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smitikshah 12-02-2017 12:30

Drive Coach Strategies/Ideas
 
This will be my second year as drive coach for our team. After reviewing old matches from champs last year, and just a general conversations with other drive coaches in FIRST, I realized how different many people take the role.

Last year I would go to the different teams on our alliance before matches and whiteboard our strategy based on capabilities of our opposing alliance's bots, keep a general track of our score through the match, and advise (okay, more like yell) at our alliance members during a change of strategy or if they aren't adhering to our plan.

What do other drive coaches you know of do? I'd love to learn more efficient ways of handling the role.

Jay O'Donnell 12-02-2017 13:13

Re: Drive Coach Strategies/Ideas
 
My biggest advice to keep your plans fluid. Have contingencies for if different things go right or wrong. Be able to change your team and alliance strategies during the match quickly.

And also be nice behind the glass. A lot of students don't drive as well when some coach from another team gets way too competitive and screams at them (trust me I've been both the driver and other coach having to deal with coaches like this).

Brian Michell 12-02-2017 13:27

Re: Drive Coach Strategies/Ideas
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay O'Donnell (Post 1643732)
Have contingencies for if different things go right or wrong. Be able to change your team and alliance strategies during the match quickly.

Be able to wave off your drivers if something isn't working correctly. Discuss said contingencies before the game starts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay O'Donnell (Post 1643732)
And also be nice behind the glass.

Ask for help when needed clearly and concisely when you're behind the glass. Trust that other teams know what they are doing when they go off script and kindly remind them if you see them breaking a rule.

Keep your cool. I have always viewed the coach as a resource to ground the drive team. If a match doesn't go your way be gracious and let your team see that you've put it behind you, even if you haven't.

smitikshah 12-02-2017 13:28

Re: Drive Coach Strategies/Ideas
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay O'Donnell (Post 1643732)
My biggest advice to keep your plans fluid. Have contingencies for if different things go right or wrong. Be able to change your team and alliance strategies during the match quickly.

And also be nice behind the glass. A lot of students don't drive as well when some coach from another team gets way too competitive and screams at them (trust me I've been both the driver and other coach having to deal with coaches like this).

Fair.

I didn't communicate this well in the original post, but I was also wondering if anyone had different things they bring with them. I.e. to keep score, for notes, etc.

Jay O'Donnell 12-02-2017 13:30

Re: Drive Coach Strategies/Ideas
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by smitikshah (Post 1643740)
Fair.

I didn't communicate this well in the original post, but I was also wondering if anyone had different things they bring with them. I.e. to keep score, for notes, etc.

I would say no, you should be watching the field. I would suggest having someone in the stands recording the matches and then watching them with your drivers after and going over how to improve.

CalTran 12-02-2017 13:42

Re: Drive Coach Strategies/Ideas
 
Fluid coaching. Work with your drive team when they practice; make call outs and ask them what information they want to hear during a match. Some drivers like time call outs, some just prefer score call outs.

Keep an eye on everything that isn't your team's robot - let your driver worry about driving, your job is to keep them informed about everything that isn't your robot's direct path.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay O'Donnell (Post 1643732)
And also be nice behind the glass. A lot of students don't drive as well when some coach from another team gets way too competitive and screams at them (trust me I've been both the driver and other coach having to deal with coaches like this).

This. There's such a difference between projecting your voice and straight yelling at the drivers. Yeah, it's impossible to hear behind the glass sometimes, but it can get stressful when you're focusing on the robot with people in both ears yelling and the music.

One of the best coaches I've seen was the drive coach from 3612, the Gearhogs. He was, by far, the most calm coach, and had this loud but soothing voice and would always stay positive and point out positives at the end of every mach to his alliance partners.

Tungrus 12-02-2017 13:43

Re: Drive Coach Strategies/Ideas
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by smitikshah (Post 1643721)
I'd love to learn more efficient ways of handling the role.

Congrats! One to realize to learn and get better at what they are doing is one of the greatest asset. Personally I never liked one who yells or boss around alliance partners. For an alliance to succeed the need to have mutual respect. In the heat of competition some times thing go wrong, anger and yelling will not change anything, except raising frustration among partners.

One thing I have learnt from Mr. Bollinger the coach from team 2337, the Enginerds is to show respect to other partners especially the alliance captain during play offs.

Ekcrbe 12-02-2017 14:00

Re: Drive Coach Strategies/Ideas
 
From my experience on a drive team (as I, too, am still learning the ropes of coaching)...

