Ken Eriksen, 2020 Olympic Coach, talks about his philosophy for finding leaders: "Leadership is seen, not heard."
Eriksen has never had a delegated captain on one of his college teams. Instead, he lets leaders naturally emerge throughout the season. For young players, sometimes delegating captains can lead to drama, which can disrupt team chemistry. Allowing leaders to step up to the plate naturally keeps those team dynamics in place. Eriksen also doesn't believe in seniority leading to unequal treatment off the field: Despite grade level, every player should carry bags, everyone does laundry and everyone helps out around the locker room.
