Varsity captains encourage and inspire

It's raining. The score is tied. There are two minutes left in the game. Who's going to help you and your teammates get ready to win the game? He or she may not score the winning goal, but the captain will be there.

All captains know that he or she must shoulder much responsibility both on and off the playing field. The captain must be the mouthpiece for the team and the coach, walking the fine line between leader and friend. The captain must harness the spirit of a team and channel it towards intense play, and must act as the essence of the team--its true heart and soul.

Yale's varsity sports feature a tradition unique among all other Division I NCAA schools: teams are led by only one captain. At the conclusion of the season, team members vote for whom they wish to be captain during the following year's campaign. The captain must win a simple majority--a feat not so easily achieved. Some teams have been known to hold as many as seven rounds of voting before a majority is determined.

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Steve Macaluso, BK '98, takes the field, cheered on by his teammates

Yale Athletic Director Tom Beckett said of the unusual policy, "The practice of having one captain per team...is a very strong and honored tradition, and a great source of pride for the University. When a person is selected as the sole captain it creates a very strong role for them, and in the process it validates and re-emphasizes the importance of their position."

Athletic prowess is not the only necessary qualification. Frank Keefe, men's and women's swimming coach, remarked, "In swimming, we ask these kids to come in for a minimum of eight workouts a week. No one else understands what they go through. In 20 years, you're going to remember the captain who encouraged you and who patted you on the back during the tough times, not who swam the fastest."

Vince Ferraro, SY '98, captain of the men's lacrosse team, agreed that communication is vital. "Two years ago our captain specifically went and spoke to a few juniors and seniors on the team and told them, `I'm going to need your help this year if we want to win,'" Ferraro recalled. "These players all said they felt that their roles changed drastically after the captain told them what he needed from them to their faces. This is exactly what I want to try to do."

One varsity athlete emphasized that his captain played a significant role during his freshman year development: "The day before our first game our captain had me over to his apartment for an hour and we talked. He became my friend and mentor. I know I wouldn't have played nearly as well freshman year without his support."

Beckett cited other key qualities for a captain. "They must have the respect of their teammates," he said. "People that are capable of leading in situations on or off the field must have enormous personal courage and strength, as well as a real sense of what the program is trying to accomplish. The true leaders have pride in what they do and they believe in the mission of the personal and team goals."

Men's lacrosse coach Mike Waldvogel added that the captain's character is essential. "More players are looking at the captain's individual traits and dedication off the field as an example," he said. "Nowadays athletes' behavior off the field is a lot more scrutinized." Baseball captain Tommy Kidwell, CC '98, remarked, "It's important to have a strong work ethic and an ability to communicate. Teammates look at my work ethic and follow it, so I try to handle myself well at practice. I ask nothing from the team that I would not do myself."

Women's soccer captain Jill Rubinstein, DC '98, tore her anterior cruciate ligament before the season began, but, as Beckett emphasized, a captain can be just as effective off the field. "Jill has been fantastic from her role on the bench. Despite the fact that she can't play, she has been tremendous and has taken the role of captain just as seriously," Beckett said. "It's difficult to have an impact when you can't do what you're saying," Rubenstein said. "But being on the sidelines all the time allows me to have more contact with the players."

In addition to off-the-field support and communication, the captain is primarily responsibile for making freshmen feel welcome, especially those who will most likely not see much playing time. Women's ice hockey captain Sarah Russell, SM '98, relates to this situation. "I started hockey in the middle of my freshman year. I played for a total of about a minute. But simply looking at my case proves that if you work hard you can get better."

There are a number of coaches and athletes, however, who disagree with the traditional Yale policy of having only one captain. First-year women's ice hockey coach John Marchetti said, "I'm coming from Providence where we often had co- or tri-captains. I find that it's easier if there's more than one person involved in team decisions. Plus, if you have two great kids and only one can be the captain, that doesn't sit well with me." Waldvogel has also had problems with the captain selection process. "I've gotten calls from angry parents assuming that I have a role in determining captain," he said. "I just go by the guidelines." Waldvogel added that for teams with separate offensive and defensive squads, such as lacrosse or football, it would be useful to have a captain for each unit.

The age-old captain-selection practice has defenders as well. "Although having two captains might be easier and wouldn't hurt someone's feelings, when you have one guy, he is the boss of a united group," Keefe said. Rubinstein added, "You don't need to be a captain to be a leader on the field. Everyone respects that. Having one captain is unique--it's Yale." Ferraro said, "This tradition is never going to change, and it's the tradition that makes being captain so special to me."

Being a team captain at Yale is no easy task. "The captain has to try to find the happy medium between serving the coaching staff and the team," Marchetti said. "She must use great discernment in all her decisions, because she knows they will affect both sides." Ferraro stated, "The hardest part of being a captain is also the most enjoyable. I don't care if I play, or if we walk out there on our knees. I just want to help the team win, and I want to pull up people who are lagging behind. That's how I'll measure how I did my job when the year is over."

It seems that an effective Yale captain must attempt to be a paradigm of excellence and enthusiasm. A captain must live as an example to his or her teammates, supporting them all along. Beckett remarked, "In good and bad, there is one consistent quality in all Yale captains--there is a courage and willingness to step forward as a leader. The men and women selected as captains have been the right ones, and the selection process has deservedly brought them to the forefront."

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