To be a captain of a team takes more than athletic skill. It requires patience, humor and responsibility.
For senior Kayla Adams, starting shooting guard and captain for Guilford College’s women’s basketball team, being an ideal captain comes naturally.
She knows when to step up and when the team needs to have fun.
“Kayla is the type of person that looks out for everyone,” said junior guard Brittany Drew. “I can remember one practice she helped one of our players by running with her to finish, even after she finished.”
“That’s just the person she is — selfless.”
Adams has also helped Guilford win back-to-back Old Dominion Sports Championships. However, Adams said that there is more to her experiences than winning.
“Basketball is not only about the championships, but about the relationships,” said Adams in a phone interview.
Adams, who will graduate in May, has developed strong relationships with her teammates since her first year on campus.
She tries to be as inclusive as possible with everyone from seniors to first-years. Building strong relationships and transferring that rapport to the court is one of the reasons for their success.
As a captain, Adams is a responsible role model. Along with co-captains and seniors Gabby Oglesby and Morgan King, she has established a friendly and supportive environment for the team.
At practice, head women’s basketball coach Stephanie Flamini said that Adams is able to strike a good balance between friendliness and leadership, and her work ethic is apparent at all times, not just at games.
“She stays positive,” said Flamini. “She’s not afraid to tell people things and be vocal. We’ll definitely miss her experience and the way she relates to people.”
Oglesby agreed that establishing relationships has been important, and Adams has provided the right example for the team.
“She has a sense of humor with it,” said Oglesby. “She knows how to lighten the mood, and she knows how to be serious when the team needs it.”
Adams admitted that making the move from being a typical teammate to being a leader was difficult in some ways.
“I’ve had people be role models for me, and this year I had to be that for the team,” said Adams. “Changing into the captain role has been one of the biggest transitions. You just do what you need to do.”
Adams is just as ambitious in the classroom as she is on the court. She said that being a dedicated student has always been important to her, and she has worked to focus on academics first.
Originally a business major, Adams switched to sports management.
“I feel like I can talk to anybody,” said Adams. “It’s really a family aspect of the College.”
Adams’ advisor, Bob Malekoff, associate professor of sport studies, said that he has seen Adams grow as a student and a teammate since her first year.
“She has grown to be a very dependable, consistent person,” said Malekoff. “I’ve watched her play, and I’m a big believer that if you watch someone play a sport, you know how they are in real life.”
“She is really an unselfish player. She puts the goals of the group, as a whole, in front of her own personal gain.”
For the future, Adams is looking at graduate schools for sports management and is interested in a possible career in sports event planning. She hopes to leave behind a hard-working team that will continue to win championships.
“It’s bittersweet,” said Adams. “Right now I’m trying to look at just giving it my all. I don’t even want to think about (graduating).
“I’m going to miss my teammates so much.”
Adams will certainly leave behind a legacy that will not be forgotten by her coaches, teammates and professors.
