Spirit Items at Competitions

FIRST General Forum
1

Is there a place on the First website that we can find regulations for spirit items at competitions

2

I am pretty sure that each regional will have their own rules on what is allowed and what isn’t…someone correct me if I am wrong.

You should use your common sense about what to bring and not to bring. If you are still unsure ask your RD.

Hope this helps

3

Well I’m pretty sure Thunderstix are no longer allowed, if not FIRST wide at SVR and SAC. Sorry XD

4

Not sure, but please be respectful to those around you when cheering for your team. I have seen several problems with this in years past. Being excited for your team (or another) is fine, but I’ve seen several instances where it just becomes obnoxious. Sending your whole team in a parade through the pit area each time you win I think is overboard. Here are the spirit items and actions I personally look down upon, and become very frustrated about:

Loud noises - The competition is loud enough. I don’t want your teenage girl screams, your air horns, your thunder sticks, or your whistles right behind my ears. If you must do this, please be all the way in the front, or all the way in the back/top of the arena.

Large things - If your sign, banner, flag, etc is larger than yourself, you are blocking the view of the people behind you. Please be respectful. You are not the only ones trying to watch the game and have a good time.

Standing up - It starts in the front. You stand up to cheer, then everyone behind you has to stand up to see. It’s ridiculous. If it’s your own team on the field, and it’s an exciting pivotal moment, fine, I’d stand too. But to stand up and block the view of those behind you every time you score a point I think is rude.

That being said, small and quiet spirit items are a good. You an decorate your team members. You can hand out giveaways to other teams and judges. You can cheer for your team, on the field side of the arena.

Especially with respect to the Spirit Award, I always like to see teams awarded for the spirit they already have, rather than teams spending loads of money and time on products and routines just to get the award. I come from a team that won a spirit award with 9 members…

5

There’s a short list in section 3.17 of the manual of what not to have or do.

As I recall, there was more last year in the Site Info section of the venues. Those aren’t up yet for Troy and Detroit.

Bring your train!

6

Avoid food items.

7

You would seriously hate FLR. The teams line the field and scream their heads off. I thought the girls on 378 were on fire they were screaming so loud. It gets really intense there in the elims because fo the spirit there.

8

Smiles as spirit items -

Smiles are easy to carry and easy to wear - with wrinkle-free resistance.
Smiles are high energy, high impact, low maintenance.
Smiles are not only within the rules, they are out-of-bounds in the places they can make an impact and create change.
Smiles don’t break down or need replacement. Smiles don’t hurt but they are contagious. Smiles leave no team behind - they bring it.
Smiles. From the heart of the team. Easy to share with everyone anytime. Smiles.

Jane

9

I second that, last year when we went to the Hartford regional it was a whole different world. There’s only enough room in between the stand and field barrier for two people to pass each other, causing panic in many team members that couldn’t understand that apparently other teams don’t jump, dance, and scream throughout the whole regional. Definitely not a friendly environment for FLR regulars.

10

I’ve never been to FLR, but it sounds as though its similar to GTR on the spirit front.

We decided we wanted to win spirit at 2009 GTR after watching 781 win it at WAT the week prior. I forget what all we made for spirit items… i remember balloons and big numbers.

Similarly, I know we got yelled at in Flint at KKX for having a bullhorn. Hard to say if that would be allowed at GTR.

11

Well, think about it - if every single person entered the competition venue with a bullhorn, just what would the noise levels be like? If one person is allowed to bring a spirit item, then every person is allowed to bring that spirit item. Common sense plays a role in spirit, as well as knowing the rules and abiding by them.

12

I was reading the rules (specifically Section 3 At The Events) regarding the way things are supposed to go at competitions, and noticed a TON of things that teams do year in and year out that are expressly prohibited by Section 3. Perhaps this is a regional thing, and these rules are more carefully abided by elsewhere, but I doubt it. I think it stems largely from a tendency of teams to read only sections 6 7 and 8 on a regular basis.

13

Another reason is there’s no one assigned to police Section 3, unless the venue staff does it or someone complains. Refs and inspectors enforce robot and game rules.

14

Jane, that is beautiful.

15

Thank you. It is also true.

16

I’ve been to GTR and FLR quite a few times and GTR doesn’t come close to FLR in spirit. It’s too spread out and no one outside of drive team members are supposed to be on the floor where FLR has a very large floor area where I have seen teams dancing the Cotten Eyed Joe (without Cotten Eyed Joe playing). Thunderchickens playing Duck Duck Goose. Hacky Sack. Cheerleaders doing their thing. Kids playing ball. It’s a pretty large space to play with and the kids are pretty free to do what they want so long as nothing dangerous is going on.

17

I would highly doubt that this would be allowed. Teams have been asked to put away much quieter noisemakers in the past.

Considering that Breakaway is based on soccer and with the World Cup coming up this summer in South Africa, I was sort of hoping to see some teams bring in some vuvuzelas. Then again, after watching the Confederations Cup this summer it might not be the best idea.

I have to agree with Ed. GTR is a very quiet regional in general and especially quiet when compared to FLR.

18

By nature, I have noticed that arena events are more quieter than fieldhouse events in spite of having more teams. teams are required to stay in the stands for one to cut down on congestion by the field, except for small areas like in Philadelphia (which is a pretty loud event) and Buckeye. The Florida regional has pretty intense spirit too though there is no floor access at all and the Florida teams do something that doesn’t happen too much even at FLR where the teams engage one another by sharing cheers which helps to charge the environment.
I actually wonder how really spirited the Florida regional would be if the teams were allowed floor access or had a large area of space for teams to really get down. I bet it would easily rival FLR.

19

The general guideline I tend to go by consists of two questions.

  1. Will it blow the eardrum off the neiboring attendeeds?
  2. Will it damage the venue?
    If you answer yes to either of these, don’t bring that spirit item.

Spirit has always been my favorite part of the actual competitions. I have even a tendency to get peeved when people yell at teams to sit down. I understand if, say, someone is unable to stand and see past the dancing students, it’s a bit rude to gallavant in their face, but when the general public who wants to just sit and watch without getting engaged with the spirit of FIRST goes scrooge on our robotic butts and discouraging students from coopertition, showing love for their team and other teams alike, I don’t take to it well.
You wouldn’t believe how often I yelled at my mentors for not cheering, and now that I AM a mentor, I’ll just have to yell at the students, :smiley: Just kidding.