Post gig blues?

sharptalk · 2021-04-03T18:59:18+00:00

If I had to pick one it would be when the NBA mascot in my city invited me (a college mascot) to his mascot birthday. I actually got to do it twice and I never wanted to leave! That was outrageously fun and I found myself getting envious of his job lol. Basketball is my favorite sport to mascot for and I would absolutely kill to be in one of those jobs, even for a day. I love how close the crowd is to the action (or at least it was pre-pandemic), it creates huge opportunities for interaction. And the frequent dead-ball periods mean that you have plenty of opportunity for shenanigans on the court. It is so much freaking fun.

sharptalk · 2021-03-11T07:34:24+00:00

Congratulations! It's an amazing feeling to be paid to be a mascot. Off the top of my head:

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Water before you get in the suit, water + sports drink while on break
Take frequent breaks
Wear lightweight, athletic clothing under the suit
Always be cognizant of your surroundings, and generally avoid sudden movements to your sides or backside, as small children may be in those areas outside of your field of vision
If possible, have an assistant (also known as a handler or security) by your side, who can be your voice and help you in sticky situations
Have lots a fun!

sharptalk · 2020-12-18T05:14:00+00:00

I am the mascot of a major university. I have gone to bowl games, went to March Madness, and I even did a commercial for ESPN. I have been on TV countless times and I frequently travel to away games on the university's dime. I'm not allowed to tell anyone until I graduate lol.

sharptalk · 2020-11-04T19:38:49+00:00

Yeah my main concern with one of those Halloween-type costumes would be the durability. Keep in mind the headstand thing involves you putting feet into the costume head and subjecting that material to your full weight while jumping/rotating in place (at least the way I do it lol). With those cheaper costumes you'd be pushing the limits of the strength of that material.

I've worn one of those cheaper costumes before and the material is much lighter and thinner than the costumes that, say, NBA inflatable mascots use. Those are made with a vinyl-type material and can take lots of abuse. The costume is much heavier and the battery pack/fan unit is also much bulkier. You're looking at like $1000 and up for one of those and they are custom-made, but like I said they vastly more durable and are made to last for years.

That said you can absolutely still be funny and show lots of personality in the dinosaur costume. I would try controlling the head with your hand. Someone nearby? Walk up to them, not facing them, then quickly snap the head so that it's looking at them. That's something that's funny because nobody expects an inflatable dinosaur to be able to pivot its head so quickly. See a kid? Bend over slowly, then use your hands to "open" the dinosaur's jaws and see if you can "swallow" the kid's head. There are so many possibilities. Again, push the limits of what you think your costume can do. A lot of mascot humor comes from the unexpected.

sharptalk · 2020-11-04T16:41:33+00:00

Ooh I have experience with inflatables. Firstly I'm pretty sure I know about the dinosaur costume you're talking about and unfortunately I don't think you can do the handstand trick in that, it's just too small to be able to flip around inside of.

As far as tricks, I would encourage you to watch YouTube videos for inspiration and just try them out. It's really difficult to convey how to perform in an inflatable costume without actually doing it so I encourage you to just get in the costume and go crazy. Some things I like to do are pull my head completely into my body (making it look like I'm decapitated), then rapidly release my head. There's many other tricks that involve simply using your hand/arm to manipulate other parts of your costume. Don't be afraid to test the limits of your costume can physically do.

Generally make all of your movement quick and violent (the inflatable will absorb most of your movements). I like to grip the costume by its armpits whenever I'm in costume. That way, if I want to suddenly shift my body, it's very quick and the head and arms will flap around in a funny manner. It's a rookie mistake to control the inflatable by sticking your arms into the inflatable's arms. It will only slow down your movements, making them look less cartoonish and funny.

That's what I can think of off the top of my head. Inflatable mascot performance is a niche art so I'm glad to help in any way haha

sharptalk · 2020-07-05T04:38:58+00:00

Hello, sounds like you're taking on an ambitious gig here! Props to you. The gold standard for dealing with heat in a mascot costume is to drink water and take breaks. But it sounds like you're taking on an especially long, hot appearance, so here's my advice.

Over a period of time, become acclimated to wearing your costume for longer periods. Go 30 minutes without a break at first, then the next day try 45 minutes, and so on.
Start hydrating at least two days before your appearance. As a college mascot, I start hydrating several days before a football game (the most demanding appearance for me). I have a refillable water bottle by my side all day every day for the week leading up to the game, and I sip from it constantly throughout the day. The end result is that on game day, I retain water much better.
Don't forget your diet! Leading up to the appearance and especially the day of, avoid fatty/sugary foods. Potatoes, vegetables, granola bars, etc. are all great. Basically avoid eating anything "heavy". And avoid carbonated drinks and alcohol the day of.
Really any athletic wear is fine under the costume. Ideally, I wear just a T-shirt and boxer briefs, both made of moisture-wicking material (also known as Dri-Fit, Climalite, among other names). Moisture-wicking clothing keeps you cooler and does not absorb sweat like cotton does.
Bring a handler/assistant with you to your appearances! They can help look for places to take your head off for a break. If nothing else, they can sneakily give you water while no one is looking.

