Wilmington Hammerheads
Gone but not forgotten…well, also not really gone. This previously pro team that played its last year in the Premier Development League (now USL League 2) is survived by a youth program that seems to be doing well for itself. Wilmington Hammerheads are a fan favorite team by so many in the Carolinas and I hope y’all like my changes.
The first thing I wanted to do was simplify. The logo had too much going on for my tastes: two sharks, blocks of color, stripes, a soccer ball. I whittled those elements down to one shark, brought the stripes up, and got rid of the soccer ball completely. PSA: Clubs should stop using a ball in their logos. It is a fine element when it fits in with design logically, but if a ball is being added because “it is a soccer team,” the design needs another pass. Back on topic, I brought over the lettering sticking out of the crest from the original but dropped the grey. Three colors are enough for this pallet. Lost in the white background of this article is the buffer around the letters sticking out.
When the Hammerheads play again, I picture them picking right back up at Legion Stadium. Hopefully the youth program sees the value in running an adult team in the future and we get to see their return at the amateur level.
The kits feature a sky-blue half-bar design with white shorts and socks. I tried to mirror previous Hammerheads kits when pulling this together. The blue looks a lot lighter when brought over to the kit mock-up. If I were to return to this design to polish it off, I would likely give the light blue a richer tone.
Special thanks to Russell Varner for his help editing.
About me
First and foremost I am an amateur with no formal training. My hope is that this series will spark other creatives to make their own versions. Learn more about the series here. I was born and raised in Middlesex, North Carolina and have spent most of my adult life living in Raleigh. I am a fan of the beautiful game who wants to see it grow at the grassroots level.
