Nothing to Fear: Energetic defensive specialist looks to fire up teammates on and off the court
Clarkston Senior Haley Barker, left, celebrates an ace against Akron with her teammates at McGurik Arena on Friday Oct. 23.
Haley Barker goes by the nickname “Chucky,” but the persona she embodies is the opposite of the horror character she resembles.
As a redshirt freshman defensive specialist on Central Michigan’s volleyball team, three of her former teammates gave Barker the nickname of “Chucky” because of her crazy hairstyle, and hysterical laugh that resembled the evil chuckle of the famous murder doll from the “Child’s Play” franchise.
“I was on the bench, so I would cheer as loud as I possibly could. I have this really scary laugh that kind of sounds like the evil doll,” Barker said. “When you looked down the bench, I looked like I was going to kill you with excitement and cheering.”
The senior defensive specialist also took on the nickname to escape any mistaken pronunciations of her first name.
“I didn’t like being called ‘Hallie’ by mistake, so everyone was like ‘Well, let’s call you Chucky,’ and it just stuck real quick, and forever.”
Associate Athletics Director for Corporate Sales and Marketing Nick Williams also works as the announcer at Chippewa volleyball games. Every time Barker enters the game, Williams introduces her in a comical tone yelling, “Chucky, she’s back!”
Williams didn’t find out about Barker’s nickname until last year, thanks to her coaches, but the unique introduction mixed with the nickname has taken on a life of its own.
“They told me to just call her Chucky because that’s what she responds to, and she was fine with it,” Williams said. “That’s how I refer to her, and she’s kind of taken on her own little persona for the team.”
Not only does her laugh and hairstyle create the Chucky comparison, the redshirt senior defensive specialist stands at 5-foot-4, making her one of the shortest players on the team, furthermore fueling the resemblance.
“At first, some people thought it was rude, but I always embraced it," Barker said. "It’s kind of like my persona on the court, just crazy little Chucky.”
Unlike the actual doll from the film that is always out for blood, Barker uses her energy to pump up the team.
“It’s energy, but in the opposite sense of the Chucky doll,” Barker said. “He’s more ready to kill, and I’m ready to pick people up and make them happy. The energy levels are both high, but in different directions.”
Even her teammates believe the nickname fits the Clarkston native’s personality.
“She’s just a ball of energy,” said senior middle blocker Kalle Mulford. “Even if you see her walking to class, she’s just skipping, I swear. She’s a great person to be around, she just lifts your spirit up and it’s great.”
The nickname is so common, other players on the roster don’t even mention Barker by her actual first name.
“I don’t remember the last time I called her Haley,” said sophomore defensive specialist Courtney Hiltibran. “She introduced herself as Chucky.”
The “Child’s Play” doll is known for his relentless efforts of trying to transfer his soul into a human, and Barker is similar because she is relentlessly enthusiastic.
“She’s such a little spitfire,” Hiltibran said. “I know that getting older, you slow down a little bit, but she just stays speeding up, it’s really cool to see that, and it’s really inspiring.”
So when Barker hears her nickname called during the game, it gives her confidence, and humors her when she steps on the court.
“Honestly, it’s kind of like empowering to me,” Barker said. “I can’t help but try to hold back a smile because it makes me inside laugh all the time. I like it a lot. It makes me feel good (to hear it) going back to serve. I’ve never thought of it as silly, I’ve actually always really liked it.”
