When given the captain position, there are requirements to demonstrate the leadership position that was earned.  Captains t-shirts will be given to the athletes that perform their duties, while those who don’t may be denied the opportunity to receive a shirt. According to athletic director Mr. Tim Larrimore, “only captains that perform captain duties get t-shirts.”

       Larrimore said that he feels the most important duty of a captain “is cleaning up everyday after practice.” This includes the stands, the track and wherever there is trash. According to Larrimore, the stadium should be spotless, with no trash. He goes on to say that if you are practicing on your field, that whole area should be picked up; no bottles, nothing left behind.  

     If teams have many captains, but they all perform their duties, they are still eligible for a shirt.  Although that captain is required to find the athletic director if they want a shirt. He will then decide if he believes you deserve the reward of a captain shirt. “I have talked to student athletes who do not complete their duties,” says Larrimore, “they have come to me for the shirts and I said ‘I’ve watched you six times, and never saw you once clean anything up.’”  

     As a captain, Larrimore believes you are to always take responsibility for making sure the team cleans up their belongings. Larrimore talked about how he looks out for them himself, “I am at everybody’s practice or games at least probably two or three times this season.” He adds,  “so I just pay attention after the game and I look and see if everybody cleans up or I look after practice, when they finish practice to see if anybody cleans up.” He then has a good idea of who to give the shirts to.

     The athletic director decided to make and give out captain shirts because he wants a clean campus, “it was one of my pet peeves.” According to Larrimore, he doesn’t like to see a trashy campus and trashy playing fields, so he was trying to figure out a way to keep them clean. 

     To keep this tradition going, Larrimore has had several captains meetings where he goes over the things that they need to do. He mentions that they need to clean up after themselves and after the team, have a team clean up after every practice and game; and at the end he’ll give them a t-shirt.  

     “I picked a pretty cool t-shirt,” Larrimore states, but when the stock runs out, he “might do a different design next time.” Although right now he has enough in stock and gives them out throughout the year. The director states that he would rather an athlete come during the season for the shirt so that he can remind them of their tasks, rather than when the season is over.

     By covering the topic each year in the preseason coaches meetings, Larrimore “hopes that the word gets to the captains about cleaning up and about the t-shirts.”  

     Larrimore has already said “no” to some students who he believes do not deserve the captains t-shirts yet. He has not denied everyone and you can still improve performing captain duties throughout the season. So far he thinks right now, “JV football and JV girls volleyball are the best two that I have seen, they always clean up.”