Profile

[Yan Wang]

In edit profile, there's a lot of various choices for what role you take on your respective team, yet although there is "driver" and "human player", why isn't there a "controller" category?

[Brandon Martus]

What does a controller do?

[David Kelly]

i always thought of a controller as one of the drivers.

[Yan Wang]

Since there wasn't a controller choice, I picked driver... but I've always saw them seperately because the driver is driving... and well, the controller is the one who coordinates to make the grabs, lifts, etc.

[rbayer]

Our team also makes this distinction, but we call it the "button box operator."

[Yan Wang]

Lol! I think both positions are of equal merit. Being a controller still requires training for speed and timing as does a driver. Though I don't understand why the forum does not make that distinction.

[MBiddy]

Does it really matter that much?

[mtaman02]

we mainly call the 2 students operators or drivers, or driver and arm man. whichever comes first. don't thinks it matter though. and really shouldn't. both positions are of equal merit and responsibility. the key to have a successful drive team is to have 2 people who can talk telepathically to one another, and who can coordinate the entire squad at the booth with know arguments. everyones got an assigned job and within those 2 minutes that job must be done without fail.

[David Kelly]

Originally posted by Team522 Captain
we mainly call the 2 students operators or drivers, or driver and arm man. whichever comes first. don't thinks it matter though. and really shouldn't. both positions are of equal merit and responsibility. the key to have a successful drive team is to have 2 people who can talk telepathically to one another, and who can coordinate the entire squad at the booth with know arguments. everyones got an assigned job and within those 2 minutes that job must be done without fail.

well said! that was my position for the past 2 seasons (joysticks driver) and i think you hit every point on the head. it's got to be the most stressful yet most exciting job on the team.

[Joel J]

Originally posted by David Kelly



well said! that was my position for the past 2 seasons (joysticks driver) and i think you hit every point on the head. it's got to be the most stressful yet most exciting job on the team.

Stressful? I think drivers are lying when they say that..

[Brandon Martus]

Originally posted by monsieurcoffee
Lol! I think both positions are of equal merit. Being a controller still requires training for speed and timing as does a driver. Though I don't understand why the forum does not make that distinction.

There could be 1000 different categories.

I could always put it back to 'Student, Engineer, Coach, & Other'..

[Ashley Weed]

Originally posted by Team522 Captain
we mainly call the 2 students operators or drivers, or driver and arm man. whichever comes first. don't thinks it matter though. and really shouldn't. both positions are of equal merit and responsibility. the key to have a successful drive team is to have 2 people who can talk telepathically to one another, and who can coordinate the entire squad at the booth with know arguments. everyones got an assigned job and within those 2 minutes that job must be done without fail.

You have completely spoke my mind.
Also, I think there is a LOT of stress as a driver. If you have ever seen me in competition I have a tendancy to literally destroy stress relievers.
I have always wondered why there isn't an operator option, but after thinking about it, I have been called a driver a lot more than an operator.

[evulish]

Originally posted by weedie
If you have ever seen me in competition I have a tendancy to literally destroy stress relievers

Haha. Did you even bother to take that red bendy thing home? It kinda became unbendy after breaking the metal in about 20 different spots.

[Ashley Weed]

no, I think I left it at the comp. on our table. I need to start shopping for more. maybe we should buy in bulk.

[Ian W.]

hmm, driving can be stressful, but not always. i liked it when i went out, and just had fun. i would go out as main driver, dan (Super Dan to you guys ) as the "Button Boy", Michael Krass as the operator, and whoever else as the human player, and instead of being amazingly stressed, i would go out, and pretty much just drive around, and just have as much fun as possible. that's really what FIRST is about. not going and become so stressed you break a stress toy, but going out, trying to win, but having fun no matter what you do.