CONFIRMATION PACKET
CONFIRMATION PACKET Beast of the East Winter Nationals Atlantic City, NJ January 16-18, 2015 118 NW 14th Avenue Gainesville, FL 32601 352-371-0775 phone 352-376-0487 fax spiritcheer.com Event Check List Verify Performance Times: Please go to www.spiritcheer.com to see your estimated performance times. If you foresee a conflict or if there are any other problems with the performance schedule, please email mia@varsitygainesville.com IMMEDIATELY. Be sure to check the website often for updates to the performance schedule. Event Check-In: All coaches must check-in at the Event Check-In table, located just outside Hall D of the Atlantic City Convention Center, at one of the following times: Friday from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM Saturday beginning at 7:00 AM. It is during check-in that you turn in all paperwork including USASF Rosters and bid intent forms, receive the most up-to-date performance schedule, and receive credentials for competitors and coaches. Note: any team that does not have at least one coach check-in during the specified time is subject to disqualification and no refund will be issued. Warm Up Check-In: All teams will need to check into Warm Ups one hour before their scheduled “Compete” time. Please see the diagram for an example of how the warm-ups will run. Spirit Cheer can only guarantee 30 minutes between performances for crossovers Distribute Credentials Efficiently: The coach of each team must arrive first to pick up all shoe tags for competitors and all bands for coaches. Please do not have team members arrive before the coach, as they will not be able to enter the performance hall without their shoe tags. Once the tags have been picked up by the coach, please arrange a time to distribute them to all competitors and coaches OR leave a representative outside the performance hall to meet team members as they arrive. ***Event staff will not be available to track down a coach for any competitors left waiting outside without a shoe tag. *** Mandatory Coaches Meeting: There will be a mandatory coaches meeting on Friday night at 9 PM. All organizations must have at least one coach in attendance. Coaches should plan on meeting at the Event Check-In at 8:45 PM for this meeting. Study Convention Center Map: Please study the Convention Center Layout Map. By doing so, you will understand how your competitors will move through the warm-up system and practice areas (follow numbers on the map) prior to and after their performance. Be sure to read the Frequently Asked Questions: By reading this section completely, you will have most of your questions answered before you even ask them! 118 NW 14th Avenue Gainesville, FL 32601 352-371-0775 phone 352-376-0487 fax spiritcheer.com Frequently Asked Questions General When should the coach/team arrive at the Convention Center or Arena? Teams and coaches should report to Check-In (#1 on Map) at least 1.5 to 2 hours prior to performance time to turn in paperwork and receive/distribute championship credentials. Teams then enter the warm-up system (number 2 on the map) 1 hour prior to their performance time. Where do we go to check-in? What if we have questions during the event? Event Check-In will be located just outside Hall D throughout the weekend and will serve as the check-in point for coaches, as well as the information booth for the remainder of the weekend. Please consult the representative at this table with all your event questions. If they don’t know the answer to your question, they’ll have the means to find someone who will. What is the charge for Convention Center parking? The daily parking rate is $15 for a 24 hour period. These rates are subject to change. When and where is the Mandatory Coaches Meeting? The mandatory coaches meeting will be held at 9 PM on Friday. Please report to event Check-In (outside Exhibit Hall D) at 8:45 for this meeting. All teams are required to send at least one coach to the meeting. What is the easiest and most economical way to feed my squad? Concessions will be available inside the Convention Center. A separate concession stand for COACHES ONLY will be located in Hall C. Coaches will need to show their wrist band at this concession stand. What do we do in the event of an emergency? Please use 911 for all medical emergencies outside of the Convention Center. For emergencies located inside the convention center, there will be EMTs on-site. How do our spectators purchase tickets? The ticket booths will be open beginning one hour prior to competition and throughout championship hours and is set up to accept CASH ONLY. Ask your spectators to buy tickets early to avoid standing in long lines and possibly missing the performance they came to see. Can we use a credit card to purchase event tickets? No. The ticket booth is setup for CASH ONLY sales. However, there is an ATM located nearby for your convenience. Registration What happens if I need to change divisions? Division changes less than 14 days but more than 5 days before the start of competition check-in will be subject to a $500.00 processing fee per performance division changed. To avoid this fee, all requests to change divisions must be received at least 14 days prior to the start of competition check-in. Spirit Cheer WILL NOT process division changes within 5 days of the start of competition check-in. Exceptions may be granted by the Tournament Director and may involve additional fees. If the number of members on your team changes, and as a result your team should be in a different division, for example small instead of large, it is the coach’s responsibility to request a division change. 