The Hill School is no stranger to inconsistencies throughout the years, look at how the schedule has changed and warped in the past 4 years. While change is good not everything needs to be new and different, oftentimes consistency can be useful.  

One of many inconsistencies that can be witnessed around Hill is in the afternoon activities or more specifically sports captains. At the Hill School no team chooses its student Captains the same, while this diversity in the method to appoint student leaders may be welcomed by some, to others it is just simply unfair. All other leadership positions at the Hill School have a standardized process with the same deadlines. While the applications may change year to year each student is given the same and equal opportunity to apply and be shown consideration for the position.  

Team captains are not given this same “equal” consideration since because each team does it differently. Some teams elect their captains based on a vote that goes out to the entire team, some are chosen just based on the coaches’ preferences, and others take both into consideration.   

There’s no single answer to this issue, however in my opinion, there is a solution that would allow the student appointed captain to represent the team the best way possible. That would be to have the students directly choose their captains.  

Ultimately, a team captain is there to help communicate between students and coaches as well as to act as a role model and leader. These traits can notcannot always be seen on a surface level, but they are deeply understood by the players who train, compete, and grow together every day. Allowing students to choose their own captains ensures that leadership is earned through trust, respect, and firsthand experience—creating a stronger, more united team.