School mascots aim to entertain.  Or at least aim to hang out with the cheerleaders.  Years after leaving high school and college, there are few that forget their school’s mascot.  The mascot is often so crucial to a school’s image that the mere mention of lions, tigers and bears (oh my!) conjures memories of pep rallies, football games, cheerleaders, and the pride that comes along with it.  The memories are even stronger when the mascot put his or her all into the role – creating crowd-pleasing moments for homecoming, or a really good rival game.

Being a mascot didn’t come without a price.  When it wasn’t about sweating like crazy inside a synthetic costume with a giant head, it was about keeping the energy level up high enough to entertain…. and possibly take a blow on the sidelines.  With all that headgear, the ability to hear and peripheral vision are almost completely diminished, making avoiding turmoil one of the most difficult thin.  School pride is a touchy issue for many enthusiasts – a mascot must be careful not to step on the territory of the other team’s mascot.

Ahh, what we do in the name of school pride… and mascots have been at the very forefront of our school days pride, leading us every step of the way.

>