[Jim Zondag]

I have been coaching FRC for 15 years, which probably equates to 1000 or more matches. There have occasionally been incidents our team has been involved in where alliance members are upset by words or actions which occurred during the match. We have been on both the giving and receiving end of this. If I look back, I can put all of these situations into 4 catagories:

1. All members of the alliance did not discuss and understand the strategy for the match before it began.

2. One or more of the alliance members made a major deviation from the previously agreed upon strategy.

3. The agreed upon strategy was weak, and once the match began the strategy had to be changed mid-match to try to salvage the match.

4. One of the robots died, flipped, or otherwise proved incapable of fulfilling its role, and the strategy had to be changed mid-match to try to salvage the match.

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The first two scenarios are very avoidable if everyone just talks to each other and is honest about what they can do (and cannot do). This discussion must always involve all the drivers, human players and coaches. Always make sure this is done. Many teams do not actively ensure this is done, but the best teams always do.

The second two situations are much more difficult. These always involve split second decisions and there is no time for discussion or negotiation. Some amount of yelling in inevitiable when this happens, if for no other reason that to make sure that instructions are heard over the music. (Remember that we coaches are always talking to the backs of the drivers' heads). Veteran coaches will always try to take immediate action in these cases.

If you are in this for the long haul, you need to have a thick skin. I have personally been yelled at, lied to, and insulted many times over the years. I have also been accused of being overly aggressive and insulting to others at times. While all these incidents are regrettable, many are the result of simple misunderstandings and difference in personality types. Communication is the key. I hold no grudges and I hope no one else does either. Everyone in the FRC is deserving of respect.

One thing I have observed over the years is that veteran coaches of successful teams always have a very commanding approach to strategy discussions. This comes from experience. After you have done this several hundred times, you can pretty much see the obvious strategy for almost every match. Good teams have solid scouting data, so we usually know exactly what to expect from both our partners and our opponents. As such, some experienced coaches just simply tell the other two members what the plan is, making it more of a directive than a negotiation. Some may consider this to be arrogance or elitisim, but in reality it is just simple efficiency: When there is really only one solution, why bother discussing other options? When time is short, this is likely to occur....if it is mid-match, it is almost certain. The reason the 'Elite' teams are where they are is because they understand how to succeed at this sport. Trust their judgement when they tell you what to do, even if it is as blunt as "Get out of the way!".

If you disagree with any strategy you are presented with, always speak up and voice your concerns, providing there is time to do so. For me the absolute worst thing in the competition experience is when a team agrees to the strategy (or doesn't disagree) and then does something else once the match begins. Failures of the machine or drivers are excusable, but deliberate deception is not.