[bEdhEd]

I've never really actually classified driver skill into categories. We just decide if they're good enough to compete. It's difficult to describe technique in text for me. I have to physically show it.

As for training, we prefer using a full sized carpeted area, whether or not it is a full field, or the bare minimum.

I have my drivers practice the basic scoring maneuvers for that year, I have them sometimes go in circuits around the field, go around obstacles, and my favorite part is counter defense training. I think that this is the most crucial part of training.

When I do counter defense training, I push a cart that has about the same perimeter size as a regular robot, and I get in the way of the real robot as best I can. I have the drivers try to get out of being blocked and pushed, so they can prepare to avoid spending too much time getting through defenders. My philosophy is to not bother pushing back, but evading the opposing team. Spending more than five seconds pushing back is usually a move that I believe more experienced drivers should avoid. Ideally, I think pushing against another robot should be avoided completely, unless the circumstances call for it, or if your own robot is the one who is the defender. Getting away from a defender while progressing toward a strategic objective is a huge time saver, but takes some skill. Pushing back with other robots of comparable strength can also wear away at tread in the long run. Avoiding this keeps the pit crew happy!

The reason I push around a cart is so that I have better control of where it goes, and so I can react and move faster than most FRC drivers can, so my team is better prepared for actual robots who may not move as quickly.

I emphasize counter defense, because this is what I find to be the most difficult thing to do as a drive system operator. It's not extremely difficult to pick up a controller and drive around a field from point A to point B if one gets used to it for a while, but the maneuvers to get out of the way of a good defense bot when bumper to bumper takes experience and skill on a controller, and that comes about with lots of practice and prior competition experience.
The unpredictability and diminishing of control make counter defense very difficult, and a great exercise when training. It also improves overall drive skill too.

If you have another working robot base and a cart of similar size, try doing some counter defense training and figure out what moves work best for you. If you have a main drive team and a backup team, and if you have two drive bases available, try practicing one team on counter defense while the other practices defense.

The drive bases can be from prior years' robots, if they're similar systems, of course. You don't want to practice, say, a 6 wheel tank drive base when your competition bot has mecanum for instance. That would be silly!