I’m proud to say I’m one of the Founding 8 members of the Brickyard Battalion. You may have seen me jumping up and down at BYB events like a mad man and leading the Bricker faithful in chants for our team. As you may notice by my writing style, I’m not a professional writer—I’m actually a military veteran and firefighter; however, I feel compelled to share what being a Bricker means to me and touch on the nickname of our team.

As all of you know our team name, Indy Eleven, was announced this past week. The name Eleven pays tribute to Indiana’s 11th Regiment, the number of players on the pitch, and many dates that incorporate the number—my favorite “11” date being the “nod” to the Brickyard Battalion and our officially being formed in 20Eleven. So, raise a pint to that.

Almost immediately after the announcement I saw comments on what our team’s nickname should be. Someone posted we should be dubbed, The Zouaves, a title given to certain light infantry units in the French Army and adopted by many American Civil War volunteer units throughout the war on both sides. One of the units that adopted the French nickname was Indiana’s 11th Regiment, also known as “Wallace’s Zouves.”

Other entries for team nicknames included, The Elves, The Indies, and The Infantry. As I scrolled through different social media sites, I stumbled upon a comment by a long time Battalion member, Shane Kelly. Upon reading it I was instantly filled with BYB pride. Good Shane politely corrected others commenting with the simple reply; “Newcastle United = Magpies, Manchester United = Red Devils, Arsenal = The Gunners, Indy Eleven = THE BRICKERS!.”

Shane could have gone on and on with the many other nicknames that aren’t included in the actual team name like Toffees, Trotters, Reds, Blues,Canaries, Potters and so forth. But he quickly made the voice of the fans known. Then many other Brickers followed suit and supported the moniker that we have ALL earned.

For those that aren’t as familiar, soccer team naming and nicknaming are a little different in soccer than most other American professional sports. In American football, basketball, baseball, etc, teams are given nicknames. Of course in Indy we have the Colts, Pacers, Ice, and Indians. They are all given nicknames. In soccer, nicknames are adopted or in some cases earned. In our unique situation, we have already earned ours.

As for me and the other seven founding members of the BYB, we saw the supporters group build from the ground up. As we hoped and wished for a team we watched you all join us one by one, building this whole thing Brick by Brick.

The Brickers stacked up quickly from 8 to 25, 25 to 50, 50 to 250. Before we knew it we had grown into a mighty fortress of an association. All of you added something special and unique to our supporters group. All of you BELIEVED in getting a team to Indianapolis and that belief is the mortar that has held us together and has fortified us.

Your loyalty and strength guaranteed Mr. Ersal Ozdemir that it was an excellent idea to bring a team to our great city, so he did. Then all across the soccer community, from Portland’s Jeld-Wen Field to Philadelphia’s PPL Park, they were talking about “The Brickers.” EPL crowds were even buzzing about the “from scratch,” scrappy supporters group that was graciously granted a NASL team. So the nickname “The Brickers” held strong.

In William Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, there are many commonly quoted bits of dialogue. One that sticks out is when Juliet argues that the names of things do not matter, only what things are. She pleads, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. Well, I beg to differ Ms. Capulet. The name Brickers means fighting three years for a team. Brickers means building a supporters group from 8 to now nearly 1000 members. Brickers means Believing against the odds. The beating of your heart that you felt when they announced to the world on January 16th that we earned a pro soccer team in Indianapolis.

Now take a long hard look at the Indy Eleven crest and notice the checkers behind our Lady Victory. Oddly enough the alternating red checkers looks like a brick wall holding up Victory. Those checkers were put there by the team ownership as a SALUTE to ALL Brickers.

So, Mr. Shakespeare, that smells pretty dang sweet to me and it wouldn’t be sweeter by any other name than the Brickers.

So now it’s time to embrace both our team name and our nickname with pride. It is an absolute honor to be THE supporters group of our Indianapolis team.

I will be there with thousands of other Brickers singing chants and rallying behind our team. I’ll be wearing the colors of the Indy Eleven and probably sporting a brick red kepi hat in tribute to Lew Wallace and his soldiers of the Indiana 11th Regiment. I’ll most likely even yell out to the supporters group the words of the then Colonel Wallace. “Boys, then, will you ever desert the banners that have been presented us today?” And as they proudly answered in 1861 I expect to hear shouts of, “ Never! Never!”

With all that being said I’ll never be a Zouave, an Elf, or Infantry but I’ll always be an Indy Eleven Bricker. That is the banner that has been set forth. I’m XI till I die. I know I am. I’m sure I am. XI Bricker till I die.

WE ARE THE INDY ELEVEN BRICKERS.