Are You Team Captain Material?

by Marc Bloom

 

On and off the track, a little responsibility goes a long way  

Would you like to be given the honor of serving as a captain of your track or cross-country team? It's a big responsibility with many duties. Your coach and teammates must be able to count on you to come through. What attributes do you need in order to be considered? Take this little quiz to find out.

 

Team captains are chosen on the basis of:

a. Outstanding performances

b. Experience in the sport

c. Positive attitude

d. Leadership skills

e. All of the above

 

If you answered "all of the above," you're right. Coaches like to see captains who excel in their events, have the background to help teammates, show the kind of optimism that rubs off, and can step forward to guide and motivate others, serving as an assistant coach in many ways. More and more, however, coaches are finding that the kind of initiative you show as a leader is far more critical than your best time, or even whether you're a senior with three or four years' experience.

 

This break with tradition opens the door for a greater range of athletes to be considered. It means that athletes who may not make headlines in the local paper can still be important role models on the team. Coaches have learned that the best team leaders can be of any ability level, as long as they can gain the respect of teammates with their good sense and good heart.

 

Kevin Martell, the girls' cross-country coach at state champion Essex Junction High in Vermont, realized this a few years ago. He used to have his team vote for captain. "We didn't get the best leaders," says Martell. "It turned into a popularity contest."

 

When teenagers vote for any school or club candidate, peer pressure often results in "obvious" choices of popular kids. Not enough thought is given to those who may be quiet and sensitive, with a strong character. If a team captain has to get involved in disciplining another athlete for a misdeed, he or she had better know how to relate to a peer in a constructive, no threatening way.

 

Disappointed in his initial captain system, Martell did a complete turnaround. He decided to name captains at the end of the season as a reward for those who'd stepped forward on their own to take charge and serve as leaders. Martell announced his new system when the season began so the girls would know what was expected of them.

 

"Every day at practice," says Martell, who also coaches the distance runners on the spring track squad, "I would say, 'Who's our leader today?' Slowly but surely, girls would step up and lead. It was incredible."

 

One girl who stepped up last fall during cross-country was Amy Bergeron (see the story on page 12), a senior who runs the 3000 meters in track and competes on the ski team during the winter. "Amy is quiet but very effective in the way she leads," says Martell. "Before one meet when team morale was low, she wrote each girl a personal note of encouragement and gave them to the 45 other team members on the bus going to the race. She came up with this idea entirely on her own. It really helped spark the squad."

 

Choosing captains is a tricky proposition for coaches, who don't want to offend expectant athletes, yet need to ensure that kids with the right attitudes and personalities are in charge. Martell's approach enables athletes to select themselves, avoiding any complaints from team members who might think, "Why wasn't I picked?"

 

The best way to minimize potential friction is to make sure that, whatever the selection system, athletes, parents and the school administration know precisely how captains will be named. Coaches should distribute the requirements in written form.

 

At Ben Davis High in Indianapolis, boys' cross-country coach Scott Williams uses a traditional team-vote system but includes his own vote and those of his two assistant coaches. "Our kids can be trusted to make the right decisions," says Williams. "One day a couple of years ago when I was out sick, the captain called me from school to find out what the workout was, to make sure everyone on the team would know what to do. That's the kind of initiative you want in a team captain."

 

At St. Charles High in Illinois, girls' cross-country coach Tom Roderick also takes a familiar approach but puts an updated spin on it. His captains are automatically the seniors -- every senior, no matter how many -- on the squad. Last season, St. Charles, state 2A cross-country champion, had 13 captains! "They all rise to the occasion as role models," says Roderick.

 

The St. Charles captains do everything from making sure the training pace is correct to lugging the water jug off the bus after a meet. With responsibilities distributed among a large group, all the girls learn that even the most menial tasks are important in the smooth functioning of the 42-member team. Everyone pitches in to get the job done.

 

With an even larger group of as many as 110 athletes on his boys' spring track squad, Roderick assigns captains to every discipline, such as sprints, hurdles and weight events. "Every day at practice," says Roderick, "the seniors will say, 'Okay, guys, it's 2:45. Time to start warming up."

 

Probably the most unusual policy for selection of captains applies at Nevada Union High in Grass Valley, Calif. "I choose a captain based on how much it's going to help that kid," says boys' cross-country coach Clyde Lehman. "If I have a runner on the bubble who needs a little more self-esteem, I'll take him aside and say, 'We would like you to be our captain next year. Help me become a better coach.' "

 

The athletes given this honor invariably make big strides as runners and leaders, says Lehman, whose team placed second in the California State Division I cross-country race last fall. The current cross-country captain, Arthur Sharp (see the story on page 11), worked his way from the J.V. to the varsity, running as fast as 16:21 on a 5000-meter course. He also developed the confidence to offer advice to the superior runners.

 

Still, it's a risky approach to count on an untested runner for leadership. Lehman really gambled two years ago with a runner who got into so much trouble he was not taken on trips to away meets. "When I told the young man I was going to name him captain," says Lehman, "he said, 'Why me?' I told him, 'You are a potential leader.' "

 

The boy's grades improved. So did his attitude. "Being captain," says Lehman, "turned this kid's life around. He was no longer a problem. Someone finally placed faith in him, and he came through for the benefit of everyone." 

 

Arthur Sharp: Captain, Nevada Union (Calif.) High School
Sharp was a 2:03 half-miler as a junior last spring when Nevada Union coach Clyde Lehman, recognizing the boy's leadership potential, told him he would be cross-country captain in the fall. Sharp is set on breaking 2 minutes this spring, but, more than anything, his goal has been to help others reach their next level.

"I offer my teammates advice on training and racing without offending them," says Sharp, who maintains a 3.9 GPA and wants to study engineering in college. "They listen to me."

Lehman relies on Sharp to spur team morale. "If someone runs a bad race, it drags him down and he gets frustrated," says Sharp. "I boost his confidence, help him understand why things didn't go his way. He comes back and runs better."


Team Captains: How They Lead
Here are 10 common duties that captains need to take on:

1. Lead warmups and stretching exercises.
2. Organize socials like pasta dinners.
3. Coordinate fund-raising activities, such as car washes.
4. Exemplify proper behavior and discipline.
5. Help those with poor attitudes get in line.
6. Have a role in team meetings.
7. Help freshmen learn the ropes.
8. Encourage teammates to practice on optional days.
9. Make sure everyone follows the coach's instructions.
10. Keep locker rooms and other gathering sites clean.