Marchand Talks Leadership
EARLIER THIS SEASON Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand sat down for an interview with SI KIDS Kid Reporter Rusty Smith. In his first campaign wearing the “C” for Boston, Marchand talked about what it takes to guide one of the NHL’s best teams, which captains he most respects around the league, and how to be a young leader.
SI KIDS: Why do you think you were chosen to be the captain of the Bruins?
Brad Marchand: I think I was chosen to be a captain for the Bruins because we have a very unique culture around here. We have had some incredible leaders in the past, and there are very high expectations. I take a lot of pride in what it takes to be a Bruin.
I think we also could have had multiple guys that could have been a captain this year. I am very, very excited and fortunate to be named captain.
SIK: Were you a leader as a kid? BM: I was a leader at times. There were times when I think I could have been a better leader. I learned how to be a leader, really, the last 10 years because I have had incredible leaders around me, and I really wanted to learn from them. I became a much better leader as I got older.
SIK: Who is your favorite leader outside of the Bruins?
BM: Sid Crosby is a great leader. I played with him a short time and I’ve known him for a long time now. He is an incredible leader. You hear a lot of stories about him, just about how incredible a leader he is.
Jonathan Toews was probably the most prepared leader at a young age that I have seen. He came in as a captain very young in his career but I’ve played with him before that. I was very impressed with how great of a leader he was.
SIK: What advice do you have for kids who want to be a leader?
BM: Some things that I wish that I would have understood a little bit better when I was young are that it is very easy to get caught up in being shy or being nervous or trying to be cool within groups of people.
Always be cautious and conscientious about doing the right thing. It doesn’t matter if you’re with a group of kids that are doing the wrong thing or being mean or making fun of someone. Good leaders always stand up for what’s right. They always take care of everyone.
So I think a big thing is to make sure that you are always doing the right thing, helping people out regardless of if your friends think it’s cool or not. You always want to be there to stand up for people that can’t stand up for themselves.