Team Spirit

[Eugenia Gabrielov]

A couple of thoughts on cheering...it's all about psychology.

Think about what makes you want to be spirited. Is it your drive to see your team succeed? Is it your hope to make it onto the camera? Is it a challenge from other spirited teams to outdo their noise level? Sure, everybody says they cheer to cheer, but somewhere deep down everybody is motivated by something. As Tom said very well, cheering is contagious because the people that start it want to, and give others reason to go along.

Try slow. Talk to a couple students who have shown unique enthusiasm, and maybe discuss it with them. See what you can do to improve the situation with a couple people, and get them enthusiastic! You are a mascot - have you considered trying to get people to switch up the job too?

Another idea is to have team members write new cheers. I love our team's cheers, but some years we come up with new things. Each generation is different, and newer members might have a cool idea for a cheer that they are too shy to share.

Finally - my biggest suggestion - is make use of spirited alliance partners when you can. They have experience and they're loud, and they're usually more than happy to help you join them.

[bombadier337]

I know when we were about to go (I was a driver), I mostioned everyone on our team to stand up while yelling as loud as I could. It worked pretty well, though I think we can (and hopefully will) do better in Atlanta.

[The Lucas]

One Method to increase cheering:
1. Make up a cheer for your team. One person should be able to start the cheer and everyone join in.
2. Teach the rookies the cheer as soon as they join.
3. Cheer at least once every meeting (like when you stop talking and start working) and whenever you accomplish something during build (ex: the shooter prototype makes a shot)
4. Cheer at the beginning of your matches.
5. Cheer whenever your robot or team does something good.
This cheer will become second nature to you team and even the most shy student (like me as a rookie) will come out of their shell (if only a little bit).

Also, learn the dances they play at competition (Cha Cha Slide, CottonEye Joe, Etc). Occasionally, take a break from building and dance

[Petey]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

The only chance you really have to change their behavior is to institute such behaviors in your team and make such actions mandatory (we practice cheering EVERY MEETING. We start off the meeting with a cheer and we end the meeting with a cheer). Embed it into their conscious and perhaps they will take it more seriously and will be more alive.

Quoted for truth.

I was head cheerer for Team 1073 (for those of you who went to BAE--I brought the drums. I'm terribly sorry.)

Basically, you need one loud person, who would be considered obnoxious if they weren't well liked, who is not afraid to risk making a fool of themselves by starting ridiculous cheers at every second during the matches. Start cheering alliances with other teams. Start a wave.

Don't worry. Once you've primed them, it's all about the head cheerer (not said to be a masturbatory or immodest, but that's what I've noticed from my team, TJ squared, and others) and their willingness and ability to drag the rest of the team, kicking and screaming if necessary, into a spirited state.

--Petey

[Luckyfish05]

Over the years, our team has been pretty small, but we're still pretty spirited. I think the reason for this is the fact that a couple of the older students go all out, kinda like you have been by being the mascot, but you've got to get a couple other people to back you up and be loud with you. Then the younger students follow. The reason this is is that no one really wants to look dumb or out of place, and if they see the "cool older" students cheering they will cheer. A good use of peer pressure! Our team also have these flags that we like to wave at competition, that way we don't have to be extremely loud, but waving the flag still shows our presence and our spirit. So that's my recommendation is talk to a couple others and have them help you out, and just continue to have fun being the mascot! Best of luck!