Blades is the mascot of the Boston Bruins. Fun fact: In 2000, nine-year-old Jillian Dempsey named the mascot Blades. Dempsey is now a professional player and captain of the Boston Pride. Photo © Gerald T. Coli | Dreamstime.com
The Super Bowl is behind us. Baseball season is ahead. Basketball is cranking up and lots of other sports are in full swing. And in many places, mascot tryouts are going on.
By the way, this does not include live mascots like UGA (the Georgia bulldog) or Bevo (the longhorn bull at the University of Texas at Austin). Y’all’s jobs are secure
But human mascots, the ones who dance and entertain on the field, the court and elsewhere, probably need no introduction, although here is a full list of all of them, from pros to college.
They can be humanoid versions of animals (the Oriole Bird, from the Baltimore Orioles), people (Sparty the Spartan is the mascot of Michigan State), invertebrates (Sammy the Fighting Banana Slug who represents the University of Santa Cruz), vegetables (Arty the Flying Artichoke of Scottsdale Community College) or – well, anything, including made-up creatures (the Philly Phanatic, for example).
And it stands to reason that mascots regularly need replacing – particularly at the college or high school level, where students graduate, leaving the position vacant – and even at the pro level. So what does it take to be a distinguished candidate – and how does anyone even know, once that suit is on, whether the candidate is a good fit?
According to various sources, there’s a lot that goes into consideration. Here are just a few:
Size: Mascot suits may (or may not) be one-size-fits-all and in fact, many mascots have size and height requirements. Kansas State University, for example, has two Jayhawk mascots, Big Jay and Baby Jay; those who want to audition must be either 6’ 1” to 6’ 5” while Baby Jay candidates must fall between 4’11” and 5’ 1” – although the spirit squad also welcomes interest from those who fall outside the requirements.
Of course, not all schools have height requirements, and many just welcome those with school spirit). The only reason for height requirements is the size of the costume – as well as any wish of the team not to have an entity that is taller or shorter than the spectators.
Number of Mascots Needed: Many programs, such as MLB, because they are played outside in the summer, require at least two mascots per game; colleges may need more because multiple sports are being played in one season. Additionally, teams may need mascots available for special appearances, such as at local schools, sports bars, pep rallies or hospital visits to patients in pediatric units.
Tolerance for the Suit: Probably goes without saying but mascot suits are not known for their breathability and to put it bluntly, things can get hot in there. Those who are performing need to be able to keep their cool. To that end, many suit manufacturers are installing fans in the headpieces.
Interaction with Fans: Not all fans are, well, fans of the home team, and mascots need to know how to interact with them (as well as with the people who can't wait for a selfie with the mascot). In many cases, mascot actors are told it is best to shrug off rude fans, and to make tracks toward those who are more welcoming.
It can be hard, say some mascot actors, to get small children to approach and hug the mascot for the photo their parents want; in these cases, many mascot actors will try sitting or lying on the ground and allowing the child to approach them, inviting them to stroke the fur of their costume and to become more comfortable with an up-close-and-personal encounter. (A wah-wah is a no-no in a photo, after all.)
BTW, the ability to interact well with fans can seriously come in handy. Mudonna T. Pig, the porcine mascot of the St. Paul MiLB team, the Saints, set a Guinness World Record for most fan hugs within a minute.
Ability to Create Routines: Sometimes, it’s all about the show, sometimes, it’s all about the camera and sometimes, it’s just all about the fun. But no matter what, it involves rehearsals. Seriously, go mascots.
Interaction with Other Mascots: In 2024, there was an NHL Mascot Showdown and UCA produced a Mascot National Championship for college mascots (won by Aubie, Auburn's tiger). But even in regular games, you can rest assured the other team will bring their own actor playing a bird, cat or anything else – and you need to be ready to pretend to put up your dukes – and then hug it out in front of a stadium crowd.
Ability to Do the Team Name Spellout Correctly: Seriously, don’t get this one wrong. You’ll never live it down.
Body Language: You can’t talk and your body is encased in a really big padded suit that makes you look like anything from a wildcat to a blue blob. So how do you convey emotions?
BamMascots notes, “When you're wearing a mascot costume, emotions can be difficult to communicate, since your character has no facial expressions except the one built into the costume. This means that you need to use your whole body and exaggerated gestures to portray emotions such as happiness, sadness, surprise, shyness etc. If you’re happy, try skipping, clapping and nodding. Shy? Bring your hand up to your face in a “peekaboo” fashion and twist your body away from the audience while peeking. Sad? Hunch over your shoulders and hang your head. You can even mime crying by holding your hands over your eyes and shaking up and down. Practice these emotions while wearing your costume in front of a mirror and get feedback from your guide/handler.”
Oh, Right, The Guide/Handler: This person is in charge of leading the mascot around and can come in handy if something happens and the actor needs to retreat from the field (heat issues, illness, vision issues from the suit, etc.) The well-equipped mascot is never without one. Unfortunately, you may only have them at the pro level – and college level, if the spirit squad is attuned to the challenges faced by those in a mascot costume.
Payment: High school mascots do it for the glory (or the fun). College mascots may be paid, according to this report; however, some schools may consider it an extracurricular activity and not provide payment. Pro mascots are, in fact, paid; some reports claimed that Rocky, the Denver Nuggets’ mascot, pulls down more than half a million dollars a year.
Don’t Lost Your Head: This is true from the high school to college to pro levels: Mascots can’t be seen in public without their heads on. It’s … jarring. It spoils the impact. And almost every mascot has to agree to that.
Auditions: Mascot tryouts can include a number of elements: spelling out the name of the team (the Orioles and the Eagles, for example, have choreographed routines that audiences love), dances or pantomiming interactions with various types of fans (opposing fans, shy young fans, etc.) And the higher the level of play, the more scrutiny the mascot is under.
But at the end of the day, it’s all about finding the right performer. In 2022, the Baltimore Ravens were seeking an actor to portray their mascot, Poe. They actually made one of the funniest deadpan videos on the audition process – and it’s worth a look.
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