PLAYER LEADERSHIP

Leadership, whether it is in regards to sports, a marketing team or the military, is one’s ability to motivate others to accomplish a task. Player leadership is very important within a football program; besides the coaches, the team needs to have several other leaders and motivators to perform at its best. I do not think it is the responsibility of the coaching staff to teach quality leadership; they should however, display good leadership skills and serve as role models to their players. I am sure most of you have heard of the phrase “lead by example”. To me, this means that the coach, mentor or supervisor should be a person I look up to and admire the qualities they display on a daily basis. Qualities such as devotion, integrity, honesty, courage and most importantly a desire to look after your people and help them as much as possible are just as few of the traits a good leader should possess.

In order to help players grow into good leaders, I would start delegating small tasks to observe how well they handle it and gauge their reaction. I think leadership is something people are born with, and not necessarily something you can teach. Leadership skills can definitely be refined and individuals can grow and take on more responsibility as they mature, but if they do not possess the basic skills necessary to take the reins and assume command, perhaps they are just followers. As a coach, I would help individuals that show leadership potential to grow and expand their knowledge. This is where direct feedback would be a great tool; communicating with them, coaching them and grooming them will keep them on the right track and fuel their desire to succeed.

THIS POST WAS SUBMITTED BY ALEX STOICA.