[Jon Stratis]

Honestly, I don't know why people have their mascots roaming the pits... you don't see mascots at football games roaming the locker rooms or getting in the way of the team on the sidelines! At sporting events, mascots are used to help raise the energy and pump up the crowd and fans. Why do we do it differently in FIRST?

IMO, mascots should be relegated almost exclusively to the side of the field. Lead the stands in cheers, participate in dances between matches, and get people out there pumped up. Here in MN we try to have a "Mascot alley" between the field and the stands when we can (some venues aren't great for it, sometimes the field/field reset needs more room and it gets pushed back,etc). It's the perfect place for a mascot to enjoy the matches and raise the energy in the building. I know our mascot is almost always either there or with our team in the stands. The mascot doesn't roam around interacting with other teams very much... that's what the drive team, pit crew, and scouting reps are for!