Picking Drivers?

[SarahBecker]

Yea, we do the whole try out thing. Basically we bring all of our rookies to an off season, and before we get there the question is asked, "Who wants to drive?" At that point anyone who has ever wanted to drive gets the chance to "sign up". From there, the "drivers" are given a match that they will be driving in, and whoever knows the most about the controls (last years driver/ operator) shows everyone what they are doing. It's easy to see then and there who has skill and who doesn't, and who has the calmness under pressure or not.
Other than that, it's the typical try outs in the garage, running around obstacles with a robot.

[Scott Ritchie]

We give a lot of students the chance to drive at the IRI and we judge from there. What do I look for in a driver?

1. Cool under pressure.

2. Someone that will stick to the plan and not get caught up in the excitement or smash'em up.

3. Someone that can take a butt chew-in after the match and not be crushed.

4. Someone that will drive the robot all out.

5. Someone that realizes that the scouts are watching every match, even the practices.

Everyone thinks that the video game player is who you go after but I think you have to have an athletic and strategic mind. Also the key is consistency. Start young drivers out and stick with them their Jr. and Sr. years. I go after Sophomores and Freshmen and stick with them once I can trust them.

[phrontist]

The people who want to be drivers are the last people you should allow to be drivers.

[rocknthehawk]

The people who want to be drivers are the last people you should allow to be drivers

I couldn't disagree with you more. I wanted to be a driver, and i turned out to be the best that tried out. Would you rather be stuck doing something you dont want to do? didnt think so.

[phrontist]

Originally Posted by rocknthehawk

I couldn't disagree with you more. I wanted to be a driver, and i turned out to be the best that tried out. Would you rather be stuck doing something you dont want to do? didnt think so.

Was everyone required to try out? Then how do you know you were the best?

Perhaps some rephrasing is in order.What I mean to say is the people who get all in a tizzy about driving are not the people you want driving. What you need is the person who doesn't really want to be driver, but won't cave under pressure or loath the assignment. They should be able to calmy and quickly execute the instructions of your strategist.

Basically, if you've got a good robot, it's intuitive enough that anyone can drive it, so why give it to some giddy exciteable person whose clamoring for the job?

Oh, and even though I have zero evidence to back this up, I'd tend to lean towards female drivers.

[rocknthehawk]

you bolded my answer. I was the best person for the job that wanted to drive. I know this because they picked me for the position and told me that.

i still disagree with you, i think anyone who wants to drive is eligible for the job, not someone who doesnt want to do it.

[phrontist]

Originally Posted by rocknthehawk

you bolded my answer. I was the best person for the job that wanted to drive. I know this because they picked me for the position and told me that.

I bolded your answer for a reason. You were the best person that tried out, and my personal thinking on the matter is that often the good people are the ones who don't try out.

[rocknthehawk]

my personal thinking on the matter is that often the good people are the ones who don't try out.

so how exactly does your team pick drivers then?

[phrontist]

Originally Posted by rocknthehawk

so how exactly does your team pick drivers then?

Last year only one person didn't refuse, he drove. If we ever needed a system, I'd make tryouts mandatory for all robotics team students and do them in front of the whole school at an assembly (to simulate the pressure of competition). Have an obstacle course that each student runs and whoever has the best time is the driver. If that driver is deemed uncommitted to the team, they are removed from the team and the next best person becomes driver. The only problem would be convincing the administration to have the assembly...

If we could pull it off though it would have the pleaseant side effect of raising schoolwide enthusiasm for FIRST.

[Denman]

for the last year one person on our team has done all the driving at sponsors and stuff, and they have the best handling of the robot, as when he lets someone else drive they tend to go a bit erm,, erratic lol... they are also the "senior" builder, and knows the robot pretty well. Unfortunetly, being in
england, we have only got students from 2years, so he will be leaving next year . . . . .
i think the best thing to do is to get people who want to do it to all have a go with the robot, and let them get used to the controls. then the best people can drive, and the others can do their other jobs.. .. .. .. ..

