All-Star Seating Vent

[catlady]

@Mom2Cheergirls NCA is the one I was talking about, as well. I ran down to the arena to see our L5, I was all by my lonesome, I showered, I used deodorant. You would have thought I was asking if I could stay in their hotel room with them based on some of the looks I received when I asked if could sit there for 10 minutes. I've given up on asking, if I see lots of backpacks enjoying the competition, I just tell the humans next to them I'm going to keep the seat warm for their human and I have never had a backpack complain of having to share a seat.

 

[cheermuse]

This is a huge problem in every gym. We had this issues at showcase (which was held at our gym) 2 weeks ago. Coaches repeated over and over, throughout showcase and prior to. Please allow the parents of the team performing to have the first 3 rows of seating... EVERYone seem to ignore this rule especially those with small babies & strollers. Unbelievable!

Im fortunate to be taller than average.

I recall one year at Jamfest Nationals a few years ago, priority seating became a boxing rink, a Cheer mom, pushed and knocked down one of the Jamfest security employees who was working priority seating who instructed her that she needed to enter priority seating from the left and exit from the right. Apparently, this didnt sit well with her, (aside from the announcer repeating this over and over and the huge SIGNS down front and the reason for the folks with the Jamfest tshirt verbally telling her). She physically assaults this woman. She should have been escorted to the door but she was allowed to watch her team performing, who wasn't even performing next.:banghead:

 

[cupieqt]

Ah the priority seating section....and those parents who move into there 2-3 teams ahead of their own so that they make sure they are in the front!

See who let's this happen?! The ushers at the events we attend are like the secret service! They mean business and you WILL leave after the first team you watch. Even if all you do is walk around and come back in lol!


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[12stepCheermom]

See who let's this happen?! The ushers at the events we attend are like the secret service! They mean business and you WILL leave after the first team you watch. Even if all you do is walk around and come back in lol!


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We went to a competition last year (can't remember which honestly) but there were people camped out in priority seating...like half the day. They were all the way at the end and for most smaller programs it wasn't an issue but our teams were close together so we had a BIG crowd. They looked at us like we were nuts we expected to sit there when we moved into the priority section. I ended up sitting directly next to and behind them because they wouldn't move and the team was coming out.

Now our crowd has tons of noisemakers anyway, but after they huffed and rolled their eyes when we started using them....

....I got a lot louder.

When they stuck their fingers in their ears because we were too loud...in priority seating...supporting our team they weren't a part of....

...that stadium horn got blown a lot. Right behind the crowd that was actually sitting IN FRONT of me when my kids were on.

I've never been obnoxious loud in priority seating but lemme tell you I was that day. And smiled ever so politely at them as our crowd filed out.....and they continued to sit there.


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[Cheermom1969]

We went to a competition last year (can't remember which honestly) but there were people camped out in priority seating...like half the day. They were all the way at the end and for most smaller programs it wasn't an issue but our teams were close together so we had a BIG crowd. They looked at us like we were nuts we expected to sit there when we moved into the priority section. I ended up sitting directly next to and behind them because they wouldn't move and the team was coming out.

Now our crowd has tons of noisemakers anyway, but after they huffed and rolled their eyes when we started using them....

....I got a lot louder.

When they stuck their fingers in their ears because we were too loud...in priority seating...supporting our team they weren't a part of....

...that stadium horn got blown a lot. Right behind the crowd that was actually sitting IN FRONT of me when my kids were on.

I've never been obnoxious loud in priority seating but lemme tell you I was that day. And smiled ever so politely at them as our crowd filed out.....and they continued to sit there.


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I like your style, baby.

 

[dawgshow]

See who let's this happen?! The ushers at the events we attend are like the secret service! They mean business and you WILL leave after the first team you watch. Even if all you do is walk around and come back in lol!


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Ok, I'll admit that I camped out in priority seating at a recent event. Before anyone gets irritated, I sat in the back row and the section never filled up. Plus, in the session, there were 14 teams and 9 of them were from our gym. I also cheered on every single team that performed. I was just too irritated about our buttcrack of dawn performance time to follow the rules. Lol!


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[MissCongeniality]

I think the problem with NCA is that there is no priority seating in the arena. So...if you have a CP performing there and want a good seat...you have to camp. Now add in other CPs performing in other halls or a potty or food break after multiple hours in your good seat...

I know most parents would rather not camp all day to see their child perform. Most of the die hard campers are fans who want to see "all the teams". But parents are stuck because with no priority seating we all want to be together to be a "loud" contingent to cheer for our team. To be together means camping all day in a block of seats with some parents running out to use the bathroom or watch another one of their children perform. I love the idea of sharing seats (did it with a couple of great teens from another team last year) and getting your seat back in time to watch your child perform...but what are the guarantees and especially for a large group of seats?

