The we’re-all-at-home-and-nobody’s-going-anywhere time is staggering to an end. Schools are beginning to open up some fans are able to go to games. Most of the mascots will be there to welcome everyone back with their abundant exuberance.
Many mascots have been right by our side throughout the covid pandemic. They’ve been with us when we were in lockdown, having their own mascot issues & doing their own zoom things, as we were also having lockdown restlessness and learning all about zoom.
Most schools and teams have understood the importance of mascots during these times.
The mascot is really the only member of the team who could reach out to fans and maintain team and school spirit. They let us know we were together though apart – in spirit – mostly through brilliant social media posts.
Some schools and teams, however, failed to see the importance of the mascot, and rather than raise them up and expand their social media presence, they laid off mascot performers – and thus the mascot – as a cost-cutting measure.
Here, at the NMA, we were surprised to learn this was happening.
Coaches and school presidents can make formal testimonies. It is the mascot, though, that reaches out with truly, goofy and adorable love for the fans & students and true loyalty, no matter what to the team and the school.
It is probably unwise to underestimate to power of the mascot.
© Jennifer Smith 2021
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