Team captains practice positive leadership and encouragement

by Layney Derricott

When the game begins, captains are expected to be leaders. The ones who motivate and guide. But what happens behind the scenes?  Every high school team captain is also a student balancing expectations along with responsibilities.

Being a captain is more than just the title; it’s about showing up and really showing how important leadership is.

Senior Mattie Barker, captain of the girls’ volleyball team, finds leadership fundamental. 

“Leadership, to me, is something I find very important. I think of leadership as being the person on the team that everyone can trust and come to, either on the court or off. I think being the person on the court everyone looks to and comes to when they need encouragement is a very important quality,” said Barker.

Junior Cooper Spaulding, one of the football captains, said discipline is the key to guiding teammates, while being trusted and an encourager.

Spaulding also said keeping up a good front, checking on everyone, and being aware of their experiences, in addition to “keeping everyone in check separately, having to worry about how people will act to each other, while making sure they treat you with respect,” are key aspects of being a team captain.

Actions depend on the captain’s guidance to make sure every team member has their best demeanor. According to senior Abi Lemon, girls’ soccer captain, respect is something that’s earned.

“Being respected matters more than being liked. If you are respected, you’re liked. Respect is better to hold more authority,” said Lemon.

In addition, having the ability to be on everyone’s good side as well as holding strong authority is important, said senior football captain Jomall Owens, Jr. 

“Making sure to keep a good look out, and take care of everyone. Also while being kind and keeping up my promise to practice what I preach,” he said. 

While being a leader means looking out and supporting others, it also means staying positive and adjusting to challenging situations in specific situation, said senior soccer captain Alex Lopez. 

“The Eastern game changed my look on leadership. We were down in the game, (graduate) Elijah Cheeks pulled me aside and told me take a new approach to leading my team. Be more positive along with calmer when speaking to them,” he stated. 

Supporting the team’s mindsets and rebuilding confidence while encouraging helps keep players focused and proud, said Barker. 

“When I notice that one of my teammates has lost confidence, I like to start by saying uplifting comments to them while playing. Like ‘Hey, great dig’ or ‘Way to find the hole in the block,’ so they keep focusing on the good things they are doing. I also will tell them to take a second and regroup, keeping up a ‘goldfish’ mindset.” 

Ultimately, a captain may wear the title, but true leadership is shown through actions. Leadership isn’t defined by the title or scoreboard — it’s defined by how JHS athletes support their teammates and respond to challenges.