Cheering, standing ovations, and required team actions during matches and awards

[Amanda Morrison]

Originally Posted by Tiki

I'm one of those people who would rather "golf clap" for 8 hours, I think the competitions should be relaxing, yes I have worked on that robot for six weeks, I have stayed at some strange place until the wee hours of the morning, the last thing i want to do after those six weeks is see an unruly mob cheering for a robot that they and the other 50 kids on their team built (or should i say the 15 engineers ). Unlike other huge teams, my team is limited to only 20 people, around 6 or 7 of whom actually actively participate, so yeah, the work to person ratio is much higher on our team than on some other teams. The size of our team makes it so that even if we cheered, no one would hear it anyway. My team is not not spirited, we are just quiet and reserved and always has been. There are no dedicated scouts on my team, we have to take time off fixing the robot to scout and if people are standing up, blocking the game or the scores, thats a big deal.

All 45 team-bashing aside, I think your comments have quite a few holes in them.

First, you stated that this was during the awards, not during the matches.

Second, the size of your team has nothing to do with the size of your heart.

Third, since you keep complaining about how many people are on your own team, but are quick to throw the resources of others into play. Exactly where do you stand on this? There are other threads about this issue, it doesn't need to be discussed here.

Fourth, I'd like some proof that this was an unruly mob. I have yet to see any team that could be construed as a 'mob', much less an unruly one. If you were so irked by this incident that you absolutely HAD to speak out about it, especially after outside contact with the FIRST world is discouraged on your team, prove it. I'd like to see a video of this unruly mob, perhaps a picture or two, or someone else who can verify that they asked this team to sit down, and they did not comply.

Also, if you're looking for sympathy, especially based on the absolute lack of professionalism you show, you'll get none from me. This isn't "judging someone else's enthusiasm", and it can't be boiled down to that. I have taken my grandma to competitions- and I'll tell you she said she had never seen anything so energetic and enthusiastic (this after she called the rest of the family to come for Saturday's events).

Would she be proud if she knew I was calling out other teams on their enthusiasm and spirit for engineering and science, or that I was questioning the integrity and value of the education different teams give their students by their different methods of building the robot? I guess you'll have to go home and ask your grandmother, folks- mine's pretty proud of me, is yours proud of you?

[Steve W]

Originally Posted by T. Hoffman

It's Spring! Let's all take a break, go outside, and do something non-robotic for one day.

Heresy! How could you say such a thing? You want to put me into shock or something?

[Kyle Love]

To me, cheering your head off, losing your voice, is one of the best things to go to a FIRST competition for. It's great to show your spirit for your drive team who is driving the machine YOU worked your butt off on for 6 weeks. You worked so hard why not root for it?

Here's my opinion about cheering during awards. I think it is GREAT to hear teams cheering for other teams that won awards, even if they don't agree with who won. A lot of teams are "friends", so if my friend would win an award in a sport I would be there cheering for them, what's different with FIRST?

Let's all CHEER ON!

[Andy Baker]

Originally Posted by Kevin Sevcik

Ah. I finally have it. It's pretty simple, too. It boils down to a few questions: Given the standard definition of GP, would it make your grandmother proud if you were standing in front of her blocking her view of your robot? Would you make her get up and move? Would you be upset with her if she just clapped politely and didn't stand and scream for every award?

Just things to keep in mind when you're cheering or you're judging someone else's enthusiasm.

If you find me at a competition and my grandma is sitting behind me, please take the time to kick me in the butt. I would not have my grandma sitting behind me. That would be rude. I would make sure she had a great seat, where I could sit next to her (when I was not pulled away to responsibilities), and where she would not have to sit behind someone who wanted to stand up and cheer. It would be my job to find her an appropriate seat, not inconvenience others in front of her to ask them not to cheer for their team.

Also... if someone I did not know had a grandma (or a person who had a physical limitation in getting up and down) who sat behind me during an awards ceremony, I would turn around and say to this person: "Our team will be standing up, cheering for the other teams who win awards. If you don't like this, I will offer my services to find you a better view to watch the ceremony. You can even sit in the front of our section. By the way, what would you like to drink? I'll buy."

In my opinion, I think that it is more gracious to stand and cheer for your fellow FIRSTers in comparison to obeying the people behind you who simply don't want to stand and cheer. If they don't like the view, then they can move to a better seat.

Andy B.

