Captaincy - Who to choose and What is Their Role
Captaincy can be an overused position on a soccer team. Youth teams with self oriented parents and players can suffer from resentment towards a captain on the team. Before a captain is established it is important to create a team mentality where players understand the concept of putting the team above themselves. If a player “needs the captaincy” to perform, for for their self esteem you can be assured that player is exactly the wrong choice for the role of captain. Before choosing a captain take three or four practice sessions. Perform team oriented drills and bonding activities. Focus on team over individual performance drills in the preseason to encourage the concept of group success over individual. Pay close attention to how your players interact with each other on AND off the field.
Individual characteristics you should look for include;
- How do they communicate with their teammates? Is it criticism or advice.
- How do teammates respond to them? Uplifted or lose confidence?
- Do they care about performance of teammates? Or do they care only as long as they have ball or they are scoring goals?
Down Time
You should watch your team interact during water breaks and in social time after practice. Who are the popular kids? Who drifts off to be alone? Who complains and acts in a negative manner? This is all crucial information when selecting a captain. Leaders often have a magnetic charisma, meaning other players enjoy talking to them. Leaders also recognize a teammate may be having a bad day and know when to have an encouraging word. To be a leader and a captain a player must have a circle of concern that spreads wider than their own individual performance.
Social
Social time is important and should also play a role in your captaincy selection. Organize team activities whenever possible, whether it be meals or bowling. What you see if you watch your players interact could be very revealing as to who the positive influences and leadership figures are within the group. It is hard to differentiate between the personalities of players if they show up to practice, do as you ask and then disappear afterwards in their separate cars. Social time allows the character and personality of each player to come out more.
Ask the Team
While you should always have the final say, a blind vote by the team can be a good way to see who has the respect of their peers. This can be useful if you do not have a strong feeling yourself as to who the captain should be.
Do Not Force It
If you do not see a clear captain immediately do not be afraid to pick 2 or 3 captains, or rotate the captaincy around until you find a good fit. Even England National Team coach Fabio Capello used this concept when he took over before settling on his final choice. Communicate with the team clearly if you choose this route and do not leave room for doubt or rumor to cloud the atmosphere. Explain what you are doing, why you are doing it and proceed as a group.
Expect More
You should hold your captain to extremely high standards of behavior. If they wish to have the prestige of being captain, with it comes a responsibility to both the team and the coaching staff. Captains should be aware of what is expected of them and you should be less lenient with them regarding behavior than other players, if you show any lenience. The captain is a role model for other players on the team, by awarding the captaincy you are saying that their behavior is what other team members and incoming team members should model off. The expectations exist on the field where the captain will be expected to;
- Put in 100% effort at all times.
- Have the ability to rebound from mistakes and setbacks with a positive attitude.
- Show a respectful attitude towards teammates, coaches and the referee.
- Play to a high level, your captain should be worthy of a starting spot on merit.
- Socially interact with all teammates.
- Set a good example in behavior.
- Organize team social activity (for older age groups, otherwise be actively involved in).
- Take pride in the team.
