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Captains
From left: Gabe Sacconi, Joel Martinez, and Lachie Quate.



Naming team captains can be a tricky endeavor for coaches.
The best players aren’t always the best leaders, and the best leaders aren’t always the best players. Finding that balance can be, well, a balancing act.
But Ryan Dunnigan, coach of Putnam Science Academy’s Prep soccer team, believes he found the right mix of guys to lead this year’s squad.
Newcomer Joel Martinez of Spain was named as the captain, while fellow first-year Mustang Lachie Quate of Scotland and program veteran Gabe Sacconi of Brazil will assist him as vice captains.
“I think being a captain is on and off the field,” said Sacconi, a goalkeeper who came to PSA as an eighth grader in 2019 and currently serves as a dorm proctor. “You need to take care of the boys both places, and you need to help them out and have that spirit of helping. It’s not just yelling at someone. You have to do it more on the side. No one wants to be called out in front of a group.
“I’m honored coach Ryan trusts me in this position and I won’t let him down.”
Martinez blends the characteristics of leader and quality player as well as anyone on the roster and impressed Dunnigan right from the start.
“We were aware of Joel coming into camp, but when you have 47 guys all show up at the same time, guys can get lost in the mix, so it was really up to him,” Dunnigan said. “There were days when he wasn’t playing with the stronger team, but he was still standing out, and he just kept progressing and progressing. And then when we played our preseason games, he was one of the strongest players and you could see that there is a lot of quality in him.
“That was part of the consideration with him as the main captain. As long as he’s healthy, he will be one of the first names on the team sheet, so it was kind of an easy choice from that regard. Obviously, you want your best players to be leaders, and when they both align it works out perfectly.”
Martinez, a midfielder, has assimilated well with the group and was honored when Dunnigan called his name at a recent team meeting.
“It’s a pleasure to me,” he said. “For this to be my first year here and to be named the captain…just a pleasure. But really, I don’t want to be focused on that. I think we need to be focused on us and doing our best as a team, and to try to win as many matches as we can.”
Similarly, Quate is looking forward to getting a good result in as many games as possible, saying that his main interest and priority is the team’s development and winning games. And that team-first approach gives him credibility as a captain.
“I think coach Ryan has trust in me that I’m able to communicate with the team,” Quate, a center back, said. “It’s not just being the friendly one, but also being able to tell the boys when the standards aren’t good enough and things do need to be better.
“You can’t be the friendly guy all the time. There are times when some things need to be said, whether it’s preparation or execution or whatever it might be. I’m definitely comfortable with that role. I enjoy taking on responsibilities.”
Said Dunnigan: “It’s been a while since we’ve had someone who has been as vocal and commanding as Lachie. You can tell he has a good head on his shoulders. He does the right things. He’s very respectful and polite off the field. He was the fittest player that came into camp, so it attests to his work ethic. And he’s obviously a good player as well.”
As for Sacconi, Dunnigan said he considered naming him a captain last year but was hesitant because of concerns Sacconi might take it too much to heart and inadvertently abuse the position in the process.
“You know, Gabe is the only player who has been here longer than I have, said Dunnigan, who is in his fourth year. “He knows his way around the school. He has had leadership positions on campus in the past.
“I think it would have been a year too early last year. He was younger, he was hurt, and there probably wouldn’t have been the respect for him because of some of the dynamics of that team. But this year, I have seen much better balance from him. This year, he’s been really good. He’s done everything I’ve asked of him.”
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy

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