[AmyPrib]

Originally Posted by phrontist

I'd make tryouts mandatory for all robotics team students and do them in front of the whole school at an assembly (to simulate the pressure of competition). Have an obstacle course that each student runs and whoever has the best time is the driver. If that driver is deemed uncommitted to the team, they are removed from the team and the next best person becomes driver.

First, I don't understand why you'd make every single student on the team be required to try out for driveteam roles. As some have said, not everyone WANTS to be on the driveteam. Some are much better and comfortable as part of the design, build, debug, fix, etc parts of the team. Why would anyone want to force them to do something they don't want to? As it is, FIRST is mainly a voluntary organization.
Just because someone doesn't want to be on the driveteam, doesn't mean they're not committed. So you're saying that if a forced student doesn't do well on an obstacle course, they should be assumed uncommitted, and kicked off the team? Do you mean, team in general, or just drive team?

I think there's a certain point to which you can "strongly encourage" some students to try out for driveteam roles, even if they're seemingly uninterested. But, if a student blantantly is not interested in driving, then why waste yours and their time? If you see even a little bit of interest, you can strongly encourage them to go for it... I would think most teams encourage all their students to try out to begin with, but they don't force them. Just doesn't make sense to me to make that type of thing mandatory. But that's my opinion.

Our team asks the team who's interested in these roles, and many of them want to try out.. So we have different types of tests using the game's features, and based on many things, we narrow it down to a couple people per position. We normally have each person try out during our first regional as well, and then try to narrow it down to 1 per position for second regional and Nationals. Works out pretty good.

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by AmyPrib

First, I don't understand why you'd make every single student on the team be required to try out for driveteam roles. As some have said, not everyone WANTS to be on the driveteam.

On a successful team, some people are going to have to do some things that they don't want to. If your best driver happens to be someone who is reluctant to undertake the role and therefore does not try out, you would never know who your best driver is.

As a result of putting your third, fourth, fifth best person into the driver role, all of the hours of work and sacrifice that the rest of the team has made may come to nothing.

Ideally, you will put people where they are best suited, by self-interest, skill, and temperament. However, there will be cases where people have to suck it in and do what's best for the team.

[AmyPrib]

Originally Posted by Andrew

If your best driver happens to be someone who is reluctant to undertake the role and therefore does not try out, you would never know who your best driver is.

As a result of putting your third, fourth, fifth best person into the driver role, all of the hours of work and sacrifice that the rest of the team has made may come to nothing.
However, there will be cases where people have to suck it in and do what's best for the team.

I guess I don't agree, but we all have our own opinions. I think if someone is going to be so extremely good at something that they're the "best", they'd have some interest in doing it. As a coach, I'd think I'd rather have an enthusiastic driveteam that may be third or fourth best, who can learn and become better, rather than a driveteam that is forced into it. I think the "best" driver has the technical characteristics, PLUS the "want" to do it. I guess the definition of "best" varies, and I don't agree that all those long hours of work and sacrifice may come to "nothing" as a result of ANY driver you choose.

I think you are right in that for a successful team, there are jobs that some people might have to do, even though they don't like it. However, I don't think that driveteam roles are included in that. For them to "suck it in" and do what's best for the team, implies that winning is most important and the "best" driver is the only one that can lead to victory.

So anyway, I think having voluntary try-outs for any and all students is a pretty good setup. There are many factors that ultimately come into the final decisions, but I think it can be open to everyone who wants to try and they should be encouraged to do so. Each team has different ways of doing it, and it may take a few years to figure out what works best.

Originally Posted by Andrew

On a successful team, some people are going to have to do some things that they don't want to. If your best driver happens to be someone who is reluctant to undertake the role and therefore does not try out, you would never know who your best driver is.

If that kid who might have the best skill (who didn't want to drive) ends up as your driver, still with the frame of mind that they don't want to do it, that will lead to the team's downfall...

I sure as heck wouldn't want someone on my drive team who didn't want to be there...it will cost you in the long run, especially down the stretch in elimination matches where concentration is key.