Finding the right individuals to lead your team can be the difference between success and failure.

Each season coaches evaluate the athletes on their team, in an effort to select captains that best represent team values. While an athlete's abilities on the field are important, captains are expected to have specific leadership qualities.

Aaron Brady, a former head coach at Malvern Prep in Pennsylvania, and a recurring coach at USA Football National Team events, believes that leaders are born off the field.

“It all starts with the classroom,” said Brady, who has directed USA Football Regional Development Camps and Development Games. “Captains have to be guys that do the right things as students. Being successful on the football field directly correlates with taking notes in the classroom and listening to teachers. If he doesn’t take that seriously he won’t set the right example for a football team.”

High school provides plenty of opportunities for athletes to put their leadership skills on display. Coaches are looking for dependable, smart and relatable athletes to carry the designation.

“Captains are just an extension of the coaching staff,” said Brady. “It’s invaluable to have leaders on a football team that help others buy into what the team is trying to accomplish in preparation and when it’s crunch time in games.”

Captains come in all shapes and sizes and can play any position on the field. But there is one thing all captains have in their tool box: Maturity.

“Football teaches people about life and it teaches people that when you’re part of a team you can’t do it yourself,” said Brady. “Captains are the guys that know how to handle adversity and know how do what’s best for the team.”

There is no doubt that great leaders inspire teams to achieve success.

That is why coaches are looking for the type of leader that propels their team to study more, practice harder and play as a united team.

“Captains are your coaches on the field,” said Brady. “They represent the identity of the football team by setting the tone every rep, every film session and every game. To know that I have a captain I can trust to lead the team means everything.”

Here are three more things that Brady believes all captains should possess:

Communication. A captain has to be someone that teammates can talk to and trust because captains are involved in the decision-making process.

Lead by example. If you want to be a leader on a football team, then you have to be one the best practice players on the team. It is on the practice field that players learn to become leaders, which ultimately can become contagious when a leader continually comes up clutch during crunch time. This type of leadership can create huge momentum for a team.

Have an infectious attitude. Leaders display effort, positivity and the consistent desire to improve and this type of attitude creates a trickle-down effect within the team. It is important to note, if you’re a vocal leader, choose words wisely and be the guy that when he speaks it matters.