Timid Drivers

[akoscielski3]

Originally Posted by Jon Stratis

Have you tried offering them $5 for every time they bring the robot back broken?

In all honesty, we find constant encouragement helps a ton. After the match, don't talk to them about what they should have done - talk to them about what they did well. That will help to build their confidence, which will in turn make them more agressive. Plus, they'll know what they're doing well, and they'll try to do everything else better as a result.

Or, you could just go the route the father of our main driver suggested the other night... give her a shot before every match. I think he was joking. Or I should say hope

Perfect. This is extremely important! I HATE when people from my team come up to me and ask me why i didnt do this or that. It upsets me and i dont usually do as good the next match. But when they are like "Great job!" I do better the next match.

Important thing also is if you are on a winning streak, don't let it get to your head and get lazy.

I "let loose" once in a 2010 match in midfield. Balls did not pass through to the other sides. However, we needed to replace all the chains.

[AlexH]

Be mean to the robot. You can fix it after the match. If it breaks during the match and you were aggressive and affected game flow before it broke, it looks better to other teams than hanging back and not doin anything. But be smart about it, and remember "damage is weakness leaving the robot".

[ChristopherSD]

I'm having difficulty understanding why anyone wouldn't "show what they can do with the controls".

[kjohnson]

I think the best fix for timid drivers is not at the event, but before. Its hard for rookie teams to do but driving practice with/against other robots is extremely helpful. If you have an experienced driver (or your backup) available let them play defense against your primary driver using a previous year's robot. Observing all game rules while playing stiff defense or helpful offense can help your driver learn about the game and not being scared of hurting your robot or someone else's (bumper zone!).

[ehochstein]

Originally Posted by Laaba 80

They used to tell me that, then once they realized I did drive it like I stole it, they changed to "If you lose the match and the robot doesn't come back broken, you didn't drive hard enough."

Haha that is what I tell my drivers now! I was our driver in 2009 when we won the 10,000 Lakes Championship, if I hadn't been told that I think Team Titanium would have gotten a few more empty cells that year >.< I enjoyed driving with you!

[Joe Ross]

Originally Posted by Laaba 80

They used to tell me that, then once they realized I did drive it like I stole it, they changed to "If you lose the match and the robot doesn't come back broken, you didn't drive hard enough." This year, people have started saying "Drive it like Joey."

Depending on what they call an appendage, a broken robot with a part dangling could get a lot of fouls.

[Madison]

The best thing a drive team has going for it at an event is the polycarbonate driver station wall. That thing, with the noise from the crowd, makes it nearly impossible to hear anything going on on the field. We're a lot more careful with the robot when we can hear the scary noises it's making, but when it's on the field, the thing seems invincible.

I don't want for my drivers to break the robot, but I want to be sure they aren't afraid of it breaking. That is, in my mind, where being a team really becomes important. We all have our roles and, for some, that role is to fix the stuff the rest of us did wrong. If students and mentors own their role and are proud of it, the team is stronger as a consequence.

[fox46]

This reminds me of a quote by P.J. O'Rouke -

"There's a lot of debate on this subject - about what kind of car handles best. Some say a a front-engined car, some say a rear-engined car. I say a rented car. Nothing handles better than a rented car. You can go faster, turn corners sharper, and put the transmission into reverse while going forward at a higher rate of speed in a rented car than in any other kind."

I find a driver who is less in-touch with the mechanics of the machine is usually much more aggressive than one who knows about the aluminum sprockets, the half link between axle #3 and #4, the 7075 aluminum output shafts and other points of weakness. At the same time, a driver who knows of these weaknesses and is aware that the robot will still drive with 8/10 drive wheels, 7075 aluminum is nearly as strong as steel and the fact that we have a pile of replacement parts that can be swapped in a few minutes will likely do even better than the "disconnected" driver. The "informed" driver will also have an idea of how to keep the machine running in "limp" mode and has a more intimate knowledge of the design's capabilities and limitations.

In the end though it cannot be deduced to one characteristic - different individuals are better at driving than others.

[Katie_UPS]

Originally Posted by thefro526

"A robot can always be fixed - but a match can never be replayed"

--

If someone proves that they're not up to putting the robot where it needs to be, they will not make the cut.

Quoted for truth.

[J_Miles]

I'm a four-year senior this year on our team. With our team, drivers have always historically been seniors, and, while it's not a guarantee that this will always be the case, it's very likely in my mind. With that said, our week one event will not be my first competition behind the controls. After the senior drivers graduate each season, our team selects a new drive-team for our off-season events.

Going into the season, now, I've driven at four competitions, and won two. Personally, I think that nerves are something that are difficult to overcome during the competition if one isn't prepared. A lot of it has to do with the student's composure in general. That's not to say, though, that a student driver cannot overcome the nerves. The best thing to do is to get out on the practice field as much as possible. Believe you me, it's a lot easier to be willing to fly around the field when you're actually on the field. Our build facility is one without lots of space, and what space we do have is filled with some expensive equipment that doesn't belong to us...so when we practice in facility extra care has to be taken to make sure nothing gets broken. In that way, getting onto the field has me feeling a lot more "free." Maybe that sort of experience might help. If a student isn't comfortable, get him/her comfortable driving in adverse conditions, so that driving on the actual field feels more natural and even easier.

Truly it all comes down to the ability to handle pressure, to take criticism, and to respond to instruction while still being independent, making quick decisions, and being aggressive. The unfortunate truth is that not all students are capable of driving. The best way of figuring this out, I think, is asking the student for an honest assessment of his or her abilities. If the student feels too nervous, I tend to think he or she would be willing to come out and tell you that he or she isn't comfortable doing it.

[Vikingtech2054]

Originally Posted by nitneylion452

During competition, there are few things more frustrating to a coach than a timid driver. Often the drivers on my team are afraid to really show what they can do with the controls when on the competition field. I was wondering what some coaches do in the heat of the moment to encourage their drivers to let loose and not hold back?

two words "student robocoach" who can relate to a timid student driver than another student that goes through the same stuff they go through. they understand each other better, and when student robocoachs talk to student drivers i believe it goes better
our team has done it for two years and planning on it this year if it makes a difference.
Through the years we even remember some robocoaches from other teams yelling a bit, just remember its for learning and fun