[Ryan Dognaux]

Originally Posted by Tiki

Another topic that is very annoying to me (and others) : Big signs.

Did someone say big signs?

Why did I make the Scott Ritchie head? To honor his accomplishment of winning the regional WFA in a unique and creative way. The majority of people like the Scott Ritchie head, although I will admit, it is huge. Thus, it has been known to block the view of people. But all you have to do is ask the person holding the sign to put it down or move - politely. They'll most likely follow your request.

I applaud teams that make signs of all kinds - giant numbers, large banners, humongous heads. It's all good.

[b-rant]

Originally Posted by Kyle45

To me, cheering your head off, losing your voice, is one of the best things to go to a FIRST competition for. It's great to show your spirit for your drive team who is driving the machine YOU worked your butt off on for 6 weeks. You worked so hard why not root for it?

Here's my opinion about cheering during awards. I think it is GREAT to hear teams cheering for other teams that won awards, even if they don't agree with who won. A lot of teams are "friends", so if my friend would win an award in a sport I would be there cheering for them, what's different with FIRST?

Let's all CHEER ON!

you got it!!! This was my first year at FIRST, and I never really cheered for anything else with as much passion!!! someof you may have noticed that i was cheering even during lunch time ,but that was just because someone had just brought me my food and i was starving. One thing I did happen to notice was that some teams got super mad and frustrated when our team stood up. Or there was one team where a guy yelled at us saying that he would have to make sure to bring ear plugs the next day,because we were too loud. That didn't make me mad though,but it made me want to get our team to join in with his and cheer for their bot. Then he would see how much more exciting watching matches can be, and truely is(FIRST FEVER!!).
When we made it to Houston this year I got chill bumps walking into a massive stadium, and when i saw our robot stacking tetras it was intense. This might just be the FIRST fever I have ,but it seems contagious on team #364!!!!!!!

WHO?

RA!!!!!

By the way I would like you say a thank you to team 45 for the "best alliance parter award". Like Mr.Fava said, "That award is one of greatest awards you can get at Nationals. Sure chairmans winners get in the hall of fame, but we received something much, much greater, the respect and friendship of one of the best and oldest teams at FIRST."

(by the way that quote is not perfectly exact but it basically sums up what he told us yesterday afternoon)

[KathieK]

Originally Posted by Ryan Dognaux

Did someone say big signs?

RAGE had Paris join us at our events this year. It was in response to the Paris comment made at kickoff. Some people loved her and appreciated the humor; others found her offensive (sorry about that, we didn't think it was THAT offensive or the adults would not have let her come with us); and when it was pointed out that she was blocking the view of the field in Archimedes, she was banished to the pits where she happily posed with numerous FIRSTers.

[Jverdon]

Originally Posted by b-rant

By the way I would like you say a thank you to team 45 for the "best alliance parter award". Like Mr.Fava said, "That award is one of greatest awards you can get at Nationals. Sure chairmans winners get in the hall of fame, but we received something much, much greater, the respect and friendship of one of the best and oldest teams at FIRST."

Yes Thank you Team 45 (TechnoKats) we did not win any awards or even gotten to the semifinals in newton. When we were down, your award made us feel awesome about our robot and our Team. We may no thave been picked or won any awards but thanks to you we came home with something awesome.

[KathieK]

This was my vacation for the year. I and my family spent thousands of hours and thousands of dollars to attend the competitions. I ran around looking ridiculous in striped socks and pom poms tied to my sneakers. I had a NEMO tattoo on one hand and a red bulldog tattoo on my face. I have holes in my shirts from wearing too many buttons. I didn't get my voice back until today. It was the best vacation I have had in years. And now I'm back in the basement at work, no windows, in my grey cubicle, with piles of paperwork stacked all around me, typing on a computer for 8 hours a day. I'll have lots of time to sit and relax when I get to the nursing home. In the meantime, I'm gonna have fun in FIRST.

[Kyle Love]

Originally Posted by Jverdon

Yes Thank you Team 45 (TechnoKats) we did not win any awards or even gotten to the semifinals in newton. When we were down, your award made us feel awesome about our robot and our Team. We may no thave been picked or won any awards but thanks to you we came home with something awesome.

Originally Posted by p-rant

By the way I would like you say a thank you to team 45 for the "best alliance parter award". Like Mr.Fava said, "That award is one of greatest awards you can get at Nationals. Sure chairmans winners get in the hall of fame, but we received something much, much greater, the respect and friendship of one of the best and oldest teams at FIRST."

