18 Mar 10 The Importance Of Sport Mascot Designs To Sports Teams
Every sports team in the world has a mascot. But what are they and what is their purpose? From the dictionary definition of mascot, it is either an animal, person or object likened to a talisman to bring good luck to a team. This behavior emulating the near-idolization of sport mascot designs has been going on for centuries and is very apparent within native cultures of indigenous peoples. The people of Papua New Guinea, do a dance, while decorated with colors and feathers representing a local majestic bird of prey as a sign of bravery and for good luck in the hunt.
In fairness, it is appropriate to ask if the concept of the mascot is just to sell things. With any particular university, your professional sports team could certainly convince you, that was the case. But it may be more precise to consider that the mascot is a way for the diverse community of tens to condense into one cohesive and supportive unit. If you’re a fan of a team called the Bulldogs, it is almost certain you have a shirt jacket, hat or some other emblazoned with bulldog.
Perhaps originally the idea of dressing up or camouflaging oneself to look like a majestic animal was done in the hopes of somehow channeling the ferocious spirit into oneself. And there is certainly something to that regarding sports teams, which is why the majority of physical sports to something fearsome or ferocious as a mascot to inspire the team’s success. Those who have graduated from an institute seem to never leave the mascot behind.
Mascot can be a central part of the history and lore of the school or community. The Saints demonstrated the ability to lift an entire community by representing their city. A football team and the name came to represent the people lifting themselves up after a devastating hurricane. When the Saints actually won the Super Bowl the people in the town of New Orleans, stated in interviews that the sport mascot design was a good omen for the city. In this case, the mascot took on a much larger meaning than the name of a football team.
Mascots may help sell a lot of trinkets but there’s a more serious side to it. They are truly motivational images. The team, school and community actually embrace the mascot is an overarching identity. And a two-college town one can immediately identify the we-they aura in almost any public gathering area. It becomes almost half of all, close to a rivalry game between two teams.
It can be almost amusing to see grown men and women as well as children dressing up in jerseys designed to look just like the players uniforms, and yet no matter how gaudy and out of place they may look, on game day if you’re not wearing one, you are out of style. And even in high school are usually treated to the first taste of fame when strangers wear jerseys with their name on the back, all in the name of sport.
It is possible, however, for a mascot to stir up unanticipated trouble. For many non-natives any reference to Native Americans is meant to honor the bravery, integrity, and honesty the indigenous Americans have come to represent. But during football games when an entire crowd starts making any symbolic tomahawk gesture, it is not always received a positive light.
There have been numerous attempts to eliminate or reduce references to Native Americans as mascots for sporting teams. Inevitably, the icons remain but only after heated discussions which may largely be a healthy approach to keeping respect for one another in the limelight. This is just another example of how the emblems of sports and specifically sport design mascots and bring out emotions and feelings beyond just a sporting team.
As the manufacturer of the world’s most lovable mascot, costumes, and characters, we also specialize in custom mascots that are suitable for almost any social context. Our fun sport mascot designs and theatrical costumes will bring joyous smiles to your audience!
Tags: business, custom mascots, design, Fashion, games, marketing, mascot, mascots, Olympics, recreation, sports, team
06 May 09 Making Teamwork Happen
Organizations these days have come to appreciate the value of teamwork. An organization where teamwork is encouraged believes and understands that thinking, planning, decision making, and all other functions are done more effectively through cooperative effort.
It may seem hard but teamwork can be spontaneously fostered through starting small. When every member of the organization gives value and commitment to teamwork, making collaborative effort happen can come naturally.
When executive leaders clearly communicate that collaboration and teamwork are expected, employees can better understand its importance. Executive leaders must be the first to understand that “I” should work in background and “we” should be working together in the foreground. Being collectively responsible for processes and functions makes people understand that they should be open to ideas and inputs from other members of the team.
Executive leaders must also become models of teamwork. As executive leaders interact with one another and with the rest of the members of the organization, they must consistently serve as paradigms of collaborative effort. In spite of difficult situations, executive leaders must struggle against the pull of slipping back to unfriendly behavior. Executive leaders must continue to work and interact harmoniously and cooperatively.
Executive leaders are not the only ones who should be exemplifying teamwork. Other members of the organization must also be able to talk about the value of teamwork so they can also identify themselves as examples of collaborative effort. It is easier for members of the organization to assimilate teamwork when team values are properly and officially written and shared.
It is also easier for members of the organization to appreciate teamwork when such collaborative effort is rewarded and recognized. As results are achieved through teamwork, it is beneficial to give the necessary rewards, bonuses, and compensation to those who have contributed to the collaborative achievement.
Making teamwork happen can also be facilitated by discussing significant stories and folklore that emphasize cooperative effort. Quotes and proverbs that revolve around collaborative strength and effort can also help remind executive leaders and members of the organization of the importance of teamwork.
Fostering teamwork in any organization can be quite a challenge but it can turn into an everyday thing when the organization is committed to having it and supporting it. Starting with small things can eventually lead to the full realization of a team culture in an organization. Team building activities can also help in strengthening and improving smooth relationships among the different individuals that form an organization.
Tags: management, Self Improvement, team, team building, teamwork, training, work, working together
30 Apr 09 Teamwork Among Team Players
Groups exist in any kind of organization. However, groups may not necessarily work as teams. Members of a team depend on each other when it comes to overall performance. The only time that a group becomes a team is when its members start to agree on helping one another to achieve organizational objectives. In these fast-paced times, teamwork has become a requirement in accomplishing organizational success.
It is often said that teamwork makes teams work. Its presence is also one of the factors that distinguish teams from mere groups. But what does teamwork exactly mean? Teamwork is a cooperative action by two or more people (or by a group) in which individuals contribute different skills and abilities, express their interests and opinions, and give their commitment to the achievement of common goals.
Teamwork does not disregard the individual. Instead, it goes beyond individual accomplishments for the team to become effective and efficient. It is said that the most effective teamwork arises when all the individuals in the group harmonize their contributions and start to work towards collective objectives.
Teamwork can only be successful when all the members of the team are team players. Generally, a team player is an individual who places coordinated effort with other members of the team before his or her own personal goals. There are several qualities that define a team player. First is that team players are adaptable. They are highly teachable, emotionally secure, creative, and service minded. Team players are also collaborative. They think win-win, complement others and their distinctive gifts, and take themselves out of the picture.
Team players are also committed. They are communicative as well. They do not isolate themselves from others. They make it easy for teammates to communicate with them. They also do not allow a conflict to go unresolved for 24 hours. They give attention to potentially difficult relationships.
Competency, dependability, and discipline also define a team player. Team players are committed to excellence and they never settle for mediocre. They pay attention to detail and they perform with consistency.
Team players are also enlarging and enthusiastic. They are intentional – they make every action count. They are mission conscious – they know where the team is going and at the same time, they let the leader of the team lead. Team players are prepared, relational and self improving. They are also selfless – there is no “I” in the team. They are solutions-oriented and tenacious. They work with determination and quit only when the job is done, not when they are tired.
Teams must give value to the correlation between teamwork and team players, as one cannot exist without the other.
Tags: collaborative effort, cooperative effort, Self Improvement, team, team effort, team work, teamwork, working in teams
