While Miami’s history of coaching greatness has been previously studied and popularized by the “Cradle of Coaches,” the intricacies of student-athlete leadership and captaincy offer remarkable and untapped research potential. Utilizing the Miami University Archives, I conducted in-depth historical research to examine the evolution of captaincy and leadership in Miami’s football program. With the goal of outlining the timeline of captaincy from the team’s origin to today, I embarked on an examination of football archival records dating back to 1888. I broke this history into five distinct eras (The Early Years, The Letterman Era, The Re-Emergence of Captaincy, Multi-Captaincy, and The Modern Era), all of which are unique in their development and influence on the program— a domino effect, essentially. By mapping out key shifts and figures, I found that the evolution of captaincy is not linear, rather completely fluid; there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach when it comes to collegiate football leadership. Confirming that captaincy is dynamic and reliant upon cultural, social, and historical conditions, the archives paint an elaborate picture of this rich history, allowing a deeper understanding of Miami alumni— students who were shaped considerably in their time at Miami, just as we have been. The next step is to gain a better grasp of the individuals, further studying the relationship between captaincy and leadership with a narrower lens. Additionally, a comparative study of similar institutions would allow for a broader awareness of how captaincy has developed nationally. As a student studying Sport Leadership and Management, my research provided an incomparable opportunity to explore and appreciate specific facets of the cultural history of sport, which I will bring with me as I pursue a contemporary career in football.
Author: Mary Amico
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Callie Maddox; Sport Leadership and Management
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