118 NW 14th Avenue Gainesville, FL 32601 352-371-0775 phone 352-376-0487 fax spiritcheer.com Frequently Asked Questions, continued What if I need to change divisions or the order of performance after event check-in has started? Teams which perform out of order will be assessed a penalty and be subject to division change fees as outlined above. All team members should be prepared to perform in their scheduled time slot. If it is necessary to alter the order of competition because a team is not ready to perform, that team will be assessed a penalty and fees at the discretion of the Tournament Director. I have additions to my team(s). What should I do? Your team may be subject to disqualification, penalty points and additional fees for competing with more members than you registered and paid for, please be sure we are aware of all additions to your team(s). Competition Are spotters provided for All Star teams at competitions administered by Spirit Cheer? No. Spirit Cheer will not provide additional spotters at our events. The guidelines of the USASF outline the number of spotters that are required to safely perform the various stunts and pyramids that are choreographed into routines. Since we follow these guidelines, squads have already incorporated the proper number of spotters into their routines. Since these spotters are familiar with the flow of the routine, their capacity for inadvertent interference is greatly reduced. What are the dimensions of the performance floor? All teams will have a 54’ X 42’ (9-strips of foam) floor on which to compete (spring for all stars). Can I bring my music on a CD? Spirit Cheer encourages the use of MP3 players in lieu of CDs to avoid the risk of skipping. A CD player will be provided but keep in mind that custom-burned CDs do not always play properly and at least 2 backup CDs are necessary . Also, please be sure your CD is free of lint, fingerprints and scratches. Custom-burned CDs are not studio quality and may therefore be subject to skipping due to small scratches. What is the procedure for wearing shoe tags and wrist bands? These credentials identify you as a competitor or as a coach; they must remain on for the duration of the event. Wrist bands are waterproof so there is no need to remove them. These credentials grant you access to all performances and also into the warm-up area. NOTE: If a shoe tag or wrist band is lost or destroyed, you may be required to buy a ticket to watch or compete at the competition. What do I do if my shoe tag or wrist band breaks? In the unlikely event that this happens, you must bring ALL pieces of the original item to event Check-In in order to receive a new one. Otherwise, you may be required to buy a ticket to watch or compete at the event. When do we receive Score Sheets and/or Judges’ Comments? Score and Deduction sheets will be made available behind the judges platforms each day. Score sheets can ONLY be picked up by coaches of their teams. Any score sheet not picked up by the conclusion of the tournament will be discarded and only summary information will be available for coaches after the event. Why did you decide to weigh the two scores differently (Day One: 25% and Day Two: 75%)? We feel that it is best to emphasize consistency while at the same time giving a higher level of importance to the day two performance. After careful study, we feel all those participating in a tournament are better served with this format. Competitors are set up to do their best on day two because they are comfortable with their surroundings and they got the “jitters” out after going through warm-ups and performance on day one. Coaches, like their teams are less stressed on day two because they know where 118 NW 14th Avenue Gainesville, FL 32601 352-371-0775 phone 352-376-0487 fax spiritcheer.com Frequently Asked Questions, continued to be and when--they are also able to make adjustments for the final round when it counts most. Since day two performances are the ones that are given the most weight--rankings are more likely to be in line with the routines the spectators remember. And lastly, day two will be more exciting for everyone because a much higher percentage of the teams at a given event will have a realistic chance of winning or placing high in a given division, since the day two scores are