Leadership positions on the team

[tofutoaster]

Is it necessary to have a leader on the team who decides everything about the team? Is it beneficial to have a leader, not necessarily the top scorer, but someone who directs other people. My team is currently arguing over leadership positions and has recently alienated one member because he kept vying to be a captain but we decided that they weren't needed.

[RexSueciae]

Is it necessary to have a leader on the team who decides everything about the team?

No.

As long as you've agreed on someone to direct bonus answers to the moderator for each game at a tournament, you're golden. Your team doesn't really need a full-time captain--it's logical that you'll need someone to make sure you've packed the buzzers and maybe set up a study plan of things to learn, but this doesn't have to be taken by anyone in a formal position of leadership. Deciding which tournaments to go to can be (should be) accomplished through democratic voting. The only time you might actually need a formal leader is if you're running some quizbowl-related event. Otherwise, my advice is to go with whatever requires the least amount of work.

Also, if someone's primary concern in their extracurricular is to become a captain, you probably don't need them on your quizbowl team.

[Al Hirt]

If everyone is equally committed, I don't see the point. If studying and drive are ubiquitous, why bother with a leader?

But that's not always the case. In my situation, I sort of had to take over due to a relative lack of motivation/leadership from some more established members and a general will to be competitive again. Some teams need captains, especially if the club is large and there needs to be a greater need for coordination. Just see what fits your team the best.

[Skepticism and Animal Feed]

Each team has logistical tasks that need to be performed. Consider going to a tournament. Somebody has to do each of the following: (1) let people know that there's a tournament, (2) see who can make it to the tournament, (3) make teams out of the people who are going to the tournament, (4) rent a car, buy plane tickets, book a hotel, whatever, (5) actually register for the tournament with the TD, (6) obtain money to pay for the tournament entry fee with, (7) fill out any paperwork that results from any of this.

In addition, there are basic tasks like deciding when practice is, deciding where practice is, making sure that rooms for practice are actually reserved. There are bureaucratic tasks imposed by the school most likely, be it a budget request, some kind of annual paperwork required to obtain and keep school recognition of the team, etc. On top of all this there is publicity for the team.

Somebody needs to do this. They should be picked on the basis of how organized and competent they are at doing these things, not on the basis of how good at quizbowl they are.

[Santa Claus]

When you're talking about leadership roles on the team, do you mean for a given four-to-five-person team, or for an entire school program? The size of the group in question matters.

For an individual team, there's not much need for a leader bar some compelling argument for one. For a school team, they're practically a necessity, for all the reasons Bruce listed above. Our school even has two captains, since we have such a big team.

Of course, if your school's team is only like six people, maybe it's not that important.

[jeremylu]

get a coach.

[heterodyne]

get a coach.

This isn't exactly something that every team can do, for various reasons.

[Angry Babies in Love]

Each team has logistical tasks that need to be performed. Consider going to a tournament. Somebody has to do each of the following: (1) let people know that there's a tournament, (2) see who can make it to the tournament, (3) make teams out of the people who are going to the tournament, (4) rent a car, buy plane tickets, book a hotel, whatever, (5) actually register for the tournament with the TD, (6) obtain money to pay for the tournament entry fee with, (7) fill out any paperwork that results from any of this.

In addition, there are basic tasks like deciding when practice is, deciding where practice is, making sure that rooms for practice are actually reserved. There are bureaucratic tasks imposed by the school most likely, be it a budget request, some kind of annual paperwork required to obtain and keep school recognition of the team, etc. On top of all this there is publicity for the team.

Somebody needs to do this. They should be picked on the basis of how organized and competent they are at doing these things, not on the basis of how good at quizbowl they are.

I think in a perfect world, the best thing to have is something like the position outlined here (think of it as "team president" or, for college basketball fans, "director of quizbowl operations") in addition to an actually quizbowl leadership position ("captain" is the best title.) Sometimes it works that these are the same person; the bet player on a team often is good at other things and can be both captain and DOQO. At my high school, we sort of had a combined president/captain, and after our longtime coach left, that position was just sort of handed down. It all depends on the type of personalities present; sometimes it is apparent who the president will be and sometimes you have to force that upon someone via democracy or coach's decree.

[ryan_e67]

With an unmotivated team, it's very helpful to have someone in charge and get them "charged up", especially if that leader is to also organize which competitions that the group is going to. Something to keep in mind is that people who are the best at quiz bowl might not be best suited for the position, and that people who are more established may not be the most committed...