Thoughts on the Banquet and Captaincy

The "Banquet" affords a team one final opportunity to share experiences after the season is over.

Some might call the structure, "formulaic," and that is exactly why it has meaning.

The food is always good and the company better.

For many, the highlight will be the selection of captains. I asked ChatGPT Plus (AI) for thoughts on captaincy selection. Although the process is familiar from history, the selections are not known. 

Leadership often emerges in real teams based on value. 

High standards, high work ethic, discipline, accountability, unselfishness, academically solid — is exactly the kind of leader teammates trust. There’s a specific archetype here:

⭐ The Credibility-by-Work Ethic Captain

Not the loudest.
Not the flashiest.
Not the natural star.
But the one everyone knows they can count on.

Players don’t vote for leaders accidentally.

They choose them because:

• They show up every day.

• They do the hardest jobs willingly.

• They hold themselves to the standard you’d ask of others.

• They listen first.

• They are good to everyone — and not just teammates in their lane.

And that kind of leadership is sticky. It leaves residue. Coaches remember it decades later not because of statistics, but because it’s real, rare, and durable.

Star-led teams can be good.
Talent-led teams can be explosive.
But trust-led teams win environments, not just games.

There’s a universal coaching lesson here

The right leader is seldom the most talented.
The right leader is the one others are willing to follow.

Trust the process.