[Padava]

If you have a new driver, there is nothing that will present the full experience of a match. However, the one thing I think is super important is creating field constraints.

The first competition I drove at made me realize how small a field really is. If you want your driver to have the "competition experience," the best thing you can do is throw them into as close to a real field as you can make. Give them some sort of solid wall that they cannot cross, and then put an old robot into the arena with them. It may sound silly, but even getting something like a shopping cart and moving it a little can be enough to represent a robot. Have this old robot run a strategy that may get in the way of yours, and then have it run one that could complement yours. For example, if you are a ball shooter, have this robot "steal" balls you were planning on picking up. Miscommunications during competition happen all the time, even in eliminations. All you can do is adapt your strategy, and rather than focus on the mistake, focus on what you can do to fix it before assessing what you should have done.

If you have any other teams in your area, try to schedule some drive practices together. Having another team brings their ideas of how a game will be played and what the match should look like

Also, the practice matches before a competition are invaluable. Get your drivers to run through as many as they are allowed to.