You were chosen by your team and coaches to lead and help them develop into what they want to be and become, It’s an honor.

They are looking for you on and off the pitch to use the leadership skills they saw in you to motivate, encourage, and focus on how they might improve and be the team they vision and desire to be.

Your first task is simple one: to use those very same leadership skills they saw you exhibit as a player and teammate. – and help the team and coaches create a Shared Vision – focus on how to improve and grow Together – to be what everyone wants the team to be and each of the players become

Your leadership skills could have begun in your family because – “the family is the foundation for a society” –

here you learned to care and love for all your family members

to treat everyone with respect and dignity,

and to listen and support each other. 

These values normally help you to embrace these basic values in dealing with others outside of the family and with your own soccer team members. 

(If not go and do some research on “the family as the foundation for a society”.) A better understanding of the family values will help you develop as a team leader not a boss.

Also, as part of a team, you begun developing your leadership skills both on and off the pitch…as a team member they witness you encouraging your fellow team members to focus on achieving goals, focusing on how to best improve as individuals and as a team, working as a unit to face challenges, helping each other develop new skills and best ways to perform under pressure to name a few. As a player you already have had to develop a consensus and agreement on how to work together and score to be successful in any given game.

You now need to use the leadership skills they saw in you to create a Shared Vision. who are we and what do we need to do to improve?

You will have to hone your own discipline and strengthen to help you and others determination to succeed. This is where you began to work together to get better as a team.

Now your being asked as a Captain to learn what the team wants as an achievable goal. And become a funnel and focus of their ideas, vision, and goals for the team, classmates, school and where you live. Your job will be to influence and lead to desired improvements to develop them as goals and objectives for today and in your future teams and programs success. Basically, helping and leading to turning expectations into reality.

As you move forward, you will find yourself developing and embrace ways to empower others and educate them on the advantages of change for the better. Your inspiration and confidence will bring on commitment to the goal(s). It’s time to be a role model- Build your reputation for delivering what you say you will do – and if possible do even more. 

You must lead with

  • Character Your character is what you are. Elements of a leader’s character — authenticity, integrity, concern, restraint, and humility — are the qualities that often really inspire above-and-beyond levels of effort from others on the team. What you say you will do.
  • Trust Teammates need to feel you will support them – trust comes from character and competence. When you lead with Trust it brings you credibility, dependability, and accountability
  • Honesty/Inspiration Make your words and behavior consistent and grounded in your values and follow through on what you say and do. Motivate yourself to get the task done and you will motivate and inspire others
  • Heart, Humility/Real Caring Admit mistakes, by giving you grow, your heart will give you what the team needs – it will create leadership with and respect, and they will feel it. Remember a sense of humor and flexibility will go a long way.

Rules like listen more, ability to accept responsibility and accountability for your actions and develop your gift for simple, positive, and clear communications. Build and earn trust. Lead by example. Practice self-control and respect for others’ ideas and time. Always reward actions that lead all to the agreed upon desired action and goals – reward yourself and teammates. Know that giving positive feedback is always the better way to offer ways to improve.

Again, to develop the Shared Vision – you need to Discover from the coaches and from each player’s desire to improve in many ways -Get a pad or book to record what you hear

Time to go one on one 

You will need to ask the coaches what they feel should be included and then turn to your teammates and ask how they each feel they need to improve — their individual skills, positional play improvements, ways to improve their discipline, dedication and desires and the teams overall offensive , defensive and transitional game play – new ways to improve and their own time management, and then where they might need help on certain subjects and grades, and then ask for their ideas on enjoyable/fun team building activities—-all will help your team and coaches to chart a path to success. 

Your tools are

  • Clear Communications: Leadership requires clarity in communications – do it by doing it yourself – Be Positive/Supportive encouraging others by using words as Awesome, Well Done, That’s Magic, Great Job etc. Know everyone today is craving clarity.
  • Collaborations– respond well to feedback – learn from and practice deep listening to others- show respect for their input. Treat every teammate with dignity and unwavering respect.
  • Building relationships/team chemistry – work together to improve everyone- bring out the best in others -control the controllable – Promote a positive attitude and positive team interactions – every day. A team can work as one effectively if they maintain an environment free from individual tensions.  Some refer to this as participation leadership.
  • Listen – give each player your full attention (It’s ok to bitte your tongue) and let them speak and fully express themselves- always show your hearing what they are saying- and the determine together next actions with what has been shared and maybe set up a time for a follow-up

Personally, this is journey and way grow yourself and those with you.

