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20 Ways to be a great captain of your tennis team

Twenty Ways to Be a Great Captain of Your Tennis Team

Twenty Ways to Be a Great Captain of Your Tennis Team -Being a tennis team captain is not only a great way to contribute to your team and sport, but it also provides countless benefits for personal growth and development. Whether you are a seasoned player or just starting out, taking on the role of captain can help you build leadership skills, improve communication, and foster a sense of camaraderie among teammates. 

Taking a turn and taking on the role as tennis team captain, is an opportunity that everyone should consider, regardless of their level of experience or skill. A good tennis captain will communicate with the members of their team and with the people working as captain of the team that you compete against. A good captain is organized and builds a line up of what teammates are playing, at what time play begins and what time to be at the match to try to warm up.  Some teams choose to wear a team color or purchase a team uniform. A team captain will decide after speaking to the teammates and decide what is right for the team as a whole. These kinds of decisions will come from the captain. 

One of the best team captains I have had would bring a tape measure and check the net height before play started. She also tried to get warm up courts for the team to use before play would start. I especially appreciated the way that she was clear in instructing the team as to what time play was and was considerate of the players when it came to building the line ups while also being mindful of what would be best for the team as a whole. An effective captain can make the difference in creating a cohesive team that has a great experience on the court. 

I have also been on teams where the captain had too much going on and mistakes were made in communicating information. Sometimes a less effective captain will design lineups that only suit themself or maybe they were just burned out and needed to take a break from being a captain. Leadership, patience and looking to the long game while developing the love of tennis in you and as a team are important qualities to have when captaining a team. A good team captain can make all the difference when playing competitive team tennis. 

What kind of leader are you?

Lead by example and show up ready to play – What is your style of leadership? As a tennis team captain it is important to know your own style. Are you a Mahatma Gandhi type leader who has an ability to inspire and mobilize large groups of people and unwavering commitment to social justice and equality?

Or do you find Nelson Mandela’s style of leadership inspiring? More in mind to bring about a peaceful transition to democracy and to heal the wounds of the past. (Maybe you had a tough prior season, and really needed to remember that tennis is a game and should be fun?)

Are you a Julius Caesar style leader? Using strategic thinking and the ability to inspire loyalty in the context of a tennis team would be amazing! This approach would be a very effective way to captain a tennis team.

Imagine using the example of Abraham Lincoln to spearhead your tennis team.  Using strong principles, developing the ability to communicate effectively, and willing to make tough decisions, while also committed to preserving the unity of the team would make a powerhouse of a team.

But maybe you are oozing with charisma and your approach is more in line with Winston Churchill. You are ready with inspiring speeches, strategic thinking during the season, and display  strong leadership qualities such as courage, determination, and resilience. 

If all of these seem a bit lofty, just pick a few of the great characteristics to implement and set the example for your team as their captain.

But whatever your leadership style ends up being, be ready to show up prepared and ready to play. As we all know… actions speak louder than words.

Communication with your team is vital as Tennis Captain

Communicate with your teammates regularly and effectively – Some ways that a tennis captain can communicate with teammates regularly and effectively include setting up regular team meetings, creating a group chat, GroupMe communication or email list for team updates.

By providing clear and concise instructions for team events and practices and by being approachable and open to feedback from team members, team goals can be understood by the entire group. It’s important for the captain to establish good communication channels early on to ensure that everyone is on the same page and any issues can be addressed in a timely manner. If issues do arise, remember not to take them personally and it can be advisable to deal with issues head on and in a timely manner.

Set clear goals for your team

Set clear goals for the team and work towards achieving them – I have been on teams (and I have captained teams) with one or two players who have big personal goals and too often, big egos. If you default to using those people’s goals for the whole team, you may end up making one person happy, but the rest of the team will feel like they are not important or listened to.

A great way to let everyone on the team know that they are valuable and needed on the team is by clearly laying out what your goals are for the team at the start of each season. By establishing team goals right away you set the pace for the team rather than one or two individuals.

It is important to refer back to the team goals throughout the season. This will help keep everyone on track and provide you with clear direction when tough decisions need to be made.

An organized captain is a happy captain

Being organized and keeping track of team schedules, matches, and events is a huge job. There are potentially endless ways to keep organized. The main thing is – choose a method you are willing to use and stick to it. No method of organizing is perfect for everyone, but having no method at all doesn’t work for anyone.

Personally, the way I like to organize teams using a google spreadsheet. When I was the captain of my team, this is how I kept track of all team information.  You may have other methods you prefer, but I find Google Sheets easy to work with and easy to share with other people.

There are apps and software out there for helping keep yourself organized. You might even prefer a notebook. It is entirely up to you. The main thing is that you HAVE a method and that you use it and stick to it.

