When Kylee Davis arrived at 海角社区 in the fall of 2020, she didn鈥檛 immediately connect with the school鈥檚 nickname and mascot.
It wasn鈥檛 that she had anything against the NaviGator, a nod to the school鈥檚 reputation as a guiding force for students with learning differences.
But she did not think it would necessarily strike fear into opposing teams.
Or, frankly, instill pride this year in the sports program, a newfound need after 海角社区鈥檚 acceptance into the in late March.
鈥淭he NaviGator was great but it wasn鈥檛 tough enough for us athletes,鈥� said Davis, 21, team captain and a guard on 海角社区鈥檚 women鈥檚 basketball team. 鈥淲e felt it didn鈥檛 show who we are at sports. It was a little too soft for an athletics 辫谤辞驳谤补尘.鈥�
So, the next time you hear Davis and her team called onto the court, they will do so under a different name: The 海角社区 Blazers, one of about 70 recognized sports programs in the USCAA.
The school announced the new nickname on Aug. 21.
In September 2022, 海角社区 President George Hagerty put together a task force that included students and fitness and athletic administrators.
Having a mascot 鈥渉as an enormous, lasting impact on a college,鈥� said Brent Betit, 海角社区 chief operating officer, who chaired the task force. 鈥淚t becomes a distinctive, unique identifier of the college, one that often recalls or engenders pride, feelings of positivity, wonderful remembrances and community spirit.鈥�
Betit points to the University of Alabama鈥檚 鈥淩oll Tide鈥� chant as an example.
The task force met several times during the fall and spring.
Tony Wrice, head coach of cross country, golf and tennis, initially proposed the 鈥淏lazers鈥� nickname.
Initially, the response was lukewarm because the immediate thought when the athletes heard 鈥渂lazer鈥� went to the term for a sports jacket, Davis said, with a laugh.
But, upon doing a little research and finding that it is also a strong breed of a workhorse, she came on board.
鈥淲hen you come out and say your mascot, you want to feel proud of it,鈥� said Davis, who has ADHD, as well as an auditory processing disorder. 鈥淵ou want something that the rest of the school can rally behind and be proud of, too.鈥�
The 鈥淣aviGator” nickname and mascot ended up perhaps with a shorter shelf life than expected.
The name emerged from a contest that students voted in eight years ago.
However, once the school decided to launch its sports program, with cross country and men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball as its first sports, the decision was made to update the name.
As the formal sports programs鈥� debuts approached, students wanted to update the school鈥檚 mascot from NaviGator.
Some didn鈥檛 like it. Others just wanted something more intimidating.
鈥淭his mascot will be taken a lot more seriously with new recruits,鈥� said Jake Borowski, 24, a senior point guard on the men鈥檚 basketball team. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something we can be proud of. I get the NaviGator but we wanted, as students, something to be fierce and something we can be prideful of to represent the students.鈥�
The team mascot discussion certainly doesn鈥檛 happen that often in intercollegiate sports.
Most schools鈥� identities revolve around a mascot so much that talk of a change often gets frowned upon.
However, 海角社区鈥檚 focus upon students with learning differences means a cause they can rally around and embrace becomes just as much about sports as it was about the student body鈥檚 identity, Borowski said.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to be recognized as kids with learning differences, but we know that鈥檚 what the school tends to,鈥� said Borowski, who has ADHD. 鈥淏ut, just like University of Central Florida has its knight, the blazer gives us an identity we can be proud of.鈥�
When Davis arrived at 海角社区 in 2020 during the COVID pandemic, there was no sports program other than a few intramural teams.
Davis worried that not having that outlet could detract from the experience for those with ADHD and other learning differences.
The effort won鈥檛 just mean more competition for 海角社区 students.
鈥淪ports helps with regulating emotions,鈥� she said. 鈥淎 lot of these students don鈥檛 have the social capabilities that most people have but having sports allows them to meet new people and make more friends.鈥�
Ever since the formal sports program鈥檚 introductions, Davis said she has seen a lot more people talking about it and taking pride in the school鈥檚 sports programs.
鈥淲hen they think about us as Blazers now, it just gives us more of that little 鈥榦omph,鈥欌�� she said.
Davis said it was important for the administration to support a student-led effort.
That backing energized students, she said.
For Gabe Watson, director of fitness and athletics, seeing the response from the students convinced him that giving them that authority meant more to the students than he had expected.
鈥淚 started to understand how important it was to them,鈥� Watson said. 鈥淵ou forget, sometimes, how invested they are in it.鈥