Blog #14- Team Captains

What are team captains? Every sports team chooses players to lead out as captains for the team. Usually a captain is a senior. They are voted on by the team and the coaches. They have several responsibilities. “Captains embody 3 C’s in leading their team: Caring, Courageous, and Consistent. Being named a team captain is quite the honor. The position of captain is given to those athletes whom the rest of the team respect and trust to lead the team in the right direction. However, with this great honor also comes great responsibility. A captain must be accountable after a bad performance or practice. Captains are expected to perform in the clutch and lead the team to victory. It is also expected that captains will maintain control in the most pressurized situations and be the model of excellence for their teammates. Wow, coaches and athletes expect a lot of captains don’t they? Is it really worth it to be a captain? In our opinion, being a captain is one of the greatest honors an athlete can receive. Yet, many athletes take this honor for granted and do not understand the significance of their responsibilities as captain. In fact, in some situations captains may be selected because they are popular amongst their peers rather than being a suitable candidate for the captaincy. Athletes should take the captain’s role very seriously and put some thought on what it means to be an effective captain. In our opinion a good captain should embody the 3 C’s: Caring: Great captains have an undeniable passion for the game, for competing, and for their teammates. They put the success of the team ahead of their own needs and are truly concerned with the well-being of all team members. As a caring captain, you should treat all teammates with respect and recognize the contributions made by all team members. If you have a problem with a teammate, you should approach that teammate in private and in a positive way to address the situation and find a solution. The captain should be the one to stop rumor spreading and gossiping. These kinds of behaviors destroy team chemistry. Courageous: Captains are willing to step up. As a courageous captain, you must “walk the talk” and you cannot be afraid to compete in the worst of situations. Courageous captains set the example for the rest of the team. Your actions must embody the core values of the team, especially during times of adversity. Be a model of courage and dedication to your teammates by setting lofty goals and working hard to reach them. Finally, as a courageous captain you must show that you trust your teammates and coaches, and are also willing to hold teammates accountable to working hard and being prepared. Consistent: Effective captains need to be the model of consistency. To be a consistent captain you need to hold yourself to a standard of giving 100% effort in every practice and game. You cannot cut corners and earn the respect from teammates and coaches that is necessary to lead the team effectively. Consistent captains also have an authentic style of communicating. Some lead by their actions, while others are more vocal. Importantly, to be a consistent captain you must remain true to your own style of communication and not try to be someone else.” ("The 3 C's of Being a Captain." Association for Applied Sport Psychology: The 3 C's of Being a Captain. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2017.) This is a great article that talks about captains on a team. In lacrosse it is important to have girls/boys that can step up and control the team on the field. They can get offensive plays going if they are an offensive captain,and be able to score in those crunch time moments. That is where courage is key. They can get the midfield to run down fast and defend in the middle of the field and hustle to the passes and ground balls if they are a midfield captain. If they are a defensive captain they can get the communication going and work on the double team or be in charge of taking the best player on the opposing team. Captain's can pull aside players and critique if needed, but they also need to be able to encourage and inspire the team. This is where the caring takes place as a captain. You need to care for the players you are talking to and go about it in a kind way. And finally consistency is key to being at practice every time, being there early for every game and doing everything the coaches ask.