Encourage teamwork and support your teammates

If you are the captain of a tennis team, remember that different people are motivated and respond differently to various types of incentives, feedback, and interactions. Think about the the book Love Languages by Gary Chapman: Not everyone responds the same way or can be encouraged the same way. Some members of the team might respond with positive verbal feedback while others prefer a fist bump or pat on the back.

There are loads of ways to encourage teamwork and show support. It is worth the effort to pay attention to the way your team receives your efforts to know how to proceed.

Leading the warmups during match play

Leading warm-ups and drills during practice is a really great way for a captain to set a strong example and help the team stay healthy. Very often my team captain will check with the facility that we are assigned to play to see if there are courts to rent for a warm up. This is a great way to start off your match and help keep your team healthy and free of injuries.

Help your teammates improve their skills and offer constructive feedback

As captain, you may have the opportunity to help players improve their game. If you sense that your teammate is open to feedback feel free to share your thoughts and ideas with them. However, giving advice, especially unsolicited advice may not be well received, even if done without great care. My experience, generally, it is best to let the tennis coaches point out where mistakes were made. If you are uncertain, you might point them in the direction of a good coach.

I currently have a wonderful captain who cares so much for us as people and as tennis players. Sometimes after a match, my captain will call me on the phone and ask me questions like, “how did you like playing with that partner?” or “do you think of yourself as stronger playing in the back court or do you like to get into the net and volley?”

If the match was one where the score did not go our way, she will stay very positive and point out the good parts.

Be approachable and open to feedback yourself

When on the road to becoming the team captain, you will need to develop a thick skin when it comes to receiving feedback from fellow teammates and from other team captains. You need to be able to listen to people and take their feedback under advisement. But the truth is, some people are more tactful than others in their communication style, and it can be easy to take offense or take things personally. But that isn’t going to help your journey as team captain.

In my experience I have found that these criticisms, though they may be presented poorly, are rarely personal. A lot of real life frustrations are worked out on the tennis court. It is important to consider what that person may be going through. They could have some family concern or could be dealing with pain from an injury that is causing them frustration or doubt.

I am not suggesting you allow yourself to become the team’s punching bag to take out their frustrations. But the truth is, if you are going to take on a leadership role as tennis captain, having a thin skin when it comes to criticism or feedback isn’t going to help you succeed in the short or long term.

Dealing with conflicts and disagreements in a respectful and fair manner

As the captain of your team, you will have to deal with conflicts and disagreements. Hopefully this doesn’t happen a lot, but when they do, you will need to negotiate them with in a respectful and fair manner.

Whatever you do, don’t ignore conflicts on your team. By dealing with issues that arise in a timely fashion, you prevent them from festering and turning into seething resentment. Sunlight is usually a great disinfectant so in an effort to be fair to the team, be respectful and set the example of how to act positively.

Try to refocus everyone involved on team’s goals by reviewing them with everyone involved. Having greater goals can sometimes over-ride individual rivalries.

Act as a buffer – you are the leader and the captain of the team. Too many conflicts are over simple communication issues, or someone is not seeing things correctly. You can help act as a buffer and help everyone look at things in a different light, or act as “an interpreter” if there is miscommunication.

Leaders cannot shy away or hide from conflicts within the team. They need to show up, engage, and try to bring a resolution in a fair and respectful way where everyone feels good about the outcome.

Foster a positive team culture and environment

Fostering a positive team culture and enjoyable environment will make your team fun and competitive. Most tennis players that I know are not interested in being involved with a group of people that are nasty and toxic. As the head of the tennis team, you have the responsibility and opportunity to nurture a positive team environment.

Set the example for your team by not gossiping. When players share information about players that they hit with, keep that feedback completely confidential. If there is a player that you are struggling with, share those thoughts with your spouse or someone not involved with the team. Hopefully things will get better and any frustration that you shared at the moment will not come back to bite you.

Also, to maintain a culture of inclusivity and positivity, you may need to cut a player loose occasionally for the good of the team. If you have counseled a player and tried to help, if there is no change in attitude and/or behavior and it is impacting the whole team, they may be a better fit somewhere else.

Represent your team with good sportsmanship on and off the court 

When you are the captain of your team, you are also representing your team by showing good sportsmanship on and off the court. As the captain of the team, you will be the face and contact point that other captains will deal with when arranging play.

When you represent the team with good sportsmanship and as the voice of the team that is fair, you will gain the respect of both your teammates and fellow captains. If issues arise, you can reach out to the office of the organization where your league is organized.

If issues arise that become difficult to address, ask for help. As you step up and serve as the captain of your team and use good sportsmanship both on and off the court, you will build a reputation that will serve you and your team well.

Be knowledgeable about the rules and regulations of the game

On a fairly regular basis, questions will arise about certain rules and what to do about them when they occur during a match. You give your team a great service by being knowledgeable about the rules and regulations of the game. Tennis is a game of many rules.

