I had the very great privilege to be co-captain of Light City Derby’s Regimental Rollers for one and a half seasons, and I think it will always be something I am most proud of as far as my roller derby achievements go.

Favourite team photo, by EK Photography

There’s more to being captain than strapping on a ‘C’ in a scrimmage or bout, and this post is not about what your roles and responsibilities are as a captain on track on bout day. I look at my past captains and what strikes me about them, when I think about why I valued them as captains, was their people skills and the hard yards they put in off the track. Being a team captain takes a lot of work.

Of course every team will work in its own way and every team becomes a new team under different leadership, or with changing members. These are my thoughts on captaincy, presented as a handy four-point list.

Strategic!

You don’t have to be the best skater on the team, have all the answers, or be a derby super star. You do not have to be the loudest voice in the room. I was none of these things, and I think I did ok! Good leaders build a team by recognising the strengths of others, not dominating or outshining them. Being a good captain is far more about attitude than skating skills and titles. If you’re not interested in fostering the development of your team mates and only in it for the glory, captaincy may not be for you.

Your job is to unite the team – the whole team. Don’t forget about the people who didn’t make the roster, are off with injury, are new or lost. On bout day, your focus is the team rostered to play. Every other day (and there are a lot of them), you should lead the team as a whole, not a few.

How do you do that? Talk to them! Building a good team culture starts with knowing your team mates and figuring out how you can help and support them. Do they need encouragement? Feedback? A sounding board? Are they happy just to do their own thing? Will they just appreciate a touch point while they are recuperating from injury? Key to being a good captain is your ability to be approachable, supportive, and fair, and understand what your team needs and doesn’t need from you.

Grand Final 2015. This is my proud face.

Don’t indulge drama – and there will always be drama! As a team captain, you might sometimes have to make unpopular decisions. You will also often be the conduit for delivering league news and outcomes which you yourself may not like or agree with. You might see team mates who don’t get along or you may not get along with some of them yourself. Be objective and league-minded. Don’t indulge. As captain, you are in a position of authority and a position of trust – this is the time when you need to uphold league values and behaviours and lead by example.

What it boils down to is walking the talk. Be a role model for your team by committing to and living the basics – going to training, putting in full effort while you are there, respecting your trainers, officials, benchies and league mates. Know your team mates – all of them – and encourage them to work together, to build on their strengths. Talk to your team! A good attitude and decent people skills are what make a strong captain, not just the letter C.

‘Til next time,