Coaches talk about it all the time: Leadership and team leaders.

It typically comes from seniors, although a strong-willed junior may sometimes take the reins and guide a team. How important is leadership to a team? Do coaches rely on it? Is it overrated? We asked our six Chenango County football head coaches their opinions on senior leadership. Coaches and teams are listed alphabetically:

Tim Mattingly, B-G: “We have a couple seniors this year, Justin Pepper and Ethan Mazzarella, who have led the way and set the tone by example. They play at a high level, and other kids see that. I think leadership is vital for a team to be successful. You need seniors passionate about the game. Players will hear coaches say the same things over and over. When they hear those same things from seniors, it has a greater impact. Those are kids the rest of the team look up to. Seniors like Justin and Ethan, they don’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk.”

Tim Paske, Greene: “In general good senior leadership can dictate how your season goes. If there are guys the team can rally around and trust, you can go a lot further in the season. I’m a strong believer that the stronger the leadership you have, the more success your team will have. I’ve also seen things go the other way (bad leadership), and it can be a big distraction to the team.”