High school mascots - what does/did yours do?

[rszdtrvl]

My son is mascot again this year for Basketball season.

Last year he worked directly with the cheerleaders and during mascot camp over the summer he worked mostly with the cheerleaders, only doing a few things during the actual mascot training with the other mascots.

This year, the cheer coach has decided that she does not want to work directly with the mascot. Which puts DS in a pickle, as he needs to not only put his mascot training to work without the cheerleaders, but also needs to come up with stuff he can do to incorporate and encourage the crowd, but not take away from the cheerleaders and their time.

I plan on DS talking to the cheer coach to see if he can go to a couple practices to just refresh on some cheers that he can do with the cheerleaders (simple ones) and ask exactly what she wants/does not want him to do.

Does anyone have any ideas? What did your school mascot do? What does your child's school's mascot do?

He is learning some simple dances that he can do during the time outs when the cheerleaders are not doing their thing. And from camp he learned small skits that he can do that don't take up a lot of time.

But for the most part, since he is basically working on his own, we are at a loss as to what he should do, and the cheer coach has not yet really offered any advice (which is why he is going to talk to her). Trying not to infringe on the cheerleaders territory, but still giving DS what he needs to pump up the crowd and entertain it as the mascot.

 

[JanaDee]

My son is mascot again this year for Basketball season.

Last year he worked directly with the cheerleaders and during mascot camp over the summer he worked mostly with the cheerleaders, only doing a few things during the actual mascot training with the other mascots.

This year, the cheer coach has decided that she does not want to work directly with the mascot. Which puts DS in a pickle, as he needs to not only put his mascot training to work without the cheerleaders, but also needs to come up with stuff he can do to incorporate and encourage the crowd, but not take away from the cheerleaders and their time.

I plan on DS talking to the cheer coach to see if he can go to a couple practices to just refresh on some cheers that he can do with the cheerleaders (simple ones) and ask exactly what she wants/does not want him to do.

Does anyone have any ideas? What did your school mascot do? What does your child's school's mascot do?

He is learning some simple dances that he can do during the time outs when the cheerleaders are not doing their thing. And from camp he learned small skits that he can do that don't take up a lot of time.

But for the most part, since he is basically working on his own, we are at a loss as to what he should do, and the cheer coach has not yet really offered any advice (which is why he is going to talk to her). Trying not to infringe on the cheerleaders territory, but still giving DS what he needs to pump up the crowd and entertain it as the mascot.

Never had one growing up and our kids' school doesn't have one, either. The cheerleaders job is to pump up the crowd.

 

[luvsJack]

Our mascots have always been first and foremost a cheerleader.


The mascot's job is to pump the crowd up. Maybe he could watch some youtube videos of mascots and get some ideas of what he can do. Tricks he can do, little funny skit type stuff, etc. I would think he would need to clear any ideas with the cheer coach first.

I have seen the mascot doing cheers, playing around with some of the players on the bench, playing around with the crowd, etc.

 

[mamamary]

My daughter is a cheerleader for football and basketball at her high school. After attending all the games I have to say I didn't see the mascot once. I know the school has one but I'm not sure of what exactly is does as I've only ever seen it once that i can recall and it was at the pep rally.

 

[SMD]

At my school the mascot was on the sidelines for football, but never interacted with the cheerleaders. There was no mascot for basketball. In college the mascots were separate from the cheerleaders, except after touchdowns the mail cheerleaders would help with pushups. But there was no interaction with the dance crew or the other female cheerleaders at all. I was in the band, we all kind of knew each other, and the mascots would come over to the stands and hold up signs for us, but we didn't have anything set. I also have season tickets to my parents' alma mater and the mascot doesn't interact with the cheerleaders or the band at all. That's pretty typical of visiting teams too.

 

[rszdtrvl]

At my school the mascot was on the sidelines for football, but never interacted with the cheerleaders. There was no mascot for basketball. In college the mascots were separate from the cheerleaders, except after touchdowns the mail cheerleaders would help with pushups. But there was no interaction with the dance crew or the other female cheerleaders at all. I was in the band, we all kind of knew each other, and the mascots would come over to the stands and hold up signs for us, but we didn't have anything set. I also have season tickets to my parents' alma mater and the mascot doesn't interact with the cheerleaders or the band at all. That's pretty typical of visiting teams too.

Cool! Thank you!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Is there a "Pep Club"? Could he work directly with them?

 

[Colleen27]

My school mascot growing up and the mascot of the (different) high school my kids attend were both types of ships... So the only mascot on the field was inanimate. The kids' school is pretty cool - they have a pirate ship float with a cannon that fires every time the football team scores.

