[Chris Fultz]

I think many of the more successful teams elevate the importance of the scouting team and the scouting data.

Good knowledge of your partners and your opposing alliance can make a huge difference in a match. In many ways, the more experienced team members are better at getting this data than the new members (aka "the freshmen"), and can use the scouting time to learn and teach newer members about the different designs and strategies on the field.

Painful, yes.
Sometimes boring, yes.

But, Incredibly important, yes.