A plea for a quieter pit area

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by Mr V

In regards to those who say the access to the pits should be restricted I just don't agree as that goes against the goals of first. Sure it is good to see the matches but getting up close and personal with the robots in the pits and seeing older kids putting so much effort into working on their robots is much more effective at sparking an interest in future generations of FIRST'ers.

It could be more controlled. I've been to regionals where middle schools (leaning on the younger side) were bussed in on Friday and basically, turned loose with very few chaperones/teachers in attendance. Sorry - the pit area is not a place for babysitting the future generation.

I've also had the displeasure of approaching a young family: father holding the hand of a 4 year old, mother holding a newborn - and telling all of them that they needed safety glasses, covered shoes, and by the time I got to the stroller, the mother (almost in tears) tucked her head and said, "we'll just leave," and made arrangements for her husband to take the young son on a stroll through the pits. That was ghastly. Awful. That family should have been able to experience a tour of the pits with joy and with someone to guide them through the experience.

These are just two examples of many that I've seen/had to contend with as a volunteer. Not fun for anyone.

There is always room for improvement and creating opportunities for more order in the pits that allows for deeper understanding of what they are and what they achieve is a good thing not a bad thing.

Jane