Coming into high school sports is a whole different level than middle school  athletics. As a freshman, the dynamic of high school sports and playing with upperclassmen might be a little intimidating. Senior Lucas Beaulieu is willing to ease the tension for the freshmen and help them feel more included in order to help them grow and succeed. 

“I help them by giving them the encouragement that they need,” said Beaulieu. “Just hearing some positive feedback from an upperclassman can change their whole demeanor and make them play better.” 

As a senior, you have a big role to help guide and encourage the underclassmen. And sometimes the grade difference might seem like there’s a gap between some of the players on the team. 

One of his main goals is “helping the underclassmen realize that they aren’t lesser than upperclassmen,” said Beaulieu. “Like we are all a team and there should be no difference with seniors.” Beaulieu wants to stress the idea that even though the team is divided by age, they are all united as a team. While age allows for more improvement, it doesn’t make one teammate above another. 

Beaulieu believes that this is key for strengthening the bond between teammates and even ensuring the team’s successful future. Bridging the bond between upper- and lowerclassmen builds trust on both ends. Treating everyone as an equal fosters a sense of reliability in the team as it “let(s) them know that they can count on (the upperclassmen) to get a job done,” said Beaulieu. 

While being team captain is serious work, the best way to connect with your team is to stay fun and positive. “The biggest lesson that I have learned is to never be the bad cop. If I act as the bad cop, they trust me less and look up to me less,” said Beaulieu. He believes that the best thing he can do as a captain is to simply be “the vibes guy.” To Beaulieu, there’s nothing more important than keeping the energy up and supporting his team.