Saving seats and Dean's homework

[FourPenguins]

I'm going to clarify MORT's seat-saving policy before this gets blown out of proportion.
MORT is a team of about fifty students. We also have a very active group of alumni who come back for regionals. It is not unusual for MORT's section of the stands to contain about 100 people on a Saturday. In order for our team to sit together, we do take up a massive block of the stands. That's just the nature of a team of our size.
If someone who is not from MORT tried to sit with MORT, I doubt (and sincerely hope, on behalf of my team) that anyone would give them a hard time unless someone was sitting there and had left to get food, go to the bathroom, etc. We do not mark seats as taken unless they actually are, and I would not begrudge it to any person, on or off the team, to sit with us.
That said, there are often seats in our section of the stands containing only a pile of coats. Just ask and we'll move them for you!

[galewind]

The way I see it, MORT also has the common courtesy and sense to utilize a section of the stands that isn't prime real estate that everyone else is "fighting" for. You realize that sometimes you have to make sacrifices to make sure you can fit everyone in. I suspect that we'll be having to do similar things in the coming years. (Of course, this means now everyone will fight for the top box seats so we can all fit our huge teams )

[DonRotolo]

Originally Posted by aksimhal

Maybe FIRST needs bigger venues?

Indeed, the stands at NJ were almost maxed out.

Originally Posted by FourPenguins

It is not unusual for MORT's section of the stands to contain about 100 people on a Saturday.

If someone who is not from MORT tried to sit with MORT, I doubt (and sincerely hope, on behalf of my team) that anyone would give them a hard time

First, MORT took up a sizable fraction of the arena, they are a HUGE team. It's a beautiful sea of yellow and black!

Second, MORT selected very non-prime seats, off to the side and up pretty high. (A minor logistical issue when they came down for their trophy ensued...)

Third, I actually DID sit within MORT's "area" and nobody said a word, shoo'd me away or anything - there was an empty seat, I sat there, later I left...Just like it should be.

I agree that teams need to sit together, and kind-of staking out your area is a real necessity. Chasing people away is to be frowned upon. If anyone were to say "that seat is saved", I'd reply "OK, I'll leave when they return".


On a related note: I wish there was some better way of managing ALL THE COATS that are a necessity at a northern regional. Bring a team of 35 and you have to somewhere store 35 big fluffy coats - not to mention the other paraphernalia that teenagers bring with them. The pits don't have the room, there is a security concern ( I don't want my coat to walk away), I need occasional access to it, etc...

Hmmm, perhaps some team can organize a free Coat Check service next year...

Don

[Laaba 80]

Originally Posted by aksimhal

Maybe FIRST needs bigger venues?

I dont think they need bigger venues, mainly because they dont get much bigger. I do think they need to reorganize the set up. It they put the field in the middle of the stadium you could use the side bleachers that would be around 1/2 courd or the 50 yard line. This would allow seating on both sides of the field. They could split the pits into 2 sections like they do at WI. Put pits on either sides of the field. The only problem I see with this set up is trying to find a place for the large display screen.
Joey

[Vexkingof716]

There has always been the rule of no saving seats, but someone always does. its one thing if they are saving a seat for someone who just left to get some food or use the restrooms, but saving seats for the end of the day for the awards or finals is a bit much. So you have to split up a little, it will make it seem like there are more people if the cheering is coming from all over the place. it will kinda be like surround sound, making your team possibly more noticeable, that is if your big enough.

[IndySam]

Bigger venues would mean bigger fees to the teams. I think most of you would be very surprised how much it costs to rent some of these venues for four days.

Here in Indiana when we go to Colts game in the RCA dome you will see many people pull garbage bags out and stuff the coats into them and stick them under the seats.

[aksimhal]

Originally Posted by Laaba 80

I dont think they need bigger venues, mainly because they dont get much bigger. I do think they need to reorganize the set up. It they put the field in the middle of the stadium you could use the side bleachers that would be around 1/2 courd or the 50 yard line. This would allow seating on both sides of the field. They could split the pits into 2 sections like they do at WI. Put pits on either sides of the field. The only problem I see with this set up is trying to find a place for the large display screen.
Joey

There is a solution, but it is (in my opinion) not extremely desirable: have less teams at the regional. (and then have more regionals )

[KTorak]

I'll admit we save seats so the kids in the pits and parents have seats WITH our team to watch matches. We believe everyone should be seated by each other, especially when cheering. However, we only save as many seats as we need for everyone there.

