See What Names Others Use inside and outside of Pickleball
It can be helpful to take a look around and see what names the other great teams have come up with.
Act like you're a creative marketing specialist that's been hired to consult for a team, and your job is to evaluate what's on the market so you can find your opportunity. Although it's a bit silly, it's not too far off from what you're trying to do.
Try to figure out what works well in terms of names, colors, and overall branding. What catches your eye? What seems memorable? What stands out? It's also important to consider the things that don't work so well.
Record your findings with simple notes and try to identify patterns along the way.
3. Short
This isn't an Oscar's speech - so limit your word count and characters.
When you've got your initial list of possible names, the key is to pick one that's not only unique and fun but also easy to say and remember. That's where short and catchy come in - both are crucial to creating a memorable name.
This goes a long way in making sure people will also be able to pronounce your name too. Don't forget to pay attention to how the name looks visually; be sure to consider font size, capitalization, and emphasis – these elements all play a role in making an impactful impression.
4. Do the Unthinkable
Puns and jokes are a great way to create a memorable team name – plus, they're just plain fun! Brainstorm some classic play-on-words related to pickleball and see what you can come up with.
This is also a good time to try and connect two things with a double entendre as the Chicago Slice team accomplished. Dare to be different by getting creative with your team name.
5. Vet, Eject, and Select
Narrowing down the list of potential names can be tricky, but there are 3 mini-steps in this one to help get the job done.
Vet Your Team Names
First, make sure to evaluate each one on its own merits, and consider factors like what your team stands for and who you are playing against. Take the time to test out each name and decide which one best fits your team.
This means you should use your phone-a-friend option or take your favorites out to the court and get some second opinions.
You want to end up with three or fewer names at the end of vetting.
Eject Your Least Favorite Name
With a maximum of three names, your team's goal here is to identify the one you like the least rather than agreeing on the one you love the most. It may take some debate, but it will certainly be less debate than agreeing on a favorite. Hopefully, at least.
Select the Best Name out of Your Final Two Names
You did it - you've reached the final boss of naming your pickleball team. If you get tripped up here, this is a good point to look back at some of your notes from the first stage when you were brainstorming.
Doing so will most likely highlight things you found to be important when you began. If they still hold importance here in the selection round, then your job is to go with the name that fits closest to where you started.
And just like that... you and your partner are now the proud owners of the best team name in all of pickleball.
Our Brainstorm of 109 Pickleball Team Names in 30 Minutes
In case you're one of those people who like to speed read without retaining the information, or maybe you're just skipping ahead to the goods, we've thrown 109 team names together to kick your creative juices into overdrive.
Apologies ahead of time if you or someone you know already has any of the following names. Great minds think alike, right? Since cities seem to go hand-in-hand with a lot of names, we'll keep some of those alive below.
- Austin Ace Invaders
- Boston Lobsters
- Houston Hotshots
- Denver Dillies
- Atlanta Ace Makers
- Jacksonville Jammers
- Pittsburgh Paddletarians
- Sacramento Swingers
- Baltimore Backhands
- Shake & Bakersfield
- Texas Chainsaws
- Atlanta Around-the-Posters
- Backcourt Beaters of Boston
- Dallas Backhand Bangers
- Idaho Backspin Bashers
- Minnesota Backswing Blasters
- Miami Bert Belters
- New York Block Volley Bandits
- California Carry Crushers
- Powerhouse Picklers
- Smackdown Scorpions
- Dink Monsters
- Drive Slayers
- The Distractors
- Dink Warriors
- Death By Dink
- Double Bounce Destroyers
- The Composite Crashers
- Centerline Cutters Elite
- Dead Ball Duelers
- Drive Ninjas
- Centerline Crushers
- Deadly Drive Devastators
- The Twin Hitters
- Power Up Picklers
- Chicago Crushtaculars
- Distractions Are Forbidden
- The Smash and Dash Club
- Imaginative Inventors of Drives
- Coy Composite Commanders
- The Midcourt Marauders
- Volley-licious Vets
- Kansas City Kings of Kills
- Minnesota Mavericks of Dinking
- Divided Dynamics Division
- Ohio Overlords of Overheads
- Kentucky Killers of Drop Shots
- Precious Perpetrators of Paddling
- Ferocious Flippers From Florida
- Colorado Court Cows
- Pacific Pioneers of Progression
- Tennessee Teams Who Triumph at Twosomes
- Alabama Assassins on the Attack
- Vicious Vegas Vipers
- Powerful Portland Plungers
- Illinois Intimidators
- New Mexico Nasties
- Michigan Mayhem-makers
- Arizona Ambush
- Thunderous Texas Trouncers
- Georgia Gimmees
- Nevada Net-Dealers
- Washington Whammo Wreckers
- Utah Underdogs
- Delaware Divining Dinks
- Heavyweight Hittyhawks
- Fabulous Florida Flicks
- Lumbering Louisiana Lobbers
- Handy Hoppin' Hardcore
- Kansas Kanines of Pickleball
- Idaho Islanders of Pickleball
- Ferocious Flyers from Florida
- Nebraska Neutrons of Pickleball
- Pennsylvania Powerhouses of Pickleball
- Texas Thrashers of Pickleball
- Oregon Outlaws of Pickleball
- Virginia Volleys of Pickleball
- Utah Upperers of Pickleball
- Delaware Divining Dinks of Pickleball
- Washington Whammers of Pickleball
- Hawaii Harpooners of Picklemanship
- New Mexico Nasties of Paddling Perfection
- Michigan Mayhem-makers in Serve-Smashes
- Minnesota Mavericks in Net-Nabbing
- Illinois Intimidators in Drop Shots
- Tennessee Teams Triumphing at Twosomes In Ball Bouncing
- Alabama Assassins on the Attack with Racquets
- Vicious Vegas Vipers vs Paddles with Panache
- Powerful Portland Plungers Taking Over Points
- Arkansas Alley Cats Swatting for Success
- Massachusetts Masters Making Magic Moves
- Arizona Ambush Tossing Well Wisely
- Guam Greats Galvanizing Goals
- North Carolina Slashers Setting up Slices
- Louisiana Lobbers Levelling Lethally
- Oklahoma Ospreys Owl-Lifting Obstacles
- Maine Monsoons Maximizing Maneuvers
- Ohio Overlords Orchestrating Offense
- Wyoming Wrecking Crew Weaving Wins
- Indiana Industrialists Innovating Instantly
- Atlantic Aces Assuring Aggregation
- Florida Flippers Fighting Fairly
- Wisconsin Wackadoodles Whooping Wonders
- Kansas Kickers Killing Kindly
- New York Yodelers Yielding Yardage
- Mississippi Movers Moving Masterfully
- West Virginia Whackers Winning Winsons
- Hawaii Hittyshawks Holding Hotshots
- Texas Trouncers Thumping Thrillingly
Don't Settle for City: Pickleball Team Name
It’s clear that pickleball is much more than just a game – it’s an art form. With the right team name, you can really capture the spirit of your squad and build a tighter bond.
Whether you choose one of our suggested names to get started or come up with something unique on your own, don't settle for City: Pickleball Team Name. Let your creativity shine through and get creative because you never know where your pickleball career might take you.
Your partner will thank you later.