weighed more heavily. Since Day One is 25% and Day Two is 75% of final score, how does this affect deduction points? Since the deduction points are subtracted from each day’s score, deduction points will be weighed the same as the Tier One Judge’s scores (25% on day one and 75% on day two). That would include all deduction types: falls and infractions. What happens if a Safety Violation is not caught on Day One, but is caught on Day Two – given the 25% vs. 75% ratio? The deductions panel makes every effort to catch all illegalities as they occur. However, on the rare occasion that a safety violation is not caught until Day Two, the infraction will still be enforced. A review will automatically be made of the Day One performance. If after review it is determined that the skill was performed legally on Day One or that the illegal skill was only added for Day Two, it will count as 75% of the total deduction score. If the skill was also performed illegally on Day One and should have been caught then, it will only count as 25% of the total deductions. We will not unfairly penalize a team because we missed something on Day One. Do we have to have our team picture taken? While it is not required, it is in your best interest to do so, as each team will be given a copy of this team photo. This photo fits nicely into the frame on your awards plaque received during the awards ceremony. What is your PHOTO/VIDEO Policy? Spectators are welcome to photograph/videotape any and all performances from spectator seating! Please keep in mind that all cameras must be handheld. Cameras MAY NOT be placed on a tripod as they are a tripping/traffic hazard. Cameras with removable lenses will not be allowed in the arena for the safety of the athletes. Those spectators wanting to order pictures or an event DVD may do so at the Universal Event Photography booth in the vendor area. What do we do with our items (duffle bags, make-up, etc.) once we enter the warm up room? We prefer that you make plans to store all personal items with some parents or spectators out in the arena (not backstage). Many times bags are left unattended and unsecured and we have had some items come up missing. Please plan ahead and have someone in your traveling party watch all your items and the belongings of your team members as your team moves through the practice areas and on to performance. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items. Does your staff ensure that all practice and performance surfaces are secure? Yes, the event staff makes a thorough check of all equipment before the event begins. However, through normal use during the event, it is possible that the status of the floors may change. While, we make every effort to make periodic checks, ultimately, you are responsible for looking over all practice floors, spring strips, and the performance floor for any defects before making use of the floor. Will Spirit Cheer be implementing new “cross velcro lines”? Yes, these additional Velcro lines will serve two purposes. They will help to ensure that the foam panels remain tightly adhered to each other AND they will give your athletes additional points of reference to keep formations clean and precise. Do coaches pay to come to this event? Up to two free coaches per team are allowed for each team of a given organization. Any additional coaches must pay the $50 coaches fee. 118 NW 14th Avenue Gainesville, FL 32601 352-371-0775 phone 352-376-0487 fax spiritcheer.com Frequently Asked Questions, continued Why would I pay the additional coach fee? The additional coaches fee grants the coach admission to all performances for the event and also grants access to the warm-up room. If there are coaches in your organization that are not covered by the Free Coach policy but do not need to be in the warmup room, it would be more economical for those coaches to simply pay the spectator price of admission. What is included for coaches that pay the additional coach fee? a) access to all performances b) access to the warm-up room c) free commemorative gift (if any). Do coaches that pay the additional coach fee receive a champion jacket if the team wins? No. Per policy, up to two coaches receive a champion jacket for any team achieving a First-Place finish. In the Solo & Group divisions, only the competitors themselves, not the coaches, receive champion jackets. Awards Where will the awards ceremonies take place? As Prep and Exhibition divisions only take the floor once, their award ceremonies will be in Flex Hall on Saturday. All other award ceremonies will take place in Hall C throughout the day on Sunday. Please see the schedule for times. There will be no solo/group competition for this event. Does each team competitor receive a trophy? No, each competitor does not receive an individual trophy. However, all competitors will receive an individual medal. Who gets awards? National Champions in non-prep divisions or exhibition divisions receive a team banner and letterman