Choosing Drivers for the Long Haul

[themitchshow]

Going into my 4th year of driving, hopefully I can answer some of your questions.

Team RUSH has a 2 driver system, one for the chassis and one for the upper part of the robot. When I joined as a freshman we had a senior on the team who was the driver of the upper part of the robot who had driven for a few year. We had try outs where students drove a track we set up in an empty classroom with a robot base and I happened to have had the best time and technique on the course.

The senior had driven the robot before and was able to teach me the ins and outs of driving.

As for older students saying they deserve it more, no one ever brought it up because it was based on time on a course. We all had an equal chance.

As for if you should go with a freshman over upperclassman there are pros and cons for each. Freshman can in theory become better over 4 years than a senior can become over 1 year, but you don't the student as well and if they are the type of student you want driving (professional, good with pressure, devoted). With upperclassman you will know these students but they will only have the experience of 1 or 2 years.

If you have any more questions about my years as a driver, feel free to PM me.