Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

I'm curious to know if any other drive teams have any kind of rituals before going out for a match and how you started doing these.

Before every match we each eat a Life Savers Wint O Green mint. This started becoming a thing this year at the Bayou Regional when our Pit Boss had some of these mints in her purse that she would give to us before every match. Since we ranked second and almost won the regional, we decided that the mints helped us do better in matches, so now we carry a big bag of them in our robot cart :D.

Also, our Human Player does ten push-ups before every match. This started when our drive team (minus our coach who thought we were stupid) decided to do push-ups in queue towards the end of Champs. Our Operator and I stopped after that, but our Human Player kept doing it because he's a show-off or something. Not that doing ten push-ups is all that impressive, but whatever.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

When I was a freshman, our driver held his arms out to make sure we were all behind the line for autonomous. I think he got it from a previous technokat driver (picture attached). When I started on drive team I started doing it as well.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

We've never really had any other than running back out on the field to turn on the robot.

Not actually a tradition, but I was on the drive team all 4 years, and forgot to turn the robot on for at least one match every single year.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Team 2052 didn't have one. I suggested to the drive team since our robot name was "Termite" this year that when the announcer announces our team number and name, is that they should move their hands like the pincers on a termite while looking at the game announcer. Unfortunately, I don't think they liked the idea or something like that.. I wasn't expecting them to do it anyway since I was joking.. it would be kinda creepy too to the announcer I guess..

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

That would have been cool. But yeah, maybe a little creepy, too.

I almost forgot about another one of our rituals! At every regional we attend where Greg Needel is the Emcee, we write I <3 Greg on our hands and hold them up to the glass whenever he comes over to introduce us. At one regional last year he replied with a heart and 3481 on his hand haha.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

It was a ritual we hold so clear and dear to our team.

I can't think of a match where we didnt do the ritual.

We always called it... "Deploying the code"

And the inevitable "IS IT DONE YET!"

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Usually there's some sort of dancing, often initiated by myself and followed by our partners either joining in, or shooting weird looks at us.

During our more crucial matches, we do hype circles, which consist of the four of us locking arms in a circle and jumping around while getting increasingly louder.

...yeah

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

I don't know if you could all it a ritual, but our drive team added some meme to their announcer response throughout Champs this year:
https://youtu.be/6ngkx8mZ54Y?t=71

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Nothing rings so true to the depths of my soul as a programmer sharing these events with my drive team.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

In 2015 on drive team we would listen to Centuries by Falloutboy before every match, and not give the announcer our giant wrench/team mascot for team introduction. Every match we forgot to do this we would perform worse.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Everyone on our drive team is going to take a spoon full of maple syrup before every match at IRI to channel our inner simbot.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

For 4272's Drive Team this year we would say "A good turn for good luck" and each member of our drive team would tighten a different nut on our bumper assembly.

It was also great for making sure our bumpers were on and secure.

I think it is very important to have a pre-match ritual, like a golfer taking off his glove before putting, it is important to get ready and focused for every match. If your team doesn't already have one it's never too late to make one!

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Telling the queuer that came to visit our pit that we are on our way.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

At the beginning of the season, my 3D printed princess crown got broken so I designed and printed a new one in ninjaflex. At my team's first district event of the season, our main driver asked to wear it because he said that it gave him mojo and our team ended up winning the event. Two weeks later, I was cheering on a friend's team at an out of state regional. Their lead driver was not feeling super confident going into elims so I let him wear the crown and they ended up becoming finalist and getting a wildcard to worlds. The crown ended up being named the "Mojo Crown" and helped our team seed first at our other district event and at the district champs, and helped our team advance the farthest we have ever gone at worlds.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Breaking the robot is probably the best pre-match/match ritual... Either it breaks because something got changed and wasn't done correctly, either it breaks during the game. Oh, and trying to convince a friendly human player to be the spy to help us shoot :)

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Last year our most extraverted lead driver (ever) did "high-fives all around" for every match. In elims he'd do it with the entire alliance. Pretty fun.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

GUS's ritual this year involved hopping as the team is being announced, then doing this weird thing where you lean back and wiggle your arms like noodles. Occasionally, someone does The Dab at the end.

