Each week, we choose from one of OAs sports teams to select a teammate of the week, a player who has consistently contributed to the team but doesn’t always get the glory.
Lawrence Dear, distance captain for the Oliver Ames track and field team, has earned teammate of the week for his recent performance in the last track meet against Mansfield. In his one mile race, he came 2nd place in a sprinting finish by 0.8 seconds and had this to say about it.
“Even though this is not the result I would have hoped for, I reflected on it as a positive outcome. At the end of the day, someone had to make a move for the finish line, and I was willing to take that chance. As teammate of the week, my message to the younger guys and girls on the team is to not be afraid of taking risks. I believe that risks are an important part of the sport and it is always more respectable if you know that you gave 100% rather than playing it safe.”
When asked what he does to be a great captain and teammate, Lawrence talked about what he does at practice and at real meets to improve the team’s morale.
“As a captain, I try to be a team player by holding everybody accountable including myself. I try to create a positive environment at practice where mistakes are okay, and learning is encouraged. I always work to instill confidence and optimism after myself or one of my teammates has a race that didn’t go as planned.”
There is no doubt that Lawrence will continue to be a good teammate for the rest of the year during his captaincy and the spring sports season. He has a few plans for what he will do to bring the team together.
“I believe that inclusion is one of the strongest aspects of being a good teammate. On the distance team I will continue to make sure that everyone feels included so that we function as one unit. Furthermore, the kids on the track team are separated by event group, which makes it tough to have a team that is in unison. I will try and bring the entire team together by curating events with the other captains where kids from every event group can interact. I think this is an important factor in creating a winning environment.”
