Trying out for my high school soccer team as a freshman in 2009, I was nervous and scared and excited all at once. Those of you who have been freshmen before will understand. And those of you who are going to be freshmen in the fall, I promise the butterflies go away.
Early on, in our pre-pre-season captain’s practices, one of the leading seniors on the team gave me my nickname. Now I know goober is probably not the first choice anyone would pick to be known by for the rest of their high school careers. However, I have come to love my nickname and like when people call me by it (of course, I was trying to push the nickname Super Star instead, or Princess Awesomeness, but this seemed to reconfirm my identity as Goo). I love it because nicknames always make people feel like their part of the team. They make everyone feel different and unique, and even helped me make friends once the school year started (because as my soccer teammates introduced me as Goo, people always laughed and asked why I’m called that. If nicknames aren’t anything else, they’re definitely a conversation starter!).
Nicknames don’t even have to be creative. They can be a shortened version of the person’s last name, or a play on one of their physical features that makes them stand out. (For example, in grade school I was often called carrot-top. Which, although I wouldn’t recommend it as a nickname for a high-schooler, was slightly endearing.)
Mine gave me the confidence to start going to a new school and make new friends (because with a name like Goo, you have to be a bit confident). On my first day of school, I felt like I owned the place. However, as a freshman I was quickly reminded that, as the popular saying goes, I was at the bottom of the totem pole.
But my nickname made being at the bottom of the totem pole a bit easier and a whole lot of fun.
Early on, in our pre-pre-season captain’s practices, one of the leading seniors on the team gave me my nickname. Now I know goober is probably not the first choice anyone would pick to be known by for the rest of their high school careers. However, I have come to love my nickname and like when people call me by it (of course, I was trying to push the nickname Super Star instead, or Princess Awesomeness, but this seemed to reconfirm my identity as Goo). I love it because nicknames always make people feel like their part of the team. They make everyone feel different and unique, and even helped me make friends once the school year started (because as my soccer teammates introduced me as Goo, people always laughed and asked why I’m called that. If nicknames aren’t anything else, they’re definitely a conversation starter!).
Nicknames don’t even have to be creative. They can be a shortened version of the person’s last name, or a play on one of their physical features that makes them stand out. (For example, in grade school I was often called carrot-top. Which, although I wouldn’t recommend it as a nickname for a high-schooler, was slightly endearing.)
Mine gave me the confidence to start going to a new school and make new friends (because with a name like Goo, you have to be a bit confident). On my first day of school, I felt like I owned the place. However, as a freshman I was quickly reminded that, as the popular saying goes, I was at the bottom of the totem pole.
But my nickname made being at the bottom of the totem pole a bit easier and a whole lot of fun.
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