Keeping the Pits Streamlined

[AdamHeard]

This misconception that the only "glamorous" jobs are ones directly involved with the robot is way off.

For a team to be competitive, x, y and z need to be done, and there has to be someone to do them.

Every job should be charted, mapped out, defined and assigned. Jobs should be given to the most capable and deserving. If you feel you deserved the "superglamorous" X, but got "unimportant" Y, first you are wrong, and second tough luck. Work harder next year to be that deserving kid who gets job X.

No job is unimportant, as it is the culimation of all the little things that lets the driveteam be successful on the field with the robot. If you disagree with your job and think you're above it, then you're being immature. Part of being mature and a team player is willing to take such jobs for the greater good of the team.

Nothing in life should be handed to you, many people make the argument everyone on the team should have a chance at everything on a team. I make a slightly different argument that everyone on the team should have a chance at EARNING anything they want a chance at on the team.

Now, to actually answer the question.

973 explicitly keeps a few pit crew members, all hand picked by no set criteria. We keep the drive team, pit crew, battery man and spokesperson in the pit, with a programmer on call. We try to overlap as many of these roles as possible to reduce bodies in the pit. Everyone else has a defined job, and is expected to do it all times. Since we're currently a small team, everyone is either on pit crew, drive, or scouting. The pit crew is expected to be at the pit at all times (except when we have matches), scouting expected to be scouting the entire time, and the drive team is expected to stay near the pit to be ready for matches and strategy.