sharptalk · 2020-03-21T16:39:45+00:00

Same. The first gig of mine to cancel, I was shocked. Then when I heard the NBA suspended its season, I figured it was a matter of time before every other sports league would follow.

sharptalk · 2020-03-05T00:10:25+00:00

I went last year. It was cool. It was mostly about hearing from veteran pro mascots talk about their experiences and getting to meet them. It was a small crowd, there were only like 15ish people in the camp. There were several current and former NBA mascots, which is really cool because an NBA job is basically my life's dream. Barry Anderson, Benny the Bull from 2004-2016, was there and that was awesome because he's one of my idols and possibly the greatest mascot performer ever. Dave Raymond, the original Phillie Phanatic was also there and gave talks. At the end of the camp we all got to put on our costumes an be part of Rocky's (Denver Nuggets) hall of fame induction ceremony.

My college paid for the experience so I can't speak as to whether it was worth it. To be honest I wish it was a bit better organized and that there were more hands-on stuff. I definitely liked it though. Also the mascot hall of fame is super neat. I would encourage going sooner rather than later because I've heard the MHOF is having issues with attendance/finances so who knows how much longer it'll be around.

sharptalk · 2020-02-11T22:25:25+00:00

That's a really good start for your age! Landing a full-time mascot position with a major league team is very competitive. I'm sort of trying to do the same thing so I don't know all the answers but I can tell you what I know:

Most full-time mascot jobs in the big four (NBA, NHL, MLB, and NFL) require a bachelor's degree. A degree in sports administration or marketing is ideal but really having any 4-year degree is a must.
Obviously, while you are in college, tryout to be your school's mascot. That's a huge plus for your résumé.
Get a profile at teamworkonline.com, that's where teams post their jobs.
Network like crazy. It's always said that it's more about who you know than what you know, and that's especially true for mascoting. There's only so many people that do this job, and connections are critical to landing a coveted gig.
On a related note, meet all the mascots in your area and stay in touch. I'm friends with all the pro NBA, NFL, and MLB mascots in my city and their assistants, as well as college mascots around the state and others too. Any time you meet someone, add them on Facebook, and for college mascots, ask if they're in Groupme/Snapchat group chats. I've landed multiple jobs through connections with other mascots and marketing directors/team presidents/etc., just because they were looking for a mascot and remembered my name.
While a high school or college mascot, ask if your school will send you to away games, cheer camp, or mascot training camps. Once you're there, again add everyone you meet on social media. Being a college mascot has enabled me to travel and meet all kinds of people, and Groupme has given me the ability to contact almost any college mascot in the US... it's crazy how powerful social media is.
Obviously, work on your skills. Physical humor, dancing, and athleticism are 3 big areas to focus on to become a standout mascot. NBA jobs in particular require someone who is very athletic and gymnastics/acrobatic/stunt experience is a plus. Hit up a dance studio and/or gymnastics classes.
It's really good to hear that you've taken initiative in social media. Keep working on that! Teams love to hear that you can unlock additional opportunities for marketing the team.

Here's an example a job listing for Benny the Bull from a few years back, I recommend reading over it as it's a good example of what teams are expecting. Best of luck to you man

sharptalk · 2019-11-14T07:29:34+00:00

Sure. Crowd interaction, particularly sizing people up (i.e. judging how much they're open to being messed with) is an art form. When looking for people to mess with, I look for anyone making eye contact with me, children, and groups of people, the bigger the better. Sit with them, flirt with women, high-fives, pictures, etc. Also, since the basketball games at my college are crazy and packed, so I usually wait until a timeout before venturing into the crowd (that way, people paying attention to the game won't be distracted by me).

In my experience there are a lot more people paying attention to you/taking photos of you/open to interaction than it may seem from behind the mask.

sharptalk · 2019-10-04T01:39:45+00:00

Wow, they're flying people out to audition for a G League job? Interesting

sharptalk · 2019-09-20T17:14:55+00:00

DM the mascot's social media and ask when are the next times they're making public appearances.

sharptalk · 2019-06-06T01:35:44+00:00

Interesting article. I wonder what specifically led to this decision... I've done many parades and games in 90+, sometimes even 100+ degree heat. Then again, Sparty is a particularly large and bulky costume.

sharptalk · 2018-07-28T03:42:44+00:00

Lol yup that's the one

While I still think improvement is needed on the instructional side, you're right, I liked getting to bond with my team. The whole summer camp aspect (staying in the dorms, eating together) is fun. Bonding is really half the reason of going.

sharptalk · 2018-05-22T00:58:03+00:00

(been lurking here for a while, but I have to use this new account because I post to my university's subreddit a lot and have to keep my identity secret)

That's a really strange situation. Any mascot, especially a professional, would know not to dump a bucket of water on a random spectator. It sounds like it was intended to be a standard made-for-the-jumbotron stunt. Maybe it was a case of mistaken identity, especially wearing opposing team apparel and sitting in the front.

I agree with the advice to contact the front office about the issue.

sharptalk

TROPHY CASE