jacket. The top 3 teams in each division receive medals for each participant and a placement plaque (Gold, Silver, Bronze). All other teams receive Superior plaques and medals. Team plaques have a picture frame incorporated to accommodate the free team photo they will receive. What happens if my team is the only team in a division? We realize that you come to nationals looking to compete. Therefore we do make division combinations where appropriate. However, should a combination not be reasonable, your score will be compared against those of the same level for our level champion award. What is the National Champion Jacket distribution procedure? Only paid members of the team and up to two pre-registered coaches receive jackets. ONLY THE COACH should report to the jacket distribution table to obtain a Jacket Summary Form. The coach will meet with the team to determine the sizes desired and return to the distribution table to submit the form. Our staff will then place the desired sizes in a box for the coach to deliver to the team. All team members should try on their jacket to ensure a proper fit and exchange with other team members when possible. If the exchange among team members does not accommodate everyone, the coach may then return to the jacket distribution table to request an exchange. 118 NW 14th Avenue Gainesville, FL 32601 352-371-0775 phone 352-376-0487 fax spiritcheer.com Frequently Asked Questions, continued Hotel Tracking Information Why are you requesting our hotel information for this event? Facility dates and space are always at a premium. In order to try to secure dates and space that work well for our customers, we must demonstrate to the Convention and Visitors Bureau for a given city that our event has a significant amount of economic impact on the hotels, shopping, etc. The CVB looks at the hotel room nights booked for a given event as its primary indicator. Please do take a moment to discuss with your organization and complete the HOTEL TRACKING INFO sheet and bring it with you when you report to championship check-in. Your assistance in this matter will go a long way toward helping secure dates and space that will foster many successful years for this competition. THANK YOU! Departure We care about your experience at Spirit Cheer and would be happy to listen to any suggestions you might have so that we can be sure to deliver the best competition experience in the industry! If you have any thoughts on how we can improve, please reply to the email you receive after the event. Be safe traveling home. We look forward to seeing you and your teams next year in Atlantic City! 118 NW 14th Avenue Gainesville, FL 32601 352-371-0775 phone 352-376-0487 fax spiritcheer.com HOTEL INFORMATION Tournament Housing Service is excited to bring you Partner Perfect Hotels – great hotel rooms plus a rebate for your program. Our new program rewards YOU the customer for staying in our partner hotels by giving your program back $5.00 for every room night you book! You can also earn FREE coaches rooms and it's as easy as clicking a button! Visit www.thsweb.com to book your hotel rooms today! We know making housing arrangements for your teams can be challenging. We have developed a system to accommodate your group's unique booking requirements, making the process easier than ever and an exciting fundraiser for your team! Benefits of the Partner Perfect Hotels Rebate Program: $5.00 per room night booked and utilized will be paid back to your team! For every 15 nights booked and paid you receive your 16th night FREE (be sure to look in “Show Details” for the hotels that are participating in this program) Booking your Hotels is easy....Simply visit spiritcheer.com or thsweb.com and you'll be on your way! We have negotiated the best rates at the best hotels. All you have to do is decide which hotel fits your needs! You can manage your room block and make changes to your rooming list online. Your room types are GUARANTEED! For those teams that book individually instead of as a group, you can still earn $5.00 per room night back for your team by simply noting your team name at the time of reserving your room. All individual reservations will still get credited to your organization for the rebate. (Please note—for individuals booking separately there must be at least 5 rooms booked with the same team name to get rebate back for team). Questions about Partner Perfect Hotels Rebate Program: When will we receive our rebate? THS will issue rebate checks 30 days after the event. When will we get credit for our comp or coaches rooms? Immediately, this will always be applied to the designated room specified by your organization and will be subject to your pick-up at the time of check-in. What if we always set up our blocks through a travel agent and they rely on a commission? We can work with them. Simply call THS Reservations Department at 888-536-8326. We are not able to give team rebate and travel agent commission. The team will need