Team management

[santorro]

Hi all,

I would like to know your favorite way to appoint a captain. I would ask the players to vote for a captain, is that a good way? I'm afraid about a popularity vote so what your thoughts...

Santorro

[BigGuy]

Depends on the age of the player
If it is an older team it is an important
position. He pushes players during practice peer pressure. Let him do the
dirty work he can raise his voice it is better then you doing it.

He should be a leader and a winner and a starter who can play the game and
knows the game. He also wants everyone on the team to do the same.

What if there is no one on the team who is a leader a winner? Then better to
play without a captain.

He is the coach on the field he see's something he doesn't like for example
the way the team is supporting he fixes it.

A very important person to an older team.

It would be a back or a mid for me.

It should definately not be a populairty contest winner.

[DerbyRam54]

With the U-14 boys team my girlfriend and I coach, we picked one captain, the team voted for the other. She had the idea that if a player does something special in a game or practice (and by that we mean something over and above what the player normally would be able to do, so even the weakest player can achieve this) then he goes out for the coin toss in the next match.

Older levels I wouldn't do it that way, but at this level (one step above a rec team) it seems to be working out.

That said, the captain we chose is quite clearly the leader of the team, displays great maturity while still being a 13 year old lad. He organises a lot of the pre-game stuff and will play anywhere he is asked to without any fuss or attitude. If this team stays together, he will become the natural choice when you expect the captain to function as Big Guy put it so well.

[saabrian]

I let the players vote for one captain and I appoint the other and an alternate. However, the vote is secret. The kids write their vote on a piece of paper. Assuming their first choice is acceptable to me, then the winner becomes one of the captains. Bear in mind, I mind I said acceptable to me, not necessarily the person I would've chosen. If somebody with a crappy attitude or lazy or mouthy or whatever finishes first, then I pick the person who finishes second. Since the votes are secret, then the kids don't know.

However, I also coach teenagers. I would probably do it differently for younger players. Not even sure I'd have captains at all.

Like DerbyRam, my captains run warmups and pre-game. Sometimes, I will let the kids pick a drill or game to finish up with and it's done via the captains. Usually once a season, I will let the captains run the entire practice. It gives them a good experience of having to organize a practice and think it through.

[ranova]

I agree with BigGuy's points. For young players (say 8-12) I use "co-captains" to give the team a taste of leadership. I alternate through the roster designating two for each week. I let the co-captains lead the warmup at practices and the match during their week, in addition to handling the coin toss at the match. I think its a training opportunity to learn about communicating with a group and leading by example. I also think it improves group identity.

[ctsoccer13]

I let the players vote for one captain and I appoint the other and an alternate. However, the vote is secret. The kids write their vote on a piece of paper. Assuming their first choice is acceptable to me, then the winner becomes one of the captains. Bear in mind, I mind I said acceptable to me, not necessarily the person I would've chosen. If somebody with a crappy attitude or lazy or mouthy or whatever finishes first, then I pick the person who finishes second. Since the votes are secret, then the kids don't know.

However, I also coach teenagers. I would probably do it differently for younger players. Not even sure I'd have captains at all.

Like DerbyRam, my captains run warmups and pre-game. Sometimes, I will let the kids pick a drill or game to finish up with and it's done via the captains. Usually once a season, I will let the captains run the entire practice. It gives them a good experience of having to organize a practice and think it through.

We employ this exact same method. Word for word.

[KevTheGooner]

Hmm. I'm keeping three older players on a mostly younger team for the upcoming indoor season...I was hoping to recognize their commitment by making them the rotating captains. They are all super kids with great attitudes so it not just age...they're my best captain material...maybe one older kid and one of the younger ones?

[Twenty26Six]

However, the vote is secret. The kids write their vote on a piece of paper. Assuming their first choice is acceptable to me, then the winner becomes one of the captains. If somebody with a crappy attitude or lazy or mouthy or whatever finishes first, then I pick the person who finishes second. Since the votes are secret, then the kids don't know.

I had an experience with this in my first years of high school. And, believe me, unless the kids are terribly naive, they know who they voted for and will suspect when you've changed a vote.

Besides, if you've got a popular kid with a loud mouth, it's as much your job to teach them how to be a leader as it is to teach them how to dribble, shoot, and pass.

You _NEED_ loud-mouthed players who command attention on a team. People need to remember that if a kid has the power to influence everyone on the team _NEGATIVELY_, then they can also use that power to influence _POSITIVELY_.

If you turn a kid with bad behaviors away, where is he going to learn how to behave appropriately?

[SccrDon]

I announce 2 weeks in advance the day that the team will choose their 2 captains. I also state that anybody that wants to run for captain has to come to me in advance. That way, if there is somebody that I won't allow to be captain (misses too many practices, for example), I can say that privately.

Each candidate states why she should be captain (2-3 sentences max). Voting is done by secret ballot - all heads down and eyes closed, vote by raising hands, assistant coach and I count to make sure the count is accurate. I make sure that the total # votes = 2 times the number of players so that nobody is voting more than twice. I announce the winners by handing armbands to them. I do not announce the vote totals.

[santorro]

Thanks all for your tips, it is appreciated.

Finally, I called by myself two captains for the winter season. One is clearly a leader on the field by her skills but she's a quiet girl. The other is more expressive and she's already been cut during a previous training camp but came back stronger the next one.

They are always positives and I choose them trying to reach every players in my team.

We have already played one match and I like what I saw from them. They are friendly with all the players in the team, not only with their friends.

