Blue Devil Fall Team Captains Named

Captains for Huntington High School fall season teams have been announced by Blue Devil head coaches and have assumed their positions of leadership with all of the squads.

Head coaches Todd Donaghy (girls’ volleyball), John Romano (boys’ cross country), Elizabeth Andersen (girls’ cross country), Kathleen Wright (field hockey), Ronald E. Wilson (football), John Pagano (boys’ soccer), Jose Alfaro (girls’ soccer), Michael Marinello (boys’ golf), Jamie Fishlow (girls’ tennis), Christopher Helmke (girls’ swimming and diving) and Jacqueline Lazzarini (girls’ gymnastics) have all announced their captains for the fall 2024 season.

The captains include:

Girls Volleyball: Lauren Donaghy, Bella Morris, Brianna Borenstein

Boys Cross Country: Michael Mendikyan, John Joyce

Girls Cross Country: Kiley Barch, Emma Boyle

Field Hockey: Charlotte Curtin, Sophia Weiss, Alexandra Centrone

Football: Keegan Malone, Timothy McDonald, Titan Elysee, Thomas Smith, Matthew Ross

Boys Soccer: Jayden Schneider, Colin Lennon, Carlos Marroquin, Nicholas Plachta

Girls Soccer: Devon St. John, Cameron Smith, Jolie Weinschreider

Golf: William Fallon, Jake Severine

Girls Tennis: Vincenza Garofalo, Isabella Palacios

Girls Swimming & Diving: Meet captains only

Gymnastics: Elizabeth James, Valerie Ferreira

Coaches are working with the captains to help them understand the importance of their roles and what exactly their responsibilities cover. They will be providing them with leadership opportunities. The student-leaders are expected to be great role models along with being caring, courageous, consistent and credible.

An article on the website of the Association of Applied Sports Psychology penned by Larry Lauer, PhD and Kevin Blue of Michigan State University lays out the role, expectations and responsibilities of team captains:

Caring:

Great captains have an undeniable passion for the game, for competing, and for their teammates. They put the success of the team ahead of their own needs and are truly concerned with the well-being of all team members. As a caring captain, you should treat all teammates with respect and recognize the contributions made by all team members. If you have a problem with a teammate, you should approach that teammate in private and in a positive way to address the situation and find a solution. The captain should be the one to stop rumor spreading and gossiping. These kinds of behaviors destroy team chemistry.

Courageous:

Captains are willing to step up. As a courageous captain, you must “walk the talk” and you cannot be afraid to compete in the worst of situations. Courageous captains set the example for the rest of the team. Your actions must embody the core values of the team, especially during times of adversity. Be a model of courage and dedication to your teammates by setting lofty goals and working hard to reach them. Finally, as a courageous captain you must show that you trust your teammates and coaches, and are also willing to hold teammates accountable to working hard and being prepared.

Consistent:

Effective captains need to be the model of consistency. To be a consistent captain you need to hold yourself to a standard of giving 100 percent effort in every practice and game. You cannot cut corners and earn the respect from teammates and coaches that is necessary to lead the team effectively. Consistent captains also have an authentic style of communicating. Some lead by their actions, while others are more vocal. Importantly, to be a consistent captain you must remain true to your own style of communication and not try to be someone else.

“If you successfully accomplish these 3 C’s you will earn a 4th C – credibility,” the articles states. “Nothing is more important in leading your team into competition than being seen as an authentic, credible leader.”