The pre-match ritual I think is really important to the success of a drive team, no matter how silly it is. Generating some hype, unity among your drive team, building excitement, and focusing on something that isn't directly related to the match ahead are all positive things sometimes. If your hype is elaborate enough, going into that match with an early "win" in pulling off your little ritual / routine is always nice.

In a few matches this year, we had a very long wait time before they started, and out of boredom more than anything else we just generated lots of hype with the entire alliance in advance of the match. We won every one of those matches and it was even more exciting than normal - there was so much unity on the alliance.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Before every elimination match:

I ask the drive team: "What are we gonna do?"

The required response: "Have fun!"

Repeat ~3 times.

This helps remind our whole drive team unit why we do what we do. It's especially important when playing deep into Saturday and students can have a tendency to be stressed/nervous. Also manages to get a smile out of the kids occasionally :D

-Mike

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

We don't have one as a team, but looking back I would pace to the human play station to our drive stations with one hand on my head and the other hand holding my clipboard about 3 times, probably out of stress. I managed to do it pretty much before every match.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Every match, every regional, every competiton, before the robot leaves for the field, we ALWAYS do a "GO SPARX ON 3" as loud as we can in the pits. If you've been at a competiton with us, chances are you've heard it.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

We do a full systems check and ensure we have a fresh battery installed.

Oh wait, you meant voodoo rituals...

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

THIS MEANS WAR.

But in all reality, it's gotten much better since we switched from Labview to Java because now it takes 30 seconds as opposed to 20 minutes (and no, this is not an exaggeration).

Anyways, our drive team does a chest bump when the announcer says our team number.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

We rub our hands together menacingly. Every time we do it, Autonomous seems to work properly.

"plus fifty to roast"

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

On 5870 I'd always make an effort to high five every team we played with. Gave me an idea who was a really nice and happy team and who was all work no play. Got some smiles and some eye rolls so I'd say it worked

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Yup. You guys were right across from us on Carson.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

We always do a crossed fist bump. I'm not sure how the tradition started but it existed before I joined the team four years ago. Before every elims match, my drivers and I would do it. Getting a crossed fist bump was always the best congrats we could get. Our mentor started it, and his last name is Goodenough-so, naturally, we have shirts with the crossed fists on it that read 'Goodenough Since 2009'.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

We have too many to count...

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Being on drive team and now being the coach on the field the last year theirs several that the team and I do .As the drive coach I push the robotics cart and hold a specific bumper on the robot every season and I wear my cap backwards during every regional and district event.Recently, in the last few years our drive team in recent years we have been discussing what silly dance moves where doing during driver introductions and to get hype .If we Win our match our next match is a silly dance move if we lose, then its a simple hands clap.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

I'll say it since I don't believe anyone else has yet:

- Carry robot onto the field
- Turn robot on
- setup driver station
- go over match strategy with driver one last time

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Looks like quite the short pre-match checklist. So you don't put the cart out of harm's way? Line up the robot for auton? Select the auton mode decided upon during alliance strategy?

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Cart - nope. That's what field reset is for <joke>
Line up robot - that's the robot's job
select auton - my robot has one autonomous; (Pokemon) GO.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

We used to have a driver that would buy boxes and boxes of Milk Duds before regionals and eat them in between matches for energy.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

In 2014 My co driver and I used to do a Shake 'n Bake fist bump before the after placing the robot on the field.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

I see what you did there

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

A rule of thumb is to not pick your driver the night before load-in at the first event.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Or after Friday night at your first event.

Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Or pick a drive coach 15 minutes before your first practice match...

May or may not have first hand experience with this...

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Wait...you're supposed to have a driver? I guess I should have read past the Autonomous section in the manual :D

Silly programmers...

