Today again, with responsibilities shared among players, the role of the captain remains at the heart of a soccer team's performance.
Not only must captains be competent from a soccer standpoint, but they must also excel in various sporting and non-sporting aspects, such as:
- Inspiring confidence in other players.
- Evaluating the game plan and modifying it if circumstances require.
- They must handle pressure well.
- Making tactical decisions and communicating effectively with the referee as well as with their own team's players.
The captain is a player, but above all, a leader, a communicator, a natural decision-maker, and a crucial link between the team and the coach. What are the characteristics of an effective captain? We work with many amateur and semi-pro teams, and we have condensed for you the 5 major characteristics of a team captain.
1. A captain must be mentally strong
The mental aspect of the captain's role is undoubtedly the most challenging task, but one of the most important. All captains must be mentally strong. Inevitably, the captain will be criticized at some point, both within the team and externally.
Similarly, the captain must remain focused and sharp-minded when under intense pressure during a match, in order to make the right decisions at the right time. That's why being mentally strong is essential and is the first characteristic you should look for when choosing your captain.
Some captains say that the mental aspect of the captain's role is the most difficult. We won't say otherwise!
2. A captain must know how to communicate
Communication and the ability to communicate simply is a skill required by all captains. The captain will need to encourage teammates, manage on-field communication with the referee, as well as maintain dialogue with opposing players and non-sporting elements (supporters, bench, etc.).
However, this does not mean that the only voice heard on the field should be the captain's. Indeed, the captain should only speak when necessary, being able to keep communication concise and precise. Too much communication kills communication, and their speech will then lose its value over time.
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3. A captain must be emotionally disciplined
Being able to keep cool and have a level head is important for three main reasons:
- As a role model, the example set by the captain must meet your expectations of your players. For example, if the captain gets angry with the referee and constantly questions their decisions, they cannot expect their players to accept refereeing decisions themselves. As a coach, it's your role to choose a captain who can react the right way.
- If the captain loses self-control and vents frustration and anger (whether against an opponent, a teammate, or the referee), they will have lost the influence they could have had on a match. Their own performance will also suffer: a loss of emotional control will affect their timing, coordination, and ability to "read" the game. The more minutes pass, the more they will be distracted by mood swings.
- A loss of emotional control will be perceived as a sign of weakness by the opposing team, increasing their confidence while undermining that of your team. Beware, this does not mean your captain must be a robot without emotion or passion!
4. A captain knows their players perfectly
The first thing you need to remember as a captain is that while soccer is a team game, you are dealing with individuals who are all different in their attitudes, temperament, and experience. Therefore, you must discover each one's strengths and weaknesses… And you must know which players respond best to the carrot and which respond best to the stick. The captain must observe players on and off the field to learn how to manage them best.
Your team captain must have the ability to treat each player individually. They will then know what motivates different players and how they prefer to mentally prepare for a match (not all players respond the same way to shouting or motivational speeches).
The captain needs to know which players are better left alone, who needs a discreet reminder of the coach's instructions, and those who need a little motivational boost. A good captain also takes time to get to know teammates as people, not just as players. It is this kind of captain who will earn much more respect and effort from the team, and this type of captain you should look for as a coach.
5. A captain has self-confidence
A confident captain inspires confidence in teammates. It is also very effective in maintaining their own sporting performance.
It's easy to be confident when things are going well. However, it is more difficult, but arguably even more important, to do so when things get complicated. Exuding a form of self-confidence, even when results are poor, will give your captain the right to demand even more when results are more positive.
Remember that each player will be different in the captain's role. The first thing to remember is that there is not a set of characteristics possessed by effective captains. Very different personalities can be successful captains.
