Swim captain and senior Addyson “Addy” Czarnecki

What are the regular tasks of a team captain (specific to swim or not)?

For us, the captains usually just send out messages to the team and are in charge of a lot of communication between team and coaches. We also lead team meetings at meets and give out the “spirit stick” which is a tradition that we give out at every meet to the person who cheers the most.

How do you approach your role as team captain?

Personally, I just want the whole team to feel connected and I want everyone to feel like they are important.

How would you describe your experiences with past team captains? What did they do that you wanted to replicate? What did they do that you wanted to change?

This year we just wanted to make sure the energy and support is even higher than years past and that everyone has a fun season.

How do team captains impact team dynamics?

Team captains have a huge impact on team dynamic because the way we act is setting an example for everyone else on the team. We have to create a positive culture for everyone else. I’m just super happy that the girls this year picked me to be their captain. It means so much to me that they see me as a good leader.

Junior and swimmer Sophia Pei

How much do you interact with your team captains/how involved are they with the team?

Our swim team is very big so individually, there isn’t much interaction with team captains. However, they are very involved with the team as they help us ensure our spirit is high at swim meets and (they) help deliver information (such as important dates) to other swimmers quickly.

How do you benefit from team captains? Are there drawbacks?

Overall, if the team captains are bad, or if they don’t necessarily stand out, there isn’t much of an impact. However, our team captains recently have been great at uniting all three swim groups, which allows everyone in the swim team to feel more united.

How would you describe your experiences with the team captains?

I wasn’t really close with past team captains since they were from different groups. However, our team captains from last year and this year have done a great job reaching out to all the groups. This was especially seen when one of the team captains was taking photos of all the swimmers, instead of showing a clear favoritism toward a certain group. She was very inclusive toward everyone and encouraged everyone to take photos. Thus, I felt closer with the captains this year and more comfortable reaching out to them.

How do team captains impact the team dynamics?

Team captains are expected to hype everyone up at meets, but many swimmers who aren’t in the same group as the captain may not feel their energy and thus may cause the swim team to have less team spirit. However, with good captains, swimmers feel more united.

Is there anything else (like specific memories or experiences or just general things) you want to say about this that I haven’t asked you about yet?

Overall, I stressed a lot about unity and that is because the division among the three groups in the swim team (practices) is extremely severe, to the point that the coaches may recognize the division. Therefore, when a captain truly unites the team, everything is boosted, specifically, team dynamics and team spirit.