Does Your Drive Team Have Any Pre-Match Rituals?

[JesseK]

Last year our most extraverted lead driver (ever) did "high-fives all around" for every match. In elims he'd do it with the entire alliance. Pretty fun.

[Chris is me]

GUS's ritual this year involved hopping as the team is being announced, then doing this weird thing where you lean back and wiggle your arms like noodles. Occasionally, someone does The Dab at the end.

The pre-match ritual I think is really important to the success of a drive team, no matter how silly it is. Generating some hype, unity among your drive team, building excitement, and focusing on something that isn't directly related to the match ahead are all positive things sometimes. If your hype is elaborate enough, going into that match with an early "win" in pulling off your little ritual / routine is always nice.

In a few matches this year, we had a very long wait time before they started, and out of boredom more than anything else we just generated lots of hype with the entire alliance in advance of the match. We won every one of those matches and it was even more exciting than normal - there was so much unity on the alliance.

[Michael Corsetto]

Before every elimination match:

I ask the drive team: "What are we gonna do?"

The required response: "Have fun!"

Repeat ~3 times.

This helps remind our whole drive team unit why we do what we do. It's especially important when playing deep into Saturday and students can have a tendency to be stressed/nervous. Also manages to get a smile out of the kids occasionally

-Mike

[smitikshah]

We don't have one as a team, but looking back I would pace to the human play station to our drive stations with one hand on my head and the other hand holding my clipboard about 3 times, probably out of stress. I managed to do it pretty much before every match.

[KosmicKhaos]

Every match, every regional, every competiton, before the robot leaves for the field, we ALWAYS do a "GO SPARX ON 3" as loud as we can in the pits. If you've been at a competiton with us, chances are you've heard it.

[adciv]

We do a full systems check and ensure we have a fresh battery installed.

Oh wait, you meant voodoo rituals...

[dmelcer9]

Originally Posted by Briansmithtown

It was a ritual we hold so clear and dear to our team.

I can't think of a match where we didnt do the ritual.

We always called it... "Deploying the code"

And the inevitable "IS IT DONE YET!"

THIS MEANS WAR.

But in all reality, it's gotten much better since we switched from Labview to Java because now it takes 30 seconds as opposed to 20 minutes (and no, this is not an exaggeration).

Anyways, our drive team does a chest bump when the announcer says our team number.

[polytechnique]

We rub our hands together menacingly. Every time we do it, Autonomous seems to work properly.

"plus fifty to roast"

[C.Lesco]

On 5870 I'd always make an effort to high five every team we played with. Gave me an idea who was a really nice and happy team and who was all work no play. Got some smiles and some eye rolls so I'd say it worked

[TheBoulderite]

Originally Posted by KosmicKhaos

Every match, every regional, every competiton, before the robot leaves for the field, we ALWAYS do a "GO SPARX ON 3" as loud as we can in the pits. If you've been at a competiton with us, chances are you've heard it.

Yup. You guys were right across from us on Carson.

[beurwonderwall]

We always do a crossed fist bump. I'm not sure how the tradition started but it existed before I joined the team four years ago. Before every elims match, my drivers and I would do it. Getting a crossed fist bump was always the best congrats we could get. Our mentor started it, and his last name is Goodenough-so, naturally, we have shirts with the crossed fists on it that read 'Goodenough Since 2009'.

[jdesmond]

We have too many to count...

[bearbot]

Being on drive team and now being the coach on the field the last year theirs several that the team and I do .As the drive coach I push the robotics cart and hold a specific bumper on the robot every season and I wear my cap backwards during every regional and district event.Recently, in the last few years our drive team in recent years we have been discussing what silly dance moves where doing during driver introductions and to get hype .If we Win our match our next match is a silly dance move if we lose, then its a simple hands clap.

[Zebra_Fact_Man]

I'll say it since I don't believe anyone else has yet:

- Carry robot onto the field
- Turn robot on
- setup driver station
- go over match strategy with driver one last time

[JABot67]

Originally Posted by Zebra_Fact_Man

I'll say it since I don't believe anyone else has yet:

- Carry robot onto the field
- Turn robot on
- setup driver station
- troll CD
- go over match strategy with driver one last time

Looks like quite the short pre-match checklist. So you don't put the cart out of harm's way? Line up the robot for auton? Select the auton mode decided upon during alliance strategy?