im my teams coach
 

This is my first year in robotics and I got appointed coach because I know the rules. Do you guys have any pointers

Re: im my teams coach
 

Talk to your team members with previous game experience. Your team number indicates you should have some veterans on your team.

Make sure you meet with your alliance partners before each match. Do all you can to define a strategy. Know your partners and your opponents. Ask your scouts for advice - they have been watching the matches and could give you some insight in what to expect and how to play to your strengths, avoiding your areas of weakness. Keep a clear head and stay calm. Don't get focused on watching just your own robot play. Be aware of as much of the field as possible. WATCH THE CLOCK !!! Encourage your drivers to go, go, go. Try to anticipate the actions of your opponents - particularly trapping and blocking.

Go over the results of each match with the drive team right after the match - Discuss what went right/wrong.

I could go on and on ... but really, you will need to learn most of these type things through coaching matches. Make sure you get all the practice matches you can.

Good luck!

Re: im my teams coach
 

Have a standard "game plan" before each and every match. Be sure to talk to your alliance partners before the match, and see who you will be playing against. Once you are on the field and in a match be sure to communicate with your alliance partners and with your driver, operator, and human player. Keep an eye on the clock and know what has to happen when. MCahoon, gave some pretty good advice above. Good luck this season! :)

Cass

Re: im my teams coach
 

These three are the biggest I can remember from my first year of coaching. Don't worry about fluid strategies quite yet -- just keep the bot running and performing to the plan. Don't take unnecessary risks in quals.

Re: im my teams coach
 

Take time to relax throughout competition. Competition is even harder when your annoyed and aggrivated the entire time, trust me on this. Make note of how your drive team is doing and feeling, if they have a bad match and are really down about it you still need to review it but be careful about how you do it. This is one of those things where you want to be able to show where mistakes happened, but don't blame your drivers it get's even worse if they're angry with you.

Make sure to take note of when you had good/bad matches and what the differences were why did you have that kind of match. Was it the actual condition of the robot or was it how you talked to your drivers or the objectives you laid out. Competition is about continual improvement and that is what your job is, take lessons from each match and learn from them. Also remember you are supposed to be the charismatic well put together calm person that your team can look to for inspiration and example. You are the end representation of your team that the entire crowd looks to.

P.S. you signed up for the most annoying aggrivating job there is on the team, so on behalf of the rest of us I would like to welcome you to the club.

Re: im my teams coach
 

Like everyone has already stated. Meet with your alliance partners before each match. Discuss who's starting where and who might be playing defense.

Also encourage your drivers. Nothing is better to a driver than to have their coach say nice job after a match.

Also, spend as much time as you can to get to know the drivers. Practice with them before your regionals (If you have a practice bot).

Lastly, don't get mad if the match doesn't go in your favor because of a mistake by a driver. Talk to them nicely and encourage them to do better.

Hope this helps.

Re: im my teams coach
 

Always be an encouragement to your team and alliance teams, so this means don't antagonize when things fail. Speak clearly and effectively to everyone.

Be the extra brain that reminds drivers of things they will forget in the heat of competition, like where to put the square and triangle tubes and how long they have to pin a robot before moving back. You're a coach, don't demand things of your drivers. Let the drivers gel and be one with the robot. You are the voice above them being the wondering eye they can't be.

And always be sure to communicate with alliance partners who you worked well with that you enjoyed working with them. Give them a handshake and a good luck after each match, win or lose. There are some teams that select alliances based on good relationships they made during qualifying.

Re: im my teams coach
 

Once a match starts, your driver (most likely) will have his/her eyes on the robot at all times- watching every second of the robot's movement and manipulation.

Your job is to absorb everything else and articulate it SUCCINCTLY to your driver. My main suggestion is don't just watch your own robot. Back seat driving leads to tense moments. Relax, survey the field, speak loudly and clearly.

Re: im my teams coach
 

Just to add to the good suggestions you've received so far.

