A team is not just a group of people that like the same thing, a team is a second family that laughs, cries, and hopefully wins together. Every team needs a leader to guide and inspire them. With the spring sports season kicking off, new teams will form and new team captains will meet the challenges ahead. The team captains from this past fall and winter seasons have some words of wisdom to share with the new team captains.

In order to gain a total understanding of how to be the ideal captain, students define what it means to be a true captain of a sports team. FLHS senior, Brendan Joyce, was one of the captains of the varsity football team this past fall. In order to be a captain, “you just want to lead your team to victory, don’t show any doubt in your team, and always go for the win,” said Joyce.

Joyce and the Crusader Football team had a very successful season last year. Bobbi Tharaldson, a senior as well, is currently a captain of the girl’s varsity basketball team. She would like to define a team captain as, “responsible for helping the team bond and become closer during and outside of practice!” Tharaldson also believes that, “being a team captain means you are the leader of the team, and are supposed to set an example of how to act for those under you.” According to Joyce and Tharaldson, two very talented athletes and captains, a team captain is a strong leader that sets the bar for their teammates.

Every captain works in different ways, but it is safe to say that the majority of good captains share similar characteristics. Coach of the girl’s varsity soccer team, Mr. Morrill, looks for the key attributes of “character, work ethic, attitude, and coach ability” in a team captain. Coach Morrill also looks for, “somebody that not only has those qualities but has the ability to relay them to other people.”

Girl’s varsity soccer won the state championship this past season. A characteristic that is often overlooked in a team captain is humility. “An important quality to have in any leader is to recognize that humility is important,” said Morrill.

Tharaldson believes the formula of a great captain includes the characteristics of, “hard working, welcoming, and have knowledge of the sport.” The foundational characteristics of a captain as defined by Joyce include, “never back down in your games and always encourage your team to do better.” A team captain should have all of these characteristics to successfully lead a team through a season.

To the incoming captains of the spring sports teams, Tharaldson would like to give some advice,

“Work hard and set a great example for those under you – especially for those who are new to the sport or team and need someone to look up to! Make everyone feel welcome and part of the team, and do your best to be the leader in team unity!”

Joyce’s recommendation to the spring sports captain is, “Be vocal, show your support for the team, and just have fun!”