Being a leader is a tough job. 

Leading a group of peers is 1000 times tougher.  

It is a fact that the student leaders of tennis, volleyball and cross country know all too well. 

They are tasked with the responsibility of leading their friends and teammates in the good times and the tough times.

“My responsibilities consist of making sure everyone is on the same page on and off the court,” senior Taylor Thomas said. “I am always uplifting the girls and coming in clutch when we need it the most.” 

Leaders are responsible for leading the team and setting goals for the season.

“My hopes and goals for this year are that we make it to the playoffs and work hard to stay in it,” Thomas said. 

Tennis choses their captains through a process that includes several steps.

“I went through the process it took to become a captain twice; the end of sophomore year and then the end of junior year,” senior Macey Conatser said.  “The process starts with writing an essay featuring information such as why you wish to be captain, what do you believe you could achieve as captain and how would you help the team bond,” 

There is also an interview section of the process.

“Once the essay is submitted, an individual interview is conducted between the coaches and the player wishing to be captain. Then after the interviews are all finished the coaches then discuss who they would see fit to be captains being sure to consider many factors.

Student leaders learn that success for others also leads to a feeling of success for the leader. 

“My favorite part about the program is watching not only the team, but each individual push themselves to do their best and achieve their goals,” senior Shelby Brown said. “I think this is important because we are motivated to do better when we feel accomplished, however small it may be; it becomes fuel for each of us to keep going and tackle the next objective. 

As the tennis team captain, Conatser wants to work with the other tennis captain, senior Brenan Mansker, to create a team who can be the best possible team. 

“As captains it is also our job to lead by example and help shape the team into the best that it can be, because of this l am very grateful to be a captain in the year that I am, not only because it is an experience I’ll never forget, but also because of my fellow seniors along side me. These seniors help share that responsibility with Brenan and I, whether it be conscious or not, because they all do a very remarkable job at guiding the team and steering it to success in their own ways.”

Leaving a legacy of accomplishment is a goal for many of the students who lead their peers as captains. 

“I recognize that for many this is the last year they may ever play competitive tennis, leading multiple to retire their racquets to join the military, workforce, or head off into college,” Conatser said.  “With that being said, I want to make sure that these players find achievements in their tennis throughout the year, and can ultimately leave the Blythe Calfee courts feeling accomplished for all that they’ve achieved over the past four years. I have a goal that when I and my fellow seniors graduate from the team, we leave behind a positive impact that can help guide the future seniors and upperclassman on to success.”

Drum majors set the tempo as the halftime show begins. The cheer captain rallies the squad and decides which chant is best suited for the situation at hand. The iconic whistle of the lead sweetheart rings across the field to instruct the drill team. Football leaders huddle up to encourage teammates and make sure they are all on the same page. Hundreds of students participate in Friday night lights, but a select few are chosen as leaders on and off the field. 

Every Friday night, the various group leaders stand proudly on the radiant field to direct their teams and prove that all of their hard work is paying off. These select few have the honor of guiding the myriad of students who represent the school and its programs.

“I wanted to be a leader in the band program because I want to do everything in my power to help this program become successful,” senior drum major Ian Conatser said. “It has given so much to me during my time in high school, so it is only fair that I do the same in return.”

Taking on a captain or leadership role requires hard work and dedication that cannot be accomplished by all members of the group. 

“Knowing that Captain was my goal for my Junior year, I worked and worked and worked for that position,” junior sweethearts captain Addison Williams said. “I practiced on the weekends, I practiced after practice, I competed with a solo during contest season to know where I needed to grow, I read leadership articles and I made myself available for my team and director. Through that blood, sweat, and many tears, I had achieved my greatest goal.”

Once granted the honor of being named a leader, students are given the responsibilities that accompany it. 

“My responsibility increases as I have to lead by example and it is my job to lead my team to be the best we can,” senior football captain Zachary Rodgers said. “My hopes are to be one of the best groups to ever come through Willis and to leave a lasting impact.”

Each program has their own aspects that make it unique, and uniqueness is one of those aspects for at least one of the Friday night lights contributing groups. 

“My favorite part about the program is the amount of diversity within the program itself. No one person in the band is exactly the same,” Conatser said. “This organization attracts people from all different ways of life so to speak. It’s that diversity and uniqueness within each person that makes it such an amazing thing to be a part of.”

Along with the social aspect of the organizations, they also offer lessons and opportunities to improve as a group and an individual.

“I love Sweethearts, and honestly drill team as a whole because it teaches you discipline, respect, passion, hard work, perseverance, and so many important life lessons,” Williams said. “I would love to see the team do well in contest, and really grow to their full potential this year. 

Each sport and fine art spend hours during and after school together practicing and creating a bond with one another which can make them come together as more than a group on a field once a week.

“Going through adversity with my teammates in the situation and environment we were in is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,” senior football captain Aiden Collier said. “It brings me closer to my friends and allows me to learn how to endure the tough times.”

Captains have different opportunities to connect to and help their program members in a way that coaches often can’t. 

“Being a captain comes with some huge responsibilities on the team and you see everything the coach doesn’t,” senior cheer captain Mady Feist said. “You’re cheering with them, you know how they feel about certain things, and you can feel with them because you’re also on the team doing the exact same thing they are doing. I love to be someone they can depend on and look up to and I hope the next year’s captains to come will do the exact same thing and love their team as much as I love this team.”