Most commonly in red, yellow, or white, the band with a large capital “C” printed in black signifying the captain, may be the single most intimidating  piece of swag a player can have.

When I see one, I immediately interpret the captain as being one of the best players on the field.  Many times this is true, having leadership skills and being a good player often times come in a pair. However, the mistake many players and coaches make is that this player shouldn’t be chosen on their ability to play the game, but rather on their ability to lead the team.

Generally, two kinds of leaders emerge from the group, the loud outspoken leader, and the leader by example. For any team to be successful, both are crucial.

The vocal leader in my experience tends to hold the team together socially off the field. They tend to be more carefree than other teammates and are also easier to talk to, making everyone feel more apart of the team.
The leader by example will fight their hardest win a tackle. This has a ripple effect and usually makes everyone more pumped to do the same.

The vocal leader has the ability to get the team excited to play before the game starts, and when the rhythm is broken by an injury or other temporary pauses in the game. It’s nice to hear inspirational talks or encouraging words during or before the game, but too much of the same just sounds like a speech and tends to get disregarded.

The leader by example is sometimes forgotten but pumps the team up when words just aren’t enough.  Seeing my teammate go all out for a ball and really fight to win even a small tackle that may not have any direct effect on the overall game is where this second type of leader comes into action. A rush of adrenaline flows through my veins when I remember what it feels like and that extra motivation  pushes me to work that much harder and can sometimes be the difference in the game.

Not everyone can be a leader, there’s a certain mindset that goes with having responsibility. not everyone is cut out for it, and not everyone should be.

Even the best coach can’t take the place of this leadership. They can yell and scream until they lose their voice, but in the end they will always be on the sideline.

Too many leaders tear apart a team, it’s hard to be a leader with no followers. The opposite is true as well, no leadership results in a group of people running around aimlessly.

The great balance between the two opposites are the basics for a team going places.