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AFM Magazine

AFM Magazine


Managing Your Program – Developing Senior Leadership

by: Keith Grabowski
Offensive Coordinator Baldwin-Wallace College
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We train our teams hard all off-season. We work hard in the summer to teach them what they need to do on the field to win. Then, ultimately, the test begins under the lights, and we are no longer next to them leading them through what they need to do. On game day, it’s up to them to get it done and leadership has to happen on the field. Leadership also has to be strong in order to keep the team focused off the field, and much of that is also out of the coach’s control. It’s at these times that strong leadership from the players will make the difference between a winning season and a disappointing one. We’ve all experienced those situations where a team has excelled because of strong player leadership. Most of us have also probably experienced some of those disappointments when the leadership wasn’t strong enough to keep the team focused.

Team leadership should never be left to a popular vote. It is something that a coach can plan for and control just like any other phase of a program.

Over the years, I have seen team captain voting become a popularity contest. I couldn’t stand when I would see a senior not really fit to be a captain “campaigning” for popularity among the sophomores. I wanted a better answer, so I developed a Senior Leadership Program and Captain Training Program. There are several aspects to the program.

The first tool we used in incorporating the Leadership and Captain Training Program was a chart called “the leadership ladder.” This chart gave them a visual picture of what true leadership looks like. This was something I picked up in a clinic talk by Greg Brandon when he was the head coach at Bowling Green State University. The leadership ladder clearly defines the levels of leadership that we would like our players to work toward. The idea for us was to move everyone to at least a “level 3 unselfish.” Seniors were expected to be at the level of “self-sacrifice” and “high investment in others,” and, obviously, those who were captains needed to be at the top of the ladder.

This tool also became part of each candidate’s evaluation. We would meet three times throughout the leadership program, and the discussion would begin with a conversation about where the candidate was on the ladder with specific examples that supported that evaluation. The idea for each candidate was to move up the ladder and become truly invested in his teammates.


When I was a head coach at the high school level, the program was ten weeks long and extended into the summer. At Baldwin Wallace University, we incorporate this program in the spring semester and conclude it with interviews and voting during camp. We incorporate other tools into our training including books on leadership. We set up the following guidelines for the program.

You will be expected to follow all of the guidelines in our program, which include:


1.  Make good decisions - no problems/trouble inside or outside of school.

2.  Have outstanding attendance at team workouts. Be there, be visible, lead by example. (Our spring sport athletes immediately became a presence at our workouts when they could. If there was a rainout or a day off, they would at least be there and be encouraging. We did not make them work out in respect for their in-season sport. We never told them to do this. It just happened. The rest of our incoming senior class showed new life and energy).

3.  Show all coaches and adults respect - “Yes sir - no sir.”

4.  Obey and maintain all team rules for yourself and your teammates. (We noticed an immediate accountability with the team.)

In addition, there will be other requirements for you to be eligible to be a captain:

•  Keep a notebook of your contacts with every team member of our program. You will be required to interview every team member of our program (players and coaches) to learn something about each of your teammates. (We needed to eliminate cliques and open the lines of communication. What those players who, in the past, did to look for a sophomore “popularity vote” was valuable in the sense that it brought the older guys together with the younger guys. We said, “Let’s make them do that.” We wanted them to know something about every player. The notebook and the interview were just ways to open communication and to make sure they did it. Yes, it was an idea I took from “Remember the Titans.” The main thing though, was if these guys were going to be our leaders, they had to make connections with their teammates regardless of what grade they were in. This definitely became something that helped this team bond.)

•  Attend one booster club meeting and give a three-minute update of something going on in our program. (Our boosters did a great job of supporting football. The parents really liked the idea of the leadership program and loved it when the players showed up to speak. I would guide our players on what topics they should speak about. For the players, it was important that they saw how much they were supported and how important football was to our community. They had a responsibility and accountability that went beyond their buddies. They were representing a community.)