Thinking big brings hope and passion. continually ask questions, do research, and anticipate problems, formulate a plan of prioritized actions, and execute it. Its ok and helps to write down what you need to do.

Preparation is the key to good navigation

So why not learn more about your teammates – 

Ask them what your team’s vision/mission for this year should be-

What are the needs and obstacles to anticipate and overcome – 

The why’s change is needed to improve xxxx -is it actionable

Think about scheduling 1:1s with each team member – make 

 individual opportunities to learn about and focus on meeting the teams 

 individual needs. Keep on message. Express in affirmative ways

Ask them to help you

Understand one should be able to adjust as one goes forward – flexibility.

How are we going to get better in our play, at practices, and in our schoolwork and grades?

How will we emulate our school’s mantra and goals? How can we use the 80/20 rule – we need to focus on the 20% of the ideas that have 80% of the impact. What matters most to reach our agreed upon goals.

As a captain you need to help create and chart a course together as a team. 

As always, a plan of action begins with you – write down, prioritize and it might be helpful to categories your goals to improve.

Next step you can talk with the coaches to get their input and

Then you need to begin to meet with each player one on one and discover their needs and visions for your team and themselves,

These one on ones you begin the info gathering you are developing key info for the coaches and your team as what is needed to move forward with a Shared Vision.

Stress the need to make a difference together and with actionable improvements

Always think and embrace the 6 P’s                                                                                         

Plan Purposefully. Proceed Passionately. Pursue Persistently

Create team chemistry/spirit—it could start with a new cheer, huddle input from team members, having a team dinner, celebrate everyone birthdays, work together to raise money for the team, have team meetings, or simply use high 5’s on each score…create a sense of family and how we are going to get stuff done, grow together and get along as one clique as a TEAM—100% FOCUS ON BEING A TEAM

“Best leaders are very good at setting priorities, which actually means saying no to things.” Keep it doable and focused

Commit too excellence rather than perfection (realize no one is perfect)Excellence is a habit – develop and cultivate it

Some Ideas to help you in the process:   

Support Your team Vision/Goals by creating a Plan to be implemented daily to make it happen                                                                                                                     Have a strategy

         Predetermine how you are going forward

         Lay out your goals

         Adjust your priorities

         Notify – communicate it

Allow time to be accepted

Head into action –work the plan- organize

Expect problems, resistance

Always point to successes- be positive- praise performance

Daily review your plan (Review, Revise, Update)

Do a weekly check in to see how you’re doing building the habit of Excellence

Your success will only be as great as the work you put into it.

Great leaders do not work alone- be inclusive

  • Bring others on Board- create a leadership team

See yourself as a piece of Swiss cheese–know your holes (weaknesses) and add others (slices) whose substance, when layered on your slice, eventually creates a solid, firm unified block of cheese. A single slice of cheese with its many holes can easily be pulled apart, but a solid block is very difficult to pull apart.”

Everyone needs to Walk the Walk, Talk the Talk to stay on the same page. 

The more players on board helping you achieve the vision and mission of the team. You therefore create a collaborative and supportive approach by partnering with others. Develop A Consensus 

Everyone’s ability to meet the vision increases- and you are also building future leaders

Make certain every member of the team feels their role and input are important and hold them accountable – Have FUN together. Learn to Paint a picture for each different teammate to help increase commitment. Influence the mindset of your teammates through questioning rather than dictating. Provide positive feedback and understanding.

Remembering all goals and shared vision must be SMART:

Specific, Measurable, Aligned, Reachable, and Time bound.

USING SMART WRITE OUT YOUR FINDINGS FOR A SHARED VISION

Share what that vision with your team and coaches and move forward

Learn and discover what matters most and then deliver what needs to create, adjust, improve, changed to make a difference by the outcome.

You will make mistakes, move on, and keep both discipled and determined.

You are a Captain and appointed to lead and move forward – Leave a legacy.

                Enjoy and learn from your journey.

Your experience will prepare you for your future by growing yourself and others towards a better outcome.

Coach Ed Weil

United Soccer Coaches

June 2022