The leadership assignment tasked upon the captains of fall sports required the select students to become responsible for the healthy environment of their team and help everyone
feel included within. Although this past season of sports may be over, the energy brought by this year’s fall captains deserves recognition.. From big wins to tough practices, each captain brought a spark that kept good spirits among their teams by providing motivation regardless of scores, supporting each and every athlete.
The senior captains of the boys soccer team included Joshua Roslonek, Ethan Terribile, and Casey DeAngelo. Roslonek shared, “My focus was definitely kindness. I wanted to form a connection and a bond with each player and the team.” Continuing, he went on to say his drive to become a good captain aspired from the performance of the captains during his freshman year, throughout the months under their leadership. He realised the significance of having someone to look up to, and applied the lessons he had learned to his captaincy for this past season. Along with being a role model, Roslonek also commented on the importance of having a captain, saying, “It’s being a leadership role that’s not a coach.” He summarized that having a captain is a personable benefit because it is a comfortable resource, and friendly relationship rather than professional. However there are always areas of improvement, especially when you are in a public position that has a direct effect on players’ lives. The most difficult aspect of the role in Roslonek’s view was, “Trying to root out negativity.” He said, “I feel the job of a team captain is to keep things positive and to keep people wanting to come back and work hard without having to be told that everything that they’re doing is failing” Even with this challenge, the rewarding pieces of captaincy are the ones that shine through the negatives. Roslonek shared that at the conclusion of the season he received messages from various players explaining to him the positive impact he had on their season. Reflecting back on his years with the team, and months being captain, he shared that this experience was like no other, and that it has taught him crucial lessons of leadership that will stick with him as he pursues his future.
Girls soccer, ending their season with a record of 11-4-5, was led by senior captains, Olive Egbert and Alex Levaseur. Egbert immediately shared that in her captaincy she wanted to emphasize the inclusivity of every player on the roster. “I wanted to form a good team atmosphere.” Egbert commented, “Also to keep the team calm when they’re upset because it can get chaotic sometimes.” The responsibility of the captain stretches beyond just the field, absorbing stress factors from the outside. Each and every one of these captains highlight the importance of rooting out these negatives so that the ultimate attitude of the team is positive. Egbert was able to voice her advice towards those who will take her place in the future years, saying, “Be friends with your teammates, don’t be rude, and don’t abuse your power.” OSHS field hockey was led by captains Kathryn Demeulemeester, Emma Courtright, Chelsea Garvey, and Evelyn Gage. Demeulamiester expressed that a captain is not only needed to lead the players throughout the season, but to help build a culture and community that carries on throughout the future years. She speaks on the traits needed by this year’s captain to ensure a successful experience, saying, “we needed captains to push and keep them going, so having leaders there and keeping everyone involved and well influenced”, referring to the young team they had coming in as freshman. Continuing with the young group of players this season, DeMeulemeester shares that a difficult aspect of her captaincy was getting to know and learn all of the new faces wearing the jerseys. She also includes, “keeping up the mood, more positive pep talks and keeping each other’s spirits up.” She emphasized, “especially because of the losses” showing the importance of maintaining enthusiasm and healthy attitudes even when the team faced difficulties. Adding on, she included that the most rewarding aspects of her season was witnessing the growth of the underclassmen, and being a spectator as their love for the game grew. Completing her final season with the field hockey team, DeMeulemeester shared a powerful message, “Be there for your team, and always show support no matter who your teammates are because you are all a team together.”
Together, these captains agreed that leadership, within sports, is an important responsibility as it holds the potential to impact players individually along with aiming to create a well rounded team. Having an influence on such a large group of people, these captains navigate through difficulties to end with a season in which each player was able to thrive and enjoy their time playing.
(Brooke Garvey )
