When sizing up a sports team, there are some key things to look for: the team’s record, the coaches, or maybe even the individual players. One thing that is relatively overlooked is the players who have stepped up and taken on a role as a leader and the extra work that comes with the title. The Rolla boys soccer team voted on their captains for the 2024 Soccer Season. The four captains who were elected were Owen Harrison, Kyson Lortz, Kaleb Dobcinski, and Aiden Mertents. Not all sports teams have designated captains, but when you ask the athletes on the team, they usually have one or two teammates that they look up to. On the football team, one name came up a lot: Nash Crouch.
The seniors have a wide variety of memories on and off the field and most have played their sports since childhood. Crouch explained that his favorite memory of playing football for Rolla is “before the games, like in the locker rooms listening to music and getting [mentally] locked in.”
On the soccer side, Harrison said his favorite memory was beating Hickman last year to win the Camdenton shootout. Lortz’s favorite memory was “‘the Haaland’ celebration that the team did last year.”
At the beginning of the season, the soccer team votes on who they think should be the captain of the team. In the past, there have been two or maybe three captains voted, but this year there were four seniors voted. To Lortz and Harrison, the role is significant.
“[Being a team captain] means that I have an impact on the people around me,” Lortz said.
Harrison agrees.
“I’m very happy and I’m glad to be a part of the team. It makes me happy that [the coaches] trust me,” Harrison said.
On the other hand, the athletes in football don’t pick the captains; the coaches pick them game to game. Crouch feels as if he has more pressure to act mature and be a good role model to the younger kids.
“I think I’ve worked hard throughout the years and I’m glad that the coaches see me as a leader. I try to be a good leader but I don’t know if I always do the best job, but I try my best.” stated Crouch.
One thing about a captain is they need to be a captain on and off the field.
“I try to act more mature and do the right thing,” said Crouch.
Building a team takes more than just hard practices and conditioning. Captains are also key to continuing traditions – a big part of sports that can help bring a team closer. Harrison and Lortz both point to this tradition of gathering the team post-game to celebrate. After a win, they do a team huddle and call-and-response chant, a tradition that all players look forward to.
“It’s just a good chance if we get a dub, to celebrate,” Lortz said.
On the football field, Crouch has a tradition that he and the other O-lineman do every year.
“Yeah I have this tractor, we call it “Dozer.” It’s like a toy tractor that Luke Bogard bought when he was the center, then he passed it to my older brother Ethan. It’s just been passed down the line of centers since then,” said Crouch.
“They call it Dozer because that’s kind of what the O-line does, they move people,” Crouch says.
In his senior role, Crouch also had to move and encourage younger teammates. His advice to those underclassmen is simple: “Trust the process and stick to the plan.”
