Standing Up During Competition...

[AlexTHristov]

Originally Posted by coreyk

How is a team expected to obtain sponsors - when they see little enthusiasm in students and a lack of energy when traveling to the events? Standing and cheering for ones team is part of the FIRST experience and should remain.

I think that this statement is quite misleading, if not false. From personal experience with one standing team at the Chesapeake Regional last year, standing (when repeatedly asked politely to sit down) can be seen by some sponsors as rude and inconsiderate. So standing can also hurt a team trying to get sponsors.

That said, REX was standing a great deal at Chesapeake this year, so I am not saying don't do it. Fortunately, we didn't get any complaints (that I know of) so I assume it was acceptable to others (probably due to the arrangement of the bleachers in the USNA).

My only opinion is that teams should be flexible in following GP: consider those around you and never impose your attitudes on the issue.

[MOE]

HELLOOooo
We at Team 88 TJ2 have been standing for 12 years. I dont see the problem. Did anyone ever go to the PATS, RED SOX or B's games and sit?????? Hope we can still stand when we are up . We had a super time in GA. We will see some of you at the off season events in the North East.
Congratulations to TEAMS 190, 177, AND 987 from NEWTON and also TEAMS 233, 71 AND 179 for the great matches in the finals, see all sooooon.
TEAM 88 TJ2 and MOE

[Don Wright]

Just because you've been doing it for 12 years, doesn't make it right.

And yes, I've been to Lions, Tigers, Pistons, and Red Wings games. And, yes, for most of the time, I am considerate and sit so that the people behind me can see. Sure, as someone mentioned, if something really exciting happens, then I expect people to stand and cheer/boo for a second, but for the most part, people are sitting.

I've said my piece. I think it's rude and inconsiderate to stand for your entire match. Do as you wish, but think about what you do.

And past history really doesn't condone any actions. If we never changed anything because "that's the way it's always been done", then we would never progress as a society. In FIRST or otherwise...

[Taylor]

FIRST events cannot truly be equated with sporting events because at sporting events (especially college) there are designated sections. Of course I would expect to stand in the student section, and mostly sit in the alumni/family section at a Purdue football or basketball game. There are understood, defined areas for such behavior.

However, there are (usually) only two teams at sporting events, and the area each cheering section takes can be rather spread out to allow for standing/sitting sections. At FIRST competitions, there are dozens of teams represented, and the audience is segmented by team affiliation rather than by cheering style.

In my eyes, the people most affected were those unable to stand. We want our grandmas to be proud, but then we stand in front of them and block their view. We want to share our excitement with our siblings, but there's no way a 10-year-old can see over a standing high schooler. We want to videotape the matches, but end up with footage of the back of people's heads. My wife was enjoying her Arni's personal pizza, but pizza's not really a stand-and-eat-it type of food, and you can imagine the view from that perspective.

FIRST was created in part to destroy common perceptions - nerds can't have fun, technology is boring, science and math have no real value, high schoolers are obnoxious and ill-mannered. Rudeness has no place in the world, and certainly not at a FIRST event.

Standing shows spirit, shows enthusiasm, shows support. But please be aware of your surroundings. The person whose view you are blocking may be a future alliance partner, an ailing grandparent, or a potential sponsor.

[AmyPrib]

Originally Posted by kborer22

It's only 3 min at most every 45 min or so, i really dont think its that big of a deal. .....

Maybe at championships that's the case, but for regionals especially this year, where it was quite common to have 9-12 matches per team, it could be every 15minutes or less. And think about it, at regionals, if the majority of teams stood during their matches (with 6 at a time), there could be people sitting in places such that they'd end having to stand almost the entire day if they want to see the any match at all. i.e. In the first match, team A, B, C is standing, and they happen to be in front of me to the left, blocking my view. In the second match, team D, E, F is standing, and they happen to be in front of me also somewhere, and so on.... So when people say "it's only 3min you have to stand", that's assuming you're the only team that's blocking their view the entire day.......

Just something else to consider....

ps. When I looked around in GA, I would say the teams that stood during their entire match were in the minority. Many of them stood before/after. The place was just as hoppin'.

[Tom Line]

Karen,

I would never suggest that we should not show respect towards other people. However, I think that sort of thing goes both ways. Respect the students right to support their robot. First is about the students. Inspiring them. Telling them to sit down (*just my opinion, and no offense meant*) is neither supportive nor inspiring. While we love to have non-students attend the events and get excited, I think they need to realize this is about the students and the teams.

