In my experience, most high school captains are picked by their peers and the coach usually has the final say in whether or not the player becomes a captain. Players often choose captains based on their popularity, skill level, and extroverted personality. While some coaches strive to prevent this type of selection, it often still happens. Captains chosen this way may or may not be successful in their role. So what is the point of having a captain? Is there something they can do to help the team succeed?

To answer these questions, we must first understand leadership and whether or not it can be learned. There are many different types of leadership, but I will focus on the top three: transactional leadership, laissez-faire leadership, and transformational leadership.

Transactional leadership is the type of leadership most people think of when they think of leaders and bosses. The leader tells someone what to do and they do it. If they do a good job, they are rewarded, and if they don’t, they are punished. In my experience, transactional leaders are often extroverted and try to make sure everything is done to their liking. They may also be micromanaging and hypocritical.

Laissez-faire leadership is the type of leadership where the leader lets you do just about anything and gives very little instruction. While this may seem better than transactional leadership, laissez-faire leadership lacks the ability to create culture within an organization. The leader’s lack of involvement can hurt the organization’s ability to stick together or create bonds. In my experience, it is often better to have a tough leader so that the rest of the organization sticks together more.

Transformational leadership is a type of leadership that is in between transactional leadership and laissez-faire leadership. It focuses on the players and the leader’s job is to transform them into better players using techniques such as doing the right things, showing vision, communicating vision, considering different perspectives, and allowing individuals to have different needs.

Each type of leadership will lead to a different outcome for the team. While the effects may not be immediately apparent, over time, the team can achieve greater success and attract new players. So what is the point of a captain? The captain’s role is to be an extension of the team’s values and vision. They should help the leader increase their influence on the team by providing feedback on things like whether the team needs a rest day or more technical training.

Building a culture, while it may not directly improve players’ technical skills or soccer IQ, can create a better environment for players to thrive. By creating a transformational or developmental environment, players may even practice on their own time, which will improve their technical ability. For example, a coach yelling at a U8 player for not being able to keep up in a dribbling exercise may not be an effective way to lead. Instead, creating a supportive environment where the player can ask for help and receive constructive feedback will likely lead to better results. Having your captain use this method can help create that environment on your high school team.

In conclusion, the purpose of a captain is to help the team succeed by being an extension of the leader’s values and vision, and by helping to create a supportive and developmental culture. Different types of leadership will lead to different outcomes, and it is important to consider which type will be most effective for the team.

To see how to develop captains like these make sure to check out my next post on how to develop transformational captains! 

Take your team to a higher level!