Quote:
Originally Posted by ZehP
Hey guys. I'm from 1732. Those are our seat savers. Please let me explain.
I know they're bad. I know you don't like them. WE don't like them.
We simply didn't see any alternatives. As a team sending 84 (!) people down to St. Louis this year, we were unsure as to what our course of action should be. At the Wisconsin and Boilermaker Regionals we kept a general area of seating "reserved" by leaving piles of stuff there, rendering many seats useless, leading to people's things being stepped on, and, inevitable, losing things. We did, in the process, create a space for the scouts, spirit team, parents, mentors, and guests that came along. Unfortunately, we always had people sitting alone. We've struggled with seating for the past few years that I've been on the team, always ending up spread out. As a last resort, and after seeing many other teams to so, we opted for these felt, rubber band, and sticker combinations.
I never saw anyone who wasn't on our team shooed out of one of the marked seats. I remember, possibly the day that photo was taken, giving up entire rows because of the outrage over our seat savers. On Saturday we didn't bring them. We learned our lesson and sent half of the team to the venue really early.
I apologize.
|
I appreciate you coming forward and apologizing for the seat savers but I don't think you are to be blamed or hated for it. When the whole world is saving seats, what are you expected to do to ensure that your team and team visitors have a place to sit? It was gracious of you to move as you did.
This debate can go on forever but the only real way to solve it is for everyone to agree to not save seats. Unfortunately, that will not happen. Teams still leave signs in the stands when they go to lunch and (regrettably) leave them in the stands when they leave for the day.
There are tons of rules stated by FIRST that are not actually enforced. Best example is this excerpt from section 4.13 of the manual:
We ask that you bring attention to your team in ways that are in good taste and in the spirit of the competition. Please refrain from the following:
Using noisemakers;
Using objects that can damage bleachers or floors;
Wearing inappropriate clothing; and/or
Taping or affixing items or papers to walls, bleachers, floors or other site areas.
How often are these rules broken with innocent intentions? Often.
I think the best solution for FIRST is to limit the competition sizes. Please don't get me wrong, I don't think the number of teams in FIRST should be capped. Instead, we need more regional events and/or a district set up. I'm sorry, but 65 teams in Palmetto and 60 in Peachtree was AWFUL. Not only is saving seats a problem but so is pit crowding and robot transportation.
Alternatively, if you want to have 60 teams in Peachtree, find a better venue to hold them. If the number of teams and team members increase, logic says that the regional venue should change as well.