Five Questions About Leadership and Legacies

1. What aspect of college dodgeball made you want to captain an NCDA team?
I joined the MSU team really early into my freshman year and I absolutely loved it from day one, even though I took one of the worst face shots anyone on the team had seen during my first practice. Needless to say, I've learned to block since then. Basically at that first practice I met our team captain and thought to myself, 'that's gonna be me, I want this role.' It sounds really stupid, but that's honestly what went through my mind. It was a goal I had and I'm really proud to have gained enough trust and respect from my team for them to elect me head captain after only playing for two years. Captains are responsible for keeping the team working together as a unit, and improving everyone around them through leadership and setting the example that you hope everyone else will follow. I love that leadership role and I'm really excited for next season to start.

2. What are the main principles that you emphasize to your team?
We're trying to turn around the way that MSU has recently finished in our league, and the biggest thing that I hope to stress to our players is to buy into our way of playing the game. I hope to emphasize smart play, and teamwork. I hope for our team to be vocal on the court and to really be aware of what's going on and cover their team mates. Obviously having fun is a given, if the players aren't having fun they aren't going to continue to be a part of the club, and we don't want to lose anyone from our club.

3. How do you want your team to remember you after your captaincy is over?
I really want to bring an NCDA championship to the MSU club dodgeball team. That is my number one goal and I think that right now our team has a great core with which to do so. With some successful recruiting I'm confident that we can get there. I want to be remembered as the captain who elevated this club to the top of the NCDA with the help of a great team around me. At the same time I don't want to be a Nazi and be the guy that is too intense, because I'm not like that at all. I just want to win, and I know our team is good enough to go toe to toe with anyone in the league and that it's just a matter of playing smart and playing as a unit. I just want to be able to make them realize our teams potential. I guess as long as I'm remembered in a positive manner I'll be fine with that.

4. What characteristics will you look for in your successor?
The next MSU captain will hopefully be someone who loves the game as much as I do and has goals as big as my own. Hopefully he/she can continue to keep this team alive and well as well as contributing to the NCDA. However I'm hoping to continue as captain until I graduate which is still a couple of years off, so I'll keep my fingers crossed for that.

5. As a captain, what's your biggest priority for the league going forward?
I want to see this league grow and grow and grow. A lot of the guys in this league are pretty ambitious and talk about TV coverage, conferences, and set schedules. And that's all great, but that stuff is pretty far off still for the NCDA and I feel like we need to take it little by little for now and the big things will eventually come along. We need to recruit more teams that we can rely on staying with the league for more than one season. I would love for us to someday be featured on Sportscenter, but the reality is that it probably won't happen, at least not for a while. I definitely look forward to the future of the league though and I'm glad to be a part of it now.