[Pun-isher]

Many good points in this thread that I either agree with or even follow to the dot.

To me, being a driver means being the apex predator. A good driver's confidence and competence should shine through their other activities, whether it be school work, fantastic presentation skills, exercising habits or being on a school team (other than robotics). Of course, there are far more factors than that, but quite frankly, the driver has to be the aggressor on the field, whether on offense or defense. Social skills and getting along with older/younger folk are also big pluses. For example, let's say that you are in an alliance with one competent robot around your skill level and an Einstein Vet. Assuming that you would take a secondary role (passing, etc), it is important that the driver is not overcome with jealousy but is rather motivated to show what their robot can do and to become a powerful alliance. The same can also happen if your fellow teammates have a stigma of being the smartest or the most successful in your school. A good driver should not feel as if they will let this person down but see this as a means of furthering your own goals; now, I can drive even more aggressively, as I can count on my teammates to spot anything I didn't spot.

If anything, character is one of the best highlights for a driver, and should be the first bracket for determining a drive team, before moving on to cone drills. From my own views, it is fairly easily to pick up driving, but the best driver is something that must be deep rooted in the individual and then developed through practice and conversation.