Being a team captain is not only an honor, but also an important duty. As a field hockey captain you may be responsible for organizing team workouts, bonding activities, huddles, and public relations. Above all, it is the captain’s job to cultivate the team’s attitude and morale. As the face of the team, it is extremely important to uphold your field hockey team’s values through leading by example on and off the field. The captain must continually act in the team’s best interests while providing the glue that holds the team together. Although this may sound daunting, being a field hockey captain can be very fun and extremely rewarding. Below you will find some fun tips and ideas for bringing your team together for a successful season:

 

  • Team Runs: Team runs are a great way to bring your team together for training purposes while still having fun. Try taking your team out to a running trail in a local park to change up your training scenery. Running together in a new environment will reinvigorate the team.
  • Captain’s Practice: Like the team run, a practice lead by a captain can be a great change of pace. Sometimes practices led by your coach can get repetitive and may drag the team into a funk. Switch it up and create a practice plan that includes fun drills and a few silly games to get your team back on a positive track. Try playing fun field hockey games like “steal the bacon” or “goalie soup”.
  • Snacks: Who doesn’t love snacks? Providing your team with an after practice or post game treat like popsicles, fruit, Gatorade, or the occasional cookie is a great way to keep your team nourished and happy. Try making a snack schedule where you assign two players, one for drinks and one for snacks, to each game day.
  • Motivational Messages: Enforcing your team’s mental game is just as important as maintaining their fitness. Try making notecards or hair ribbons for each player with inspirational quotations and hand them out in the huddle before every game. Have the players collect the cards or ribbons so that by the end of the season they have a whole repertoire of influential words. Sending positive and empowering messages to your team can help overcome any opponent and inspire a win.
  • Team Bonding: Lastly, don’t forget to have a ton of fun. Having a great time with your team off the field translates to amazing chemistry on the field. Organize team outings like laser tag, amusement park trips, dinners, scavenger hunts, pool parties, etc. to bring the team together. Don’t be afraid to do something a little out of the box, your team will thank you.

 

Although being a field hockey team captain involves a lot of hard work and responsibility, it’s all worth it when you can see the success that your team accomplishes because of your creative initiatives.

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