My love is autonomous when you enter the room.
Home
Go Back   Chief Delphi > Competition > Rules/Strategy
CD-Media   CD-Spy  
portal register members calendar search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read FAQ rules

 
Reply
Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
  #16   Spotlight this post!  
Unread Yesterday, 16:42
Bob Steele's Avatar
Bob Steele Bob Steele is offline
Professional Steamacrit Hunter
AKA: Bob Steele
FRC #1983 (Skunk Works Robotics)
Team Role: Coach
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Rookie Year: 2002
Location: Seattle, Washington
Posts: 1,548
Bob Steele has a reputation beyond reputeBob Steele has a reputation beyond reputeBob Steele has a reputation beyond reputeBob Steele has a reputation beyond reputeBob Steele has a reputation beyond reputeBob Steele has a reputation beyond reputeBob Steele has a reputation beyond reputeBob Steele has a reputation beyond reputeBob Steele has a reputation beyond reputeBob Steele has a reputation beyond reputeBob Steele has a reputation beyond repute
Re: Drive Coach Strategies/Ideas

I guess I have been drive coach for something over 500 matches in competition.

Know what your alliance partners can really do.... not just from what they tell you but from what your scouts tell you.

If other alliance partners during preliminary competition want to do something, have everyone talk about it. Whenever you can, let them do what they want to do. For playoffs, slightly different.

If 2 teams want to do the same thing, discuss it and if you have data, go ahead and bring it up BEFORE you ask them. If there is a particular singular task...say auto from a particular position, and 2 teams want to do it, have data on the success rate of both teams if possible and make it known before asking them. This can avoid a team making a statement from their own perspective, which is often skewed and then might seem foolish. Remember all teams see their own performance much more positively than a real objective position. This is quite normal and there is nothing wrong with it, they are NOT trying to deceive... We all just remember successes more than failures.

Get all three drive teams together in the pits prior to the match. Find out what everyone wants to do and craft a strategy that allows teams to do their thing. If you have something your own team really wants to do, bring it up but be rational and nice ....

During the match, DO NOT watch your own robot. Your driver and operator are doing that.... your eyes should be elsewhere, anticipating what the next move for your own team's robot. Communicate this with them ... sometimes a touch on the back or arm is necessary to get their attention. Yelling does NOT work. Guide them.

Your interface with your alliance partners is also predicated on "coaching"
You are Not their coach.... communicate with their coach... don't talk with their drivers.... if you can... they need their concentration to be on the field on their robot.

Be ready to be flexible, think about how the game should be played...
Be ready to adapt your team's play on what is necessary to maximize the score. Think scenarios out before hand and remember how to be flexible and even sacrifice showing off your robot for the sake of the alliance.

Take mental notes on things you see,

After the match, thank your alliance partners.... no matter what happened.
Find something nice to say about their team... its not hard but it will forge friends with them. Thank your opponents too... Say something nice... win or lose....

We are all in this together... this is a tough sport and sometimes you never know how a compliment to another team will affect them.... When other teams are having a tough time... compliment them... this can make their day... in actually... it makes yours even more...

If you have a chance, on the field, to help another team achieve something... do it.... a push here, or some blocking there on an opponent that allows a team to gain their goal.... NOTHING you will do in FIRST will fill you with a warm feeling more than doing this... you will NEVER forget it.

After the match, talk with your drive team.... find out what they observed, share your observations, make a list of things that went well and things that didn't, share this with your pit crew... with your programming group... again, praise them for getting the robot ready to play... they deserve it...
When you win on the field, the team wins.... let other people share in this... if a particular mechanism works really well on your robot... find the team who designed it and put it together and tell them how much you enjoy their work....

Being a coach is so much more than just what you do in the 2+ minutes on the field, it is about constant observation and improvement... and great preparation leads to great performance.


When you make mistakes, learn from them... you will not be perfect...but acknowledge your mistakes...and learn from them... don't lie to yourself.

In the end, be positive and have fun, help others to have fun.... embrace Gracious Professionalism and strive to be your best and help everyone else to be their best.


