O Captain, My Captain

I have been talking with my captains a lot these past two weeks as we prepare for the coming season.  I think it is a great experience and a great opportunity to be a captain.  It is also hard for captains to get it 100% right, as it is hard for anyone to be a leader.  Here are my 3 keys to being a great captain:

1.  Don't Put yourself on a pedestal, rather take a step lower and work in the trenches.  Sometimes it is easy to receive a leadership position and see yourself looking down and speaking down at everyone.  Rather, dive down into the trenches, and serve those that you are leading.  Lift up everyone's voice, not just your own, make sure everyone's needs are being met, not just yours, and be humble.

2.  It's how you act to adversity, not how well you perform.  I have had a few captains ruin their senior year by putting too much pressure on their performance.  They thought they had to have the best workouts, the best taper, the best results.  All that stuff is great, but a true captain is one that you will look to when you lose a close meet, the one that is not afraid to talk have a tough conversation, the one that will react the best to the worst.

3.  Know your strengths.  It is always awkward to hear someone try to give an inspirational speech and they aren't very good at it.  Don't be afraid to delegate tasks to those that are best suited.  Sometimes there are leaders that are great speakers, sometimes there are leaders that are great workers, that is why quite often we have more than one captain, to maximize our talents.  Do what you do well, and don't be afraid to ask for help when you come to an area that is not your strong suit.  Get others involved.

Remember, Jesus chose 12 very ordinary people with very different backgrounds and gifts and changed the world.  What difference can you make in your team.