By becoming familiar with the rules of the game, it helps build confidence both in you and in your team. By educating yourself to be as knowledgeable as possible, you are an asset to the team. When questions arise as to what the rules and regulations are in the game, if you don’t know the rule… ask! There are very few rules that have not been addressed in the game of tennis.

And while we are on this topic, when you know what the rules are, stick to them. Fair play is fun play.

Work with your coach to develop strategies and game plans

As a captain, it will make your team a stronger to encourage learning and development as part of the culture of your team. Working with your coach and developing strategies and game plans for you will help bring depth and strength to both you as a player and to the tennis team. Tennis is a game that is physical and mental. Investing some time and effort into both hitting and learning strategy will bring your game to a whole new level.

Be responsible for team equipment and keep it in good condition

When you are captain and you are hosting a home match, there are several things you need to keep on top of. One, you must have a line up to share with the opponents, Two, there must be a new can of balls for each court, Three, it is expected for the home courts to have a score keeping device and finally, there should be water close to the courts for players to use.

As the captain, you are responsible for team equipment and ensure it is in good condition. I recommend sharing the load of responsibility with other members of the team. Most of the time, the team is happy to share the responsibilities, so let them.

Arrange transportation and lodging for away matches and tournaments

I have been on many teams that like to carpool to matches and events to save on gas and to give the chance to spend additional time together. If you are on a team that advances to districts and beyond and you find the need to travel, talk to the team and see who is available to take on this responsibility.

Ultimately, it is the captain’s responsibility arrange transportation, but it is common to ask the other members of the team to help out. 

Stay organized with team finances – 

As a team, there will be times when finances are a topic of concern. Whether the team needs a new team tennis skirt or has to pay for going to Nationals, money is sometimes a topic of concern.  It is considerate to appeal to the general consensus of the team as to when to make purchases.

You may also need to look into sponsorships or fundraisers to help ease the financial responsibility that comes with traveling to higher level of play. On a local level, when a team competes at away locations, it is sometimes expected to pay one fee for the entire team. When that occurs, usually the teammates will Vemno, or give cash to the captain to cover that expense.

As a team, there are opportunities to get team discounts on gear and clothing through certain retailers like Tennis Warehouse, Altheta and others.

Stay attuned to email communications from the organizing office and attend meetings or events organized by your league or organization – 

One of the most important jobs as captain is to clearly communicate what time and where matches are scheduled to occur.

More than just the matches, the organizing office will often disperse information to be sent out to the tennis community through their list of captains. Please help information get to the tennis community by sharing it.

As the captain of your tennis team there could be opportunities to have further training or gain additional knowledge of the world of tennis. Along with that, your office communicator will distribute information or format adjustments through the captains, so keep an eye out!

As a captain, it is also a great opportunity to let the office know of what great things are happening out on the court. There are sportsmanship awards and year end awards that you can give feedback towards.

Communicate with you team and pass on information. They expect it from you.

Keep your team motivated and focused during matches 

A tennis captain can help motivate and keep players focused during a match by encouraging positive self-talk, setting achievable goals, providing tactical advice, and maintaining a calm and supportive presence.

It can also be helpful to offer praise and constructive feedback throughout the match. I always encourage watchers of a match to cheer for all good points, it seems to bring a positive vibe to the match and makes it more fun for all.

Celebrate victories and learn from losses as a team 

One of the best parts of playing on a tennis team is just that… being part of a team! Take time to nurture those friendships by grabbing a meal after a match or commemorating the end of the season with a celebration.

Again, look to your team for help in organizing these kinds of team bonding activities. These types of activities should be enjoyable and not unnecessarily stressful or burdensome. 

Have fun and enjoy the experience of being a captain and playing tennis with your team!

The most important thing is to have fun and enjoy the experience. Consider one of my tennis mantras… “Do whatever it takes to keep tennis fun”

Sometimes that means playing more, sometimes it means playing less. Sometimes it can mean that a new tennis skirt or new visor is in order. Stepping up as captain is a big responsibility, but a great opportunity to learn and develop more as a person and as a player. 

Summary

In conclusion, being a tennis captain is a rewarding experience that offers many benefits. It allows you to develop leadership skills, build strong relationships with teammates, and improve your tennis game. By taking on this role, you have the opportunity to inspire and guide others, while also pushing yourself to be the best player you can be. So if you have a passion for tennis and a desire to make a positive impact on your team, consider becoming a tennis captain today. 

About the author

Katri is an avid club player and certified tennis junkie. Katri lives by the tennis mantra of, “Do whatever it takes to keep tennis fun. Sometimes it is playing more, sometimes it is buying a new tennis skirt.” Sportsmanship and fair play are utmost important and promotion of the game of tennis is paramount. Follow along for further tennis fun and friendship while keeping your head in the game.

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