Pressure on Drive Team

[Ali Ahmed]

And about the pressure thing we only give pressure to ourselves. We don't take crap from others.

[Jay Lundy]

Back in 2001 when I was driver I felt a lot of pressure. Basically in the elimination rounds the score of all 5 teams in our alliance came down to my ability to balance 2 goals on the bridge in about 10 seconds. Drive a little too far back, the bridge tips the other direction, and we lose the regional. Luckily I never felt the pressure during the match, but I would be incredibly nervous before the match. Driving in front of everyone at the national finals on einstein didn't help much either, but luckily I didn't have to balance goals in those matches.

Now that this is my 4th year driving, I barely get nervous at all. Just whatever happens, happens. If we lose, that's fine with me. If we win, great. In the end I don't think it affects my driving ability at all whether I'm nervous or not because I'm never nervous when I'm actually driving, only before the match. During the match I tune everything out except for the field, the other driver, and my coach.

And I'm always exhausted after a regional. We've gotten good at building robots that need to be repaired constantly, so I'm usually busy in the pits.

[Ian W.]

Originally Posted by Jay Lundy

During the match I tune everything out except for the field, the other driver, and my coach.

Funny story...

I was so completely focused on my robot as SBPLI during one match, that I hadn't even noticed our alliance parnter, 311, had been tipped outside of the field, and that all of 311 was screaming at me to get the one last ball for them to shoot. After we won the match, I looked back up, and saw their robot sprawled along the rail, and asked when that happened. I just got a funny look from everyone.

[KenWittlief]

actually thats good. The coach should be the one keeping an eye on the whole field, and telling the drivers what to do next (go get those balls, cap that goal, go around the left and get on the platform)

when you are driving you need to stay focused on what YOUR bot is doing, not what everyone elses bot is doing

the coach is the captain of the team -he shouts out orders and everyone else says "yes sir!" :c)

[philipprogramer]

I believe that the drive team should have as little pressure as possible during the days of the matches. Infact I take it upon my self as captain to find out ways to relieve the pressure for each of the members. Whether it be getting their mind off the game or making sure they know exactly what has to be done in the game, I want them to be as relaxed as possible before and during a match. Sometimes you just have to trust the drivers you picked and let them do their thing with no interruptions.

[LauraN]

Originally Posted by ali_rockon22

Our Drive Team is not just team members that just drive the robot. The Drive Team are made up of the hardest working people on the team. I mean the ones working on the robot.

We work in a similar way. Driving is seen as a "senior privelege" on our team. The people who have been around the longest and been the most dedicated get rewarded by being able to, as you said, "play" with the robot.

I agree with Ken, this has nothing to do with your driving abilities, BUT...

We have a very small school (about 250 students) and consequently a very small team. By the time we get down to "crunch time" a week before ship day, there are about 10 people in the basement doing work. I dunno, maybe that's a lot, but that's really our core team. Everyone else either only comes every once in awhile or works on the Photoshop or Animation teams. A lot of people see driving as the "fun" part, the part where you get to see all your efforts come together.

So we reserve the right for the seniors on the build team. It's maybe not the best solution, but as I said, we have a pretty small number of people to work with. And we feel it's fair that those who worked the hardest get to make it all work.

We're pretty supportive of our drive team and we don't really take matches too seriously. I mean, we want to win, but I think we're one of the more laid-back teams. If we win we're completely ecstatic, but if we lose we don't worry about it too much.

In the last of our matches at SBPLI our driver and operator made a really...I'll say "silly" mistake that pretty much cost us the match. We were all good-natured about it, and afterwards I greeted them with "what was THAT about?!" in a joking way. But once we saw that they were really upset about it, we stopped joking and made our (albeit feeble) attempts to cheer them up. And if we had a match after that, we would have given them some chocolate and sent them back out on the field with encouraging words. We wouldn't "kick them off" the drive team for one mistake, or even multiple mistakes.

It's definitely not the best way to run things, but that's our philosophy and we're sticking to it! =)

[Ryan Albright]

Excellent question.

Well i find the pressure over whelmining, but that is just not from my team that is from myself ripping me apart. Our team is split up into sub teams, such as drivetrain, arm, scouting,etc etc. While we are not competeing its the time for those teams to shine. Then you have the driveteam, To be one of the drivers on your team is a honor. When you are in a driving position it shows that you have been given the respect from the team and the backing of the team to go up and compete. NO matter how much work someone does it all comes down to you. For those two minutes you are the deciding factor on how the team reacts and how were you are placed. When you are in the driving role you are looked up to, not only by your own team but by every other team. I remeber when i was a freshman i looked up to our driver and always thought i want to be him someday. Last year i got my chance and i didnt think it would be a big deal, then i got up there. Its a totally different world up there, for those two minutes you are the MAN or WOMAN. When i get up there i put alot of pressure on myself i want to succeed for the team, for all the hardwork they have done. For the sponsors giving us all that money, i want to have a winning result and then just for myself i am a very competitive person and i like to win. When we have a good match i am over joyed and it seems like nothign can bother me. When we lose i tear myself apart, i replay the match in my head over and over to see what we did wrong and what we could of done different.

when we win i feel like i have highlighted all the hardwork the team has done
When we lose i feel like i have let down the team

I guess all i am tryign to say is when i get up there i feel like i have a responsiblity to bring a win to the team cause they have put the trust of the robot and its performance to the driver, cause no matter how good yoru robot is it all come's down to the skill of the driver

[Scott Shaw 237]

Well I can tell you that being on a drive team is probably the most demanding, but most rewarding of all the jobs that a team must do to run. While there is always the heavy hold on you from the team to do good and try to win all of your matches, i really dont feel nervous until we hit the finals. When we lose, i fix what i did wrong or what happened to the robot and when we win, the burden of winning is lifted slightly from my shoulders and i am relaxed. As Andy stated

The drive crew is the center of the team, they get the most glory when successful, but also get the most flack when something goes wrong. After coaching on a couple of different teams for a few years, I have learned to never insult or question any decisions the drive crew takes. Being up in the stands watching a match is completely different than being down on the field. Your vantage point is much different, the field is harder to see, and frankly its quite crowded back there...not easy to think straight.

