So we came back from our second competition ever, and I’m wondering if we should switch drivers(The drivers currently are me and someone else whose name I am not going to say) because the other driver freaks out everytime our robot breaks during competition. Me on the other side, will try to fix the robot, but if that doesn’t work, I will just deal with it and continue the match.
So basically, my definition of a good driver is one that stays calm and collected during the whole match(sorry for the yap). What is your definition of a good driver?
My definition is a person who is very coordinated and can learn the controls very fast and is usually intellectually deep and yes, calm. I would also like them to show some team spirit! Currently does NOT have someone like this, but they’re getting there.
Well… a good driver is someone who drives the robot well. I just said a lot of nothing, but the way I read this:
is that you want to know how to choose the optimal driver for your team. For that, simply have each driver do a practice run (or a few for accuracy), and the average score each driver got (with full knowledge of your team’s strategy) is a great tell of how their performance will look in a match. It’s not perfect, but if your team is hesitant about who to pick, this is a good rule-of-thumb.
A good driver is someone who can think on their feet and be able to take a lot of information in and make the best decision.
And will listen to their drive team members, especially in mid-match coaching.
Hallo. (My phrase is Hallo, just FYI, I’m sorry)
My definition of a good driver would be this:
1: Spends extra time with the bot, knowing its strengths and weaknesses.
2: KnOwS hOw To DrIfT!!
3: Studies teams and their strategies over YouTube videos
Why again?..
Drifting saves time. Think of a line;
Without drifting, in that line will be corners, when you turn. If you drift, you save distance and cut off that sharp corner entirely.
Oh… I understand now!
A good driver is one who listens to his teammates, and doesn’t think he is above others. While also being good with the controls and scoring lots of points. They need to be calm and collected, and do well under pressure(if they experience any). And if they don’t show up to practice and/or aren’t willing to work hard, then they shouldn’t be a driver.
There are a few qualities that a driver has to have, and if they don’t have them they might be a sub optimal driver. They need to be able to communicate, and they need to stay calm under pressure. They also need to know the robot well, and they should be able to spend more time with it than other members. Watching other teams and strategies on Youtube should also be something that they do.
(Thanks to all the amazing drivers out there)
Good point… this probably means I should switch drivers. The other driver is a good engineer, but he argues with our team and the other teams at our school way too much. Also for some reason, he opposes helping other teams at our school even though they have helped us and given us ideas and tips.
While I can agree with many of the points that have been made regarding being a good driver and the impulse to want to win, the RECF is not just about winning. You are learning some valuable skills as team members. Perhaps instead of thinking of replacing your driver, you help build this team member’s robot skills so they don’t feel the pressure of when something “breaks”. And perhaps more hands on practice would provide them with more confidence when driving. Ultimately this is a team and as a driver, you know what is needed so help your team mate grow and you might find that you have learned some incredibly valuable leadership skills as you help your team mates.
My definition is a reliable driver that a) can drive well and b) doesn’t freak out if anything goes wrong. My team just holds a competition: most points solo and with our sister teams for top 2 it’s me and another girl as our claw snapped twice and we fixed it in 3 secs 
I would not change it but maybe alternate between drivers as a whole. Lots of the others may want to give driving a try too and if you have other drivers this might help also you could work it out with the other member
Good point, but there is only one other person that can drive because our team has 5 members, and two of them(someone else and me) are drivers. One person on our team is a loader(We can’t trust them with driving because they have stolen our controller and started driving our robot around resulting in our robot breaking multiple times) and the last person doesn’t trust themselves with driving, so we have three people that can drive(including me).
Sorry this is a kinda long post
I’m not quite sure, maybe sit down with the driver (do you have a team leader that can do that or smth?) and ask what they think and then get the team to come and have their input. It is easier that way, and eventually you will come to a consensus. Make sure it is clear that the replacement WILL be … and ask … if they want to drive. They may be feeling sad that they r not driving at all. If the issue with the other current driver is that severe, then switch it but give them like maybe another chance to fix the issue. Tell them how you feel if you haven’t yet. If they fix the issue then maybe alternate if not and it is severe enough replace the driver (but as a team discussion).
I talked to the driver(We don’t have a team leader, but I basically make a lot of the decisions on our team) about the problem, and we made an agreement that he won’t drive for teamwork challenges, but he will drive with me for skills.