 

[Hrhpd]

My son is mascot again this year for Basketball season.

Last year he worked directly with the cheerleaders and during mascot camp over the summer he worked mostly with the cheerleaders, only doing a few things during the actual mascot training with the other mascots.

This year, the cheer coach has decided that she does not want to work directly with the mascot. Which puts DS in a pickle, as he needs to not only put his mascot training to work without the cheerleaders, but also needs to come up with stuff he can do to incorporate and encourage the crowd, but not take away from the cheerleaders and their time.

I plan on DS talking to the cheer coach to see if he can go to a couple practices to just refresh on some cheers that he can do with the cheerleaders (simple ones) and ask exactly what she wants/does not want him to do.

Does anyone have any ideas? What did your school mascot do? What does your child's school's mascot do?

He is learning some simple dances that he can do during the time outs when the cheerleaders are not doing their thing. And from camp he learned small skits that he can do that don't take up a lot of time.

But for the most part, since he is basically working on his own, we are at a loss as to what he should do, and the cheer coach has not yet really offered any advice (which is why he is going to talk to her). Trying not to infringe on the cheerleaders territory, but still giving DS what he needs to pump up the crowd and entertain it as the mascot.

He is a senior right? I remember your football thread. Let him figure it out and do his thing. Mom needs to stay out of it. In a perfect world, you would not know anything about his mascot job and just see him and cheer for him at games.

My school did not have a mascot, neither does my kids's school. It is not common around here.

 

[SMD]

Is there a "Pep Club"? Could he work directly with them?

He should do this, or maybe organize some friends to come and have something worked out with them. But it should be something he wants to do himself, not something his mom tells him to do or organizes for him.

OP, didn't your son decide not to be the mascot for football because he wanted to do another activity? Maybe he should approach the coach and see what's really going on?

 

[rszdtrvl]

He was going to be mascot but instead decided to play football.

There is not a pep club - basically the mascot in the past has been associated with the ASB - but this year it is between cheer with DS being the mascot for some games and the ASB being mascot for other games (as far as we know - since DS is supposed to be with the cheer I would think he would be getting information from the cheer coach but that is not happening because honestly, cheer does not really want to be in charge of the mascot anymore).

I put me as potentially talking to the cheer coach, but it would be DS. And as of right now, he does not plan on talking to her. Since cheer does not want to work with him at all, he is just going to do goofy dancing and maybe do a dance during halftime for a few games, hold up signs rooting for the team, and general schmoozing the crowd. And he decided all of that stuff he would do, which should be fine by all.

I was curious what other mascots did because together we were trying to figure out what he should do this year, as nobody else is helping him out.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

My high school didn't have a mascot (the teams were called The Hurricanes, but we didn't have ... er ... a person dressed up as a hurricane).

My children's high school's mascot works with the cheerleaders to pump up the crowd. The mascot is at football games and the homecoming pep rally but I'm not sure what else (maybe basketball?)

 

[luvsJack]

He was going to be mascot but instead decided to play football.

There is not a pep club - basically the mascot in the past has been associated with the ASB - but this year it is between cheer with DS being the mascot for some games and the ASB being mascot for other games (as far as we know - since DS is supposed to be with the cheer I would think he would be getting information from the cheer coach but that is not happening because honestly, cheer does not really want to be in charge of the mascot anymore).

I put me as potentially talking to the cheer coach, but it would be DS. And as of right now, he does not plan on talking to her. Since cheer does not want to work with him at all, he is just going to do goofy dancing and maybe do a dance during halftime for a few games, hold up signs rooting for the team, and general schmoozing the crowd. And he decided all of that stuff he would do, which should be fine by all.

I was curious what other mascots did because together we were trying to figure out what he should do this year, as nobody else is helping him out.

What's an ASB?

Sounds like your DS has it under control. His plans sounds just like what a mascot should be doing. Mascots doing funny stuff are the best kind!

 

[rszdtrvl]

What's an ASB?

Sounds like your DS has it under control. His plans sounds just like what a mascot should be doing. Mascots doing funny stuff are the best kind!

ASB = Assistant Student Body

Like Student Body President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer,etc. They attend the board meetings that are at the school and help decide where money raised should go. And are pretty much in charge of class meetings (Senior Class, Junior Class, etc.).

 

[luvsJack]

ASB = Assistant Student Body

Like Student Body President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer,etc. They attend the board meetings that are at the school and help decide where money raised should go. And are pretty much in charge of class meetings (Senior Class, Junior Class, etc.).

OH! Gotcha. Our Student Body Government does all that but they do not do anything with the mascot or much of anything with athletics at all. I mean some of them are a part of cheer or an athlete but they don't take over any roles. Interesting.