As a captain is a leader of the players on his/her team, ideally a captain would have at least 5 years experience in league play before agreeing to be captain; experience assists with team leadership as well as contributing to league discussion topics.
Communication management – Be organized; ensure your team always has enough players at the match to compete. Send lineup texts/emails out ahead of time – manage the lineup so that people receive breaks (weeks off) and also have enough players present. Every player should know how many matches they need for playoffs or other events. Every player should now the dates of playoffs, individual tourneys, etc. The league communicates, but not all players follow the communication tools – this is where the captain can help by being the communicator for their team. Know the league rules well; Communicate league rules and other league information to all members of their team. The rules are available on the website – captains should reference them and show players where they can find their answers.
Reference: Team Communication section of rulebook
Reference: Team Management section of rulebook
Recruiting management – captains should recruit players to ensure team always has enough players on roster. A well balanced team has 8-10 players overall —- with the roster split between regular players and part-time players; thus all players can have weeks off without the team being impacted. Recruiting is key. Having options will result in team success long-term.
Reference: Rosters section of rulebook
Money management – as all captains are responsible for recruiting the players, and the captains decide who plays each match, they are also responsible for ensuring they recruited players who can afford their hobby — in short, captains are responsible for all team money owed (dues and fees). The captain shall pay for the entire match, each week, and collect from the players as needed.
Time management – ensure matches are started on time and paced to finish in around an hour. See the time management section for options.
Reference: Time Dimension section of rulebook
Sportsmanship management – Be an example of sportsmanship to the other members of the team; coach and counsel team members of expectations to ensure compliance with sportsmanship; support league management where necessary regarding discipline of players that do not conduct themselves according to league sportsmanship standards. Captains are responsible for handling the drama quickly without the need for the league manager to get involved. After reminders, pull your player aside and allow them a 5-minute cooling off period. If the captain cannot resolve the situation during the cooling off period, then the league rep must get involved and disciplinary action will be taken. If a captain doesn’t attempt to mend the situation, nor does he or she inform the league representative or bar manager in a timely manner, they may be removed as captain. Captains are the leaders of the team – they need to lead and not sit back and allow drama to escalate. Pool is an enjoyable hobby and players will continue to return if they have a good experience. The captain is the key person to ensure everyone is balancing competition and having fun, not only as an example for the players but also through reminders.
Reference: Discipline Policy section of rulebook
Updating weekly match data:
- The captains should enter their player match data into website
- The captains should confirm the team score is correct
- Sign the scoresheet indicating they agree with the results; turn scoresheet into coordinator
The expectation of a captain is stated clearly here and captains will be held to these standards to ensure a successful player experience overall. ACS provides a platform for success; the captains are the leaders of the team and manage the details to ensure success.