Cheerleading Insights: The Origin and Role of Captains

Lack of good leadership is one of the most powerful reasons that a cheer team may fall short of their season goals. While a Cheerleading Coach is a great source of leadership, Captains are also necessary for peer-to-peer leadership. A cheerleading team Captain serves as the spark for commitment, focus and motivation. The Captain inspires their teammates to believe in themselves. Cheerleading began at colleges, and Coaches originally started as faculty advisers that were associated with the activity. That left room for leadership to come from within the team. What Captains Do: Help hold cheer squad tryouts, choose team members and assign positions Help communicate regular schedules for trainings and cheer competitions, and also make sure everyone knows about any schedule changes Lead their teammates by example including showing up, staying motivated and keeping their grades up Enforce safety protocols at practice during stunting and tumbling Help choose cheerleading uniforms, shoes, practice wear, accessories and other cheerleading gear Contribute to fun and creative ideas for pep rallies and spirit weeks Make sure necessary supplies, like mats and music, are available for practice How Captains Are Picked: Three of the most common ways for a Captain to be appointed are: nominations, voting or Coach’s choice. Some teams will allow members to nominate Captain options, and from there the position either opens to a vote, or the Coach makes a final selection from the candidates. Other teams will opt to do a vote and reward the position to the member with the most votes. Some Coaches will decide to make the decision on their own. They will likely base their choice on a number of factors, including seniority on team, skill level and past performance, and they might also hold auditions for Captain. That audition could include a performance and an interview. Why Captains Work: While a Coach may be able to perform some of the skills that the team is performing, it’s the Captain that is out there on the floor performing with them, so it is easier for them to relate Captains are trying to balance their schedules the same way as their teammates – between school , social activities and sports – so they can understand the pressures that their team faces Captains can help the Coach make the best performance decisions for the team since they are more familiar with how the routine feels during performances A Captain works to unify a team by being a peer role model – easy to connect with and approach