Going to Camp to Become a Sports Mascot

 Mascots² help to get crowds excited at every level of sports competitions - from high schools to professional teams. Companies and organizations also use the costumed characters to present a friendly corporate³ image.

Summer mascot¹ camp is underway near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

“I am the wild cat," said Jesse King. "I have learned a lot just about how to develop my personality and I think that will really help me.”

This is high school student Jesse King's first time at mascot camp.  Half the participants are returning campers like Frank Vespe, a full-time⁴ mascot for a professional baseball team.

“I like to present the campers with skills that I have and learn new skills along the way," said professional mascot Frank Vespe.

Caren Simmons' red robin⁵ represents a local restaurant.

“I have been doing this for 11 years," said Simmons. "It is relief and release. I work full time for the federal government that can be very trying and very frustrating⁶. This is a physical outlet⁷ with a lot of physical fun.”

The camp is run by veteran mascot Erin Blank.

“I started Keystone mascots about 15 years ago," said Blank. "Mainly because there was a need for people like myself to learn performing skills and have costumes that will be going to be able to fit them in a more effective way.”

Campers learn how to use props⁸, how to show emotions, as well as mascot rules, safety, and responsibility, which Blank says are as important as being entertaining.

“It is to promote the organization they represent," she said. "Whether it is a sport or a school or even a business or a corporation, we want to be the most positive image that the business can put out into the community."Blank wanted to be a mascot since she was 10-years-old.

“In elementary school, I got to wear a Cookie Monster costume and I fell in love with the activity," she said.

And she's been a mascot for a variety of sports teams and organizations since then.

“At 42-years-old I am still being a mascot. It is addicting," said Blank. "I tried to quit four times and it didn’t happen. Considering one of the oldest performers I have ever met is 72, it might be awhile before I could quit again.”

Blank also builds mascot costumes in her basement studio.

“We actually build them so the whole thing is water washable," she said. "We like to put a baseball helmet for our heads.  The hair, there is actually ventilation holes throughout the whole head that allow for the steam to rise out, and the same with the body.”

Sweat, however, stays inside. Blank's current costume - the mascot for the Lancaster City football team - is soaked after a performance.

“When I put it on, it is probably five degrees hotter than outside. It is humid.  Right now it just feels like I am in a kind of rain cloud inside my costume," she said.

Blank takes her campers to a minor⁹ league baseball game in Harrisburg for a graduation performance. Despite the heat hovering¹⁰ near 37 degrees Celsius¹¹, the mascots are enjoying the show... and so is the crowd.

1 mascot   

n.福神，吉祥的东西

参考例句：

• The football team's mascot is a goat.足球队的吉祥物是山羊。
• We had a panda as our mascot.我们把熊猫作为吉详物。

2 mascots   

n.吉祥物( mascot的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the mascots was the platypus. 吉祥物一是鸭嘴兽。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Information on all things Olympic, including logos, mascots, venues,and bid candidates. 所有事情奥林匹克，包括的标识语，吉祥物，地点，和出价候选人的信息。 来自互联网

3 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

4 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

5 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

6 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 outlet   

n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄

参考例句：

• The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。
• Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。

8 props   

小道具； 支柱( prop的名词复数 )； 支持者； 道具； （橄榄球中的）支柱前锋

参考例句：

• Rescuers used props to stop the roof of the tunnel collapsing. 救援人员用支柱防止隧道顶塌陷。
• The government props up the prices of farm products to support farmers' incomes. 政府保持农产品价格不变以保障农民们的收入。

9 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

10 hovering   

鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
• I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

11 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。