We’re all leaders inside. If you don’t think so, think about it for a moment. Even the quiet guy at the end of the bench who never plays, will some day more than likely be the head of a household with a wife and a family to lead. All of us can learn to be leaders to some degree and it takes a great coach to understand the draw that out.
The more you build up an athlete and make them feel important through more responsibility, the more they’ll feel valued and rise to the occasion.
I always remember hearing former heavyweight boxing champion Joe Frazier say that he became a better fighter when he became the world heavyweight champion, because he began to walk, talk and carry himself like a champion. But he’d been told all his life that someday he would be the best.
So when you’re looking for captains on a team, don’t just think about the best athlete and the most outspoken. There may be a player down the line that just needs somebody to believe in them. Then stand back and watch it happen.
