Coaching Questions...

[Wayne C.]

Originally Posted by chakorules

Hello everyone,

I have a coaching question.

So this year and last year are very different. I have the wonderful support of eight more engineers that most of them will be attending this year’s regional.

Typically do you let multiple coaches lead your team?

So what do other teams do? Multi coaches or one coach?

First- I'll bet that most of the kids reading this would LOVE to have the support of 9 engineers helping their team. Most teams have trouble even finding one.

But should they all be on the field as coaches? Hmm.

That depends on your reason for playing and motivations.
It is a good idea for all the adults involved to at least get a taste of what it is like to be in the grips of the actual competition on the field. Few people can relate to the pressure and fast pace. It certainly is a lesson for anybody who thinks it's easy.

But in dealing with a team of kids in anything consistency is what helps them build their confidence. Mixed calls will slow down their growth and their game play might suffer.

I'd think of what the team needs now. Maybe those engineers need that little extra to really get them addicted to FIRST and a trip or two to the field would make the difference. Maybe your kids are experienced enough to deal with the adults in any situation. They'll know.

In my book the team building experience of the kids training the engineers in the operations on the field would be invaluable. It might not get a trophy but you win far more in the long run.


WC

[Mark Pettit]

We have had success using a single driver. multiple drivers, an adult coach, and student coaches.
It depends on where your team is experience-wise if you ask me.
This year, I went in as coach until my team president told me he wanted a classmate to coach on the field.
After a couple of matches, he said that he wanted me back out there so I became the "strategist" for the rest of the competition.
I typically trust the team leaders to make the call in this manner.
In Triple Play, there are enough teams that do not understand the game well enough to make it an easy task to strategize effectively so it is good to have someone out there to assert what he/she thinks needs to take place during the round.