Interesting Article on Team Captains

Came across a good article last night on a survey of coaches and their thoughts on team captains.  Some of these thoughts I agree with...but the one thing that really jumped out at me is the lack of leadership "training" that coaches give their captains (I am guilty as well).

What Coaches Think of Their Team Captains.

by Jeff Janssen, M.S.

Janssen Peak Performance 

Coaches across the U.S. were recently surveyed to find out how their thoughts on team captains.  The results of this study show that team captains are some of the most important, yet least prepared people on your team. 

How Important are Team Captains? 

Nearly unanimous, coaches believe that team captains/leaders are pivotal to a program's success.  Coaches realize that team captains have a strong influence on so many factors, especially competitive success. 

98% of coaches believe being a team captain/leader is an important job 

98% of coaches also believe an effective team captain can positively impact win/loss records 

How Effective are Today's Team Captains? 

Just over half of coaches believe that today's team captains are not as effective as they were years ago.  Roughly one quarter of coaches believe today's captains are about the same and another quarter think today's captains are more effective than they were years ago. 

Are Your Captains Prepared to Lead? 

Only 37% of coaches believe their captains are prepared to handle the responsibilities and challenges of leadership.  The remaining 63% of coaches are either unsure or convinced that their captains are not prepared to lead. 

Do Your Captains have the Courage to Confront? 

Less than half of the coaches surveyed believe that their captains will confront their teammates in three important areas: adhering to team rules, working hard, and respecting coaches. 

Survey Summary 

The overall results of this survey reinforce the fact that coaches believe effective team captains/leaders are a critical part of a successful athletic program - both on and off the field/court. 

Yet, while effective leaders are seen as important, the majority of coaches feel their captains are unprepared to lead.  The area where captains need the most help is constructive confrontation, or the Enforcer role as we call it. 

Too many captains would rather let standards slip, rules be broken, and coaches be bashed rather than stepping up and confronting the issue.  This lack of leadership from your captains should be a major cause of concern for you because it insidiously erodes your team structure from within. 

Other than a minority of enlightened colleges and high schools, little is being done to train student-athletes to be more effective leaders by schools. It is certainly encouraging that many coaches are attempting to train leaders on their own. 

With these results and those from other surveys as well as the countless conversations I've had with team captains, coaches, and athletic administrators, we recently launched a new resource that addresses these concerns and take leadership training to a whole new level. 

For more information, please visit the new online resource for emerging and existing team leaders at the http://www.TeamCaptainsNetwork.com website.