Behind the Scenes: Oh Captain! My Captain!
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| Dave K |
And let it be known that our Team Captains are quite a salty and intrepid cast of characters.
Bringing to mind this fine rhyme by the acclaimed long distance runner and part-time poet Walt Whitman (marathon PR of 2:24:14):
O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
There's much we all get, or can get, from being Flyers. And, there also are at least as many opportunities to give back to the Club. And as Flyers Team Captains, we get to help members to both give and get all that they want (within reason :) ) by helping our age group runners to be informed and active participants of the Flyers.
Here's a behind-the-scenes look at what your Team Captains try to do for you.
WHO ARE THE CAPTAINS?
For those who may not know who's your Team Captain, and to give all the Flyers Captains a shout-out, they are listed here (you can click on the name to email your Team Captain):
Jena T - Open Women (ages 20-29), Dermot H - Open Men (ages 20-29), Chris B - Sub-Master Men (ages 30-39, Elle G - Sub-Master Women (ages 30-39), Sarah D - Master Women (ages 40-49), Dave K - Veteran Men (ages 50-59), Francine A - Veteran Women (ages 50-59) and Senior Veteran Women (ages 60+), and Tom M - Senior Veteran Men (60+).
WHAT DO CAPTAINS DO?
We do lots of stuff. Here's some of what we do:
- Announce upcoming races and social events
- Encourage Flyers to Run Points Races
- Acknowledge achievements in our e-blasts including by giving shout-outs for race results
- Serve on the Awards Committee to decide the award categories and select the recipients of the awards presented at the annual Flyers Awards Gala
- Promote team spirit by encouraging involvement in the club
- Invite questions from our team members.
- Welcome new members
- Etc.
An extensive, statistically significant and highly costly survey recently was undertaken by an anonymous patron of the Flyers to determine why, exactly, are Flyers not only willing, but enjoying and, yes, reveling in their roles as captains. Here are some insights as told by the captains themselves.
Jena T: I want to create a sense of community among the people in my age group to promote the Flyers and let everyone know about what's happening. And I was inspired by Francine A who sends twice-weekly emails to the Tuesday/Thursday 6AM running group, which had made me feel as if I was truly part of that early morning running community -- so as a Team Captain, I want to do the same for the people in my Flyers subgroup.
Elle G: I wanted to be the captain of my group this year to do service for my club that had been so good to me over the last 5 years, and to try and drum up excitement within my age group. I'm always talking to people about our club and have gotten several people to join so I wanted to walk the walk!
Francine A: The Flyer women over 50 are an extraordinary group of women. As Team Captain, I try to stay apprised of everyone's achievements and challenges, and communicate each woman's news to the rest of the group. We all inspire and support one another. You will never find a more talented group of athletes or a nicer group of friends.
Chris B: I serve as a Captain in order to keep members informed of all the club happenings and achievements of our club members.
Tom M: I like being a Team Captain because it helps me stay connected with members in my own age group. Sometimes it seems like the Flyers are a really big club, and it’s hard to get to know everyone, but my team is fewer than 40 guys, so I try to pay special attention to them. By the way, I reject the team name, Senior Veterans. I prefer Super Veterans!
Dermot H: I was looking to partake a bit more within the Flyers, though I was only joined in a few short-lived months.
Sarah D: I think the team competition aspect of the New York Flyers is important and competitive runners should be encouraged/recognized. I am inspired by tracking the performances of my age-group peers.
Dave K: It makes me feel good to give back to the Club. I enjoy welcoming new members and providing information and encouragement that may help Flyers to become more informed about the many activities, services and other opportunities available to all of us. When there are new members of the Veteran group, I like to email them directly, ask them why they joined the Flyers, and see if/how I can be of help to them. I aim to promote team spirit and to help members become more active and involved in the Club.
Serving as a Flyer Team Captain is rewarding, and we all do our best to serve an important role within the Flyers, including as liaisons to new members. I think most Flyers would agree that it can feel a little overwhelming for newer members who are looking to make friends, find running partners, and to otherwise get involved and feel a part of the club. It was that way for me when I first joined the Flyers. This may be true for not so new members, too.
Flyers shouldn't hesitate to contact their Team Captain if there's anything we might do for you. All Flyers who want to become more involved in the club, and to enjoy all that the Flyers have to offer, should please take the initiative to get involved, or to ask their Captain for ideas on how to get involved, rather than waiting to be asked. And as Flyer Team Captains, we encourage our team members to contact us directly with any questions and to let us know how we may be of help.
We may not be very visible, working largely Behind the Scenes, but your Team Captains enjoy what we do and believe that we help make a difference.
-Dave K
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