To many, Akron, Ohio, is the Rubber Capital of the World and the hometown of LeBron James. To others, it's a college town home to something just as distinctive: the nation's only primary female mascot.

Numerous schools–Florida, UCLA and North Carolina State to name a few–have introduced female mascots over the years. All of which, however, accompany a male mascot, unlike Zippy, who stands alone at Akron.

Despite a kangaroo being an uncommon mascot species, Zippy doesn’t stand alone biologically. The University of Missouri-Kansas City and Virginia Military Institute (VMI) also are repped by kangaroos. Sharing a species with other schools means being a primary female mascot is Zippy’s most notable distinction.

You wouldn’t necessarily know Zippy is female at first glance, but once you know, you’ll notice she never appears with a male kangaroo. While that may not be meaningful to the average fan, members of Akron’s Zippy team take great pride in Zippy's independence as a female, and use that to reinforce her identity.

“When I think of Zippy, I think of strong, confident and how she gives her sass from time to time. I love that about her, and I think it's what differentiates her from other mascots,” an anonymous senior female member of the Zippy team said. “Because she is a female, you can play it up, and people love that about her. I think that is empowering.”

The mission for the Zippy team is the same as any other school: exude school pride at on-campus and community events. That “sass” that differentiates Zippy from other mascots is where the team has a creative freedom that most mascot teams lack.

Without the ability to showcase school spirit verbally, mascots rely on body language and physical gestures to support their institutions. Hand signals are a key form of expression for mascots, and one that Zippy uses in a unique sense.

Being essentially a “giant stuffed animal” as the team member described, allows Zippy to connect with fans of all ages, especially children, and embracing her feminine identity deepens those connections.

“We play up those, quote-unquote, feminine movements, like heart hands, to make sure that a kid feels excited, loved and extra special because Zippy is paying attention to them. I love that,” the anonymous Zippy team member said.

Every mascot has the opportunity to share softer and more intimate moments with young fans, but the Zippy team feels it is particularly advantaged from that standpoint because of Zippy’s gender.

In embracing those intimate moments with fans, Zippy has become a staple in the Akron community. Mascots are most recognizable at their school’s athletic events, but what’s been most surprising and rewarding about the experience for the anonymous student is the other appearances such as birthday parties.

One of her teammates was invited to attend a dog’s birthday party as Zippy, showcasing how much the community treasures Zippy’s presence, even for non-human occasions.

In addition to these community outreach opportunities and intimate moments with fans, the Zippy team showcases the duality of any great mascot with the ability to also embrace the aforementioned traits of strength and confidence that fans expect of mascots, male or female.

These traits are often portrayed in less intimate settings, but nonetheless important, and especially important to the Zippy team which wants fans to see that she can display those traits as well as any male mascot.

For the anonymous student on the Zippy team, one experience prior to her senior year was particularly memorable as she exuded those traits. She was invited to attend the Cleveland Browns’ week one game to participate in Chomps and Brownie’s Mascots vs. Peewees game at halftime.

“When I went for the practice, it was all men, and not just that, it was all male mascots. I was truly the only female on the field that day,” the student said.

Being in the minority because of her gender was nothing new for Zippy, and albeit intimidating early on for the Zippy team member, it was a grand opportunity to be an inspiration to all the female fans in attendance.

“I really hope some girl was looking down there and thinking, ‘Wow, look at Zippy go. Even though she's surrounded by all men or male mascots, she's still strong, she's confident, she's running, she’s pushing kids over,’” the student said.

Participating in the Browns’ halftime entertainment has been one of many meaningful experiences for the student in her years with the Zippy team. Being out in the community has been one of the most enjoyable aspects of the experience, especially because of how much the community cherishes Zippy and her feminine identity.

“At those community events, you do have those people who are saying ‘There’s Zippy, he's blah blah blah,’” the student said. “And there's always always someone around that corrects them and says ‘She's a girl,’ and then you give them a little sass back, and I love that part.”

Mascots are a huge part of team identities in college sports, and for the student to wear the costume of the only primary female mascot, while seeing the value the community sees in that identity, there has been no shortage of life-long memories.

When the anonymous Zippy team member applied for the position as a freshman, it was a way to get involved and find a social circle on campus. Now entering her senior year at Akron, it’s opened doors she never knew were possible.

“I've been able to go on the Goodyear Blimp, throw the first pitch at a Cleveland Guardians game and the Browns Mascot vs. Peewees game,” the student said. “Even the smaller events like kids' birthday parties or community events, I love those little moments where you can make someone smile. I look forward to every event, and I know I'll look forward to it in my last year.”