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MascotNet Prop Shop!
This page
is
reserved for ideas on simple props a mascot can perform with. Thank you
all, for adding your two cents worth to our board. Ideas are coming
from all over the country, and the world, so please feel free to e-mail me any
suggestions on what other things we should address, or inform the
mascot
community about....Sharing IS caring! Erin
BEFORE YOU TRY ANY OF
THIS STUFF PLEASE DO YOURSELF A FAVOR.
Talk to your advisor to see what kinds of things are permissable at
your event. Some mascots can get away with things that others can't.
Don't get fired, get permission, and you'll get respect whether the
answer is yes
or no.
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Resources
for
Props:
Best place to find props is actually at flea markets. No sense in
paying premium dollar for something you're only going to use once. Now
if you
know you can use something more than once, definitely try and get
something
sturdy. You don't want it falling apart when you use it the second
time! the instrument of choice for me in the bobcat is the oldest bass
drum in
the school system!" - (Contributed by Bobcat)
The best props can definitely be found at local magic and costume
shops. They usually stock oversize goodies and funny gags. I am a
regular in a
couple of our local stores, so they usually offer me great deals and
discounts.
Get to know the dealers and let them know who you are and they will
probably
hookyou up as well. Ask them if they have some catalogs that you can
sort
through for more ideas.
I've been finding some great, inexpensive stuff at the local "Big Lots"
and Dollar Stores. They've had giant sized plastic candy canes, and
wreath bows that are just about the right size for a mascot-sized tie.
Also, I found a great blinking "Rudolph" nose that should bring a
lot of laughs for only $1. Hope this helps someone.... (DONK)
Theatre Effects has a nice confetti cannon kit for $80. It has a pocket
rocket, which uses a CO2 cannon and you can fill the cannon with water,
powder, streamers, confetti, even ping pong balls! They start at $80
and increase from there.
"I
went to Party City the other day & picked up some cool props. Stuff
like
giant scissors-which you can use to pretend to cut people's hair or
fight
with another mascot, big blow-up microphone, big blow-up guitar,
squeaky
hammer, and a tambourine. Also, try to look at gag Over-the-hill stuff
because
you can usually find oversized props. EX: a pink
While-You-Were-Out
message pad is about the size of a regular magazine or a stack of
oversized
$100 bills. Anyways, I plan on going back because they had so much
great
stuff, you just have to be innovative!" (DONK)
Try and limit yourself
to no more than four words. If you
have to go through a crowd, keep the sign small.
Ask your cheerleaders how to effectively operate a sign.
Believe it or not, many times signs don't have the right effect
because the mascot didn't get the sign up at the right moment
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SIGNS
-
On the OTHER side of the arena I walked down the aisles with two signs
I made. One said "Let's Go!", the other, "GADES". It was the simplest
thing in the world to implement as two adjoining sections immediately
jumped
into compettion with each other. - The Gade
The Magna Doodle. This is a board you can carry around that comes with
it's own magnetic pen that when you write on it is easily erasable with
a
little handle. It is a great way to talk when you cannot use words.
(Drac)
If you already use a yell can you should try a yell coat. It's
the same
concept. You just wear a black trenchcoat with a 'NOISE' banner strung
between
the two inner lapels. At important defensive moments you 'flash' the
crowd
like you're a streaker, but of course, it simply opens the 'NOISE'
banner.
When you want the crowd to stop yelling, of course, you just close your
coat.
It workshere, anyway. People will read into it what they want so you
generally
don't have to worry about offending anyone. And the trenchcoat idea -
made
me think of the Maryland Terp. He had one, and he went "shellless",
which
made him look like a brown skinny thing with a big head and big feet.
When
he wore the trenchcoat he'd flash, and a huge figleaf was pinned to the
costume and read "HAY!"
MODEL YOUR MERCHANDISE: One thing about (toys
that your
team sells) - you can sometimes get free merchandise from your
school/team store if you tell them you will be modelling the
items. Sales ALWAYS go
up when I play with a new item!
 HATS: A kid
wearing a baseball cap is a great target.
Swipe a cap off a kid's head, and then...... Twirl it on your finger.
Place it on your own head. Hook it over an ear, horn, antler, or your
nose (with
Toro's horns, I sometimes end up as a walking hat rack). Place it back
on the kid's head backwards, sideways, or inside-out. Sneeze/blow your
nose
intothe cap before giving it back. If you can place objects in your
mouth,
"eat" the cap. Swipe 3 or 4 caps and give them back to the wrong kids.
(Contributed
by Toro the Bull )
Steal someone's hat, and throw it on the court during time out. When
they go to get it, have a towel ready to snap at their butt or you can
shoo them off once they've gotten it. you can also go up to them, and
give an exaggerated "yerrr outta here!" And have a security member be
in on it. (then shoo them!)
(Contributed by Thundar)
MISC.: Kid's sized fishing pole with a wild
wig attached
to it. Great for reeling down onto bald heads from up above, also funny
to "cast" it onto someones lap from behind them. Always gets a good
rise out of
a section. (Spike 01)
Pitchfork
a chicken ( when you play any type of bird nickname) and grill it.....
yummmm. And think about all the things you can do to prepare the
grillin, all the things that could be funny about grillin, then snack
down on your chicken sandwich. if you play it right you can have a ten
minute skit!!!
