I was thinking about the benefits/advantages of having as standard both a Senior and a Junior Captain,in relation to actual age. The Senior Captain would be like Jobe - late 20’s, leads the team, etc. The Junior Captain would be like Hepps - under 23, inspiring, driven, committed and can relate better with younger players.
Other benefits would be mentally locking in your brightest young talent, giving newest up-and-comers a leadership role to aim for, grooming a youngster early for Senior Captaincy possibly doing away with that awkward interim time, giving a youthful aspect to the club which may be enticing to young players, etc
Possible negatives I can see are - perhaps making it apparent who the next Senior Captain will be, and any ramifications involving that.
I'd like to see us get rid of the leadership group rubbish and go back to Captain, Vice Captain and Deputy Vice Captain.
A leadership group to me is like prefects at school, empowering them to make sure their peers follow the rules. I hate it. I think it gives wannabe leaders a power they don't need.
Have the Cap, VC and DVC and let them run the show
You wanted to be Prefect, dincha?
Absolutely. I wanted to be a mean girl. Had to settle for sporting prowess and became house captain instead! Lol
I'd like to see us get rid of the leadership group rubbish and go back to Captain, Vice Captain and Deputy Vice Captain.
A leadership group to me is like prefects at school, empowering them to make sure their peers follow the rules. I hate it. I think it gives wannabe leaders a power they don't need.
Have the Cap, VC and DVC and let them run the show
You wanted to be Prefect, dincha?
Absolutely. I wanted to be a mean girl. Had to settle for sporting prowess and became house captain instead! Lol
I'd like to see us get rid of the leadership group rubbish and go back to Captain, Vice Captain and Deputy Vice Captain.
A leadership group to me is like prefects at school, empowering them to make sure their peers follow the rules. I hate it. I think it gives wannabe leaders a power they don't need.
Have the Cap, VC and DVC and let them run the show
I’d like to see us get rid of the leadership group rubbish and go back to Captain, Vice Captain and Deputy Vice Captain.
A leadership group to me is like prefects at school, empowering them to make sure their peers follow the rules. I hate it. I think it gives wannabe leaders a power they don’t need.
Have the Cap, VC and DVC and let them run the show
both older and younger players get disenchanted (before they need to)
Friction is caused between the younger captain and senior players
any difference in philosophy between the 2 captains will cause a split amongst team mates
the young captain will be less motivated to work as hard for the captaincy, as it’s already been handed to him
If young captain is injured, or has a form slump, then you might have to take the young captaincy off him, which will cause more trouble.
Positives:
None that aren’t already available via the current leadership structure.
BUT IF THEY WORKED IN HARMONY.
If it was say Jobe (senior) Hepps (junior), Hepps could just filter down the matra from Jobe, empowering the under 23’ on the list.
This would:
-Develop Hepps ongoing leadership training
-Relieve Jobe of a bit of work in always having to get across the whole list, allowing that extra time as a veteran to be spent on more recovery sessions/own performance.
I am pretty sure the coaches would insist an “official” mentor be assigned to the 3 18 year draftees for at least 6 months and that they would be billeted to live with one of the mature players if not living at home. If not I would be very surprised.
Dont the players who are not captains take on "mentoring" roles for more recent draftees ? There needs to be about a 3-4 year gap.
Its practice for leadership. Its essential for draftees to learn how to behave and how to train. They need to adjust to life as a professional athlete.
Isnt this in fact a similar thing, isnt it even more important that mentors be used, than having just one single "junior captain? I suppose not all players are well suited to being a mentor , I am absolutely positive Hepp is, but rather than just one , there would be a group of about 4-6 players in their 4th-5th year, given the mentor task ?
Mentoring is a good idea, it helps young guys fit into the side and learn the ropes, gives them an opportunity to ask “stupid questions”, and goes some way to avoiding all the new kids just socialising together.
It can be done pretty easily by catching up for a coffee or for breakfast, having them over for dinner or scheduling some training/recovery sessions together.
Mentoring can also benefit the mentor, they might pull their head in and be more professional if they know they are setting an example. Guys often rebel because they think they have a lot to offer but they don’t get the attention they deserve, so I think it would have to be a pretty bad situation for a player not to be considered as a mentor.
Even a guy like Fevola, he might not teach you much about professionalism but he would be able to tell you a heap about the pitfalls of being a professional athlete, how big contracts/agents work, mistakes that can ruin your reputation, etc.
This is basically what I meant, and should have said.
Dont the players who are not captains take on "mentoring" roles for more recent draftees ? There needs to be about a 3-4 year gap.
Its practice for leadership. Its essential for draftees to learn how to behave and how to train. They need to adjust to life as a professional athlete.
Isnt this in fact a similar thing, isnt it even more important that mentors be used, than having just one single "junior captain? I suppose not all players are well suited to being a mentor , I am absolutely positive Hepp is, but rather than just one , there would be a group of about 4-6 players in their 4th-5th year, given the mentor task ?
Mentoring is a good idea, it helps young guys fit into the side and learn the ropes, gives them an opportunity to ask “stupid questions”, and goes some way to avoiding all the new kids just socialising together.
It can be done pretty easily by catching up for a coffee or for breakfast, having them over for dinner or scheduling some training/recovery sessions together.
Mentoring can also benefit the mentor, they might pull their head in and be more professional if they know they are setting an example. Guys often rebel because they think they have a lot to offer but they don’t get the attention they deserve, so I think it would have to be a pretty bad situation for a player not to be considered as a mentor.
Even a guy like Fevola, he might not teach you much about professionalism but he would be able to tell you a heap about the pitfalls of being a professional athlete, how big contracts/agents work, mistakes that can ruin your reputation, etc.
This is basically what I meant, and should have said.
Dont the players who are not captains take on "mentoring" roles for more recent draftees ? There needs to be about a 3-4 year gap.
Its practice for leadership. Its essential for draftees to learn how to behave and how to train. They need to adjust to life as a professional athlete.
Isnt this in fact a similar thing, isnt it even more important that mentors be used, than having just one single "junior captain? I suppose not all players are well suited to being a mentor , I am absolutely positive Hepp is, but rather than just one , there would be a group of about 4-6 players in their 4th-5th year, given the mentor task ?
Mentoring is a good idea, it helps young guys fit into the side and learn the ropes, gives them an opportunity to ask “stupid questions”, and goes some way to avoiding all the new kids just socialising together.
It can be done pretty easily by catching up for a coffee or for breakfast, having them over for dinner or scheduling some training/recovery sessions together.
Mentoring can also benefit the mentor, they might pull their head in and be more professional if they know they are setting an example. Guys often rebel because they think they have a lot to offer but they don’t get the attention they deserve, so I think it would have to be a pretty bad situation for a player not to be considered as a mentor.
Even a guy like Fevola, he might not teach you much about professionalism but he would be able to tell you a heap about the pitfalls of being a professional athlete, how big contracts/agents work, mistakes that can ruin your reputation, etc.
While we are it we should have a nightly coloured hat that we award to The best Trainer of The Week. And the recipient will get to wear this hat while they train for the rest next week. Must be a sombrero.
Maybe get the senior captain to wear a yellow jumper, the junior captain to wear a white jumper, our quickest player to wear a green jumper and a polka dot jumper for leading goal kicker?
