Off season drivers: HELP

Originally Posted by WizenedEE

You know the excitement of driving for the first time during competition. Are the main drivers really missing out on that much practice to not let a few other people experience it? Or are you too worried about losing off-season matches to not let a few other people try it out?

From my experience, if you let everyone drive during practice but not during any sort of competition, they will just hear "We're only letting you practice because we have to but you're not nearly good enough to ACTUALLY drive." (whether you meant to say it or not!)

Also, think about how much the old drivers actually need practice -- sure, it may be important to get familiar with your robot before competition, but you won't be driving that one during competition, so is it that important?

While I understand where you're coming from, a competition is a competition. I'm not a win win win kind of guy, but success is my goal, and I want the team to perform at the best it can do. That being said, while it's fun for everyone to drive, it's sometimes best to give up what you really want to do for the team. You can't deny it, there are tons of people who want to drive. And in the non-competition season, they can practice their heads off, so as that next time they will be better and can drive. We're not saying the other people aren't "good enough", but that there are people who are better than them. But for the competition, you want your team to do the best it can do, and sometimes that means sacrificing what you really want to do.

Also, I don't quite understand your last paragraph. Would you mind rephrasing it?

[EricH]

Originally Posted by SuperNerd256

Also, I don't quite understand your last paragraph. Would you mind rephrasing it?

I understand it. It's better as two separate questions.

1) The robot you drive at an offseason is not the one you'll be driving next year, so how much practice for the next year do you really get?

2) How much do your older drivers (the ones you had during the season) really need the practice?

The answer to the first one is that you don't gain skill driving the robot for competition per se; instead, you gain skills that drivers need to have, which serves just as well. It's like an R/C pilot flying a warbird when he'll be flying an aerobatic plane at his next competition--he's developing or maintaining skills and getting himself accustomed to the flying environment.

The correct answer to the second one? Well, that depends on the situation.

Originally Posted by EricH

I understand it. It's better as two separate questions.

1) The robot you drive at an offseason is not the one you'll be driving next year, so how much practice for the next year do you really get?

2) How much do your older drivers (the ones you had during the season) really need the practice?

The answer to the first one is that you don't gain skill driving the robot for competition per se; instead, you gain skills that drivers need to have, which serves just as well. It's like an R/C pilot flying a warbird when he'll be flying an aerobatic plane at his next competition--he's developing or maintaining skills and getting himself accustomed to the flying environment.

The correct answer to the second one? Well, that depends on the situation.

Thanks. I agree with your answer for the first question. For the second, I was one of the drivers from last year. I am the only one left, and have been teaching the other prospective drivers. That being said, I'm not necessarily going to be in the best drivers, but like you said, I gained some skills that the average driver needs to have, which is helpful. The more I practice, the more I understand the robot, and the more I can help the other drivers.