Choosing Capable Commanders: How Captains are Selected

Many teams have candidates write statements, which the team refers to before voting on captains. Players write about why they believe they would be a good leader and what they would bring to the team as captain. Some teams limit this opportunity to rising seniors or upperclassmen, like Varsity Baseball. Those interested in the position then go on to write a statement of candidacy, as well as a pledge to assume the responsibilities that the role entails. Candidates must carefully consider their proposal, as Varsity Baseball Head Coach and Athletic Director Rocco DeMaio ’86 said, “A player looking to achieve this position must do so prepared to meet the high expectations associated with it.” 

Other teams allow all players who are interested – no matter the grade level – to run for captain. Varsity Softball, for example, had at least one candidate from each high-school grade level run last season. Head Coach Angelina Massoia said “I think that anyone who thinks they have what it takes to lead the team should be able to run, no matter the grade level.” Some teams look for younger players to step up due to the lack of rising seniors on the team. Teddy Sklar ’27, one of next year's Boys Varsity Cross Country captains reported, “I'm excited to lead a team of a sport which I am passionate about and hopefully instill that passion into younger members of the team, especially as a junior, when I wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to do so.”

While baseball, softball, and many other sports teams vote for next year’s captains at the end of the season, for other sports the process doesn’t occur until much closer to the start of the next season. For Varsity Football, the captain selection process does not happen until the second week of preseason. Players vote on the two players who they think would best captain the team. Then the coaches interview the top four candidates and make the final selections.Varsity Football Head Coach Timothy Phipps stated “The coaches discuss which candidates they feel would best serve the role. It can be any number of voted candidates.” Captains are announced before the first scrimmage of the season. Any player, no matter the grade level, is eligible for captain, and statistics from the previous season are not considered during the process. Selecting the captains during preseason gives new players the ability to consider whose leadership would best serve the existing team. Phipps added, “[Selecting captains in preseason] allows players new to the team or Hopkins an opportunity to have a say in the direction of the team and allows them to have an equal voice in a decision that is very important to the success of a team. This is important to us as a team that new players are allowed to contribute to the directions of our program.”

Although each team attempts to make the process of voting for captains timely and fair, it  does not always feel that way for some team members. Last season, the Girls Varsity Volleyball team selected their captains through an email during the middle of the summer. Captain Katherine Spenner ’25 said that before the email was sent out, “We were confused: When are we gonna vote for captains?” While the two players with the most votes were selected as captains, the team did not find out until the end of the second week of preseason. Spenner said, “The process made everyone confused and set a shaky foundation for the start of the season.”

While the process for selecting captains is different for every team, players and coaches want to select the players who will best take on the leadership position.  As DeMaio wrote on the voting form for his baseball players, “A captain is more than just a title, it is a position of tremendous responsibility and a job that should not be entered into by a person unprepared to meet the demands.”