As a driver, I always appreciated being given space from other teams' coaches, both in terms of match strategy and communication on the field. That means that things often work best when each team is performing tasks they are comfortable with. If you come in trying to bend the alliance's strategy to your will and make your partners do what you want, it can get very uncomfortable for the their drivers and coaches, who are put in an unfamiliar position against their will. If you think the alliance really needs to work some way, just make sure you get buy-in. It also means that during a match, I didn't want other teams' coaches talking to me. It's an unfamiliar voice and it's not fun to hear conflicting instructions from your own coach and someone else. Try to keep all the communication among the coaches, and let your fellow coaches interact with their own students.

smitikshah 12-02-2017 14:15

Re: Drive Coach Strategies/Ideas
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by CalTran (Post 1643746)
This. There's such a difference between projecting your voice and straight yelling at the drivers. Yeah, it's impossible to hear behind the glass sometimes, but it can get stressful when you're focusing on the robot with people in both ears yelling and the music.

Lol so I guess my little input of yelling was not taken as I intended it to be. I don't verbally assault the drivers, rather as you said project my voice for say either time or score. But that's not really what I intended this thread to be. Like I said earlier, I was wondering about any tips or tricks coaches had. Yesterday at the Long Island FTC Champs, there were a decent number of coaches with clipboard, reading something off of it, and making notes of sorts. I meant to ask if any other people do anything like this.

smitikshah 12-02-2017 14:19

Re: Drive Coach Strategies/Ideas
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Ekcrbe (Post 1643755)
If you come in trying to bend the alliance's strategy to your will and make your partners do what you want, it can get very uncomfortable for the their drivers and coaches, who are put in an unfamiliar position against their will.

Which is why we decide on strategy before matches :D .

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ekcrbe (Post 1643755)
Try to keep all the communication among the coaches, and let your fellow coaches interact with their own students.

I agree with this, and during comps I make sure to only talk to my driver/operator/hp, and the other teams' coaches.

Ekcrbe 12-02-2017 14:28

Re: Drive Coach Strategies/Ideas
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by smitikshah (Post 1643760)
Which is why we decide on strategy before matches :D .

I mean when you're deciding strategy before matches. It's certainly possible to tell your partners "I know what we need to do" and then get half-hearted agreements out of them, but if they don't feel any ownership of the plan, it won't go well. You can walk away thinking things were decided together, and your partners can walk away thinking things have been decided for them. At least in my experience, the best thing to hear from another coach is "What do you like to do?"

And to piggyback on a well-deserved shout out from Tungrus, Clint Bollinger from Team 2337 is always one of the best to work with.

CalTran 12-02-2017 14:28

Re: Drive Coach Strategies/Ideas
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by smitikshah (Post 1643759)
Lol so I guess my little input of yelling was not taken as I intended it to be. I don't verbally assault the drivers, rather as you said project my voice for say either time or score.

I figured you didn't literally abuse drivers. That would be very bad.

Quote:

Yesterday at the Long Island FTC Champs, there were a decent number of coaches with clipboard, reading something off of it, and making notes of sorts. I meant to ask if any other people do anything like this.
FTC it's a lot easier to look away from the field because the field is like a quarter of the size and you won't lose track of things. Plus you can probably keep everything in at least your peripheral vision. After action reports probably wouldn't be a terrible idea though; especially if your team is one of the ones that videos every match so you can compare your notes and do additional reviews.

Plus after a couple of regionals, you could start making your very own Driver Manual for current and future students to learn from.

Ekcrbe 12-02-2017 14:33

Re: Drive Coach Strategies/Ideas
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by CalTran (Post 1643764)
After action reports probably wouldn't be a terrible idea though; especially if your team is one of the ones that videos every match so you can compare your notes and do additional reviews.

Quick feedback and analysis is the best. We always had a team member with a media pass recording our robot during matches. The first thing the drive team would do after getting the robot back to the pits was watch our performance from the last match and make mental notes of things to improve on. It's a helpful routine if you have the capability to do it.

CalTran 12-02-2017 14:37

Re: Drive Coach Strategies/Ideas
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Ekcrbe (Post 1643767)
Quick feedback and analysis is the best. We always had a team member with a media pass recording our robot during matches. The first thing the drive team would do after getting the robot back to the pits was watch our performance from the last match and make mental notes of things to improve on. It's a helpful routine if you have the capability to do it.

I meant like both vocal and literally writing it down for review after the day has "ended."

Ekcrbe 12-02-2017 14:40

Re: Drive Coach Strategies/Ideas
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by CalTran (Post 1643768)
I meant like both vocal and literally writing it down for review after the day has "ended."

Sure. I realized that what I was saying wasn't exactly the same thing you brought up, but it jogged my mind and I remembered something else. We never did any written analysis, but I can see how it would be beneficial. The key is to learn from your mistakes as much as you can.


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