Captain

A captain in basketball is a person that is elected by fellow teammates to lead their team for the season. They have certain responsibilities such as interviews before and after their games, shaking hands with the other team’s captain pregame, and talking with the referees before and during the game. Some coaches may appoint captains to their teams, but not all teams have captains, depending on the coach or level of play.

Typically, the best players on each team are named the captain or captains of their teams. Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Stephen Curry are all examples of the best players on their respective teams and team captains.

However, the best players are not always the captain on the team, as some skilled and aged veterans may be named the captains of their teams. An example of this is Derek Fisher when he was with the Los Angeles Lakers; he wasn’t the best player, but he was a skilled and wily veteran who earned the respect of the best player, the coach, and the rest of his teammates.

When selecting a captain for your team, do not just automatically pick the best player. Look for players with leadership qualities and good teamwork skills that can help their teammates get better.

Since the captain of a team will take on a leadership role, there are certain qualities they should have that will allow them to succeed. Here are 10 qualities of an effective team captain.

1. The player must be self-motivated. Team captains are the heart and soul of a team, going all out every minute they are on the floor during games as well as in practice. They also should be the first one at practice and one of the lasts to leave.
2. Team captains firmly believe that the best interest of the team always comes first.
3. Team captains are bold, tenacious, fearless, prepared, fluid and enthusiastic.
4. Team leaders are great listeners and have a thirst to improve. When a coach tells them something, they should listen to the meaning of the words and not how it is said. If a coach didn’t care, they wouldn’t bother to help the player become the best player possible.
5. Team captains expect and demand the best from themselves and their teammates.
6. Know their role. A key part of being a leader is knowing your role on the team (scorer, rebounder, shutdown defender, sixth man, etc.). If you don’t know, ask.
7. Team captains choose their words carefully. The words of the team captain mean more than that of any other player.
8. Encourages teammates. A good leader keeps the team upbeat and positive. If a teammate is down, the captain picks the player’s spirits up.
9. Understand that mistakes will be made. Team leaders can’t get down on themselves or others when mistakes because if they do, others will follow. So, instead of chastising themselves or a teammate, they learn from the mistake and move on. Simple statements like “I got you next time” or “Relax, I will get the ball again next time” will do wonders for a player’s confidence after a mistake.
10. Team captains do not allow others to talk negatively about the team. They should take any insult about a team member as an insult against the whole team.

It may be difficult to find someone with all of these qualities, but finding the right leader can help a team through even the worst games or seasons.

The role of a team captain is to help the team get organized for games and specific plays, acting almost as a second coach. They will call out plays, help their teammates get into the right positions, and adjust formations if necessary.

The captain can also be the calming influence of the team if they are in a funk and not playing well; they always try to encourage the team to work harder and play better.