Quote:
Originally Posted by Warlord
The key is that rather than micromanage our every action, the coach helps us refine our game, he helps us play the best possible game we can by adding in an extra set of eyes and ears and an extra brain to help make the best possible decisions.
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Emphasis mine. I think this is where you stand to improve the most on your approach to a drive team. A coach shouldn't be an extra anything. If you have extras on a drive team, than you are simply not using your team to its fullest capability. I disagree with your approach to the coaching position, however everyone is entitled to do what works best for their team. I just encourage you to look around at what other successful teams do and how their drive teams work and re-evaluate your drive team strategy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperNerd256
To everyone who may feel in any way offended, I'm sorry in advance, but this is just my opinion. I hear a lot of people saying that the "more dedicated" student has priority before the "skilled" student. Well, what I don't understand is, If you have a dedicated student who works on the robot a lot through the season, and knows almost everything about the robot, and another student, who doesn't work as much on the robot, but has tons of practice driving and spends almost every meeting just driving the robot, then who should drive between the two of them?
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In a theoretical world where you have someone who solely concentrates on the robot, versus someone who solely concentrates on driving one, sure you go with the more practiced driver. The point I'm making is that scenario is not realistic for how my team (and many other teams) operate.
If someone wants to drive the robot in competition they are going to have to not only be skilled as a driver, but competent in many other areas of the team. They don't need to be lead designer, or the team captain, but they need to show some desire to work in other aspects of the team.
The way I view a spot on the drive team is as something that needs to be earned in more than one way. As I said you need to show enthusiasm for the team, the work you put into the team and the work your teammates put in. Show me that you not only are a skilled robot driver, but you're a skilled robot mechanic, skilled programmer, skilled team liaison or skilled team leader. Thats the kind of driver I want driving our team's robot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EricH
I can even put both of them on finals pit crew, allowing for emergency substitution if needed.
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Eric-
I think I agree with the point you are trying to make, I just disagree with how you are making it. Many of your scenarios you just proposed can be easily solved by the one statement you made towards the end of your post that I quoted above.
It may be personal preference, but I don't like trying to prove points with hypothetical scenarios. Playing the "what if" game is dangerous and often can be a tool used to rob a brainstorming session of merit, or keep good ideas from seeing the light of day.
Like I said above, I think I agree with your approach to driver selection. Meaning, I think you believe there should be some combination of driver that best suits a team not just a purely dedicated student vs. a purely talented student. I just dont think that the argument of who is best come match 3 of the finals at XX regional with a broken XX and no timeouts is how you should argue for one or the other.
As for 125, our approach is nothing extremely different than from what other teams have stated already. We do our best to ensure that every student who is interested has a fair shot at becoming a driver. However, actions always speak louder than words, so staying that extra hour one night, or helping out a new student on the team may go a lot further than some students think. Good mentors are constantly evaluating their students and their team to make sure everyone is becoming the best FIRST participant they can be.
-Brando