I have heard people (and I'll admit some on my team) complaining about teams that do team shouts - like the spirit shout (boy was that cool at Western Michigan - I've got Spirit, HOW BOUT YOU!) etc. I pointed out to them that if it's making you notice that other team, then it's working. If it's getting them pumped up, it's working. If it's adding to the generally insane atmosphere at the event, then it's working.

Perhaps a happy medium can be reached. Perhaps someone who has the concern with the people standing can request that First reserve the front row at regionals and nationals for 1 or 2 scouts per team and those who attend that may have trouble navigating the stands or standing up. It may not be ideal because they aren't with their team, but I think it would be much better than telling the teams to sit down.

[Faith]

I know standing for your team the entire match is fun.
I know how annoying it is to have someone in front of you stand the entire match.

But depending on which side you are placed on and what the vendor is like, everything changes. I know that at regionals (at least in hockey rinks), the stands are steeper and when you stand it often only blocks a couple of people/rows. Hockey rinks often have different sections as well, so you may be standing and there is no one behind you to block. Also, at the regionals I've been to their is normally a standing area for teams that are playing.
All this makes it a lot easier to stand without disrupting someone else's view.

At championships, the angle is not steep (at all). I had trouble seeing the field over the heads of people sitting down sometimes, and when people in front of me stood up it totally destroyed my view. More people are likely to be there randomly/to see their (grand)child's robot/to see the team they are sponsoring that made it that far. (ex., my grandparents and my parents were there!) There is NO special standing area for teams who are playing.
It is really easy to prevent a lot of people from seeing anything by standing up.

Both of these situations are at FIRST competitions, but they are totally different. Teams should adapt to each competition (in my opinion).

Also, remember that depending on the situation, although you may only stand for 3 minutes per hour, other teams are standing during the other time and may be disrupting the same people.

[Jeremiah Johnson]

I've already stated that 648 prefers to stand up, but we don't always. ESPECIALLY if there's been a complaint or two, we don't get many though. (Infectious spirit, maybe?) That's where I'm staying. I've never had to ask a team to sit down before, but then again, I'm a very patient person.

WARNING: the following may not belong here.

Somewhat along these lines, but off-topic just a tad, I get really annoyed with the people that sit in the aisles designated for team travel between the stands and pits. ESPECIALLY at the hockey arenas, such as UIC Pavilion, where one small slip could end up meaning a broken ankle/leg in that space between the hockey wall and that final, bottom row. As happened in 2005, at StL. There were several teams that sat in high traffic areas in Chicago this year.


Just a bit of insight,

Jeremiah

[K. Sehgal]

It does get very tiring standing up for a long time. but it does no good to complain.

It Atlanta I was the only person from the team there and had to stand for hour on end!

[fredliu168]

In Atlanta I stood up... and an adult threw something at me...

No joke.

[eugenebrooks]

Originally Posted by fredliu168

In Atlanta I stood up... and an adult threw something at me...

What a great idea!
I will have to bring a bag of projectiles to Atlanta next year.

Eugene

[Mark Garver]

Do you really think your team’s Drivers, Human Player, and Coach look up into the stands during a match to get inspiration to do a better job?

I can only answer for myself, but being a past driver and human player, and currently a coach, I can tell you that I never look into the stands during the duration of a match. Yes, I do look into the stands before a match starts and seeing my team standing has definitely boosted my confidence about a match. I also look to the stands after the match to see either my team standing and cheering because it is a clear victory or to see my team trying to calculate the score to determine if we won.

So I guess I agree, standing does show respect and gives your Drive Team a boost of confidence. But is it really necessary to do during the match… my opinion is no. Show respect to the other spectators trying to enjoy the matches. Teams form opinions about other teams not only on how their robot performs but also how teams act in the pits and stands, being positive or negative.

In addition to sitting during matches, I would like people to follow the same unwritten rule as hockey has; you don’t go to or leave your sits until there is a break. This would mean that people wouldn’t be walking up and down the aisles during matches.

I know our team gets tired of asking for teams in front of us to sit during matches. I am sure this could and has lead to teams being rude in how they ask teams to sit because of having to do it continuously.

I am sure the stands are designed the way they are for a reason…

[Tetraman]

We had this same complaint last year, and I'm sure we had it the year before that, and the year before that...

The best for both worlds is doing what some regionals do...add space between the field and the stands to allow cheering teams to see the action, while making the stands void of obstructions...and even that can still cause problems of viewing.

Unless you make it so all teams can't stand at all, you will not find a solution to this problem.