Whose turn to lead?
Source A: Share the captaincy — an original school-team member proposal
Our team usually has one captain for the season. I would like us to consider sharing the role for agreed periods, with guidance from the coach. Leadership is something people can learn, but the current arrangement gives most of the practice to somebody already considered ready. A pupil who is never invited to try may remain the person who is not yet experienced enough.
The role includes more than being the strongest player. Someone needs to help explain the plan, listen when teammates are uncertain and notice whether a new member knows what to do. Different people may have strengths in those tasks. Sharing responsibility could let us discover a quieter organiser as well as a confident speaker, without pretending that everyone has to lead in the same style.
I do not mean changing the captain halfway through every match. Agree periods which give someone time to prepare, act and reflect. Explain which responsibilities are shared and which decisions remain with the coach. A short conversation afterwards could help the next captain build on what worked rather than begin again from an empty list of duties.
Participation should be supported, not sprung on somebody as a test of courage. Ask who wants to develop the role and provide practice before a demanding occasion. A pupil might also contribute to organising without wanting to speak for the whole team. I hope we can widen leadership opportunities while keeping the group dependable. A season in which only one person wears the band may end with a successful captain, but it tells us much less about what the other members could learn if responsibility were explained, shared and given enough time to become more than a title.
Source B: Continuity is part of the job — an original response from another team member
I want more pupils to learn leadership, but a team also needs to know who is responsible when several things happen at once. A captain learns how particular teammates respond and how to communicate with them. That knowledge develops over time. Dividing the season into equal sections could interrupt it just when the role begins to feel useful rather than unfamiliar.
Some responsibilities are less visible than the armband. A captain may check an arrangement, raise a concern privately or help somebody return after a difficult match. Passing on a list of duties will not necessarily pass on those relationships. The team should consider what needs continuity before deciding that a different name at the top automatically creates a fairer opportunity.
There are other routes to experience. Members could lead a warm-up under the coach's arrangements, welcome new players or organise one agreed part of preparation. Those tasks should carry real responsibility and support, rather than become small jobs given to people who did not receive the main role. We should also avoid giving the same capable organiser every extra duty simply because they complete it reliably.
I would support a clear review of the captaincy, with opportunities to prepare and a reasoned decision about the season's needs. Rotation might suit some stages; a longer appointment might suit others. Explain how choices are made and let pupils raise concerns without having to challenge a teammate publicly. Judge whether communication, support and shared work improve, not just how many people hold the band. The aim should be a team in which responsibility is understandable and people can develop, while keeping enough continuity for them to trust the arrangements during the moments when the game itself leaves little time to negotiate them.
Write an article for the school sports newsletter evaluating shared or rotating captaincy and recommending an approach to developing leadership.
Use your own words and base your response on both sources. In your response:
Write about 250 to 350 words. Up to 10 marks are available for reading and up to 25 marks for writing.
60 exam-style questions on CIE IGCSE English Language 5.2.3 Question 1(b) directed writing task. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.