cindy hawthorne

“Everybody knows who the leaders are.” Curt Cignetti said he has never voted for captains. The longer I coached, the more I understood exactly what he meant. Some years we had captains. Some years we didn’t. We selected them differently depending on the team. But I also saw choosing captains create more problems than it solved. So when coaches would ask me, “What if we pick the wrong captains?” My answer became pretty simple: Then don’t pick them. Develop ALL of your leaders. Build collective leadership. Give kids opportunities to lead without needing a title. Because Cignetti is right. Your players know who the leaders are. Your coaches know. Your locker room knows. Leadership rises to the top. You don’t need a “C” on your chest to lead. And giving someone the title of captain doesn’t suddenly make them a leader. Sometimes it just gives the wrong person more influence. That can be dangerous. Develop everyone as leaders. Then let leadership emerge. 🔥

Titles can identify captains. But they can’t create leaders. I love this from Marcus Freeman: “We have a whole bunch of guys who are going to choose to lead. They don’t need a title to lead.” That’s what great teams need. Not 2 or 3 captains doing all the leading. A locker room full of people willing to speak up. Hold the standard. Bring energy. Help a teammate. Do the right thing when nobody is watching. Too many players wait for permission to lead. They think they need a “C” on their jersey, need to be a senior, or need the coach to name them something. You don’t. Leadership isn’t a position you’re given. It’s a choice you make. Every single day. 👇