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I believe that it is time for FIRST to change this rule. Most teams will need to be forced into letting the students take on this important role. The adult drive team mentor is the same as letting the baseball coach be the pitcher or the football coach be the quarterback. It's time to let your robot team mature and use students as drive team mentors.
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No, the adult drive team COACH is the same as letting the "baseball COACH" be......the baseball COACH. How many "player-managers" do you see in high school athletics? Not many, if at all.
Adult mentors often are able to teach some of the most poignant lessons in communication, teamwork, patience, honesty, organization, and efficiency from their position as drive team coach. If a team is fortunate enough to have a student who possesses these qualities, then by all means, they may *choose* to employ that person in that role. There are notable teams who have done this, with great success. Otherwise, do not *force* teams to shoehorn student resources into roles they are not yet equipped to assume.
Many students do eventually develop into great drive team *mentors*......once they graduate from high school, and only after soaking in the experience of working with so many effective *adult* drive coaches throughout their student experience. I doubt they would become so effective had they only ever worked with student drive coaches during their careers.
Besides, would YOU like to be the one to tell Raul Olivera, Andy Baker, Paul Copioli, JVN, Adam Freeman, Brian Beatty, etc. they're "retired" and must now pass on their leadership and guidance through a "middleman"? Good luck with that.
