Write your search in the input below and press enter.
Esc to close.

The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich

Peak Performance:
Not Just for Sports, for Life

  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
    • Recent
    • Athletes
    • Coaching
    • Sports Parenting
    • Sports Administrators
    • Life
    • Administrators
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Hello. Sign In

My Account
  • Login
  • Register
0
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk
Subscribe
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich
  • Recent
  • Athletes
  • Coaching
  • Sports Parenting
  • Life
  • Administrators
Home / Blog / Coaching 101: Picking Great Team Captains

Coaching 101: Picking Great Team Captains

By: Dr. Chris Stankovich | @DrStankovich | Jan 17, 2018

1 Comment

One of the biggest and most important jobs for a coach is getting it right when it comes to selecting team captains.  Coaches who take the time to evaluate student athletes and their likelihood for becoming strong team captains benefit in a number of ways, including better team responsibility, sportsmanship, academic excellence, school/community leadership, and overall team camaraderie (a big factor associated with on-field success).   The reality is that coaches can’t be everywhere, all the time — and even if they were able to pull off those super-human feats, there still isn’t a substitute for student athletes “policing themselves” through the guidance and leadership from fellow players, including team captains.

Examining the team captain selection process

As we explore ideas around selecting a team captain, it’s important to discuss things to avoid if the goal is to develop the best team chemistry possible.

  • Don’t fly through the process with little effort or vision.  Coaches who expedite the team captain process by quickly assigning a student athlete team captain status because of either on-field success and/or grade level (seniority) may result in expecting things from a youngster that he or she simply isn’t equipped to do.  Instead, take time out to evaluate whether the student athlete even wants to be captain, and if he or she is equipped with the people skills to get fellow teammates to make smart off-field decisions, commit to academics, and give 100% effort every time out.
  • Be careful giving the team 100% ownership of the process.  Some coaches pull back and instead allow the team to decide on who will be the captain, a practice that can work – but also runs the risk of the selection process simply being a popularity contest.  A slightly different approach might include team feedback through an anonymous information gathering method, coupled by what the coaches think would be the best decision.
  • Be realistic with expectations.  Remember, if you’re coaching at the youth or interscholastic level you are still dealing with kids, and very few kids have developed outstanding leadership skills to that point in their lives (it’s a work in progress for most kids).  What this means is it might be a lofty goal to expect the team captain to police all the kids on the team, always have the team ready to compete, and getting teammates to take academics as serious as they should.  Rather than expecting captains to have it all figured out, try to think about age-appropriate expectations, and lend support and guidance whenever you can help.

Ideas to help get it right

Selecting team captains can be a challenging and complex proposition, but there are some ideas and guidelines you can rely on in order to decide on the right kids for the job.

  • Talk about the importance of being a team captain.  Remember, while most student athletes realize they are expected to be role models and leaders, few actually know exactly what this means.  Consequently, it’s important for coaches to spell out the duties of a team captain, and to determine what kids are actually interested in becoming a team captain.
  • Define the role explicitly.  Rather than simply allowing it up to the team captain to lead the team, provide examples of what strong leadership looks like.  Also, be sure to provide specifics around off-field goals, including grades and ways in which the team can positively interact with the community (i.e. volunteering).
  • Provide 24/7 support.  Once team captains are chosen, it’s important to make sure they know that coaches are there for them when problems arise (as they undoubtedly will over the course of a season).  It’s also important for captains to feel as though they can report issues on the team without breaking confidentiality, and that they can solicit advice and mentoring when issues go beyond what captains feel they are capable of handling.

Final thoughts

The role of being a team captain is an important, and coaches are encouraged to think through the captain selection process so that responsible decisions are made.  Student athletes who display responsibility, integrity, and sportsmanship should garner the most attention, especially if your goal is to have them model these same behaviors to the rest of the team.

drstankovich.com

captains, chemistry, Coaching, cohesion, Leadership, psychology, sport, team

  • Author
  • Comments
  • Details
Get to Know the Author

Dr. Chris Stankovich

Dr. Stankovich has written/co-written five books, including Positive Transitions for Student Athletes, The ParentsPlaybook, Mind of Steel.

Latest Blog Posts

  • May 6, 2025 Beyond the Numbers: How Overusing Sport Analytics Can Undermine Expert Judgment
  • April 21, 2025 Juggling Sports and Schedules: The Hidden Costs of Playing Multiple Sports
  • April 17, 2025 Earning Power: College Athletes Aren’t Greedy, They’re Just No Longer Free Labor
  • April 16, 2025 Decoding Intuition: What Happens When We Follow Our Inner Compass?
  • April 8, 2025 Precision, Purpose, Performance: The Psychology of Efficiency in Success

PREVIOUS POST

The Psychology Behind Why Hazing Occurs So Frequently in Sports

NEXT POST

Comprehensive Athletic Training for Today’s Student Athlete

Category

Amateur , Athletes , Athletic Counseling , Boys Sports , Coach , Coaching , Girls Sports , Leadership , Leadership and Role Modeling , Prep , Sport Philosophy , Sport Psychology , Sports Leadership , Sports Parenting , Sports Performance Science , Uncategorized , Youth Sports

Tags

captains, chemistry, Coaching, cohesion, Leadership, psychology, sport, team

  • Recent Posts
  • Most Read
  • Beyond the Numbers: How Overusing Sport Analytics Can Undermine Expert Judgment
  • Juggling Sports and Schedules: The Hidden Costs of Playing Multiple Sports
  • Earning Power: College Athletes Aren’t Greedy, They’re Just No Longer Free Labor
  • Decoding Intuition: What Happens When We Follow Our Inner Compass?
  • Precision, Purpose, Performance: The Psychology of Efficiency in Success
  • The Importance of Passion & Purpose for Sport Success
  • How Human Arousal Impacts Sport Performance
  • Bouncing Back: How Coaches Can Help Kids Learn from a Tough Loss
  • Learn Sports Fear Reduction with these 5 Psychology Tips
  • Why Does Your Kid Play Great in Practice, but Not in Games?
  • The Sports Doc on TV

    Catch Dr. Stankovich’s tv, radio, and print interviews and columns here!

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Watch Videos
  • Sport Performance Assessment

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Quickly and accurately test your level of mental toughness in just a few minutes using the Sport Performance Assessment.

    (SPA), an easy-to-use sport psychology system specially designed to help you REACH YOUR FULL ATHLETIC POTENTIAL.

    learn more
  • SportsSuccess360

    Life strategies for performance and character development for coaches, parents, and student athletes competing in youth and interscholastic sports.

    Life Strategies learn more
  • Contact Dr. Stankovich

    1207 Grandview Ave., Suite #218, Columbus, OH 43212

    (614) 561-4482

    Media & General Inquiries

    information@drstankovich.com

    Sales & Product Support

    sales@drstankovich.com

  • About Dr. Stankovich

    • Media
    • Blog
    • Testimonials
  • Products

    • Toolkits
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Audio
    • iPhone Apps
  • Services

    • Athlete Performance Training
    • Parent Community Forum
    • Coach Education & Development
    • Athletic Crisis Response and Intervention
    • Drug & Alcohol Assessment
    • Life Success Programs
    • Counseling & Consulting Services
  • Blog
  • YouTube
  • twitter
  • facebook

All rights reserved © 2025 Advanced Human Performance Systems™

↓ ↓