VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — When we go to school sporting events, we really just want to have fun, but it’s also important to be safe.

Aside from not bringing weapons to school property, which is extremely important, there are so many little things you might not think of that will add up to the best outcome should the worst happen.

Local police recommend you arrive early to a big game when you know there will be a large crowd.

“Make sure that they are aware of their emergency exits, and pay attention to them,” said Virginia Beach Police Officer Jude Brenya. “Do not bring the prohibited items to that sport facility. So, that could mean, if it’s a school event, go into the school website to look up sporting events and see what list of prohibited items that they’re not allowed to bring to the sports facility.”

Brenya also said that if you go to an event with a group, set up a meeting spot in case you get separated.

“In case an emergency happens, and everybody has to evacuate that facility, you guys can establish that meeting spot and meet there because during some of these things, sometimes cell service can go out or take a while for you to get in contact with somebody,” Brenya said. “So, by setting up that meeting spot, most of the time you will eliminate having to worry about where your child is, where your parent is. So, once that meet meeting spot is established, and an emergency happened, you guys can meet there and then move forward from there.”

Also, consider paring down the amount of items you take with you to the game, and keep any valuables you have in sight.

“If you have a backpack or a purse, you should keep it up close to your front,” Brenya said. “We always encourage doing that. Always keep your valuables in sight. Don’t put your purse or bookbag down, and then you [get] distracted by a conversation. Next thing you know, somebody could come and pick it up.

“So, we always encourage people to keep their personal property tied to your body. The front pockets are the best place to keep your personal property valuables because it’s right in front of you. It’s very difficult for somebody to approach you through the front and try to take things out of your pocket, but in your back pocket, phones, wallet, they could be sticking out. So, it could be easy for somebody to bump into you, and then that’s how sometimes pickpocket happens.”

Weapons are a no go, but what if you have a concealed carry permit?

“If they have a concealed carry permit, that still makes it illegal for you to carry a firearm onto a school property,” Brenya said. “So, school property is one of the areas that is exempt. So, even though you have a concealed carry weapon, that still does not mean that you could carry a firearm onto that property.”

One of the most important things you can do, Brenya said, is to put your phone away and pay attention.

“We just encourage a lot of people to be aware of the surroundings,” Brenya said. “including crossing the roadways, even in the parking lot to pick their head up. Their text message, their social media, it can wait until you get home.”

Brenya also said you need to get in the right mindset for a crowded event. You know it’s going to be packed, you know that means it may take some time to get in and out of the event, so be patient, follow instructions by security, be kind and everyone can have a good time.