[asid61]

I'm not sure how all these teams are stalling their motors in prototyping. 115 has used direct battery-motor connection cables via Powerpole connectors for years without issues, to test shooters and other mechanisms. Having a speed controller like the Thrifty Throttle would make it easier to test different speeds, however.
As far as competition goes I haven't seen a team every connect motor to power without a speed controller in between. That seems like a recipe for disaster.