THE CAPTAIN CLASS: THE HIDDEN FORCE THAT CREATES THE GREATEST SPORTS TEAMS By Sam Walker


Sam Walker has covered sports teams for 30 years. He founded the excellent sports section in the Wall Street Journal in 2009. Throughout his years of following sports, Walker was obsessed with the question of why certain teams won so consistently. In The Captain Class, Walker presents his theory of consistent winning: it’s all about the leadership. Walker provides dozens of examples where teams win while other teams–just as talented–don’t win championships. Walker cites evidence from soccer teams, cricket teams, baseball, football, and hockey teams. If you’re a sports fan, you’ll find plenty to think about in The Captain Class. If coaches read this book, they might rethink the way they build their teams. Most teams are focused on talent, not leadership. I’m convinced by Walker’s arguments that leadership provides the Winning Edge. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
PROLOGUE viii
GREATNESS AND ITS ORIGINS: The Birth of a Freak Team 1
ONE: Alpha Lions: Identifying the Worlds Greatest Teams 13
TWO: Captain Theory: Importance of the “Glue Guys” 31
THREE: Talent, Money, and Culture: Alternative Explanations 52
FOUR: Do Coaches Matter? The Vince Lombardi Effect 69
PART II: THE CAPTAINS: The Seven Methods of Elite Leaders 87
FIVE: They Just Keep Coming: Doggedness and Its Ancillary Benefits 93
SIX: Intelligent Fouls: Playing at the Edge of the Rules 112
SEVEN: Carrying Water: The Hidden Art of Leading from the Back 133
EIGHT: Boxing Ears and Wiping Noses: Practical Communication 154
NINE: Calculated Acts: The Power of Nonverbal Displays 175
TEN: Uncomfortable Truths: The Courage to Stand Apart 185
ELEVEN: The Kill Switch: Regulating Emotion 204
PART III: THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION: Leadership Mistakes and Misperceptions 229
TWELVE: False Idols: Flawed Captains and Why We Love Them 233
THIRTEEN: The Captaincy in Winter: Leadership’s Decline, and How to Reverse It 255
EPILOGUE 271
APPENDIX 277
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 303
INDEX 315

12 thoughts on “THE CAPTAIN CLASS: THE HIDDEN FORCE THAT CREATES THE GREATEST SPORTS TEAMS By Sam Walker

  1. Jeff Meyerson

    Sounds interesting to me. I agree with the theory. Look at the New York Yankees vs. the Seattle Mariners, to take an example almost at random. No, it’s not all about money. The Yankees had plenty of seasons when they had the biggest payroll by far but won nothing. The Mariners won a record 116 games in 2001, yet they did not make it to the World Series (they are one of only two teams – the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals are the other – that has never made the Series).

    I will check this one out.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Jeff, I work hard to maintain that “George the Tempter” tag that Patti Abbott put on me years ago! Winning consistently (or not at all) is a topic that always fascinated me like it did Sam Walker. THE CAPTAIN CLASS presents plenty of intriguing evidence.

      Reply
  2. Jeff Meyerson

    OK, you did it to me again. I checked and the library had an ebook, and I just checked it out. The problem is the four OTHER ebooks I’ve already borrowed from the library!

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Jeff, I’ve downloaded plenty of free ebooks on AMAZON, but I haven’t gotten around to downloading ebooks from my local public Library. I do have 14 books out, though!

      Reply
  3. Jeff Meyerson

    That’s the beauty of being able to do it – on vacation we can get books without having to actually bring the physical book with us. At home, it doesn’t matter.

    Reply
  4. maggie Mason

    Wonder how many major league coaches will read this? very few I’d guess.

    Liam Neeson was on Colbert a couple of nights ago, and apparently had just gotten a kindle. He was raving about it and how since he’s a big reader, he used to travel with 10-12 books while shooting a film (heavy luggage) and now just has the kindle.

    Reply
      1. george Post author

        Jeff, the WALL STREET JOURNAL reviewer joked that when Liam Neeson gets hurt in THE COMMUTER, his Medicare will cover it!

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