to choose to whom the rebate will go: the team or the travel agent. Why has Spirit Cheer gone with this new program? Quite simply, it has become the only way that we can continue to get the desirable hotels, in the exciting cities, with the premium competition venues on the dates you want! Hotels request that we do this so they can fill their properties. The Convention and Visitor's Bureaus love Partner Perfect Hotels because they can get an accurate reporting on what impact our event had on their city which in turn gets relayed to the facilities – so that we can get the space we need to run a good event on the dates you want! By staying in our partner properties you are patronizing the hotels who TRULY value your business and who have jumped in and said they want to work with us to host a great event in this city! When we all work together EVERYONE WINS! 118 NW 14th Avenue Gainesville, FL 32601 352-371-0775 phone 352-376-0487 fax spiritcheer.com Spirit Cheer Events 2015-2016 Showdown in OTown Nationals Orlando, FL December 12, 2015 (Tentative) Beast of the East Winter Nationals Atlantic City, NJ January 16-17, 2016 Best of the Northwest Nationals Tacoma, WA February 13-14, 2016 South Florida Nationals Miami, FL February 20-21, 2016 Motown Madness Detroit, MI March 18-20, 2016 All-American in conjunction with the American Open Orlando, FL March 4-6, 2016 Minuteman Mass Nationals Worcester, MA April 10, 2016 (Tentative) *Dates are subject to change. Please check www.spiritcheer.com often for final 2014-2015 event dates. 118 NW 14th Avenue Gainesville, FL 32601 352-371-0775 phone 352-376-0487 fax spiritcheer.com Cheer Performance Floor Markings 118 NW 14th Avenue Gainesville, FL 32601 352-371-0775 phone 352-376-0487 fax spiritcheer.com 118 NW 14th Avenue Gainesville, FL 32601 352-371-0775 phone 352-376-0487 fax spiritcheer.com WATER 8 Judges Floor Performance On Deck 7 FIRST AID WATER 4 4 4 Vendors NSF 5 SPRING FLOOR NSF 5 SPRING FLOOR NSF 5 SPRING FLOOR 2 3 3 CHECK IN WARM-UP Concessions and Restrooms In the Hole NSF NSF NSF Vendors 4 5 SPRING FLOOR 4 5 SPRING FLOOR 4 5 SPRING FLOOR FLEX HALL FIRST AID WATER Sound Table Vendors Judges Floor Performance REPLAY AND GIFTS Levels 1, 2, 3 (Youth and Junior), Dance, Prep, Rec, Exhibition, Special Athletes Main Entrance Entrance to Hall C EVENT 1 CHECK IN Coaches’ (Downstairs) Ticket Box Office HALL C— AWARDS 8. Performance Floor: Good luck! 3. Photo Station: After reporting to warm-up check-in, team pictures will be Note: There is a mandatory coaches meeting on Friday evening at 9 PM. Every organization must have at least one coach attend. Meet at Championship Check In (#1) at 8:45 PM to attend. 7. On Deck: Approximately 6 minutes 2. Warm-Up Check-In: Report here one hour prior to team performance. 1. Championship Check-In: Upon arrival at the Atlantic City Convention Center, taken here. coaches report here to turn in paperwork and receive championship creden4. 18x54 Non-Spring Floor (NSF): Approximately 12 minutes tials. Coaches must arrange a time to distribute the credentials to their com5. 54x42 Sprung Floor: Approximately 12 minutes petitors and coaches. No one will be allowed to enter the arena without them. 6. In the Hole: Approximately 6 minutes Sound Table REPLAY AND GIFTS 9 6 WARM-UP AREA Vendors HALL D LEVELS 3 (Senior), 4, 5, 6 Vendors January 16-18, 2015 TEAM PHOTO Vendors Spirit Cheer Beast of the East Arena Layout Map TEAM PHOTO Jacket WINNERS CIRCLE ALL STAR TEAM ROSTER About the USASF The US All Star Federation (USASF) was founded in 2003 with the core principle of making All Star a safer sport by establishing fair and consistent rules and competition standards. The organization credentials coaches, certifies safety judges, sanctions events and maintains and adjusts (as needed) safety guidelines, all with the goal of providing the safest possible environment for cheer and dance athletes to train and compete. We are a not for profit corporation established in Tennessee and are governed by Bylaws, officers, a Board of Directors, and 15 standing committees. The day to day operation of the USASF is handled by full time, part time, and volunteer staff. Athlete Membership Started August 1, 2014 A new, comprehensive and streamlined Athlete Membership program began with the 201415 membership season. An annual Athlete Membership fee of $30 for all athletes began August 1, 2014. Athlete ID is EASY Step 1: Prior to attending your first event in the 2014-2015 season, register all cheer and dance athletes by entering information in member profiles at USASF.net. Athlete birth certificates will be uploaded to USASF secure serves for birthdate verification by USASF staff. Once birthdates are verified, birth certificate files are digitally destroyed and not stored on any server. Step 2: Create and print USASF Official Event Rosters for each team prior to each event and submit to event producers at the event. 