Re: Mentors on drive team
 

Our team has a policy of having a student be the drive coach/strategist. Our rookie year, I was the drive coach/strategist (as a student) and every year since then I've helped coach our drive team including the drive coach/strategist (as an alumni/mentor). I could just be the drive coach/strategist myself but we want students to lead our team and represent us on the field. We think that's important. I learned alot through my experience and i had the most fun i've ever had. We want other students to have that same opportunity.

Re: Mentors on drive team
 

2022 has an entirely student designed, student built robot. This philosophy transfers into everything we do. We have had a student coach every year of our existence, and we will until their is a radical shift in the philosophy. Everything about our team is student run, our mentors sometimes ask questions about our designs to make sure that we have thought them through completely. To me, seeing a mentor on a drive team doesn't seem to make sense. Everything that a mentor can see, a student can see better, faster, and communicate it with the drive team efficiently.

Re: Mentors on drive team
 

On 548 we are a student lead team with a student coach every year. I have a great respect for out mentors and the time they put in. I also respect the mentor coaches on the field. The only problem I have with mentor coaches is that this program is designed to inspire high school students and I've found, from being hp twice and from letting 8th graders on the field during off season events, that the chance to be on the field really motivates a lot of kids. As far as experience with the game, I don't see a huge advantage to an adult or a veteran student, both get the game on the same day.

Re: Mentors on drive team
 

What makes you say that?

Re: Mentors on drive team
 

Can you explain this statement a bit more?

There is a reason that the same Adult Coaches bring home Banners year after year.

Re: Mentors on drive team
 

We go with a student coach because it gives the kids a sense of ownership to the team and it helps them to learn and grow from the experience. And trust me we're not just putting them out there unprepared. They have to have a thorough knowledge of the rules and they have guidance on the team strategy in the pits by the team mentors between matches.
It's worked for us all these years and I don't see nay reason for us to change.

That being said I can see the other side of the coin on having an adult mentor as the coach. When you can have a Paul Copioli, and Andy Baker or a Ken Patton not only leading you but teaching you not only as a coach but as a Woddie Flowers award winner not only on how to win on the field of play but how to conduct yourself off of it why wouldn't you want them standing in the box with you? And there are numerous other great adult mentor coaches out there leading their drive teams and teams to strong showings year in and year out.

Personally I don't think you can go wrong with either choice if they are handled correctly.

Re: Mentors on drive team
 

Our team has switched on and off for the past few years. Last year I was the coach, however the year before that it was a mentor and this year it looks like it will be a college alumni that is still heavily involved in the program and has had experience actually driving in matches.

Our method of decision making is that we first find a good drive team (Pilot and co-pilot), then we find a person that knows the game and works well with them. When a person graduates or can't make all of the competitions that year we have to start the process again. I find it to be pretty effective.

Re: Mentors on drive team
 

Lets see....
1) Younger, thus, faster reflexes
2) Most likely played video games, and capable of processing multiple streams of information faster.
3) The student coach will hopefully be one of the friends of the drivers, and will be able to communicate with them based on their prior experiences.
4) A student coach should have had experience in previous years as scout, or driveteam. Hopefully this will push them to notice the little things that are important.

I realize that not all teams are capable of fielding an effective drive coach, but I do believe that the vast majority of team could perform just as well if they implemented a student coach.


Almost all FIRST teams have students for 4 years. This allows plenty of time for progression up the ranks to coach. For example, by the time students are Seniors on my team, they have assumed the role of active mentor. The main job of the Seniors is to train the future team to be successful. And my team is run out of a 3 year high school(soph-senior), so (almost) no students are on the team for 4 years.

Re: Mentors on drive team
 

These are all assumptions based on a substantially older coach, or at least it would seem that way. I would have to whole heartedly disagree with all of them. I suggest you review your thoughts as they are not in agreement with many of the commonly accepted views of adult coaches.

Re: Mentors on drive team
 

So let me get this straight. You guys compete at Midwest every year and your saying any kid you put in the drivers station as coach can out coach a Raul Oliveria? say what?

Re: Mentors on drive team
 

I would like to dispute this point. Being able to communicate efficiently is entirely dependent on the individual, as is true in all aspects of life. There is nothing about being a student that makes them inherently better at communicating what they see.

When it comes down to the role of the coach it is a matter of knowing what the driver needs to know at a given time and knowing the best way to convey that information to them. If a mentor and driver have a better manner of communicating with each other it would be unwise to then put in a student who communicates less effectively, and vice-versa.

The most important thing about choosing a coach is the driver-coach relationship and their communication, therefore your choice of coach should be dependent on the driver. The wand chooses the wizard as it were.

Re: Mentors on drive team
 

You're absolutely right. Raul, and Brian Beatty are handicapped by their lack of videogame playing experience. If only those teams would use a student coach they'd have much more success.

-John

Re: Mentors on drive team
 

What does that have to do with coaching?
Trust me. These adult mentors aren't feebs. Many of them have the degrees to prove it.
And the adult mentor will be the one guiding the student through the build process and actually helping them grow as a person whether they are their friend or not (sometimes it's better to be their teacher than their best buddy so they can show them the error of their ways sometimes and not worry about hurting their feelings. That's part of the growing process and in the long run will make them a better person).
Meanwhile these adult mentors have had YEARS of experience coaching (and often winning regionals, divisions and world championships.



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Re: Mentors on drive team
 

Out coach, yes. Out compete, maybe not.
Coaching should not be about telling the drivers to do certain things. It is about pointing out things that could possibly be missed, and communicating with the other drive teams during the match.

I know that many teams do not follow this philosophy, and this is fine. This works for us as it inspires the maximum number of students on our team.

Re: Mentors on drive team
 

And what makes you think this is Raul Oliveria's coaching style? Or any adult coaches for that matter? Where do you get the idea that your method is better than anyone else's? Do you have the banners to prove it?

Where do you get off presuming that all adult coaches act certain ways that all students don't? The amount of blatant ageism, stereotyping, and presumption you've backed your posts with is just ridiculous.

Keep in mind this is coming from someone who has only coached as a student.