The intent of this post is to present my perspective of the role of team captains at the high school level. First, I will recount my own personal experience as a captain, and then I will expound on the value of captains for the success and cohesiveness of a team from a coach’s perspective. Basically, in my opinion, being a captain is a really big deal.
Personally, as a player, I was the team captain for 5 out of 12 seasons in high school, and I was the women’s lacrosse captain for both my junior and senior seasons in college. However, I will always remember my first experience as a captain as one of my best leadership experiences ever. I was thrilled when my high school teammates elected me as the co-captain of the freshmen girls’ lacrosse team. I remember when my co-captain and I told our coach, Miss Nagle, that we wanted to honor our teammates for their efforts during the games. We created the team “effort award,” to be announced after each game, as a means to recognize players for outstanding performances.
When I think back on it now, I have to smile because I love the fact that we, as 14-year-old captains, weren’t all that interested in rewarding the high scorer, or the most valuable player, but instead, we were intent upon rewarding good, solid effort. After each game, Miss Nagle would give us her opinions about the possible effort award winner, but then she’d allow us to make the final call andmake the announcement to the team. In retrospect, I think it is fantastic that Miss Nagle supported our idea, she remembered to give us “air time” after each game to make our announcements, and she allowed us to facilitate the process instead of taking over. She recognized the potential leadership opportunity and she wisely let us run with it.
I know that my experience as a captain of the freshmen lacrosse team, as well as my other experiences as a team captain, have shaped my current attitude towards captains now that I am a coach. I truly believe that captains are critically important to the success of a team. But captains need guidance and support in assuming this leadership role. Therefore, I also believe that coaches must be clear in articulating their expections and in supporting the role of captain. Knowing how to effectively utilize the team captains is an important factor in setting up the captains, and the team, for a successful experience.
When do you choose captains? As a coach, I always make sure that my teams vote for next year’s captains at the end of the current season. From a coach’s perspective, think about how much occurs during the off-season. Fitness training, making announcements at school meetings, recruiting new players, generating excitement about the sport- these messages coming from a captain help to reinforce the coach’s message. From a captain’s perspective, having the off-season to adjust to the role can help them be more effective in season. Also, it provides clarity. I’ve found that players are uncomfortable when the captaincy is “up in the air.” They want to know who is in charge. So be sure to let your team vote for captains at the end of each season. It makes a huge difference!
Nurture and support the role of the captain- before the season begins. It’s not always easy for captains to step into the role of leading their peers. Therefore, the coach should meet with the captains multiple times during the off-season to “touch base,” build trust and rapport, clarify expectations, and reinforce the important role of the captain. At every preseason meeting with the team, the coach needs to make a point of introducing the captains to the rest of the group, encourage players to seek the captains out if they have questions, and, give the captains concrete opportunities to actually lead. Perhaps the captains take attendance at team meetings. Maybe they can organize fitness sessions or they can help with recruiting potential players. Giving captains opportunities to try on and test out their leadership role prior to the season will enable them to feel more comfortable and natural in the role during the competitive playing season.
Foster and encourage the captain’s role as the liaison between the players and the coach. During the season, the coach should attempt to connect with the captains on a daily basis. I’ve found that simply asking the captains to stay after practice for a few minutes and ask them “on a scale of 1-10, how did today’s practice go?” is helpful in eliciting their feedback. The reality is, inevitably, there are always issues that pop up over the course of a season. If the players are unhappy, their discontent eventually manifests itself on the playing field. Some player/team issues may fly under the coach’s radar. But no matter how busy or overwhelmed a coach might be feeling, they must remember to tap into the valuable liaison resource. The coach must be willing to listen to the captains and then work together to find solutions and strategies to address the problems.
Empower the captains to “nip problems in the bud.” One effective method of addressing smaller problems before they become bigger is to empower the captains to help diffuse tension. Team meetings, both with and without the coach present, can give the captains an opportunity to facilitate discussion and get their teammates back on track. Not only do these forums send a message to the team that their feelings matter, it also demonstrates that the coaches trust the captains to be a part of the solution.
Let’s be honest, though, the concept of player-only meetings can be scary for some coaches. However, in my opinion, the positive effect of giving the players a forum to talk and be heard should outweigh the coaches’ sense of security or control. Of course, coaches can set ground rules by reminding the captains that such players-only meetings should be productive and not “bitch-sessions.” However, in my experience, giving the team an opportunity to talk, and having the captains there to faciliate and listen, is usually a very beneficial and positive experience for all.
Good captains= good season. This season, I’ve heard positive feedback from players and parents about the team dynamic. This team is composed of a great group of kids and they genuinely seem to like and respect each other. I give a lot of credit to the captains for this positive tone and good team spirit. The captains aren’t loud or flashy, but they are dedicated team players, thoughtful and kind, and very respectful and inclusive. No power trips with these two girls. They are role models for the rest of the team. And as a result of their leadership, the team is cohesive and we’ve experienced competitive success. These girls are wonderful examples of why, in my opinion, the role of team captains should never be underestimated.
For more information on the subject of cultivating team leadership, I recommend reading Jeff Janssen’s (2004) book: ”The Team Captain’s Leadership Manual: The Complete Guide to Developing Team Leaders Whom Coaches Respect and Teammates Trust.”
