Are you ready, captain? That term, however, is not limited in a militaristic sense. Every once in awhile we might call a friend “captain” just in passing.
For example, you pass someone in the hallway at work and say, “Are you ready, captain?”
Well, sports teams have captains as well. Truth be known, leadership is necessary on all levels of sport and life. Most people think in terms of leadership as it pertains to coaches.
While the coach is the adult in the situation, even when he is dealing with adults such as at the college or professional level but having players that are leaders can strike the appropriate balance. However, leadership must also come via the players, because at some point players might tune out the coach’s message — but if players utter the same communication, the coach’s message is more likely to be taken seriously.
Those things are often taken into account when a team selects its captains before a given season begins.
So what criteria should captains have to meet? It means different things to different people.
Showing up first/early to practice would one requirement, especially at the youth level but also at levels as high as professional. High school is a little clearer cut in that a youngster’s self-discovery and reputation has typically taken effect.
However, you have to be careful of falling into the popularity contest, which involves giving it to someone because they are the most well-liked or perceived as the team’s best player.
Teammates voting on the captains might give the impression of democracy, but you also have to take into account the maturity of the team. Teams with more mature players are less likely to play favorites. Whereas teams that have less maturity are more likely to play favorites.
Of course, if the coaches choose the captains, there is the possibility of parental criticism, heartbroken players and other forms of backlash.
Choosing a captain can also be dictated by the needs of the team. Do we need a vocal leader to light a fire in the team’s ass or do we need a more low-key voice that leads by example?
Personally, I do not believe in limiting captainship to a senior if we are talking high school or college.
Just because someone is ready to graduate that doesn’t automatically mean they are fit to lead. For that matter, I would not limit the role to those that have played 10 years or more at the pro level either.
Captains need to have talent, experience and the ability to lead by example as well as the way they play the game. Captains should also be able to organize the team in a timely fashion.
In a nutshell, there’s no true guideline on how to select a captain but before choosing one or three, these factors need to be taken into account.
Is this player respected by his peers, parents and teachers? Can this player understand criticism? Is this player mentally tough? To what level is the player committed to the team? Does the player take responsibility and see the big picture? Does the player respect the program’s tradition? Does the player seek challenges?
The coaches should then answer and evaluate these questions among themselves and then make the decision.
From there, the player must understand the importance of the role they have accepted.
They must understand that with the honor comes a responsibility that is not to be taken lightly.
Subsequently, the coach must trust the leaders. Coaches must understand that the decision of selecting captains is not going to please everyone but if evaluated thoroughly, the decision will hit far more than miss.
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