Drive Coach Training

The drive coach must be able to easily communicate to the drivers. Use language they can understand. When talking to them, it's not a one on one conversation. They are looking away from you, and you need to be able to project and tell them what to do. Saying "Over there" and pointing doesn't work. You need to be precise. Instead of saying "get the tube", say stuff like "get the red triangle between 973 and the left minibot pole". Be specific. You must be able to watch not only the robot, but also the field, the other robots, the countdown clock, and pay attention to your drivers and your alliance teams. You are also the one in charge of collaborating with your alliances on the strategy of the match before it starts. From personal experience, I know that when a driver steps up to the controls, their mind goes blank. They act solely on what is happening at the current moment, and often forget about a game plan. Because of this, you must be the one to tell them step by step without micromanaging them what to do. It is of utmost importance that as drive coach, you realize that you are the brain of the team during those two and a half minutes. What you decide and what you tell the drivers to do will change the entire match. You cannot just make a game plan and tell your drivers every step that they do (I've made that mistake). You are an employee, and need to pitch your ideas to the bosses, aka the drivers. You need to be short, concise, explicit, and forceful to a point. When they are driving, they could, or could not do what you say.

You need to be able to make the right decisions and tell your drivers exactly what to do, and then let them do it.


Sorry if it's a lot, but having been driver and coach, there are some specifics that always need to be passed on.

Hope this helps, and if you're confused about anything, feel free to ask/PM me for more clarification.

Good luck this season!