{"id":5621,"date":"2019-11-08T10:36:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-08T10:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iplayhockey.ca\/2019\/11\/08\/qualities-of-a-team-captain\/"},"modified":"2019-11-08T10:36:00","modified_gmt":"2019-11-08T10:36:00","slug":"qualities-of-a-team-captain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iplayhockey.ca\/fr\/qualities-of-a-team-captain\/","title":{"rendered":"Qualities of a Team Captain"},"content":{"rendered":"

Original story posted ici<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

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When team captains perform their duties well, it can make a big difference for their team. People rally around those\u00a0who inspire them to dream more, do more, and become more which is why natural leaders are\u00a0such an asset. With that being said, although leadership ability comes more naturally to some than others, there are common traits that\u00a0great leaders share which can be embodied by anyone who desires to be a team captain and\u00a0make a positive difference for their team.<\/p>\n

1. They Always Put The Team First<\/strong><\/p>\n

Great captains aren\u2019t interested in personal glory. Instead, they constantly look for ways to serve their team and help it accomplish\u00a0it\u2019s goals. They have the mentality that together everyone achieves more which makes them an ideal teammate. This kind of attitude can be contagious within\u00a0a\u00a0team and goes a long way to\u00a0creating an environment that breeds success.<\/p>\n

In his playing days\u00a0at Liverpool, Steven Gerrard represented this quality perhaps better than anyone who has ever played the game. Here\u2019s a quote from his former teammate Fernando Torres explaining what he meant to his club:<\/p>\n

He is without doubt the greatest player I have ever played with, he has everything. At Liverpool, he is irreplaceable. Every big club has a standard bearer, a home-grown talent, someone with a lifelong commitment to the cause. People come and go but he\u2019s always there. It\u2019s him and 10 others. He\u2019s everything to the side. That\u2019s Steven Gerrard at Liverpool. I can\u2019t even begin to imagine the place without him. Steven Gerrard would be the captain of my World XI dream team. \u2013Fernando Torres<\/p>\n

As a home grown talent, he was more than just a player for Liverpool. He was a passionate fan and diehard supporter who gave everything he had every time he\u00a0stepped onto the pitch.<\/p>\n

Takeaway For Players: If you want to be a team captain, give everything you have to the team. Be the kind of teammate with whom you would want to play and always look for ways to help those around you succeed.<\/p>\n

2. They Lead By Example<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of my personal favorite players,\u00a0Philipp Lahm\u00a0is a great example of what it means to lead by example. Now in his final year before retirement, Lahm is known for his\u00a0strong work ethic, representing his teams\u00a0well on and off the field, and passion for the game. He is the kind of player that others\u00a0look up to and he sets the tone wherever he goes.<\/p>\n

Just like Steven\u00a0Gerrard, Lahm\u00a0has the\u00a0team first kind of attitude that you would expect of a great team captain:<\/p>\n

Whether we have the best individual players doesn\u2019t matter. You have to have the best team. -Philipp Lahm<\/p>\n

Captains are tasked with\u00a0the\u00a0responsibility of\u00a0leading those around them and setting an\u00a0example for what is expected. On the teams that I coach, captains are typically the first players to get to the field to help set up and the last to leave once everything has been put away. They take on extra responsibilities and\u00a0ensure that everything runs smoothly because they have the best interests of the team at heart.<\/p>\n

Takeaway For Players: Team captains do all of the things they expect their teammates to do and more. Don\u2019t be afraid to\u00a0take on extra responsibilities to help the team.<\/p>\n

3. They\u00a0Inspire Those Around Them<\/strong><\/p>\n

Great\u00a0leaders not only lead by example, but they inspire those around them to do more.\u00a0People are much more likely to follow a leader who has\u00a0passion and enthusiasm for what they are doing. Captains can\u2019t be afraid to stand up for what they believe in and rally support.<\/p>\n

Good\u00a0captains also embrace\u00a0taking on new challenges which makes their teammates want to do the same. They are always\u00a0excited to play the beautiful game regardless of their opponent. In situations where their team may be the\u00a0underdog going into a game, they spread positive energy and instill a sense of belief that anything is possible.<\/p>\n