Thanks for the compliments! I loved painting those things...I perfected my spray painting technique! See you all at IRI

[Mike Schroeder]

first, Travis dude, all i have to say is nonwhatnow?

second, being "a certifiable(in more ways than one) MC" i can tell you that

I LOVE LOUD,
at NJ i got a headache on Friday and Saturday from all the noise but I LOVED IT, as a matter of fact i challenge all of NJ to be louder next year, if you guys be louder it makes my job easier

now on to cheering at nats

Galileo, Netwon, and Archemides great job cheering, you guys did great

Curie was a little dead, so dead i feel the need to point out that the curie division did not deserve the awesomness that is Mark Leon and Steve Warren, they are the second best MC/Announcer team in FIRST (first being Myself and George from 11) so next year, at championships i challenge all teams to make as much noise as humanly possible i dont want to beable to hear another divisions chant from whatever feild i may be on

*throws in the penny stuck to the bottom of my shoe*

[Daniel Brim]

Alright, time for an anecdote! (woo)

Last year, when I went to championships, my body was falling apart. My knees were going out and I had lost 30 pounds in the six weeks prior. Needless to say, I was a mess.

Granted, I was in the pits most of the time, but when I was in the stands, I wanted to sit down and relax with my team and not have to worry about things. If a team stood up in front of me, I found that highly irritating and I tried to ask them to sit down. To do this it involved standing up, walking down stairs, talking to a mentor, walking up stairs (which was highly painful) and sitting down again. Why do all of that when a team can be courteous and just sit down during a match? If an arena was meant for standing, there would be no seats. I can understand and respect (and I did this year) standing to applaud, but during matches, it just seems like common courtesy to sit down.

My $0.02

-Daniel

[petek]

Guilty as charged. And I assure you, if I am in the stands, I will be standing up, screaming my voice away every time my team is on the field. You will also find me standing for award winners and exemplary competitiors - they've earned my respect and standing for them is the least I can do to show it.

I worked field reset at NJ and I can tell you, the drive teams hear it when their teams cheer for them, and it is devastatingly quiet when the teams are not cheering. IMHO, drivers and human players have tough jobs and can use all the support you can give them.

A "fable": two years ago , there was a team which didn't cheer. It was a big, established team with good funding, plenty of mentors and a good robot. They did not cheer for anyone, not even their own team. Their members didn't sit together - in fact you rarely saw more than a handful in the stands. A number of us noticed and shook our heads, feeling sorry for them that they had so little spirit. Then, last year, they got "religion". They sat/stood together, cheered loudly for their team and others, and it was obvious that they were having a blast. They earned our respect and we even started cheering for them, too.

So, to those who would complain about teams standing to cheer during competitions or show respect to winners, I would say: FIRST competitions are a celebration of success. They are three-day pep rallies and they are for the kids. If you want an unimpeded view you could arrange to be there early enough to sit in the front rows, or maybe you could sit in the upper deck. You could ask to sit in the front of our group - we'd be glad to have you join us. Just please, don't ask these kids who have put their hearts, their blood, sweat and tears and a large part of their lives into this effort, to sit down or be quiet.

[StephLee]

Most of the points I'd like to make have already been made in this thread, so I have just one thing to say: Who in their right mind expects several thousand teenagers and teenagers-at-heart to be quiet, reserved, and serious for three days in a row? It's not happening, especially not considering the amount of work, time and energy that's put into those three days before ever getting there.

If people don't want to cheer at some time, they shouldn't be "forced" to; they probably have a good reason, like being tired or "just not in the mood."

[EricH]

For those of you who like standing up to cheer, don't get me wrong, I do that myself, but please, once the MC starts the count, sit down. Scouting is hard enough to do without having to write while standing up. On Newton, there was one team that stood up in about the middle of the stands on Saturday (several rows ahead of us) and did not sit down (the second time) until the match was started (just barely). At least two of our scouts had to stand up just to see the field until this team sat down.

There are two solutions to this problem. One: All teams that fully intend to stand as many times as necessary, please sit at the top of the stands or go to a designated cheering zone if one is available. Two: Stand up when your team is announced (or the alliance(s) if you so desire), then sit down when the count is started so others can see without having to stand up. Cheer as loud as you like, but please don't stand up during a match unless you are in the far back. (All other times are fair game for standing in my book.)