118 NW 14th Avenue Gainesville, FL 32601 352-371-0775 phone 352-376-0487 fax spiritcheer.com SPIRIT CHEER—BEAST OF THE EAST 2014-2015 WORLDS BID INTENTION FORM Please complete the information below to declare your Worlds Bid intent. This form needs to be filled out and returned to Spirit Cheer by the conclusion of the coaches’ meeting at the event. If we do not have this form on file, it will be assumed that your teams do not intend to accept any bids to the 2015 Cheerleading Worlds from Spirit Cheer. Please fill out one form per program and include ALL of your eligible teams on the form regardless if they currently have a bid. For the At-Large bids, please indicate YES ONLY if you intend to use the At-Large bid if awarded one. The divisions eligible for a Worlds Bid are listed below. Program Name: Contact Name: Cell Phone Number: Spirit Cheer will be awarding 3 Paid Bids and 6 At-Large bids to the 2015 Cheerleading Worlds. The following divisions are eligible for consideration: Will this team accept a PAID BID? (circle one) Will this team accept an AT LARGE BID? (circle one) Worlds Senior Small Level 5 Team Name: ________________________________________ 12-18 Years No Males 5-20 Members YES NO YES NO Worlds Senior Medium Level 5 Team Name: ________________________________________ 12-18 Years No Males 21-30 Members YES NO YES NO Worlds Senior Large Level 5 Team Name: ________________________________________ 12-18 Years No Males 31-36 Members YES NO YES NO Worlds Senior Small Coed Level 5 Team Name: ________________________________________ 12-18 Years 1-4 Males 5-20 Members YES NO YES NO Worlds Senior Medium Coed Level 5 Team Name: ________________________________________ 12-18 Years 1-8 Males 5-30 Members YES NO YES NO Worlds Senior Large Coed Level 5 Team Name: ________________________________________ 12-18 Years 1-18 Males 5-36 Members YES NO YES NO Worlds International Open Level 5 Team Name: ________________________________________ 14+ Years No Males 5-24 Members YES NO Worlds International Open Coed Level 5 Team Name: ________________________________________ 14+ Years 1-12 Males 5-24 Members YES NO Worlds International Open Level 6 Team Name: ________________________________________ 17+ Years No Males 5-24 Members YES NO Worlds International Open Coed Level 6 Team Name: ________________________________________ 17+ Years 1-15 Males 5-24 Members YES NO How the bids are awarded: One Paid Bid to the highest scoring All-Girl Team (International Open Teams are not eligible) One Paid Bid to the highest scoring Coed Team (International Open Teams are not eligible) One Paid Bid to next highest scoring All Girl or Coed Team (International Open Teams are not eligible) Four At-Large Bids to the next highest All-Girl or Coed Team (International Open Teams are not eligible) Two At-Large Bids to the next highest All-Girl or Coed Teams (International Open Teams ARE eligible) Our 50% policy requires programs to bring approximately 50% of their competitive program in order to be bid eligible. Teams from programs that do not adhere to this policy will be placed into a "NON-WORLDS" division. Programs traveling more than 400 miles are exempt from this policy. *This bid distribution procedure is subject to change at the discretion of the tournament director. 118 NW 14th Avenue Gainesville, FL 32601 352-371-0775 phone 352-376-0487 fax spiritcheer.com 2015 Spirit Cheer Summit Bid Declaration Spirit Cheer is proud to award 37 total bids to The Summit including 6 paid bids. EVENT Beast of the East Best of the Northwest Motor City Nationals All American LOCATION Atlantic City, NJ Tacoma, WA Detroit, MI Orlando, FL DATES Jan 17-18 Feb 21-22 Mar 21-22 Mar 27-28 TOTAL PAID 3 1 1 0 5 CHEER AT LARGE 12 6 5 0 23 DANCE PAID AT LARGE 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 8 National Champions and 2nd place teams in qualifying Summit divisions are eligible for paid and at large bids. Teams placing below 2nd place in qualifying Summit divisions may be considered for at large bids only. Bids will be awarded at the discretion of the tournament director taking into account the following criteria: Score, Sportsmanship, Level Distribution (cheer) and Division Distribution (dance). In an effort to most fairly award bids, the following metrics will also be taken into consideration: Percentage of Perfection within the levels Placement within the divisions Depth of divisions Depth of teams within levels If a team has previously been awarded an at large bid they are eligible to earn a paid bid. If a team has previously earned a paid bid they are not eligible to earn any additional bids. *Summit Bid banners will be awarded once the bid distribution process for each Spirit Cheer event is complete. *This bid distribution procedure is subject to change at the discretion of the tournament director. See you at the SUMMIT. May 2-3, 2015 at the Walt Disney World Resort. 118 NW 14th Avenue Gainesville, FL 32601 352-371-0775 phone 352-376-0487 fax spiritcheer.com
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