The best sports teams contain a special element: a great leader. Through sports, I have learned how essential leadership is in order to achieve success. Without leadership, failure is inevitable. I was the team captain of my high school football, basketball, and baseball teams. In my sophomore season at Truman State University, I was voted a team captain by my teammates and coaches. Being a leader means being the first to show up to practice, meetings, and conditioning, and also being the last one to leave. A lot of leadership and the effect it can have on a team is solely based on the example the leader sets for his teammates. The leader should be the hardest worker and most devoted member on the team. On sports teams in particular, certain positions are viewed as leadership roles: the quarterback, the point guard, and the shortstop, all of which I played. These positions require leaders because they are in charge of making key decisions throughout the course of a game and also make sure everyone is working together to achieve a goal. This lesson I have learned from athletics has shown me how to effectively influence team members and the importance of setting an example for others to follow in order to be successful on and off the field.