And I believe every single word he said is the truth.

[BillyGoats]

as for the driver and I, I dont think theres to too much pressure during the compition becuase we know if we do our job right we will accomplish what what need to accomplish. it helps having a robot you know will perform 100% every time you go out there.

As for bed time since we are from MA and we go to the FL regional we got down there 5 days before the regional to go to disney and have a good time. curfew was 11:30 those nights. Wendsday night i'd say we where in bed by 10-10:30ish for practice. Then Thursday curfew for the whole team was 9 so every one got to bed early. Then Friday nights curfew was 2am because we did well and won the Judges Award. Our mentor did not say ne thing to us he kinda figured that we would make the right choice and be in bed by a reasonable time. We where in bed by 11:30 witch was not bad. No need for 15hrs of sleep just 6 or 7 will do good.

[KenWittlief]

Originally Posted by ali_rockon22

OK this what we do.

We are the most dedicated and the smartest ones on the team

So thats basically what we do. There is more that I can only tell you in person.

these are the things I was referring to regarding winning the chairmans award - the C.A. is given to what the judges consider the ideal team - the team that other should look to and emulate

if you got people on a team going out and saying "we are the smartest ones on the team"

or worse yet, that there are things about your team you are not free to talk about in public, that you can only mention in person...

these are clear indications that there is stress and conflict on the team - team members are talking about each other behind their backs.

there is no 'me' in team, unless you spell it backwards and leave out half the members.

[shyra1353]

I think that the drive team has a lot of pressure put on them

The pressure comes from everywhere. From themselves, to show that theyre worthy enough to be part of the drive team and to win the match. From other teammates, to win the match. From other teams. Even if the team is supportive and encouraging, there will always be that peer pressure put on the drive team. And it is extremely easy to sit in the stands and criticise the matches. But, then its like what Ken said earlier, we fail as a team and we succeed as a team. I don't think everything should get blamed on the drive team. I know that I have told my team a few times that no matter what happens, the driver is not to be blamed if something goes horribly wrong. Its the whole teams fault.

But then again when you choose your drive team, you pick the people who will not freeze under pressure and know how to deal with it if they screw up.

[KenWittlief]

We are the only ones that work on the robot so we know the robot the best and therfore we "play" with it.

from the tone of your two posts I get the sense there is conflict and resentment on your team.

being the person or people who put the most work into building and designing the robot has nothing to do with your driving abilities

do the engineers from Ford or GM drive the race cars they build on the track? No - of course not

on our team we have always let anyone who wants to be a driver have practice time, either with previous robots, our practice robot, and with our current robot - then at some point we have a contest in one form or another, and SEE who can actually drive the machine the best.

Putting the most time and effort into the build phase of the project does not magiacally endow you with driving skills - in fact, people who have been busy practicing driving while you were busy building would most likely be better drivers.

We also had HP pratice this year, usually people had to leave build work they were doing to go get shooting practice - and they were the best shooters.

A team is where everyone has one thing they do best and performs that function - not where one or two people try to do everything themselves.

We are the most dedicated and the smartest ones on the team

So thats basically what we do. There is more that I can only tell you in person.

with this attitude you wont be winning any chairmans award this year :c(

[Ali Ahmed]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

from the tone of your two posts I get the sense there is conflict and resentment on your team.

being the person or people who put the most work into building and designing the robot has nothing to do with your driving abilities

do the engineers from Ford or GM drive the race cars they build on the track? No - of course not

on our team we have always let anyone who wants to be a driver have practice time, either with previous robots, our practice robot, and with our current robot - then at some point we have a contest in one form or another, and SEE who can actually drive the machine the best.

Putting the most time and effort into the build phase of the project does not magiacally endow you with driving skills - in fact, people who have been busy practicing driving while you were busy building would most likely be better drivers.

We also had HP pratice this year, usually people had to leave build work they were doing to go get shooting practice - and they were the best shooters.

A team is where everyone has one thing they do best and performs that function - not where one or two people try to do everything themselves.



with this attitude you wont be winning any chairmans award this year :c(

Actually the ones that do the most work on the robot know what the robot is capable of. Also we are the best ones. We had some newer members try out but they were not good enough. And I'm just saying whats true.

[Avarik]

Here is my view on the whole who is on drive team thing:

Driving the robot is a reward. In all honesty, many of us put 6 weeks of our life into that robot. If you examined it, you would find traces of our sweat and blood (literally!) on the robot. Some of us even begin feeling attached to it.The way we chose our drive team is our most dedicated members who are able to attend all trips. Yes, everyone does some work, but more willing and interested members are quickly seperated from others. It is kind of like a reward for those who put in the most time and effort into it. Honestly, EVERYONE wants to drive the robot, so we try to be as fair about it as possible. Remember, winning is always a good feeling (and in this sense, you would make everyone try out to find the best drivers), but knowing that you put all of your free time and energy into a machine, and getting the chance to actually use it is better. One of the comments many mentors made to us was that we were lucky that we get to see our own finished product and use it.

[luciano841]

Its fun to see the finish product and
get the chance to drive it in competition

Im just glad i beat all the rookies and got to drive again this year