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Unread 19-01-2007, 03:02
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Karthik Karthik is offline
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Re: POLL: Will you be using a scoring aid?

There's so much more to being a good coach than keeping track of score. The coach needs to be aware of what all 6 robots on the field are doing at all times. Each time the coach looks down to input, s/he instantly loses track of what's happening on the field. This isn't a sacrifice that I'd be willing to make. The time spent inputting, is time that isn't spent communicating with the drivers. As a coach, you want your full attention on the entire field. You just can't do that if you're inputting into a handheld.

Sure it'd be handy to know the exact score at any given moment, but it definitely isn't necessary. By examining the state of the rack, a good coach should be able to determine the optimal move quite quickly. This is something that should be practiced extensively before competition. Once this skill is perfected, there should be no need for a palm pilot in the box.

If we were back in the day of two coaches, having the second coach dedicated to scoring and using the palm, might be something that I would consider. But for Rack 'N' Roll, I just see the input time being a bottleneck and a distraction. Especially in matches where you have 4+ competent scorers.

I'll take watching a full match and my own calculations over being distracted and using the palm any day. This is from someone who coached in 1998, when the formula for scoring was x(2^y).
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:: Karthik Kanagasabapathy ::
"Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm" -- R.W. Emerson
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Full disclosure: I work for IFI and VEX Robotics, and am the Chairman of the VEX Robotics and VEX IQ Game Design Committees
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