Captain: The Athlete's Guide to Being an Exceptional Team Leader

by John O'Sullivan, Jerry Lynch

Are you struggling to identify and develop your team leaders? Have you been asked to lead your team, but you are unsure where to begin, or what skills you need? As you know, being a team captain is about much more than an armband and a coin toss.

Leadership is a skill that is always in demand, and team captains are the foundation of championship teams. Leaders are not born; they are made through hard work, dedication, the development of specific qualities, the acceptance of certain responsibilities, and the courage to face difficult challenges. Coaches are always looking for leaders, the best of whom earn the title of Captain.

In Captain, Jerry Lynch and John O’Sullivan share wisdom accrued from decades of consultation with well over 100 championship teams, dozens of Hall of Fame coaches, and hundreds of interviews with Olympic, world champion, and professional athletes and team leaders. The lessons in this book will help you start leading in a positive and constructive way, stop certain behaviors before they destroy your team culture, and face the many challenges of being a team captain. Through numerous stories of well-known leaders such as Tim Duncan, Steve Kerr, Carla Overbeck, Abby Wambach, Carles Puyol, Richie McCaw, and Simone Biles, as well as lessons from Eastern philosophy and Western psychology, this book will help you become a respected leader and a trusted bridge between coaches and teammates, and will instill you with leadership skills to use in every season of life.

What Elite Leaders Are Saying About

“The intangibles I built a 13-year career on—the glue guy stuff that never made the box score—are exactly what Jerry and John teach in Captain. Setting standards. Reading the room. Doing the thankless work between the coach and the locker room. Most leadership books treat captaincy like a personality trait. This one treats it like a skill, which is the whole point. Every coach should hand a copy to their captain candidates. Every player who wants to lead should read this book twice.”
- Shane Battier, 2x NBA Champion, Miami Heat, 2014 NBA Teammate of the Year

"Often overlooked by coaches and leaders is the development of highly effective captains. For the Warriors, we have been blessed with several great athlete leaders. Jerry and John’s new book Captain will give you all the tools and strategies you need to make sure this stone is not left unturned and that your culture thrives with extraordinary leadership at all levels of performance.” - Steve Kerr, Head Coach Golden State Warriors

"It takes time to develop great leaders and must be done intentionally. CAPTAIN book will help you develop your current leaders and identify your future ones.” - Tara VanDerveer, former Head Women's Basketball Coach, Stanford University, 3x
NCAA Champion, Olympic Gold Medalist, All Time Winningest NCAA Basketball Coach

“Captains can shape so much of what matters most on a team. They can help set the standards, fight for the culture, and keep a group together in tough times. Having been one, I know leadership isn’t automatic and must be developed. When we intentionally train captains, we don’t just improve individuals. We help good teams become great. This book will teach you how.” —Chris Armas, MLS and NWSL Head Coach, and former Captain for Chicago Fire and U.S. Men’s National Team

“Leadership is a vital game changer. I know firsthand about the extraordinary work of Jerry Lynch and John O’Sullivan. Their new book Captain is an important and powerful piece that demonstrates specific ways athletes can learn to lead with strength, clarity, love, and belief. It sets a standard that teams can rise to follow every day.” —Cindy Timchal, Navy Women’s Lacrosse Head Coach, 8x NCAA Champion, National Lacrosse Hall of Fame

204 pages, Paperback

Published June 3, 2026

About the author

John O'Sullivan is the author of Changing the Game The Parents Guide to Raising Happy High-Performing Athletes and Giving Youth Sports Back to Our Kids and Every Moment Matters: How the World's Best Coaches Inspire Their Athletes and Build Championship Teams. He is a consultant for numerous sport governing bodies around the world including the US Olympic Committee, US Soccer, US Ski and Snowboard, USA Swimming, PGA Golf, Ireland Rugby, as well as a frequent contributor to CNN, ESPN, Outside Magazine and other sports publications. He is the founder of the Changing the Game Project, and has spent over two decades involved as both a soccer player and coach at the youth, high school, college and professional level. John received his BA from Fordham University and his MA from the University of Vermont.

Reviews

[Landon Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a rich and value-packed book full of tools and wisdom for all ages of athlete. For the school age and college athlete, it’s a must-read. The insights represent a cheat code for new and emerging team leaders that could not be attained in three lifetimes. Come for the great sports stories and stay for the packed toolkit,tips, and exercises.

[Kenzie Damon · Rating 5 out of 5]

My head coach gave this book to me and my fellow captain and we have been meeting up and talking about it. The reflection questions at the end of chapters are great ways to connect what you have read to your real life situations. Lots of things in this book I have experienced and now I know better ways to deal with it. I definitely recommend to anyone who wants to become a better leader!

[Christine Primm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book for athletes and coaches a must read for all!!