In a few weeks, training camps will open, and as soon as they wrap up, some teams will immediately name their captains.

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Hold on, take a breath, and read this text to make sure you make the right choices. Unfortunately for you, I am going to ask you more questions and provide very few answers.

Why do I need to name captains?

Captains are often named too quickly by coaches and/or the team. Although the Hockey Canada rulebook states that only captains and alternates can speak with on-ice officials, players are often too young to debate a point, and the coach will discuss it with the referee anyway. Also, referees often don't even respect this rule in minor hockey.

So, sometimes we named one because we want to reward an individual by putting a letter on the jersey of a deserving player during camp. Other times we named one because the player was captain last season. That is one method. Is it the best one? Does this individual represent your team's values at all times? Does this individual will stay like he was all season long ? 

So, why are you naming a captain?

Do I know my players well enough?

Let's revisit the definition of leadership we explored in my previous articles: "A process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal" – Northouse (2010), p. 3. 

Since it is a process, we can conclude that leadership changes over time. Just because a player shows leadership toward their teammates in August doesn't mean they will in November. Also keep in mind that your team will go through the "Storming" stage, which is the second phase after "Forming" according to Bruce Tuckman. Do you want to test your leaders at that time or define them?

Furthermore, some studies tell us that a captain must exhibit exemplary behavior toward teammates and must always raise the bar regarding coaches' expectations. This means the role brings extra pressure to the athlete. While some thrive on pressure, others will crumble under it.

It is therefore relevant to know your players and their contexts well before naming captains, because backtracking mid-season will certainly have lasting consequences on the team.

Who will be part of my leadership group?

In my previous articles, I presented Fransen’s (2014) shared leadership model, which highlights four types of leadership.

Crozier et al. (2013) sought to demonstrate that a team's effectiveness relies on a group of leaders. The results of this study showed that a team should have approximately 20% of its roster acting as formal leaders to foster a performance-oriented dynamic.

As if the task wasn't complex enough, you must know that informal leaders will emerge during the season - athletes who, depending on the context, will find their place in your leadership network. Since leadership develops, it is your responsibility as a coach to develop it in your athletes.

Knowing this, you are better off adding players to your leadership group a few at a time. Removing members can be detrimental to team dynamics.

Conclusion

If a player needs a letter on their jersey to display leadership behaviors, they probably aren't a leader. Having two captains and three alternate captains on the road, and three different ones at home, is an easy answer to a complex problem. As a coach, you must be able to value all behaviors, even if it doesn't translate into a letter on a jersey.

I will therefore end with a single question that encompasses all of these: Why do we name captains?

Your answer is the right one!

Bibliography

Crozier, A. J., Loughead, T. M. et Munroe-Chandler, K. J. (2013). Examining the Benefits of Athlete Leaders in Sport. Journal of sport behavior., 36(4), 346-364.

Fransen, K., Vanbeselaere, N., De Cuyper, B., Vande Broek, G. et Boen, F. (2014). The myth of the team captain as principal leader: Extending the athlete leadership classification within sport teams. Journal of sports sciences, 32(14), 1389-1397.

Neubert, M. J. (1999). Too Much of a Good Thing or the More the Merrier? Exploring the Dispersion and Gender Composition of Informal Leadership in Manufacturing Teams. Small Group Research, 30(5), 635-646.