[saabrian]

I had an experience with this in my first years of high school. And, believe me, unless the kids are terribly naive, they know who they voted for and will suspect when you've changed a vote.

Besides, if you've got a popular kid with a loud mouth, it's as much your job to teach them how to be a leader as it is to teach them how to dribble, shoot, and pass.

You _NEED_ loud-mouthed players who command attention on a team. People need to remember that if a kid has the power to influence everyone on the team _NEGATIVELY_, then they can also use that power to influence _POSITIVELY_.

If you turn a kid with bad behaviors away, where is he going to learn how to behave appropriately?

In the four years I've done it this way, only once was the vote not close... and in that case, the winner was deserving.

However I am quite open with my players beforehand about the fact that their vote is an advisement.

It's my job to provide skills to those who are open to receiving such advice. A coach should reward good behavior. I am not going to reward bad behavior with an honor like the captaincy.

And the way I do things, the captaincy is not merely an honor, but a position with responsibilities such as running warmups, pre-game, picking teams during scrimmages, etc. I need have confidence in the judgment of my captains.

Your argument falsely implies that the coach should only work on leadership skills with the captains. If the popular kid has a crap attitude, I will try to fix the bad behavior, but I'm certainly not going to reward it with an important position of trust.

[Twenty26Six]

First, two things...

Most kids with erratic or bad behavior respond well when given responsibility and trust.

Kids that seek attention [via bad, outrageous, or obnoxious behavior] are kids who can appreciate and respond well to be being made captain.

It's my job to provide skills to those who are open to receiving such advice. A coach should reward good behavior. I am not going to reward bad behavior with an honor like the captaincy.

And the way I do things, the captaincy is not merely an honor, but a position with responsibilities such as running warmups, pre-game, picking teams during scrimmages, etc. I need have confidence in the judgment of my captains.

Your argument falsely implies that the coach should only work on leadership skills with the captains.

Captaincy is not a "reward". A captain is an important part of a team dynamic.

[rca2]

Kids tend to act as they are treated. They will live up or down to your expectations. You want to exert enough control to keep everyone safe and organized, but give the kids latitude within those limits. My personal belief is that the youth coach needs to appear impartial, and singling out some kids for special treatment, positive or negative is counterproductive. There has to be clear rules and a discipline plan that is evenly applied. To me, the captain is just another team position with a special skill set to teach the kids, just like striker, keeper, sweeper, etc. Positions should not be rewards or punishments. It sends the wrong message. All positions on a team are valuable. Its a team sport.

[saabrian]

"Kids that seek attention [via bad, outrageous, or obnoxious behavior] are kids who can appreciate and respond well to be being made captain."

In some cases, yes. But in many cases, no.

"Captaincy is not a "reward"."

Captaincy is an expression of what sort of leadership I, as a coach, value out of my players. If the role model I give my imprimatur to has a crap attitude, what's the message I'm sending to the rest of my players?

I fully agree that kids tend to live up or, especially, down to your expectations. That's why I give all my players, not just captains, responsibilities.

I'm not going to abandon the kid with the crap attitude. I will try to reach him in some way other than the captaincy.

But being a captain is not a right. It's a position you have to earn.

[Twenty26Six]

But being a captain is not a right. It's a position you have to earn.

I totally agree with that. You do have to earn it.

Captaincy is an expression of what sort of leadership I, as a coach, value out of my players. If the role model I give my imprimatur to has a crap attitude, what's the message I'm sending to the rest of my players?

But, I don't believe that a player earns it by catering to the "sort of leadership" the coach desires. A captain is a captain for the team. If it is a players' game, then a captain's attributes should be based on how he can best influence teammates on the field and in training. I've seen many "captains" that were useless on the field [in both games and training], while other players on the team had bigger spheres of influence and became aloof, critical and discontented with their teammates. This happened all because they weren't identified as leaders and the other teammates did not respect/listen to their captain. This is how you get "cliques" within a team.

I'm splitting hairs, and we're probably pretty close in how we both value leadership. But, a player who attracts the attention of their teammates and holds it [class clown, loud mouth, etc], even if in a negative manner, possesses the perfect attributes to become a leader and captain of his peers.

To put it as succinctly as possible, I'm looking for the players' who - for any reason - want and thrive on being the center of attention. In most cases, if supported properly, those players will not shirk from the spotlight in the toughest of circumstances. I make it a course of action to teach those kids how they can use that attention/popularity/personality to positively influence the spirit of the team.

I've seen TOO MANY coaches [not a critique of you saabrian] cast aside a young player as troublesome [joker, show-off, constant talker] b.c they make the coach's job any easier. And, that is something I am very strongly set against.

[masshysteria]

This year we had captain "try-outs." First we handed out a sheet listing out expectations of the captains. Then, everyone that wanted to be captain was given a week to act as one (3 people per week). At the end of the week, a survey was passed out to the team and the team scored the potential captain. At the end, we totaled the scores and looked at who did best. From that we selected 3 captains. They ended up being number 1, 2, and 4 in total points. Number 3 was passed up because they were younger, number 4 was with us for their final year and only had one more point than 3. We encouraged number 3 to try again next year.

***

But, a player who attracts the attention of their teammates and holds it [class clown, loud mouth, etc], even if in a negative manner, possesses the perfect attributes to become a leader and captain of his peers.

I'd change this to say they have "the potential attributes to become a leader", not perfect. If they have a problem with authority, either obeying it or justly using it, they still won't be a good captain.

Another important distinction is that a team leader isn't necessarily always a captain. So foster leadership in all the players.