Blue Devil Coaches Announce Spring Captains

Captains have been selected varsity spring season athletic teams at Huntington High School. Blue Devil head coaches announced their captains prior to their first games over the past 10 days.

The captains include:

Boys Lacrosse: Timothy McDonald, Luca Cuozzo, Colin Lennon, Thomas Kline, William Fallon

Girls Lacrosse: Devon St. John, Sabrina Boyle, Jolie Weinschreider

Girls Spring Track & Field: Jamyn Husselbeck, Dana Saramago, Emma Boyle, Lindsay Depeine

Boys Spring Track & Field: Eric Heinz, Banny Soc Concua, Matt Ross, Dom Mattio, Carlos Marroquin, Titan Elysee

Baseball: Harry Uvena, Griffin Kanzer

Softball: Rotating captains

Boys Tennis: Ryan Scanlon, Nicholas Plachta, Ryan Ramirez

Girls Flag Football: Kaylee Smalling, Kymora Dorvilus, Belinda Velasquez

Girls Badminton: Celina Flores-Lopez, Sophia Weiss

Boys Badminton: Steven Palma, Jose Davila Chitay, Nicolas Francis

Girls Golf: Rotating captains’

Unified Basketball: TBD (Possibly weekly captains)

The athletic department is cooperating with coaches in an attempt to make the position of captain a more meaningful one with real responsibilities and an opportunity for leadership development. Officials feel the captain’s role has become largely ceremonial in nature and must return to a more traditional state.

An article written by Larry Lauer, PhD and Kevin Blue of Michigan State University for the Assn. of Applied Sport Psychology website lays out the essential qualities and responsibilities of a team captain.

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. Nothing is more important in leading your team into competition than being seen as an authentic, credible leader.