Basic strategies are good to set for your robot, but you never know what alliances are going to be like in the qualification rounds. Just because your robot is good at doing certain tasks doesn't mean those tasks are the best role you can play in every match. I can't tell you how many times we've played a defensive strategy with a very offensive robot just to make the alliance work.

Just my $.015

Re: im my teams coach
 

Don't use gestures, your drivers won't be looking at you.

Re: im my teams coach
 

All of the above plus.

As a previous student coach, I know that it can be awkward feeling like you're bossing around your fellow team members. But remember a driver really wants to be bossed around, otherwise they feel like a blind sheep. They know what they're doing, but they don't know what to do next. This means don't be timid about your instructions. Although, it's best not to yell unless necessary (although with the loud music your pretty much doing this anyway). And you should NEVER yell at your drivers before or after a match, it honestly takes the fun out of driving.

Remember, your team chose you because you have a knack for good strategy. Therefore, trust your gut, even if it means detracting from the established strategy. For example, last year, if the strategy was for your team to sweep up the front and there were no balls in the front and none about to come, would you just have your drivers sit and wait? No. You would tell them to get to the mid zone, and fast. Once there was a fresh supply in the front, you tell them to book it on back. What's not okay, however, is if in the middle of the match you decide that although you told your alliance you'd play front zone and then decide to go to the far zone and start playing defense.

Re: im my teams coach
 

From my perspective, the key to good coaching is to NOT watch your robot. The driver and operator are doing that. Your job is to keep track of the rest of the field - alliance partners and opponents alike. Too often I've seen coaches so intent on keeping their robot "safe" from defense that they hamper their alliance partners - either by getting in their way or forcing them into an unwanted situation (this happened a LOT in Lunacy).

Re: im my teams coach
 

As a former drive team coach, I agree with what has already been stated.

It is ideal to be able to adapt to certain situations.
1) Yes it is good to have a base strategy before the start of a match, but if something goes terribly wrong, you must be able to change that game plan around in order to adapt to that unexpected happening.
2) When discussing pre-match strategies, you have to look at everyone's strengths and weaknesses. It would in your best interest to design an optimal game plan in order to capitalize on everyone's strengths.

When you are on the field, you need to be able to deliver your commands very effectively. You need to state your commands loudly, detailed enough so your drivers know exactly what must be done, must simply enough that there is no confusion within the drive team during each intense match.

Re: im my teams coach
 

Honestly communication with you drives team is the most important thing. Pre and post match evaluations are the key to growing stronger as a team. Also, practice practice practice.

Re: im my teams coach
 

Things I have learned throughout the years:

1. Be flexible - You may have a strategy ahead of time, but things never go according to plan. Be prepared ahead of time to switch up the plan if your partners / opponents do something unexpected.

2. Do not focus on your own robot - You must be mindful of everyone else and give general commands to your drive team. They must communicate with each other regarding robot positioning.

3. Watch the time - Many people say assign the time watching to a human player (analyst), but I say no way. Time is the most important thing we lose track of. Make it your responsibility to let your team know how much time is left. I use 1 minute, 30 seconds, and this year the 20 second mark as times that I shout out.

4. Be decisive - Make a decision quickly and stick with it. If you make a mistake, then talk about it after the match.

5. Make it clear that if you give a command that your drivers follow it even if they think it is wrong. If you made the wrong decision, then let them know they did the right thing by listening to you. My favorite story that shows what a driver is supposed to do is from 2008. The 1114 driver hurdled the wrong color ball ... twice, because his coach told him too. He politely said, "hey, you know we are red, right?" and the coach adjusted his strategy accordingly, but the main thing is that the driver did exactly what his coach told him. There are no time for arguments on the field. Talk about it after.

That's all for now, but if I think of more, then I will let you know.

Paul

Re: im my teams coach
 

When I was learning to be drive coach I remember that one of the biggest things that helped me was practice, practice, practice. I was always running trough possible matches in my head and (when we had time) on the field. This helped me get comfortable with the strategy and what to do on the competition field. The more I though about what I would say and do in various situations the better I was able to perform.

That's what worked for me, I hope it works for you too; good luck!

