Training for Drive Coaches

[JesseK]

The most difficult role of the coach is to keep track of what's going on with the entire field as well as the immedidate vicinity of your robot. Yet knowledge of how the rules apply is also key. Strategies are things the drivers should know beforehand, though it's up the the coach to determine if deviation is needed based upon the situation. FTC/VRC is easy to do since you stand over the field and have practically a birds-eye view of the field during the entire match.

For FRC, I do the following:

• Keep track of time, communicate it to your drivers where necessary (also, get into the habit of giving the drivers a countdown that is based off of the field clock and NOT the announcer!
• Mentally make a birds-eye view of the robots and communicate appropriate "field states" (e.g. stay away from this place, or stop defending and go climb the ramps, or most importantly "get outta there we have incoming!")
• Use those birds-eye views to create choke points and cut-offs when defending (like dogfighting...)
• Communicate with other coaches
• Keep the two drivers communicating with you and each other
• Make signals to the human player. Often times this was the most comical part of '09 since they sometimes refused to pay attention and the coach was left with wildly waving hands. Heh.