A Not So Gentle reminder to display Gracious Professionalism

[Ken Leung]

Figure we should review the rules posted by FIRST in the manuel (please note #3, but how you choose to understand that rule is up to you):

Please read the following restrictions and adhere to them in order to promote an orderly, safe, pleasant, and exciting competition. As a group, we all should honor agreements with the venue and help promote the spirit of good partnership.

Please:

1. Do not bring food on the site. If you bring food, do not bring it onto the property.

2. Do not use noisy devices, such as floor stompers, whistles, or air horns.

3. Do not save seats. It is not fair to other teams or to the public guests we hope to interest as team sponsors or volunteers.

4. Do not deliver or ship robots directly to the site. All shipments go through the Drayage Company.

5. Do not arrange for Internet access on the site or attempt to connect to the internet.

6. Do not sell any products. This includes food, hats, shirts, or any promotional products.

7. Do not give out any free food products, such as candy, water, soft drinks, or fruit. You may trade team pins, however.

8. Do not bring helium tanks.

9. Do not invite or bring live bands to play in the audience. This dilutes the presentation on the playing field and is too loud and confusing for the audience.

10. Do not play loud music in the Pit because it interferes with important announcements. If a team receives more than a warning or two, the power to the team's Pit Station will be shut off and/or the music confiscated.

11. Do not form "tunnels" during the Awards Ceremony. This can cause discomfort to those traveling through them and creates safety issues.

12. Do not take any FIRST signage, including the Pit/Team number signs. We use our signs for multi-event and multi-year applications. They are expensive and it is stealing.

[KenWittlief]

those of us up here in the artic (NY) have to wear winter clothing this time of year

we cant pile all our coats in the 100sqft pit area

so what else can we do but put our coats on a chair?

I dont consider that saving a seat - if I get to the event at 8AM and put my jacket on the seat Im using, then get up to wander around for a while, am I suppose to carry my coat around with me all day, everywhere I go? Thats absurd

I dont think leaving your jacket or bag on a seat is 'saving seats' and yes, I would feel upset if I came back and someone was sitting on my jacket, eating food, spilling drinks on it...whatever.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

those of us up here in the artic (NY) have to wear winter clothing this time of year

we cant pile all our coats in the 100sqft pit area

so what else can we do but put our coats on a chair?

I dont consider that saving a seat - if I get to the event at 8AM and put my jacket on the seat Im using, then get up to wander around for a while, am I suppose to carry my coat around with me all day, everywhere I go? Thats absurd

I dont think leaving your jacket or bag on a seat is 'saving seats' and yes, I would feel upset if I came back and someone was sitting on my jacket, eating food, spilling drinks on it...whatever.

I do think if someone is sitting in an area and leaves their stuff I would hope someone won't come along and physically move it and sit down. That is just plain rude.

[Jeff_Rice]

I thought this rule was meant to prevent teams from doing something like laying a banner on a whole bunch of seats to save it for the team. Do you guys believe it applies to the person like me who puts a coat on the chair? I never felt I was doing anything wrong. A chair seems like a natural thing to put your coat on while you are doing other stuff.

I just looked again and apparently a couple people just posted on the same thing. Why not have a poll?

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Jeff_Rice

I thought this rule was meant to prevent teams from doing something like laying a banner on a whole bunch of seats to save it for the team. Do you guys believe it applies to the person like me who puts a coat on the chair? I never felt I was doing anything wrong. A chair seems like a natural thing to put your coat on while you are doing other stuff.

I just looked again and apparently a couple people just posted on the same thing. Why not have a poll?

Nothing wrong with looking after your stuff but if your team is guilty of using vulgar abuse to defend your stuff that is not accecptable.

[Jeff_Rice]

I believe I can speak for my team in saying that we did not abuse anybody. Besides, we are not only representing ourselves, but we are representing Scouting as well since we are a Venture Crew. Doing something like that is against our policies.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Jeff_Rice

I believe I can speak for my team in saying that we did not abuse anybody. Besides, we are not only representing ourselves, but we are representing Scouting as well since we are a Venture Crew. Doing something like that is against our policies.

What's a Venture crew?

[Ken Loyd]

Dear Teams:

I save three seats at each competition we attend. Two of the seats always have someone sitting in them. The third seat usually has someone sitting in it. They are our scouting seats. As a chaperon my students always know where to find me. The only time a seat is empty is to send a message to the pits or to take care of a personal matter.

It just dawned on me that we aren't saving seats...WE ARE SITTING IN THE SEATS WATCHING THE COMPETITION! From this vantage point I have seen many strange behaviors:

1. The SAVE A SEAT SO I CAN STAND--This team saves seats so they can stand and cheer on their team during the match. I applaud your pride but the people behind you can't see. If you want to stand during your match...go to the cheering pit.

2. THIS IS OUR CLOSET--This team needs somewhere to store coats, backpacks, and other items of mass destruction. Select an area off to the sides or in the higher seats.

3. JAIL--This is where a student is put for punishment. If they can't stay involved, don't bring them in the first place.