Re: im my teams coach
 

I'm also in the same boat as the original poster (I am a senior, rules efficianado, likely operator or coach). Observing things from previous years (and being in the Alliance Station last year at Battlecry as Human Player), here's what I can offer.

Don't lose your cool, ever. Be calm, don't get overexcited or down; it will kill your ability to help your alliance. I'd rather have a coach who stood there giving a command every 15 seconds or so, but was calm and collected over a coach who's running at 300 miles an hour because they're too excited. It's the coach's job to be the calm one in the Driver Station.

This doesn't apply specifically to the Original Poster, but know the rules inside and out. You're going to be watching the whole field, and subsequently you're going to be noticing subtle things that can win you games if you know them. Knowing how an opponent gets a penalty, yellow card or even red card for their action is huge. Make sure you know when the opportunity to make a move that you're safe in arrives, and also make sure your drivers aren't making mistakes about rules.

Share. I'd play most of quals (personally) acting if the alliance I'm on is our final alliance pick. Keep the information flowing to your alliance, especially with the possibility of Analyst to Feeder signaling. If a team is thinking about not picking you, make sure it's not poor communication that seals your fate.

Re: im my teams coach
 

The original intent of the specific statement did not endorse intentionally causing penalties. I updated my original post to reflect this.

Re: im my teams coach
 

Glad to clear up this misunderstanding then.

Re: im my teams coach
 

Listen to people like this. If he thinks of more while he's standing next to you behind the glass, listen even more.

In other words, figure out who your alliance partners are, and defer to those who have more experience than you. That's not to say you shouldn't stick up for your position. But make sure you do so only after you have carefully considered what the other teams have to say.

And no matter what, don't go off on your own strategy after you've agreed to an alliance strategy before the match.

And because you know the rules, be sure you don't tell your team to break any! It happens - sometimes resulting in a red card to the team because they drove where the coach said to go.

Re: im my teams coach
 

There is a lot of preparation that you and your drive team can do in advance of the competition, itself.

Come up with a game plan in how you are going to work with your scouts (and scouts on other teams) and with your strategists. This means things like scheduled drive team/scouting/strategy meetings in the evenings. The more organized you are in advance of the competition, the more prepared you are to compete.

This word of advice is for you, your drive team, and for the team you represent that is supporting you in the stands. Based on your preparation and the job you have at hand during the competition, your team has to trust your decisions. That means they can't second guess you. Not in the stands, not in a restaurant, not in a hotel elevator. They have given the job to you and your drive team and their criticism and second guessing is not necessary. Their support is. We have this discussion every year, helping the team understand the value of team support, inspiration, and respect for each other.

Jane

Re: im my teams coach
 

Ah, Paul's post reminds me of seeing him in action, which reminds me of another important thing the drivers need to understand:

Coaches aren't yelling so much as they are speaking loudly. Since things need to be audible over the noise of the arena, we have to be LOUD and CLEAR. Inflection only implies urgency, not that the drivers are doing something wrong. They should listen to the words, not the voice. Excitement doesn't mean take the hands off the robot either.

Pay specific attention to what you're allowed to touch on the operator console. When something goes wrong on the robot, the drivers should probably be the ones clicking buttons on the classmate (though I honestly don't remember the specifics on what's allowed -- will read it closer to competition on the 24th).

Re: im my teams coach
 

Everyone has pretty much said everything I would recommend.

one thing I would also add is be nice to the other teams around you when you meet to discuss strategy pre-game and EXPECT the same thing back from them. Dont let other teams bully you for your weaknesses or strengths. However, if you are allied with a strong team listen to them, pay attention to what they are doing and how they work.

Another thing I would add is dont forget to have fun in all the craziness that goes with coaching. It is important for you to enjoy the time as a coach and keep the team relaxed.

And last but probably not least is when you are not coaching, or before matches take some time to note what some of the other coaches are doing and what strategies some of the other teams use. You never know how big an impact some of those small tweaks and changes will have... If you have time during weekends you are not in competition try to atleast tune in for webcast of the finals and such...

