CATCH UP WITH THE CAPTAINS

BY ARUN CROWE, ALEX WATSON AND PATRICK MORONEY

Life as a sports captain requires responsibility and dedication.

Arun Crowe, Alex Watson and Patrick Moroney speak to Hampton's leading members of rugby, cricket and rowing, respectively.

ZACK GELLATLEY: CRICKET

What are your main responsibilities as captain?

For me, the priorities are ensuring that everyone is always on the same page, and share a similar understanding of how the team is setup. Additionally I like to check that people are always switched on and that the team’s intensity is good.

What do you enjoy most about being captain?

I would say I enjoy the responsibility of helping people, and I also enjoy being able to make the crucial decisions in the pressure moments.

I really do think it has turned certain games or performances in my favour when I am utterly motivated to win and do well.

How have you dealt with the mental aspect of cricket during your time at Hampton?

Cricket is a very psychologically tough game, and if you are in a bit of a rut or in bad shape the best thing to do is to talk to someone else. Personally, I would advise talking to the likes of Mr Banerjee and Mr Parrish if you are feeling under a lot of pressure whilst playing, particularly from a batting perspective. Teammates are also very useful to talk to as they can provide you with lots of different insights.

CAMERON HILL: RUGBY

What are your main responsibilities as captain?

What would be your message for an aspiring cricketer in the lower years at the School?

First and foremost, just enjoy it. I know it’s a cliche, but it’s just so important to have fun whenever you’re playing so that later on you can look back at your experiences with pride and happiness. Taking your opportunities is another very important thing to do if you want to maximise your potential and the enjoyment you experience playing cricket. On a more competitive front, I would say you have to go into every game wanting to win.

There’s quite a lot, obviously you’ve got to look out for your teammates and your peers, make sure everyone gets to where they need to be on time, those off the pitch kind of things. Turning up to training early, just making sure that everything’s organised so that a little bit of stress is out of your coach’s hair. On the pitch it’s different, it’s more of a leadership role. Trying to motivate everyone and make sure everything on the pitch goes as planned, but obviously it’s not just the captain who does everything – it makes it a lot easier when your peers are helping and contributing, but it’s enjoyable.

What do you enjoy most, and least, about being captain?

We get a certain degree of respect from our teammates and peers, in the lower years especially, which is quite nice, and obviously it’s a label, but it doesn’t actually really mean much. I feel like as captain, you're just part of the team, it’s still the same thing.

Negatives wise, I guess it’s just a little bit more stressful as there’s a little bit more responsibility on your shoulders, especially if the team loses, but that’s also shared throughout the whole team, not just the captain.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced as captain?

Balancing the time all the extra tasks take, along with the regular training and school work is always difficult, however I’m lucky enough to have close friends in and out of the squad who I can turn to if I am ever struggling.

If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring sportsmen at Hampton, what would it be?

Find what you love and stick to it.

Do you have any aspirations for the team?

If you could give any advice to aspiring rugby players in the lower years at Hampton, what would it be?

Just enjoy it. Just enjoy playing with your mates and treasure it, because it flies by so quickly. I’m in my final year of School now, and I’m already reminiscing about playing rugby at the age of 11. I've been playing sevens tournaments with the same coaches who I'm working with now, the likes of Mr MobbsSmith and Mr Beattie, and still with the same mates who I’ve played with since I was 11-years-old.

Obviously rugby is a very physically demanding sport, so how much training do you normally do every week?

There’s a lot of stuff behind the scenes that you don’t see, especially with pre-season training, trying to get your match fitness up, as well with the physical side of it. A lot of rehab goes on, because I’ve had quite a few injuries in my time, so I’ve had to go through quite long periods of rehab, getting back to full strength.

ALEX CRESSWELL: ROWING

What are your main responsibilities as captain?

It’s a combination of things, ranging from acting as an intermediary between the athletes and the coaches to leading warmups and delivering the occasional motivational talk or speech. I also have to organise the different types and styles of kit that the squad wants.

What do you enjoy most about being captain?

I mostly enjoy the responsibility of it all and having the younger years look up to you as a role model. It really inspires me to be the best athlete I can be.

As a squad, I think we’re looking to get as many crews as we can into the top half of the A final at the National Schools' Regatta, both in the First and Second VIIIs. For the upper end of the squad, I think that we have a really good chance of doing well at Henley this year and it would be nice to end my Hampton rowing career with a competition so elite, that even qualifying is an achievement.

How does it feel being captain while having to follow the cox?

Personally, I find it rather easy, particularly because of how much trust I have in our cox. It’s the same with the rest of the crew, if you can trust them then it becomes easier to work as a unit and go fast!

What goes through your head pre-race? How do you keep calm and focused?

Everything. My head is always buzzing pre-race with both exciting and nervous thoughts. Mostly I just have to trust the training that we have done, hoping that it will get us down the course. Breathing exercises sometimes help me stay central to the race, but it really depends on how I’m feeling on the day and how long the race will be.

Hampton Sports Chronicle meetings take place on a weekly basis at lunchtimes. See Mr Sharkey in the English Department for more details.

BY HARRY TAKLA