I have been coaching most of my adult life, first in sports and then in FIRST for the past 17 years. I have made plenty of mistakes...I certainly regret many of them but i have learned plenty about what NOT to do.

Above all, be nice to everyone... .Twice in my career as FIRST coach I have said something strongly to an alliance partner during a match because of the tension and excitement. I remember those 2 incidents vividly and wish I would not have done what I did. I immediately apologized in both situations but it does not erase what happened and I will never forget...

Have fun, and perhaps I will get to see you on the field sometime.
I guess I have a couple of seasons left in me....
__________________
Raisbeck Aviation High School TEAM 1983 - Seattle, Washington
Las Vegas 07 WINNER w/ 1425/254...Seattle 08 WINNER w/ 2046/949.. Oregon 09 WINNER w/1318/2635..SEA 10 RCA ..Spokane 12 WINNER w/2122/4082 and RCA...Central Wa 13 WINNER w/1425/753..Seattle 13 WINNER w/948/492 & RCA ..Spokane 13 WINNER w/2471/4125.. Spokane 14 - DCA --Auburn 14 - WINNER w/1318/4960..District CMP 14 WINNER w/1318/2907, District CMA.. CMP 14 Newton Finalist w 971/341/3147 ... Auburn Mountainview 15 WINNER w/1318/3049 - Mt Vernon 15 WINNER w/1318/4654 - Philomath 15 WINNER w/955/847 -District CMP 15 WINNER w/955/2930 & District CMA -CMP Newton -Industrial Design Award

Reply With Quote
  #17   Spotlight this post!  
Unread Yesterday, 18:04
New Lightning's Avatar
New Lightning New Lightning is offline
Master of Tactics
AKA: Scott Hasek
FRC #1987
Team Role: Mentor
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Rookie Year: 2013
Location: Lee's Summit, MO
Posts: 173
New Lightning has a spectacular aura aboutNew Lightning has a spectacular aura about
Re: Drive Coach Strategies/Ideas

Everything that Bob just said, with one additional tidbit. When you have contingency plans for when things go wrong, or aren't working. Know where your threshold is for "wrong". Keeping track of things like how much time is left, and how much time does it take to complete task X, and then do I have enough time to accomplish task X, yes/no, then ok do it or no go do task Y instead.

I personally think that coaches should be watching the alliance as a whole and not their individual robots. I also am a firm believer in that their can only be one person in charge of the overall alliance. If a fluid adjustment needs to be made there should be one person making that decision. That way their is not any arguing between the coaches. Have that decision made a head of time.

Unless you are in eliminations and you are the alliance captain you really have no mandate to tell other teams what they HAVE to do. So when, not if when, another team deviates from strategy a gentle reminder and inquiry is in order but you can't make them change. At that point you just adjust to the new situation and make the best of it that you can.
Reply With Quote
  #18   Spotlight this post!  
Unread Yesterday, 18:37
SenorZ's Avatar
SenorZ SenorZ is offline
Physics Teacher
AKA: Tom Zook
FRC #4276 (Surf City Vikings)
Team Role: Teacher
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Rookie Year: 2011
Location: Huntington Beach, California
Posts: 958
SenorZ has a reputation beyond reputeSenorZ has a reputation beyond reputeSenorZ has a reputation beyond reputeSenorZ has a reputation beyond reputeSenorZ has a reputation beyond reputeSenorZ has a reputation beyond reputeSenorZ has a reputation beyond reputeSenorZ has a reputation beyond reputeSenorZ has a reputation beyond reputeSenorZ has a reputation beyond reputeSenorZ has a reputation beyond repute
Re: Drive Coach Strategies/Ideas

Beach Bots coach, Shane, giving talk at Beach Blitz this past October.

