Inside the Tiger

Hear the roar

One of the biggest honors I ever experienced was to be the Stadium Tiger. I was Tiger during my senior year at Stadium during the ‘72/’73 school year.

As an Air Force Brat I went to my first year of high school in Victorville California and was fascinated by the school mascot. Sure the cheerleaders were leading the cheers and everyone was yelling with them. (and I do mean YELLING… not the kind of yelling [rhythm loud talking] of today’s cheerleaders! The kind that sent you home after the ball game with no voice!) but that mascot WAS the symbol of the school teams! That was what I wanted to be!

When my father retired and we moved back to Tacoma I watched the Stadium Tiger (Julie) and decided I wanted to be the next Stadium Tiger! I asked Julie how I could become the Stadium Tiger for the next year and was told the Tiger was chosen by the PEP Squad teacher. At that time it was Mr. Quigley. I had a major problem to overcome. I didn’t know Mr. Quigley, and he didn’t have a clue who I was. We had never met. I had never been in one of his classes. So I wrote him a letter. I told him it didn’t seem fair that he just picked who he wanted to be the mascot, usually someone who didn’t make the cheerleading squad. I told him that I wanted to be the Tiger and that I had no chance because he didn’t know who I was. I said the student body should be allowed to choose their mascot at the same time as the cheerleaders were chosen and that anyone who wanted to be the Tiger could try out. Mr. Quigley apparently agreed with me and pulled me out of a typing class to thank me for the letter and told me that this year the Tiger would be chosen by the student body. I had my chance!!

I despaired at the thought of the Tiger tryouts being a popularity contest and was thrilled when the tryouts were totally anonymous. The contestants were dressed outside of the room and not allowed to enter or exit during the cheerleader tryouts. Each took their turn at cheering with the kids trying out for the cheerleading positions, and dancing to the music of the pep band. The Tiger head was on during the full tryout for each contestant so there was no way to know who was who. At the end the votes were tallied and I had won! I was thrilled!!

My senior year was full of school spirit and love for my Tigers!!! I attend all but a few of the basketball competitions. And the highlight of the year was a 31-30 football win over Wilson. I still often repeat the story of that game to others who would give up the game before the final bell, final buzzer, or fat lady singing. Or to those who think their team stinks and will never win because the other team ALWAYS wins!! NEVER say never!!!

Most people didn’t know I was the mascot, not even some of my best friends, because I never took off the head. at least not in front of the crowd. My feeling was I was the Tiger when I put on that Tiger suit, no longer myself, not looking for recognition just there to do all I could to cheer my team to victory. I was a symbol of my high school and the focus should be on the team, not who the mascot was. There is only one picture of me in the yearbook as the Tiger, thanks to the rifle team, and yes the head is on!

To future Tiger Mascots I would say this: Keep the head on… it isn’t about you it is about the team. Cheer for all you are worth no matter how talented or talent-less your team that year. Remember you represent your high school and those things you do reflect on your school, your classmates, your team… even though they may have don’t nothing wrong. And lastly… ENJOY THE RIDE!!! Remember, If you keep the head on you can be as goofy as you want and no-one will be the wiser!

Holly (Trout) Cooper
Class of 1973
Stadium High School Tiger
1972-1973 school year

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