Quote:
Originally Posted by dag0620
Well in sporting events (even at the HS level) you as a friend or just supporter of the team often wear the Shirts and Gear of the Team. However does this make these people part of the team playing the game?????
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I don't know about other teams, but 1511 takes our "gear" pretty seriously. We make sure that anyone wearing it understands us, and understands GP. Its great that people come out to support us, and we suggest they wear red and black or give them our pins, but unless we are sure they can help us keep up our spirit and our image, we don't put shirts on them. Other teams can do as they wish, but when you are up for big awards like Chairmans, every person in your shirt/gear reflects on your team. It can be as simple as telling the chaperones who hold your seats the concept of "we want to be able to sit together, but we arent allowed to save seats, so its important to be gracious to other people & teams"... to making sure the parents, friends and sponsors that wear our shirts to events really understand what the team is about.
I've heard and understand many stories about assumptions, from the guy on the subway who isnt paying attention to his own kids acting up, and someone who says something stern to him, only to realize his wife just died... so everything always deserves a second thought, but I encourage teams to realize that their team gear reflects their team image, and to do what they can to make sure anyone wearing it is going to portray what they want to reflect.
A side story is that we were pretty cramped in the stands in Boston and one of our kids climbed over the seats just as we noticed a judge walking up the stairs right next to us. He was embarrassed for himself and the team, even though it wasn't anything major. He knew he was in team gear and reflecting our team, and felt badly that his actions might have looked negative to others.