"Thought
Cloud is just a 'cloud' like you see coming out of cartoon characters
heads in
comics. I suppose if you wanted to make one you could just use white
styrofoam
board and black letters. Here at Washington we have one that says 'I
want
to payHarrys' fall quarter tuition' on one side and 'Wow - Harry is
good
lookin'!' on the other. You hold it up to peoples heads giving
the
impression that they're 'thinking' your message. It's good to use in
small
groups and intimate locations but isn't much in theway of a mass crowd
attractor." Harry Husky
When I was with the Capitals I also had the benefit of having a video
screen to utilize. When Dale Hunter was suspended for 20+ games I had
an arrow
sign (basically a fat arrow) which I could use to point at someone. I
used
it on visiting fans and it read "Paid for Dale's Bail".
 Also,
I've been finding that good spontaneous crowd interaction is as
entertaining as doing planned out skits. The other night, I
accidentally knocked this guy's
phone off the dugout. The crowd kinda have a gasp. He picked it up and
just
put it back on and said "its ok." But I played it up and freaked out. i
demanded
to inspect the phone, put it down and placed my ear to it to see if it
was
still breathing. I then did the CPR stuff. I put my ear to it again,
still
no breathing, then I just give a drawn out "thumbs down" saying "it's
dead".
I kneel down, give it a little prayer, then I picked it up and held it
out
with my arms extended, doing a slow funeral march to the end of the
dugout.
The crowd actually started humming the "Funeral March" song as I walked
to
the edge. I acted all cerimonious til I got to the end, then just acted
like
I chucked it over and walked away like "well thats done." I saw the
Phanatic
do this with a hat, so it spurred my spontaneous reaction. (K-O)
Tonight
some
woman had a giant golf umbrella on the dugout. I usually
jump off the dugout every game, so this time I opened up the umbrella,
pointed to the end of the dugout so everyone knew that I was planning
on jumping, and I ran full force and took a flying leap off the dugout
with the umbrella raised up as if it would make me "float down" to the
ground. Of course I just crash down, then I went and gave the lady her
umbrella back, and acted like "yeah nice piece of crap umbrella!"
(K-O)
" I actually got an idea from my dad!!! He thought it might be funny if
during the Texas Tech game I brought out one of those big inflateable
chairs. I'll probably put a sign on it that says "Knight-Proof
Chair Co.", "Play-School Coaches Chair" or "Bobby's Seat" something to
that effect.
Maybe I'll plant a ref on the court and then kick it at him knockin'
him
off our 3 ft, floor!" - Goldy Gopher
"I used a little prop tonight that turned out pretty well. I'm sure you
all know that in basketball there is a violation called "traveling" To
make it a little more interesting. I took an old suitcase (fairly small
and put 2 pieces of poster board inside. One was fixed in the base part
of the lid, and the other was fixed to the lid/cover. The two pieces
each had one word. "Suitcase" and "Violation" When you are looking at
the suitcase ona table or something. the words "Suitcase" and
"Violation" should be upside down. I would grab the suitcase, jump up
on the floor, walk a few steps,pretend to trip and let the lid fall.
The crowd would see the signs SUITCASE on
top and VIOLATION on bottom directly below "SUITCASE". They got to the
point were they were expecting it, so I stopped!!!"
Stealing a bear's honey is always fun. I used to have my own bucket in
college, and I'd tell the home mascot to put it over my head and bang
on
the sides.
 Visit
the local auto parts store and buy a battery filler with the large
rubber bulb. Attach plastic tubing to the end of filler tube. Make sure
it fits tight.
Now, fill the bulb with baby powder. This is used to make like smoke is
coming
out your ears. Clowns use this for ring gags and walkarounds where the
visual
effect is desired. Two of my friends used this device with a clown
camera.
One blew powder, and the other blew water, both into a clown's face.
(Lionjester)
A pair
of white gloves with the fingers cut off... Cue any Michael Jackson
song. An added bonus would be to go to the Disney store and pick up one
of those stuffed Simba cubs and hold it up. (DONK)
I
always liked the elastic string on the soccer ball trick - makes it
come back to ya. And if you practice it right with another player you
can have them
kick the ball away from you and have it come right back in your
sensitive
area..... yeah, it actually works.
NOISEMAKERS:
Before I get in trouble
I'll state that not all noisemakers are conducive to a game. Not only
that many states, like Pennsylvania, prohibit the use of drums,
whistles, or other noisemakers during high school basketball. GET
PERMISSION!
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First, I took
a 1/2 gallon Tropicana Orange Juice container. I covered the labels (as
they
are not a sponsor...very important to remeber, folks) with white tape
and
then painted it with team colors. Then I threw a bunch of old screws,
bolts
and nuts into the jug. After I taped the lid on, I had my own
noisemaker. Shaking it in the familiar "We Will Rock You" beat produced
a few very-well-sustained "Let's Go Gades" chant going, so much in
fact, that I noticed a few players on the bench turn around and see
what the noise was all about. - The Gade
I
also liked taking concessions props and turning them into percussive
instruments. Like start off with a BIG can of popcorn, and "generously
share it" all
over a section (more of the popcorn lands all over the place). Once you
get rid of the popcorn turn the can around and start banging. You buy
the
popcorn at the grocery store - those "economy-sized theater style" bags
are
perfect for it!
It's
called a paddle drum. It looks like a white tennis racket, it's white,
and the
drum head is the size of a small bass drum. We bought it for $12, which
rocks. You can do a lot of things with it, like paddle someone's
behind,
get high fives from people (and get a cool boiiing sound out of it),
put
popcorn in it and pretend you're frying the corn, then offer popcorn to
someone and dump the lot of it on them, (tennis) serve someone's hat
five
rows up, fan off a fan, etc. Next month I'm going to bring tin foil and
do
a Jiffy Pop skit with it..... |
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