Takeaway For Players:\u00a0Spread positive energy and be enthusiastic about what your team is trying to accomplish. Look to spread this enthusiasm on to others for the benefit of the team.<\/p>\n

4. They Have A Positive Relationship With Coaches & Teammates<\/strong><\/p>\n

Captains\u00a0have to win the trust of those around them in order to lead effectively. Trust is developed over time when players\u00a0continually do the right things and show their teammates and coaches that they\u00a0care. Good team captains model the behavior they expect from others and earn respect along the way.<\/p>\n

Being chosen as a team captain is an\u00a0honor that should not be taken lightly. Former US national team captain Landon Donovan\u00a0once said:<\/p>\n

The second highest honor is playing for your country, and the highest honor is wearing the armband for your country. It shows that the players have confidence in me, and that feels good. -Landon Donovan<\/p>\n

This quote illustrates that it\u2019s important for captains to be respected by those around them because they are given the responsibility of representing their team. With this in mind, a few ways to build positive relationships are\u00a0to listen to others and let your actions speak for themselves. In addition, keeping a positive attitude can be helpful and attract others to you.<\/p>\n

Takeaway For Players:\u00a0Develop strong relationships by building trust and doing what is right. Earn the respect of your peers by working hard and setting high standards.<\/p>\n

5. They Embody The Core Values of Their Team<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every team may have\u00a0different core values depending\u00a0on what it\u2019s\u00a0goals are and what the players are trying to accomplish. The core values of my high school soccer team are honesty, integrity, and excellence. I rely on\u00a0my captains to model these core values so that others will follow in their footsteps.<\/p>\n

Trust\u00a0\u2013 All\u00a0strong relationships are built on a foundation of trust. Trust is established over time by continually doing what is right.<\/p>\n

Integrity \u2013 Integrity means doing what you believe is\u00a0right at all times, no matter the consequences.<\/p>\n

Excellence \u2013 Pursuing excellence means always striving to do your best. Excellence can be achieved through good habits, persistence, and a commitment to never stop learning.<\/p>\n

Takeaway For Players: Ask your coach what his\u00a0core values are and try to embody these values.\u00a0Be a role model for others on the team.<\/p>\n

6. They Work Hard & Persevere<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hard work beats talent when talent doesn\u2019t work hard. For a team to be successful, players\u00a0on the team need to develop a strong work ethic and that starts with the leader. When players feel like giving up, good captains have the ability to raise the energy of their side and help their teammates keep going. When players see their leader working hard it inspires them to to do the same.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, in life adversity is inevitable. Whether players are on or off the pitch, bad things will happen. Those who persevere have the best chance of being successful. Captains don\u2019t back down when faced with adversity; they fight until the very end.<\/p>\n

Takeaway For Players:\u00a0Always work hard and never give up even when things are not going your way. Keep a positive attitude and overcome adversity.<\/p>\n

7. They Step Up When The Team Needs Them<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whether their team lacking energy in a hot preseason training or down a goal in a championship game, great team captains find a way to step up when their team needs them. It could be by\u00a0inspiring their teammates, keeping a positive attitude, or continuing to battle even when things are not going well. The important thing\u00a0is that they are leaders and\u00a0leaders\u00a0find a way to make an impact when it matters most.<\/p>\n

Takeaway For Players: Stay in tune with what your\u00a0team needs and try to provide it\u00a0when the opportunities present themselves.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Original story posted here. When team captains perform their duties well, it can make a big difference for their team. People rally around those\u00a0who inspire them to dream more, do more, and become more which is why natural leaders are\u00a0such an asset. With that being said, although leadership ability comes more naturally to some than […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"segment":[],"class_list":["post-5621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iplayhockey.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5621","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iplayhockey.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iplayhockey.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iplayhockey.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iplayhockey.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5621"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/iplayhockey.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5621\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iplayhockey.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5621"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iplayhockey.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5621"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iplayhockey.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5621"},{"taxonomy":"segment","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iplayhockey.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/segment?post=5621"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}