Re: im my teams coach
 

Jesse brings up a great point. It is deafening behind the glass. That polycarbonate shield deadens all sounds back there. When I first started drive coaching, I felt the drivers weren't listening to me so I asked them, "why didn't you do what I told you that match"? They simply replied, "Paul, we didn't even know you were saying anything".

I quickly found out that if you speak in your normal voice during a match, there really is no chance of your drivers hearing you. Speak loudly and speak clearly so your drive team hears you.

I write this as I am sitting in the Chicago airport waiting to catch a flight to Rochester, NY to join my team. Hopefully, I will make it to the venue before lunch is over.

Re: im my teams coach
 

This was my first year as coach and I found that the biggest thing that I had to focus on was not as much the game strategy and knowing what to do but communicating with the drivers and alliance partners.

The fact of the matter is that one coach can't see everything at the same time, and neither can the drivers. I found that if I told them to do something and they though it was the wrong call they could yell to me why and I could then tell them to either go with what they are doing because they saw something I didn't or to change tactics because I saw something else (eg: "grab red tube", "blue tube right here", [I see that an alliance partner has grabbed a blue tube] "red tube, red tube"). I also found that this happened a lot less if I yelled our reasons after the instructions (eg: "grab circle left logo not done"), it made them more sure of my calls.

While I think as I get more practice and become a better coach this won't be as helpful because I'll see more of the field; but as a rookie coach this was very helpful to me both to coach the match and to learn how to coach better.

Re: im my teams coach
 

The big things I do as drive coach are:

1. Attempt to keep the plan as simple as possible. These games are usually pretty simple. Setup a plan with simple tasks (ie; you score on this side, we score on that side, score over ubertubes first, then complete logo, etc..).

2. Adjust your plan to your teammates strengths and weaknesses, along with your own. Either know the teams or have scouting data available to look at to adjust strategy.

3. Be honest with teams about your robots abilities. If you can only score one game piece, then tell your teammates that...so they are not relying on you to do more.

4. Keep the drivers calm, relaxed, and confident they will succeed. Make sure they drive/score smoothly. Have them play within themselves....don't try to do too much.

5. Have the respect of your drive team, so they do what you tell them to do. As Paul said...the coach usually knows what to do, but sometimes we make mistakes. But, the drivers need to trust your decisions....there is no time for arguing on the field.

6. Speak loudly. If you ask my drivers, I am a yeller...but, its loud and intense back there....make sure your drivers hear you.

7. Provide a sense of urgency to the drive team during the game. Most of my commands are exactly what they were going to do anyways...but I make sure they do them as quickly as possible.

8. Keep track of time. 2 minutes goes by really quickly when you aren't aware of the clock. This was the hardest thing for me too learn.

9. Trust your drive team to do the right thing, so you can communicate with your partners. This comes from both drive team and coaching experience. It will make your alliance even stronger.

10. Be able to adjust your plan on the fly. Things change out there and you need to adapt. Robots lock up, get a flipped over, have heavy defense against them....be ready to change your plan to do more or less depending on the situation.

I am sure there are others I am forgetting...but, these are my basic plan every match.

Re: im my teams coach
 

Very true. However, don't forget the step where you tell the other alliance coaches what you're doing! Clear communication with other coaches is key, especially in this game. This also requires serious a big-picture view, but others have pretty well covered those aspects.

As far as setting strategy, I fell into pretty decent procedure at FLR. Most people used the same general method, though hopefully some others will pitch in.* Mostly common sense, but it's nice to have definite steps.

1. Allies' Tubes/Match
...0-2: feeder (esp with tube-scarce matches or not-great HPs) and/or defense (as needed). If they can score, keep them in the loop in case someone breaks.
...3+ tubes: scorer. This usually leaves you with 2-3 scorers. Pick someone as the main "switch"--the guy that becomes a feeder/defender if something goes wrong. You can have other switches during the match, though.
2. Opponents' Tubes/Match
...Do we need to play defense? Stay legal--usually best to interfere with pickup in the midzone.
...Do they suck up anything on the field? You may want to play tube-scarce. Regardless, HPs shouldn't throw a tube you don't want. You can in fact do this without any wait if you pay attention and communicate.
3. Allies' Autonomous
...the 2 most likely to score pick a grid. Usually they're your main scorers, so try to pick the grid closest to their DS. If not, decide who's switching.

