[coldfusion1279]

I will echo what has been said already (and what has been discussed many times on CD before). Mentors tend to have a firm grasp of how the game is played year in and year out i.e. the experience factor.

That doesn't mean a veteran high school team member can't have the same knack for game strategy and experience that the mentor has.

While the drive team changes from year to year, we find it's nice to have a constant on the drive team. They can help new drivers catch on quickly during 'strategy meetings' before each competition match, or they can watch the clock or scoring rack to calmly tell the driver which action to perform next.

Overall, I think it's important for the drivers to trust the coach, and we find there is minimal conflict when it is a mentor.