How do you coach your Drive Team/How to be an Effective Drive Team Coach?

[Oblarg]

Never be angry.

Of course, this is a bit idealized - who has perfect control of their emotions? - but there is nothing I've seen demoralize students more at a competition than a furious drive coach shouting them down. That is a terrible sight, and is far more common than it ought to be. There is a major difference between being loud and assertive (which is necessary in a competition environment) and being intimidating and rude. It's difficult to keep your cool under stress, but it's absolutely necessary.

[who716]

Originally Posted by dash121

I have an off question for this main topic. Our student field coach was put in a very hard situation during one of our competitions. What would have been the correct and best way to respond and react? It was a 3 robot full allience, all three teams had a driver, a shooter, and a field coach. Our field coach was a student while the other two field coaches were adults. Our field coach reached out to the other two (adult) coaches before the match and made a strategy. But, once the match started the (adult) coaches saw ways to make their own team look better (by ball hogging ect.) and took those ways instead of following to the plan. As the student field coach how would you react to an adult field coach not listening to you during a match. Obviously yelling at him wouldn't be a correct response but to sit there and let your alliance loose because of another adult intervening too much? Most of the topics that have surfaced have been about students doing this but to talk to person similar to your age versus someone alot older to you is different am I right? What would you do?

if this happens you don't wast time and you just go and do what would be best for your alliance at that time.

[Taylor]

Originally Posted by dash121

I have an off question for this main topic. Our student field coach was put in a very hard situation during one of our competitions.-snip-

It may have nothing to do with the fact that your coach was a student. Sometimes people are just jerks.

I agree - have an adult mentor go with the student to clear the air. No need to have needless animosity toward a team if they saw an alternate strategy that they couldn't articulate at the moment. Or conversely, if the teams in question really aren't good partners at that event, that would be good to know.

[dash121]

Thanks so much all! What I concluded from the posts before is that an adult mentor would help alot durring the pregame time. Durring the game a student will have to do their best at projecting in a stern voice to the coach speaking to him. And lastly, reach out to other teams after a match to see why they did the things they did! Thanks so much and I hope to see you at kickoff!

[IronicDeadBird]

What I do with drive practice (before we get to competitions) I try and teach all the smart driving practices and then during comp I back seat drive and let the drivers figure out how they want to do it.
So when I yell at them "Get them out of our house" (which I say cause while commanding is a fun non harsh thing to yell at them) then I leave it up to the judgement of the driver how they do it, be it a shoving match or they catch a side and t-bone them across the field. Now ideally if I taught them right they should pick the right tool for the job.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by mega900997

Is this the best way to make sure your drivers and the other teams follow the strategy you have laid out? Or would taking a quieter approach without yelling be better? How do you coach your drivers and communicate with other teams during a match?

Here's my take on it. Matches are over in a flash. You need to communicate the information or instructions you have quickly, clearly, and without repeating yourself. You're going to have to project. That doesn't mean belittle or disrespect your drivers - it means you're going to speak in a louder, more stern voice than you otherwise would. Don't judge coaches for projecting.