Role of coach?

[fredliu168]

IMO coaches should:

1. Obtain information from scouts about alliance partners and opponents before the match.
2. Use the information to develop a strategy with alliance partners. Make sure to communicate the strategy clearly and concisely to make sure everyone understand.
3. Make sure your own drive team understands the general strategy.
4. During the match always remain calm and confident. Watch the entire field in order to react to deviations in the strategy.

[IndySam]

Pre-Match: As a field coach I want the students to come up with the match strategy, I will just offer helpful suggestions if I think they are needed. I must have a complete understanding of what strategy the students have come up with so I can help execute the chosen strategy. I need to have a strong knowledge of what the alliance members are capable of in case a change of strategy is needed.

During Match: The drive team takes care of the micro part of the match (what our robot is doing) and nothing else. The coach has to focus on the macro part of the game (everything else) what is happening on the rest of the field, score opposing alliance, etc...... and communicate to the drivers what they need to do. The coach needs to be able to effectively communicate with the other members of the alliance during the match.

Post Match: The coach needs to be part of the match debrief, what went well, what went wrong, what needs to be done to the robot. The coach needs to help lift the spirits of the drive team after a loss and keep them grounded after a win.

[StephLee]

Originally Posted by IndySam

The coach needs to help lift the spirits of the drive team after a loss and keep them grounded after a win.

I agree with your comments on what a coach does, but I quoted this section for extra emphasis. As a student coach for my team for the last four years, I noted frequently that having one member of a close drive team keep his or her head after a tough match goes a long way toward making sure the rest of the drive team does, as well. It doesn't have to be the coach, but since the coach is generally more removed from the immediate action (the "micro") it tended to be easier (for me at least) to be the cool-headed one in recent years.