It is not easy to become the leader of a Polar Bear pack.
To come to a consensus without fighting, some exhibit their right to the position, others use age to show dominance and still others consider the judgments of their group members.
From this, one thing is clear: Bowdoin athletes follow no single method to select their team captains.
According to captain Ben Denton-Schneider '11, the men's soccer team uses a popular vote system in which everyone is eligible. After reviewing the votes, the coach maintains the ability to override any team decision.
"I know the past two years it's been solely votes," said Denton-Schneider. "Since I've been here it's always been seniors."
Players vote for their selections at an event in which they also vote on individual player awards. Selections are then announced at the end of season banquet.
Fellow men's soccer captain Dan Hicks '11 spoke favorably about the selection process and its end result.
"I think two is a good number of captains," he said. "As captains, you can bounce things off of each other. At the same time, you can use your other seniors as your round table."
Hicks, who is also the captain of the baseball team, mentioned that baseball also uses a popular vote system, but chooses four captains instead of two. According to Hicks, this is the case because some of the elected captains, like Hicks, play a fall sport in addition to baseball. As a result, they cannot participate in team workouts in the fall, so additional captains who are solely devoted to baseball are needed.
The football team takes an altered approach.
Head coach Dave Caputi explained that at the start of the season, all players vote for their choice of captain. Voting is based on seniority; first years get one vote, sophomores get two, juniors get three, and seniors get four.
A player can put all his votes toward a single individual, or divide them up among a number of teammates. Each player votes anonymously but writes whether he plays offense or defense. Doing this allows Caputi to determine if a candidate from the offense is popular with other offensive players, or if a candidate from the defense is popular with defensive players, an important consideration with respect to team cohesion.
Caputi mentioned that it is ideal to have a mix of captains on "both sides of the ball" to ensure a balanced team but that it is not a requirement.
"I've been in a situation where [having] one captain is great and other situations when a cluster of guys are chosen and that's great too," he said. "It can be good either way."
He pointed out that if two players are tied for votes, he might look more at the input of upperclassmen.
Caputi said he would give more weight to, "The juniors and seniors who knew him longer, who knew his work ethic and how hard he works in the offseason."
The men's ice hockey team also takes seniority into account, although not to the same extent as the football team.
Hockey captain Kyle Shearer-Hardy '11 mentioned that his team votes for captains at the end of each season. Each player, including outgoing seniors, has a single anonymous vote. Once the votes are tallied, the coach withholds the ability to overrule the voted selections.
The number of captains chosen varies according to vote distribution and the coach's discretion. This year Shearer-Hardy and Kit Smith '11 will be captains; last year Colin McCormack '10 was the sole captain.
The thing that differentiates the men's hockey team is the leadership model that the team follows that divides responsibilities among a group of players. Shearer-Hardy said that the team helps choose a leadership council made up of a senior, currently Brendan Reich '11, a junior, currently Graham Sisson '12, a sophomore, currently Tim McGarry '13, and a coach-appointed representative, currently Dan Weiniger '13. First years are not included on the council.
Shearer-Hardy reported that the class representatives are straightforwardly voted on at the start of the season and that everyone can vote except for first years, who are new to college hockey and do not fully know their teammates.
Shearer-Hardy explained that it is the duty of the leadership council to meet with the head coach and assistant coach to determine the lineups for games.
Perhaps the most formal captain selection process at Bowdoin is used by the women's basketball team. The team formerly used a simple vote system at the end of each season, but when the season came to a close last spring, coach Adrienne Shibles announced that she was revamping the process.
The players headed into the summer break without a captain and were unsure what to expect upon their return.
Captain Amy Hackett '12 mentioned that being without a formal leader in the summer and early fall forced more of the team to assume the duties of a captain, like welcoming first years onto the team.
This September, Shibles revealed her revamped plan when she introduced a system that she calls a "hiring process" for the captaincy.
Hackett said the entire process is "like a job interview," with various stages that lead to an eventual decision.
Hackett mentioned that instead of voting for whomever they believe would be the best captain, players had to apply for the position.
"I think it's very unique," she said. "Usually people see you as a captain. [Now] you have people who want to see themselves as leaders."
Once candidates apply, they then submit a one-page application describing their leadership style and their reasons for wanting to be captain. Following this, the candidates participate in a group interview in which they make a brief candidacy statement and then answer questions prepared by fellow team members and coaches. From here, each player, including the candidates, then vote by e-mail. Each player chooses the candidates she would want if the team had one, two or three captains. Candidates then participate in a final meeting with Shibles and assistant coach Alison Smith before the captains are announced.
Speaking about the application process, Hackett said, "I really like it because you do have to put yourself out there. It forces you to step into the responsibility of a captain."
Hackett, who will lead the team this year with Katie Bergeron '11, acknowledged a downside, pointing out that the system revealed the members of the team who had tried and failed to become captain.
In addition to electing a pair of captains, the team also participates in a leadership council of women's basketball, similar to the one used by the men's ice hockey team. The leadership council of the women's basketball team, consists of the two coaches, the two captains, and a pair of players that rotates each week. This group meets weekly for 45 minutes to discuss the state of the team.
Hackett mentioned that her teammates were initially turned off by the formality of the entire captain selection process, but upon participating in it, many of them warmed up to the idea.
"We're really trying to keep an open, honest line of communication between the team," Hackett said.
Regardless of the system in place, Bowdoin teams all aim to choose a captain who can skillfully manage the team and lead it to a successful season.