https://youtu.be/npk462SncnY
__________________
2013-present: FRC Team 4276, Surf City Vikings
2011-2012: FRC Team 3677, The Don Bots
Reply With Quote
  #19   Spotlight this post!  
Unread Yesterday, 21:02
Bob Steele's Avatar
Bob Steele Bob Steele is offline
Professional Steamacrit Hunter
AKA: Bob Steele
FRC #1983 (Skunk Works Robotics)
Team Role: Coach
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Rookie Year: 2002
Location: Seattle, Washington
Posts: 1,548
Bob Steele has a reputation beyond reputeBob Steele has a reputation beyond reputeBob Steele has a reputation beyond reputeBob Steele has a reputation beyond reputeBob Steele has a reputation beyond reputeBob Steele has a reputation beyond reputeBob Steele has a reputation beyond reputeBob Steele has a reputation beyond reputeBob Steele has a reputation beyond reputeBob Steele has a reputation beyond reputeBob Steele has a reputation beyond repute
Re: Drive Coach Strategies/Ideas

Quote:
Originally Posted by New Lightning View Post
Everything that Bob just said, with one additional tidbit. When you have contingency plans for when things go wrong, or aren't working. Know where your threshold is for "wrong". Keeping track of things like how much time is left, and how much time does it take to complete task X, and then do I have enough time to accomplish task X, yes/no, then ok do it or no go do task Y instead.

I personally think that coaches should be watching the alliance as a whole and not their individual robots. I also am a firm believer in that their can only be one person in charge of the overall alliance. If a fluid adjustment needs to be made there should be one person making that decision. That way their is not any arguing between the coaches. Have that decision made a head of time.

Unless you are in eliminations and you are the alliance captain you really have no mandate to tell other teams what they HAVE to do. So when, not if when, another team deviates from strategy a gentle reminder and inquiry is in order but you can't make them change. At that point you just adjust to the new situation and make the best of it that you can.
excellent points... I love the advice about knowing the threshold and when to make a change.... watching the time.....
__________________
Raisbeck Aviation High School TEAM 1983 - Seattle, Washington
Las Vegas 07 WINNER w/ 1425/254...Seattle 08 WINNER w/ 2046/949.. Oregon 09 WINNER w/1318/2635..SEA 10 RCA ..Spokane 12 WINNER w/2122/4082 and RCA...Central Wa 13 WINNER w/1425/753..Seattle 13 WINNER w/948/492 & RCA ..Spokane 13 WINNER w/2471/4125.. Spokane 14 - DCA --Auburn 14 - WINNER w/1318/4960..District CMP 14 WINNER w/1318/2907, District CMA.. CMP 14 Newton Finalist w 971/341/3147 ... Auburn Mountainview 15 WINNER w/1318/3049 - Mt Vernon 15 WINNER w/1318/4654 - Philomath 15 WINNER w/955/847 -District CMP 15 WINNER w/955/2930 & District CMA -CMP Newton -Industrial Design Award

Reply With Quote
  #20   Spotlight this post!  
Unread Yesterday, 23:40
TheNerdJedi's Avatar
TheNerdJedi TheNerdJedi is offline
Drive Coach | College Student
AKA: Shajed Ahmed
FRC #0334 (Techknights)
Team Role: Mentor
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Rookie Year: 2012
Location: Brooklyn
Posts: 19
TheNerdJedi is an unknown quantity at this point
Re: Drive Coach Strategies/Ideas

The first thing I always do before a match is take my drivers and talk with the other teams on our alliance. We check if they need help with anything and what they want to do. After doing a checkup we go back to our pits and figure out a gameplan for that specific match.

I also make sure to talk with my scouts to learn about any weaknesses either on our own alliance or for the other alliance, so I know exactly what to expect when we are queuing.

Then during queue we tell our alliance partners what we will do and see if they changed anything and plan accordingly.

As for the match play, I keep it very fluid. Usually my drivers are able to make plays themselves and I alert them of anything that they might not notice, such as ref calls or the time. If we need to change gameplay I tell them and they do it accordingly. Remaining fluid and able to be flexible is something that I have found helps.
__________________
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 20:26.

The Chief Delphi Forums are sponsored by Innovation First International, Inc.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © Chief Delphi