High school football programs across the country are fully immersed in the offseason. Much of next season’s success depends on the effort being put in now.The best teams have player leadership, and chemistry begins during offseason training.

Aaron Brady, the head coach at Malvern Prep in Pennsylvania, spoke with USA Football to provide advice on how to team captains can focus on leading their teammates between seasons. As Brady said, “The (team) captains act as an arm of the coaching staff, and the teams that are consistently successful have great leadership.”

Set the standards

Brady meets with his team captains once a month for a leadership talk. Among the topics covered are how he teaches his captains to be “bigger than the school.”

This begins with treating women correct, being leaders in the classroom and a friend to all of their schoolmates. Realize that being named a team captain is an honor. “There’s a certain expectation level you should have at all times,” Brady said.

Brady tells his players to engage everyone at school, not just their teammates.

“I tell my players to go sit with that kid who is eating by himself during lunch,” he said. “People notice you as football players, so be bigger than the school.”

In reaching out to those kids, you make a statement to your teammates and the rest of the school as someone who is willing to accept everyone. And it is critical to make sure your actions are a reflection of what you say you believe. “If you’re going to talk it, you had better walk it,” Brady said.

One of the simplest pieces of leadership advice involves being true to your character. Nobody will follow a disingenuous person. “Don’t try to be something you’re not,” Brady said. “Sometimes, if you do one thing for someone, they’ll do 10 more things back for you.”

Take ownership of the team

Brady typically has two to four team captains, and he likes to name the next season’s captains at the end of the year team banquet. That way, his captains can lead the team through winter workouts, spring ball and offseason training.

 “At the end of the day, when you become a senior, it becomes your team,” he said.  “Figure out who you are, and play to your strengths. There was a reason you were voted a team captain, so keep doing what got you there.”

Taking ownership of the team also means taking ownership of every practice and workout opportunity. “If you think you’re one of the best players on my team, that means I expect you to be one of the hardest workers,” Brady said.

Organize practices during the offseason

When it comes to practice organization, Brady provides his captains a list drills and lets the players set up the order of practice. In that way, his players get an opportunity to direct the flow, interact with each other and establish the culture.

The strength and conditioning coach is allowed to be involved at practice, but the responsibility of attendance falls squarely on the shoulders of the team captains. The No. 1 goal is to get every teammate to realize the importance of practice for their individual gain and that individual’s impact on the success of the group.

The team captains must reach out to their fellow teammates by saying, “Hey guys, we need you here, and we need you buying into the team.” Positively working for high attendance, captains not only work as an extension of the coaching staff but are able to take ownership of the team and improve as leaders.