Call it an academic approach to an extracurricular activity.

And call it a great idea.

At Grove City High School, the varsity football coaches have developed a course in leadership for upper class team members.

Graduates of the 12-week course — and only the graduates — qualify to be named team captains. It’s not so easy to earn the distinction.

“You have to be really committed,” says one participant, senior linebacker Brandon Dennis. “It’s not easy. There’s a lot of work, community service, team-building exercises — a lot of stuff. It gives you a feeling of satisfaction, though.”

That was what second-year Head Coach Sam Mowrey was hoping to accomplish with the program.

“We talked about how the title of captain should be meaningful,” says Mowrey, who instituted the leadership council a year ago.

Mowrey, who was a longtime assistant at Grove City before being named the head coach, puts a lot of stock in the leadership council. The Eagles struggled learning a new offense in 2014 and suffered eight straight losses. But the team won its final two games in convincing fashion — signs of coming success not only with the new offense but also with the new leadership culture Mowrey’s trying to instill.

There are less obvious signs of encouragement too.

“You can see them come to work and be encouraging to each other,” Mowrey says. “Sometimes if a kid messes up, you’d hear a groan. But now, you see a pat on the butt and a word of encouragement. You can just see them grow and mature in front of you.”

Leadership can be a compelling and multifaceted subject of study. The best athletes don’t necessarily make the best leaders. Neither is it all about winning and losing. It’s the dedicated, disciplined athlete who inspires teammates to strive for improvement — and to put the team’s agenda ahead of their individual goals.

Studying the principles of leadership is not a new concept. In “The Art of War,” Chinese general Sun Tzu discussed such traits of discipline, preparedness and loyalty — in the 6th century B.C.; Julius Caesar made his mark on history more than 2,000 years ago by establishing kinship with his soldiers. Caesar never asked them to do anything he would not do himself.

For a high school football team, consistent performance is a greatly underrated virtue. A team of consistent players knows and trusts each other. Players have more confidence in their own assignment when they know teammates are performing their assignments as well — and a highly confident team does not have to be the most athletically gifted to win games.

Ultimately, confidence and trust are among the qualities a football team captain needs to inspire.

We’ll be watching with interest as Grove City and other high schools begin the 2015 football season.