4. KODAK MOMENT--This person (who usually weighs in excess of 300 lbs) stands during the match to video/photograph. They are usually at least 150 feet from the playing field. Move down to the front row and stand in the way of those people who must find a seat during a match rather than waiting for the match to end.

5. The GYM PEOPLE--These are the people who feel the need to exercise during a match. They sit in a row of about ten people. They jump up every 30 second to shout something to someone at the other end of the row. I know that you are not interested in the match because your team isn't playing but mine might be.

6. The SCRUM--This is the group of 6 to 8 people who start up the steps during a match pausing every other step looking for enough seats for all of them to sit in. Check out where you want to go before you start the climb.

7. MY HOTEL ROOM--These people stayed up all night and now need a place to crash. The usually stretch out over 3 or 4 seats. There is plenty of room on the sides for your nap, besides...you snore!

8. The PLAYGROUND--These are children between the ages of 3 and 6. If they aren't picking up trash from the floor, they are jumping from step to step in the aisle. Of course when they fall and get hurt...well that will be another thread.

Folks, this is an exciting game. Matches only last 2 minutes. Come on up, cop a squat, and enjoy yourself but, TREAT THOSE AROUND YOU LIKE YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED!

Ken Loyd
Team 64

[Redhead Jokes]

Originally Posted by Ken Loyd

1. The SAVE A SEAT SO I CAN STAND
2. THIS IS OUR CLOSET
3. JAIL
4. KODAK MOMENT
5. The GYM PEOPLE
6. The SCRUM
7. MY HOTEL ROOM
8. The PLAYGROUND

LOL, made me examine my own behavior and try to remember what our team did.

[KathieK]

We have a large team. At the last competition we were in the same seating area for Thursday and Friday. We were a few minutes late for Saturday's door opening so we needed to find another section to sit in. But we couldn't get a section big enough for all of us together so we split the students and the adults. It was fine - we were only separated by an aisle - but we really like to stay together so we can cheer, etc. Does anyone have suggestions for how a large team can stay together without saving seats?

[Ken Loyd]

Originally Posted by KathieK

Does anyone have suggestions for how a large team can stay together without saving seats?

KathieK:

We are a team of nearly 30 people traveling. We encourage our students to stand behind our driver station and cheer like crazy. During the match. you get a pretty good view of what your robot is doing and your field team knows you are there with them.

Ken Loyd
Team 64

[thoughtful]

we are a team of 60 people, and we realise its very unfair if we stop 60 seats. Last time we got lucky and most of us got to sit in same section but the 15 who were late had to find their own seats. Only the pit crew is allowed to come to pit areas so other teams dont ge distracted. But some of us do go down near the field and cheer at times, and you can always sit near your close friends by askin some of your team members to change seats with you. But there is not really a way to have all the team stay at exactly the same spot unless you are early and all your team members come with you. Last year we didnt distract too many people as we were occupying higher seats and only couple of people were behind us.

But even our team does jump up and down during our matches, its not intentional just the excitement, but i'll amke sure to tell them not to do it too often. Buh we are gonna be the loudest cheerers in the Hershey Arena (canadian regional) doesnt matter who is playing

[Jillian B.]

I definetly agree with your view, and I won't go against it. Fortunately, BAE had the great idea of purposely allowing teams to reserve a section (even though it involved standing in front of the arena in line, dashing in to write my team number on a white board with an arena map, and then sprinting to my section to reserve enough seats to handle my team, and then agreeing to share it with another team). The idea was that you only took what was needed, and thats what I did. There was enough seats for the necessary parents, sponsors, etc. Yet pit people were not included in the count, cause they didn't need seats. Another thing was, as the day went on, I agreed to let other teams make use of open seats.

I did have several people at the BAE Regional actually come up and tell me what a <explitive deleted> I was for saving 5 rows (about 25 seats) for the people who came in seconds later, but then again they grabbed an even larger section which they hardly used, mostly for the "CLOSET" syndrome. My team of 35 students (not including parents, etc.) didn't even have enough seats.

I do agree though. Only take the seats you need, no more.

How do the nationals work? I'm guessing teams do the same thing.

-Jill

[Arefin Bari]

saving seats and sitting with own team didnt really look like a problem at UCF regional... teams were sitting with each other... and there were enough seats for everybody... i didnt hear anything about anybody being rude to anybody for seat... i myself were sitting with SPAM several times... if every single team picked out a section in the arena and just sit down there (and do not claim that the section is their's)... i dont think other teams will take up their seat... our team had to take out about two rows... members were sitting down there randomly... but didnt have any problem with members from other team...

[dez250]

Where do the VIPS sit who are paying for this event to occur when a team of 20 people took up 40 spots cause they needed a closet and hotel room and kitchen all in the confines of the stands??? Yes the VIPS do normally have a "lounge" but thats not always in view of the field to watch the game, and also they dont like to stand for 3 days next to the field due to them being like everyone else who need to sit every so often.

P.S.~ For those who are going to say that all the VIP's are the judges that is not even close to the case.