Quote:
Originally Posted by SarahBeth
Also, one more question - do any of you all enforce cell phone use in the stands during competition? During our matches, we do want our kids in the stands cheering, but when we're not competing, we want them either mingling in the pits with other teams or talking to the college reps that are there.
Unfortunately, we have a hard time with most of them just sitting in the stands who aren't scouting and being on their phones. We don't want to have to take the phones away and give them back at lunchtime, but we're at a loss as to how to handle this.
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This is a great point! One year, cell phone use got so bad we placed a basket next to the door at our build space - every student had to drop off their phone before entering, and any phones we saw out would immediately be confiscated and placed in the basket. Fortunately, we haven't had to do that since - the threat of the basket at the beginning of the season is usually enough.
As for at competition, cell phones are great to have from a safety perspective, especially if the students have phone numbers of adult chaperones. The best way to keep them off the phones during the competition is to keep the busy with other stuff. If you have enough students to fill a drive team, fill your pit, and fill your scouting team with some left over, find something great for those leftovers to do. Form a "help squad" of some sort to go around the pits and help teams (especially rookies!). Have a couple of experts on Chairman's or community outreach go around to the younger teams to talk about those aspects of your program, and help them improve their programs. Talk with the individuals coordinating your regionals, and see if they need extra volunteers to help run the safety glasses station, or to guide VIP's around the regional - these are perfect roles for students to help out with!
There is so much you
can do at a regional, no one should be sitting around playing on their phones!
When in doubt, send your technical students to the inspection station to ask which teams need the most help - you'll quickly become your LRI's favorite team!