In all sports, there is always one, if not several members of any team are given the responsibility to lead his or her team throughout a season. The dictionary defines "captain" simply: "the person in command of the ship" and in this case the team on and sometimes off the field. Personally, in order to be a captain one must portray not only skill and a desire for the sport but must be disciplined and have a remarkable character as well. Keeping in mind however, a captain is not always the most skilled player, but should be a player that possesses outstanding leadership qualities. Regardless of who the captain on any particular team may be, the coach or other players have nominated this person for a reason, and for this reason alone should that player(s) be captain.
At Lincoln Sudbury High School (LSHS), the role of captain will no longer be present in any part of the athletic program at the school. You must be wondering, that this decision is for a good reason. However the cause of this action is in fact unbelievable and childish. In order to "not hurt other players' feelings", captainship will not be aloud at LSHS. According to local newspapers and athletic director, it was a complaint made by a number of parents, who felt as though those who have received captainship have done it in an unfair and in an unsystematic way. In stead of captains, the decision has been made by the AD to allow a board of students willing to volunteer, as part of a sports leadership committee, students of any age are aloud to join.
It seems as high school sports grow more and more popular we see parents getting more and more involved and often times in ways that are more negative than positive. As part of a recurring issue in sports programs, negatively involved parents wish to control everything from playing time of their child all the way to who gets hired as coach. In this particular case, we have seen that parents have pushed their "issue" so far that a change was made. Whether or not the change was for the better, or for the right reason is debatable.
a strong opinion. I like it.
ReplyDeleteVery good opinion piece.
ReplyDeleteKeep it up.
Nice job digging up the facts. I haven't read anymore newspaper articles about it because it's such a ludicrous move that I end up annoyed.
ReplyDeleteCaptains, as long as they are students with drive and honorable character, should be allowed their leadership role- especially considering that they are usually selected by the players themselves with the approval of the coach.
Parents/coaches/teachers, and the students themselves need to realize that in life, natural leaders emerge. Not everyone has the skill set needed to get the job done, and without a leader, chaos usually results. These kids are going to grow into emotionally crippled adults who don't understand the word no and who can't handle things that don't go their way.
Good work.