The captain’s armband is a powerful symbol, but it should be a shared accessory. Filling a team with leaders who aren’t afraid to share that responsibility should be the goal because a competitive team has many captains.

I don’t envy the teams that create a culture in which there is a fight over the captain’s armband. A culture in which there is underlying envy and a waiting for the “king” to fall so that someone else can take it. There is a “succession plan” and a “waiting” for the current captain to fall off, to then promote someone else.

Who cares who wears it?

A leadership group should be established. The goal is to win. Everyone helps lead, which then helps the team win. The mentoring and motivation come from the core of the team, with no infighting over who is the captain.

The armband is a simple accessory that can be passed around from game to game. There are no debates over who the captain is; everyone is a leader on and off the pitch, everyone keeps each other in check, and everyone pumps each other up on the training ground, during pre-game, at half-time, and after the game.

That, to me, is the sign of a mature team, and I think that promotes a more emotionally stable environment. Build that team if you don’t have it and promote that type of environment.