The arena needs a priority area

 

[cupieqt]

@dawgshow this is cool. No one cares if you're not taking up anyone's spot. That's only prime real estate if it's a packed venue in the first place.

And priority seating should be a given at any and all events.


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[kristenthegreat]

We went to a competition last year (can't remember which honestly) but there were people camped out in priority seating...like half the day. They were all the way at the end and for most smaller programs it wasn't an issue but our teams were close together so we had a BIG crowd. They looked at us like we were nuts we expected to sit there when we moved into the priority section. I ended up sitting directly next to and behind them because they wouldn't move and the team was coming out.

Now our crowd has tons of noisemakers anyway, but after they huffed and rolled their eyes when we started using them....

....I got a lot louder.

When they stuck their fingers in their ears because we were too loud...in priority seating...supporting our team they weren't a part of....

...that stadium horn got blown a lot. Right behind the crowd that was actually sitting IN FRONT of me when my kids were on.

I've never been obnoxious loud in priority seating but lemme tell you I was that day. And smiled ever so politely at them as our crowd filed out.....and they continued to sit there.


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You. I like you. We would be super fun at comps.

It's like not giving your seat up when a pregnant woman gets on the subway. You just do.

 

[cheermomforever]

Sometimes the event staff has no clue! We were at a bigger comp and a well known large gym team stood at the front of the VIP line. Let it be known their team competed AFTER us. Well when our team was coming on the stage they would not move none of us could get by them!. We were screaming please move our team is next (maybe not please). They looked at us like we had two heads. The music started and not one parent was in front of the stage! It was an IO5 team which our coach was on and even he was wondering wth was going on, where were the parents. I have lost all respect for that team. I have never been so mad at a competition!


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[catlady]

The arena needs a priority area

Yes! Come on NCA, a backpack should never have better seating than a parent who gave up their 10 day vacation in the Caribbean to watch their child for 2 1/2 minutes over the weekend in the Lone Star state. No more seat saving and a priority area would be perfect.

 

[BlueCat]

I am not speaking directly to anyone's situation, but I have noticed a few things over the years.

1. Please don't judge a program by what a few idiots do. EVERY program has some bad apples that can be rude and/or obnoxious. Also, just because someone has a team t-shirt on doesn't automatically mean they are with a program.

2. The line "the person in this seat just went to the restroom" or "they will be right back" is said nearly every time - even when it is not true. It is impossible to know when a seat is being saved for a "legitimate" reason and when they are saving it for someone that won't be there for hours.

3. Many venues have more spectators than there are seats and make multiple announcements that there are no saving of seats. Everyone tends to agree with that, except for THEIR situation where their friend just had to leave for a little bit. Of course the rule doesn't apply to THEM, just all of those "other people" abusing the seat saving system. "No saving seats" means just that. If you get up to go to the bathroom, someone else has every right to move your backpack and sit in your seat.

4. Be careful what you wish for. A solution to this would be assigned seating. This causes it's own logistical problems and would almost certainly drastically increase the admission price. That solves some problems and creates some new ones.

5. Priority seating at places like Worlds is abused so much that you basically can't believe anyone when they say they are with a team. "But this is my team" is used much more often than is true, unfortunately. (see #2). Letting other people in front of you in line for the priority seating can often mean that you don't get to see when it is is your turn. I can't count the number of times at Worlds when one of our teams is about to go and there are people rudely pushing their way to the front of the "priority" section that no one from the team recognizes. I've even had unknown non-CA people shove their way in front of me when the team I coached was about to start. (I would guess those people do not have a very high opinion of me after my ensuing conversation with them - not one of my finer moments.)

 

[JulieP]

I am just waiting for other events to start doing what they did it worlds in the Milkhouse this year. They gave a warning about unattended backpacks, and then they started removing the backpacks to free up seating. They said it was a safety issue (which is reasonable with the proximity in time to the Boston Marathon bombing), but I am sure the scarcity (sp?) of seating was motivating as well.

 

[quitthedrama]

I am just waiting for other events to start doing what they did it worlds in the Milkhouse this year. They gave a warning about unattended backpacks, and then they started removing the backpacks to free up seating. They said it was a safety issue (which is reasonable with the proximity in time to the Boston Marathon bombing), but I am sure the scarcity (sp?) of seating was motivating as well.

The security staff employee that was in our section was hilarious. He had a whiteboard and would write different notes on it and hold it up to the crowd, and had such a great attitude when he was telling people over and over that they couldn't save seats. I don't know how he kept a smile on his face all weekend, but he was awesome!

 

[amy1k]

6. People seem to be crazy

I think it's interesting that my kid's teams only have competed at smaller venues (other that the Summit and there were no seating issues there for us) that had plenty of seats. It's like the fear that people won't get seats actually causes the seating issue. I don't think any of the competitions (in 5 years of competing) have had fewer seats than people.


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