Leadership – What it Takes

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Former MLB player Jack Perconte Teaching Hitting

Leadership is often lacking on our playing fields, even at the highest levels of sport. It certainly makes a coach’s life easier when they have a player, or two, who has leadership skills. Of course, good coaches develop leaders by showing youth players how to deal with the various situations that sport present, good and bad ones. Leaders are not always born; they learn to lead and they learn from the adults who are around the game. Good coaches recognize players who have some leadership qualities, encourage them to use those qualities, and help develop them further.

Following are some of the characteristics that leaders display, things that coaches should look for when looking for a captain for the team, and things to help nurture with the leadership types.

Team leaders:

1. Lead by example on and off the field, showing consistent hustle before and during games, and humility and dignity after games.

2. Display an enthusiasm for sport beyond that of the average player.

3. Are not necessarily vocal leaders, but speak up when players or teams have issues that can disrupt team cohesiveness. When leaders speak, people listen, especially those who normally do not.

4. Show respect to all players on the team, including non-starters, and to opponents, referees, and to the sport itself.

5. Handle success and adversity by maintaining an even keel, never getting too high or too low with the vicissitudes that sport present.

Players, who display these qualities, gain the respect of others and that is what leadership is all about – respect of others. The best-case scenario for a coach is when the player with leadership qualities is the best player or one of the best players, but this is not always the case.