Re: Should mascots be allowed in the pit?
 

a) certain mascots (humans in rediculous get-up, for example) are (for the most part)(case dependant) safe in the pits, and sometimes are field crew or scouts. But I think this is, falling back on my previous post, a matter of definition.

b) I have never seen a spirit parade in a the pit area. Or heard of one.

Re: Should mascots be allowed in the pit?
 

Never heard of parades in the pit either!

Molten: Since when is robots running around wild in the pits happened? And wouldn't wearing the extra padding cushion you from the impact just a little more than wearing shorts and a shirt? Just some of my thoughts.

I see no problems with mascots in the pits, but working on the robot is not a good idea whether in a costume or cape (now that I look back at GSR, I should NOT have been wearing that cape in the pit! I am guilty of this too!).

IMHO, they should really start restricting how many team members can be in a pit at once. If you are standing the in the walkway, most likely you aren't doing anything and should go up to the stands and stay out of the way. If I see a ton of team 4356's team members walking around, I don't see a problem, but if 8+ members of team 4356 are standing in their pit and are spilling into the walkway, there are too many of them. Again, our team is guilty of this too, but there many times are too many people in the pits which create a larger safety hazard.

my $0.02

Re: Should mascots be allowed in the pit?
 

I've seen a parade or two. They aren't common, but usually consist of a bunch of kids in goofy outfits. Once saw a parade of guys in skirts.

Also, I was referring to teams getting in and out of pits between matches. Some move pretty fast with a short warning of "bot coming through" and thats it. The padding is nice if you were to get hit, but increases your chances of getting hit. I'd rather nobody get hit in the first place.

Re: Should mascots be allowed in the pit?
 

I thought you were referring to LIVE robots, in that case, it is the teams fault as they should keep that to the practice field.

Solutions: Yell robot over and over and remember you are not the only one moving in the pits.

Re: Should mascots be allowed in the pit?
 

I don't like Mascots in the pits. They are there to entertain and drum up energy in the crowds. But more importantly, it's unsafe. Reduced visibility, odd fitting clothes, people moving around. It's not worth the risk.

I won't allow our mascot, Gigawatt, into the pits (or up and down stairs for that matter). And if you ever see it in the pits, tell it to get out.

A rule to ban them? I don't know. Not all mascots are the same. What about someone just wearing special clothes that is the mascot, but not a plush mascot. Too much wishy washy rulings. I would hope each team would be able to understand the safety risks and decide independently. (Of course, music in the pits had to be banned because some teams didn't see the issue...)

That didn't answer much of the question, did it?

Re: Should mascots be allowed in the pit?
 

I like how you refer to your mascot as an "it". :)

Whenever we had our Safety Stormtrooper or TIE Fighter Pilot in the pits, we had someone on our team help guide them around while they were wearing their helmets and their peripheral vision was compromised.

One might prefer the bulkier mascots stay out of the pit aisles and definitely out of any one pit, but then, what's to say someone doesn't play the mascot discrimination card, turn the tables, and suggest that all fat guys be banned from the pits as well? I think that would ban 70% of our mentor crew. In a collision with a mascot of any size, I'd so win, though.

Which brings up an idea for a fun timeout activity on the field the next time the Pittsburgh field's blue alliance scoring system decides to forget the score in the middle of the match (have fun with that one, Waterloo) - Oversize Mascot/Mentor Sumo Wrestling.

Now there's a tangent for you.

Re: Should mascots be allowed in the pit?
 

LASA Robotics competes in BEST and this year I worked basically as a bouncer (my pet word for door monitor) in the pits at one of the competitions. The teams are given so many pit passes. It is up to them as to how they use them, but each person that entered the pit had to be wearing a pit pass. It kept traffic way down and allowed the pits to be used more efficiently by the teams, in my opinion. Being a bouncer (door monitor checking pit passes) sure taught me a lot about the teams and how they interact as a team and how they work within the rules set forth in the competition.

At state level, teams can bring in pep bands to help in the spirit end of things. From what I can tell, the teams have rules about their band members and their instruments. The band stays in the stands for a given period of time and when they leave, their instruments go with them. They are there to serve one purpose and one purpose only - to help provide spirit in the arena. In my opinion, mascots serve that same purpose. They can support their team and participate in mascot dances and cheers. They don't belong in the pits.

At some regionals that I have attended, I have seen areas near the pits where mascots have been allowed to gather but not directly in the pits. I think that if a student is needed in the pit and is also a mascot, the mascot costume gets stored safely and the student enters the pit to do the work needed.

It's always good to have a handler for the mascot to insure that they aren't bullied by children (yes, that happens), and to make sure they stay hydrated, esp. if they are in full costume. The handler can also help the mascot navigate their surroundings. Careful planning should go with having a mascot on the team and the guidelines should be clear and in place for them and for the team that travels with them.

Jane

Re: Should mascots be allowed in the pit?
 

Travis, we're supposed to entertain the crowd, not scare the living crap out of them. :rolleyes: