[markulrich]

Thank you all very much for the advice. I think the most important thing I've learned from all of your comments is, "make sure the drivers know the rules!"

Originally Posted by smurfgirl

1) Edit: I thought of something else you might want to take into consideration. You mentioned the stress of the competition as a factor in why your driver selection wasn't quite right. When our drivers are practicing, we crank up distracting music really loud, have our spirit team cheering, spectators, and other various people around the area to simulate a competition. It does distract the drivers a lot, and it definitely helps to prepare them for competition. Also, if you have old robot, you might want to have people driving those robots as well as the new one to "get in the way" just like you'd see at a competition.

Thanks for the specific advice. I guess I've now got a couple more questions for everyone who creates courses to decide who drives.

1) When do you decide who drives? Would you suggest narrowing it to the top 3-4 drivers before kickoff?
2) Do you simulate competition with loud music and spirit teams?
3) Do you have other robots playing defense?
4) Should the "course" be based off of this year's game, or can a general obstacle course with cones and a few complex rules that give it a little more strategy work?

Thanks again for all of your input!