4. Allies' HPs
...Pick the farthest/most accurate throwers
...Most teams want their HP directly across from them. If you are going to use your analyst (time calls, scores, etc), do try to find an experienced one.
5. Opponents' HPs
...Are they going to saturate the field? Are they good throwers?
...The point here is to get tubes where you want them. Make sure your HPs know how the others are.

6. Allies' Minibots
...Pick the fastest/most reliable & let them choose their towers
...Make sure the analyst knows when they want to leave so they can call time
...Know how the unused minibot is (if it exists) in case something goes wrong.
7. Opponents' Minibots
...If they're good, consider putting your 3rd bot on defense before endgame (stay legal!) Know how the scores are playing out throughout the match to make this call.

Seems a little complicated, but essentially it comes down to: Red1 scores right, Red2 Ubertubes and scores left, Red3 Ubertubes right and then feeds/assists and shuts down Blue2. At 30sec Red1 takes the Right Tower, at 20sec Red3 takes Left Tower. Red1 blocks Blue1's deployment.

Another hint: Do the circle early (after/simultaneously with Ubertube covering). 2 Bots can score triangle & square simultaneously. If you don't think you can get 1 logo yourself, start with 2 (even 3) scorers on same grid, but stay in communication. Conversely, of course finish the 1-2 current (top row) logos before starting a new one.


*Which brings me to another important point: listen to Paul Copioli (217). Also, 1114, 71, 148, 67...

Re: im my teams coach
 

Someone already sort of said it, but I want to reiterate this point:
Listen to people like Adam and Paul. If you have the opportunity to be paired with a veteran, experienced, successful, "powerhouse" team, listen to their coaches. They have been doing this a long time. They will have a strategy in mind, and it will probably be a fantastic one. That said, if you think that they are wrong, don't be afraid to voice your opinion: just be prepared to be told that your opinion isn't necessarily correct. This doesn't mean that they aren't listening, it just means that they have the experience necessary to win, and there isn't often time to argue. When in doubt: go with experience.

Re: im my teams coach
 

I would add this to the very sage advice already given:

1. Try to find someone you work well with, who has experience of being down on the field, who can watch your matches and give you advice afterwards. Being on the field is so very different from watching from the crowd. Small example - last year, the humps were very good at hiding balls from the drive team which were very obvious to the rest of the audience. We actually use two drive coaches on our team. We switch places and find that having the other drive coach watching and able to comment on the match afterwards is extremely valuable.

2. You'll probably find your heart beating a little faster as you are standing out there behind the lexan listening to the teams being introduced. Do your best to take a few deep breaths and just focus on the match as soon as it starts, and you'll do fine. Before you know it, the match will be over...

3. Expect to make some mistakes. Talk about them, learn from them, work out what to do differently and move on. Don't dwell on them.

4. Talk to your scouting team before each match - we get a match summary from our scouting team before each match that helps us to work with our alliance partners to form an effective match strategy.

5. Advice to your team - don't beat up on the drive team when they don't execute perfectly. They are doing their best, want to do better, will improve with practice and experience and will welcome your *constructive* input. Beating them up will probably not help your team's performance.

All the best

Noel

Re: im my teams coach
 

Noel, great advice. I'd like to add videotaping to #1 if your team can. This can be a huge help, certainly to (especially newish) coaches but also for diagnosing mechanical or programming issues. Nice if the videographer is a coach or at least a strategically-minded pit crew.

As for #2-3, definitely. Also realize your drivers (especially if they're new) will likely also be nervous and guilty if they screw up. Get them relaxed/happy. This helps you too--fake it 'til you make it. If #5 does happen, you're the buffer for your drivers.