[bEdhEd]

I've been human player, driver, and coach in the past. I was coach last year, and this is how I do it:

---Before every match:
We collaborate with our alliance partners in making a strategy. I always consult my team's head scouter, who brings us our database that provides all the information on teams from individual scoring, to predicting the outcome of matches extremely accurately. Based on this information, we use a strategy binder that includes dry erase mats of field diagrams that help us plan what we will do in a match.

I always ask the coaches' permission from other teams in our alliance if I can coach their teams as well, and I also give their coaches permission to coach my team. I have never been denied this permission, and I do this to improve the communication between coaches, and between drivers, since drivers from different teams cannot usually communicate as easily as coaches can.
When I coach, I am constantly moving between alliance stations, giving other coaches instructions on what their team may need to do, and I accept other coaches’ instructions as well.

---During queuing:
I review the strategy with every member of the alliance, which includes the coaches, drivers, and the human players. I make sure that every single person on the alliance knows our strategy.

---When setting up for the match:
On our team, the coach sets up the operator console while the drivers set up the robot, and the human player stows the cart to the side.

---During autonomous mode:
I constantly watch the time to make sure that our alliance advances to the controls at time zero. I do not wait for the buzzer or bell to move forward, because the signal is usually a second late. The autonomous period is not ended by the bell. It is ended by the timer. Knowing this, I command all drivers to step forward at time 0 after the autonomous period.

---During teleoperated mode:
ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS keep track of EVERYTHING happening on the field.
Most importantly, keep track of the TIME! I remind my entire alliance of the time at least every 20 to 30 seconds. I also keep track of the live score so that I know if we need to score during a certain time. Sometimes, with the amount of time left, and with the score at the time, going a different route from the original plan may be necessary.
If there are changes to plans, I tell every other coach what is happening, and they will tell their drivers what to do.

I do my best to watch every other robot on the field as well, and also watch for where game pieces are, so I can also instruct other alliance partners as to what they need to do. From my driver experience, I’ve learned that drivers get tunnel vision, and when they are focused on driving the robot, they look at nothing else other than the robot, so they need a coach who has a view of the entire field to help them make better strategic decisions, whether it is driving towards a closer game piece that they didn’t see, or avoiding a defensive robot that they did not expect to be in their path.

---During the End Game:
Although the 2014 game does not have an end game, the keeping track of time helps me know when the end game starts, and how much time needs to be committed to fulfilling the requirements of getting the end game bonus.

---After the match:
As the coach, I disconnect the operator console from the alliance station, and I have the drivers remove the robot from the field, and the human player gets the cart back, and we head to the pit.

Again, this is just how I do it, and we got two regional wins in a row in 2013. Not only because we had good robots, but because our strategies were played through as was planned because everyone knew what needed to be done. We were undefeated in both elimination rounds in Sacramento and Colorado.