[Kevin Kolodziej]

Originally Posted by Laaba 80

I dont think they need bigger venues, mainly because they dont get much bigger. I do think they need to reorganize the set up. It they put the field in the middle of the stadium you could use the side bleachers that would be around 1/2 courd or the 50 yard line. This would allow seating on both sides of the field. They could split the pits into 2 sections like they do at WI. Put pits on either sides of the field. The only problem I see with this set up is trying to find a place for the large display screen.
Joey

Having the screen on an end wall isn't a problem. Boilermaker has to do it that way all the time, and guess what - they have seating on both sides of the arena and it works out great! They don't have a split pit either. I don't think a split pit is absolutely necessary anywhere. Take a venue like UIC Pavilion or US Cellular Arean (WI) - use the existing setup of half pit half field, but turn the field 90 degrees, but keep the display screen located and oriented where it currently is. Open the upper levels of the arenas (block off beyond a certain section if necessary) and you have nearly twice the amount of "prime" seats and still have the existing seating bowl on one end zone. Red and Blue then queue on one side of the field or the other and queuing trafic is much simpler. More room on the floor for Press and VIPs is created, and you could even setup a designated area on the floor for competing teams to come and stand to cheer (no standing in the stands during your matches, unless you're behind everyone!).

[DeAnnaC]

At the St. Louis Regional, we are asked to send a picture of a student in our team shirts and they post it on a board with our section number on the picture and an Arena map so guests (if they recognize the shirt) would be able to find the team they came to see.

On Friday, the entire section we were at on Thursday was filled when we arrived...so we sat one section over. No big deal. On Saturday, we sat in our original 'assigned' section, but it got crowded fast. One of the people I invited came over to let me know he was there - he had been there an hour or so but there was not room for him and his extended family of 6 to sit with us, so he sat with another team. The kids were loaded down with swag from other teams and they loved it.

We do have an upper section at the Family Arena, but it's usually not used until Saturday afternoon - maybe that could open up early on Saturday so the teams can spread out a little (especially local ones) knowing that they are going to swell in size throughout the day.

[Laaba 80]

Originally Posted by Kevin Kolodziej

Having the screen on an end wall isn't a problem. Boilermaker has to do it that way all the time, and guess what - they have seating on both sides of the arena and it works out great! They don't have a split pit either. I don't think a split pit is absolutely necessary anywhere. Take a venue like UIC Pavilion or US Cellular Arean (WI) - use the existing setup of half pit half field, but turn the field 90 degrees, but keep the display screen located and oriented where it currently is. Open the upper levels of the arenas (block off beyond a certain section if necessary) and you have nearly twice the amount of "prime" seats and still have the existing seating bowl on one end zone. Red and Blue then queue on one side of the field or the other and queuing trafic is much simpler. More room on the floor for Press and VIPs is created, and you could even setup a designated area on the floor for competing teams to come and stand to cheer (no standing in the stands during your matches, unless you're behind everyone!).

Good idea. Is this how WI is going to be set up this year? I think that it would work out alot better.
Joey

[Pirate_Nelly354]

I don't know what side to be on really. I think it's important to sit with your team at the competition. We Pirates don't really save to many seat because we're a smaller team. The people that watch the matches stay there, and the ones in the pit usually stay there. If they want to watch the match then they stand or find an empty seat. That's what I did last year anyway.

But still...
Last year, me and a couple of my teammates went to the New Jersey regional. We saw lots of empty seats so sat down. Soon after we did we were told we could sit there because those were for the team members [I'm not going to say what team did that to us]. We weren't to happy about that but still we got up and went in search for seats.

Everything has good and bad =\

[dbell]

It sounds like we might be using different definitions of "saving seats".
The definition used by FIRST in the rule against saving seats is:
"It is not permitted to hang banners or ribbons to designate such an area. We will remove and discard banners or roping, etc"

It sounds like MORT (and many other teams) are not roping off seats, in fact they are just sitting together as a team. Thanks for being so gracious in your seat saving! Lets all do this!
DB

[galewind]

Originally Posted by Don Rotolo

On a related note: I wish there was some better way of managing ALL THE COATS that are a necessity at a northern regional. Bring a team of 35 and you have to somewhere store 35 big fluffy coats - not to mention the other paraphernalia that teenagers bring with them. The pits don't have the room, there is a security concern ( I don't want my coat to walk away), I need occasional access to it, etc...

Hmmm, perhaps some team can organize a free Coat Check service next year...

Don

Don, as we sat right in front of you I'm sure you can attest that we had coats filling multiple seats as well, and we were trying to stack coats, too! Include things like spirit items to help cheer you on, it gets REALLY tight, especially when you're trying to invite the public. And yes, with only a 10x10 space in the pits, you barely have room to work, let alone store anything

[Koko Ed]

Leaving coats in the pits is a guaranteed way to incur the wrath of the pit crew. And just laying them elsewhere is a very bad idea as we have had team sweatshirts stolen before and here in Rochester it is unreasonable to leave the coats in the cars.