•  Have an interview with the head coach and assistants to discuss expectations for captains and to assess your qualifications (summer). (This was to be treated as a job interview. At the very least, they would have great preparation for the future. They took this seriously as well, showing up on time, were dressed up, and represented themselves very well.)

•  Speak to the team once during the summer either before or after summer conditioning about a selected topic (5 minutes). (Vocal leadership was important, and the key thing that this group pointed out was that this was missing from the previous one. We felt that giving them opportunities to speak could help them show vocal leadership to the team when necessary in the future. I met and spoke with each player about the topic they chose and why. I also provided any ideas they could add to aid them in their talk. The process really allowed me to key in on some of their main focuses and concerns. I learned a lot through the process.)

•  Be rated by your teachers as far as dependability and potential to lead (end of school year). NOTE:  This will make up only a small portion of total points, but as a leader, others’ perceptions about you are important if you are to represent our program. (This really put them on notice of their status and responsibility to do the right thing in school. They took this seriously. I was sure to make the evaluations due before teachers really got into finals so that this didn’t become a hassle for them. I notified all teachers about our leadership program at the start of it, and let them know that they would be asked for an evaluation from our participants if they had them in class. The teachers were great in providing me feedback on the participants. All of the feedback on our players was positive.).

•  We will have 3-4 outside speakers on leadership topics. You must attend these sessions. (I enlisted the help of our booster club for guest speakers. We had some alums and other local leaders help us out. The guest speakers really appreciated the chance to help and became huge supporters of the program.)

•  Participate in community service for a total of 10 hours. (For the past couple of seasons, we had been involved in several different projects, and we had some scheduled for the spring. This group did an outstanding job participating and taking on leadership roles in the project.)

A point system will be explained later. The team vote will make up a major portion of the final rating that will determine who our captains will be for the season. In addition to our two captains, our other seniors who have completed all of the requirements of the program and have received a favorable rating will be our second level of leadership, and on an alternating basis serve as a captain for a game week and game. (This was exciting for all of our seniors. Our tradition was to have two captains and this allowed for more participation in the leadership of the team. This was something we shared with the whole team, so they understood their role in selecting the leadership of the team.)

The interview of captains is also something we do at Baldwin Wallace, and our candidates take it very seriously. We require our college student-athletes to prepare a resume and cover letter and submit it on report day. For the interview, in the second week of camp, most come dressed in a suit and tie and treat it exactly like they would a job interview. We allow our juniors to participate, and we have elected junior captains. We know that most juniors will not be elected, but it gives us a good idea of who are our leaders-in-waiting.

Each candidate is limited to ten to fifteen minutes in the interview (depending on the number of candidates we have). We start with some standard questions for each candidate, but also allow every coach to put the candidate on the spot with tough questions. The questions might be something specific addressing a past behavior or incident in order for us to evaluate how much the player has grown.

The added benefit of the coaches going through this process is that we really learn a lot about our team. We understand what might be their concerns, get a good feel on how focused and motivated they are, and obviously see who really wants to take ownership in the leadership role of the team.

Here are some sample questions. The questions can be tailored specifically to the issues that need to be addressed by the team leadership.

1.  When players are unhappy with a situation, how do you handle it?

2.  What are your strengths and weaknesses and how can you use your strengths to improve the program.

3.  What have you done to show your leadership when the coaches aren’t around?

4.  How will you pull the team through adversity?

5.  Do you need the title of captain to be a leader in this program? How will you handle your leadership if you are not selected captain?

Again, the questions should elicit direct responses and tell the coaches something about the candidate. The coaches can choose to eliminate a candidate from the ballot if they do not feel he is ready or worthy of being a leader.

Overall, we have seen our leadership improve by implementing leadership training. This not only has positive benefits for the program, but also prepares these young men for life. They understand their importance in leading a group of individuals and bringing them together for a common purpose.   s






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