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

If the match is delayed significantly (I.E. more than a minute or two), we go lay on the field in front of our robot.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Last year my team didn't really do anything for a drive team ritual but this year me and the other driver on our team made a handshake during build season so we started doing the handshake before the matches started. This helped me calm down before the match started and helped me stay focused. If we messed up the handshake we would have to do it again, its like our good luck charm. I also make sure all of my team is behind the line by watching their shoes to see how close they are to the line.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Was that new this year? In 2014, when they announced our name, we would just bang on the plexiglass.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Nothing weird. Our coach just has to wear a jacket tied around his waist, or else we lose (scientifically proven since 2011).

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

That's something I've done but in retrospect it seems kinda gross.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Pretty sure what happened is that once of the regionals banned banging on the glass so the drive team substituted.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

2410's has our well known hat tip.

When I was driver in 2013, we also did the "I believe" chant before matches while huddled in a circle. It got some strange looks while in queue.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

We always bang on the plexiglass, and the drive team is usually dancing behind the driver station before every match, just to relieve stress.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

We have someone yell watch your feet when they say drivers behind the line just in case someone wasn't paying attention. It's very effective.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Then I guess that makes us "Drive Team Pre-Match Rituals" buddies :D

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Whenever we would place the robot on the field, I would give our human player a double high five, go to the alliance station, and give our operator and coach a double high five. It might seem stupid but it helped me stay positive and calm during the match.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

When I was on 3098 we had a special ritual that is secret I believe they still do to this day so cant spill the beans and we also would when we won a match we would chew a piece of gum and when we lost start with none. after I graduated and moved on to 5053 we do a funny messing around when they call our names and I let the students choose what we do to relieve stress and have some fun before the match starts. There favorite was "Give it all the beans!" I think it came after i challenged them to go for 6 totes in recycle rush.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

During one of our later quals matches at IRI, we were waiting "on deck" and one of the members of our alliance pointed out that we had a seven wheel drive. I was puzzled for a few moments until I looked down and realized that our left rear wheel was missing. This was soon followed by our drive coach running back to the pit for allen keys and our driver and I frantically removing the bumper (which required deploying part of our climber) to attaching the wheel.

Thankfully, this doesn't happen too often, but our drive team had had their fair share of running (or power walking as fast as humanly possible) back to the pit to grab the team standard/fresh battery/3D printed camera mount/status light mount/ratchet pawl/programmer disguised with a safety captain button.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

I should point out that this one doesn't work very often. Queuing tends to catch on pretty quickly.

That being said, I do recall hearing an announcement for a particular 330 programmer to go to somewhere near the field or pit back in my student days... Don't recall what about. Might have been shortly before the match where the drive team didn't quite catch that they were almost out of time in a timeout and came "speedwalking" with the robot on the cart to put it onto the field... right after the MC got the teams introduced. (Back in '04, for match 2 of a regional finals).

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Not when they're Dome staff! :D
(They seemed to swap around every hour or so)

We loaded code in queue behind the curtain a few times, but I don't remember doing it as we were waiting next to the field. By the time we got to Einstein, nobody really paid attention. They just wanted to robot connected to the FMS as fast as possible.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Our driver has been our lead programmer for the past two years. This has some interesting drawbacks and benefits, such as the ability to make VERY last minute changes to autonomous code. We're at a little less than a 50% success rate on autonomous codes that we modified in the queue, but that's more than we deserve.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

As I always say to my programming team:

There must always be a programmer on drive team...

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

Since our Rookie Year, our Human Player is always someone on the build team to fix things that break, our two drivers are always programmers (to fix the things that break that the Human Player can't fix), and our Drive Coach is often the person who knows the rules the best, though we don't really select a drive coach with any specific criteria.

Re: Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?
 

As the driver my PreMatch ritual generally consists of:

1. Run between the alliance members and make sure they know the strategy, and (this year) remind them to be on the batter the last few seconds
2. jump up and down and wave my arms wildly
3. generally yell OH SH*T I DIDNT CHOOSE THE AUTO
4. choose the auto
5. triple check controllers
6. jump up and down a bit more and shake out my nerves
7. calm down and clear my head for a few seconds
8. grin really big at my team and say something along the lines of "let's do this"
9. hold arms out to make sure everyone is behind the line