With the 2025-2026 winter sports season wrapping up, the senior leaders have had time to learn and reflect on what it means to be a leader and a role model for their teams.
Associate Director of Athletics and Wrestling Coach, Mr. Humphreys says the job of captain is, “somebody who is a good bridge between the coaches and the athletes.”
Senior leaders from the winter sports teams were interviewed and asked what they thought made a good captain and leader for their team. Audrey Strauss ‘26, one of the captains for varsity girls swim and dive, said: “Being a leader on the team, is taking underclassmen, especially the freshmen, under their wing, and showing passion for the sport.”
Many traits that our seniors mentioned when describing a captain included being present, encouraging, supportive, communicative, and most importantly: leading by example. To dive deeper into how the senior leaders of the winter sports teams embodied these traits, they were asked what they do to lead their team.
Olivia Pla ‘26, who has been on the girls squash team for four years, replied “I guess one thing that I’ve been trying to do more is encouraging people to come to practice even with optional practices because I think we can get a lot out of those. And just making sure that I’m someone anyone on the team can feel comfortable coming to.”
Similarly, girls basketball senior leader Naheema Goin ‘26 says she leads her team by “making sure that I am going hard at practice so that the tone is set. This season our team has talked a lot about practicing how we want to play, so for me I make sure that I give it my all in practice so that my teammates know to do the same.”
Additionally, Jack Rutter ‘26, who has been on the winter track team since his freshman year, builds on by saying “I think by being a senior and by being on the team for so long, I’m a good leader for the younger kids on the team…track involves a lot of technique and so being experienced I understand that, so I try as often as possible to give advice on it in an encouraging way to my teammates.”
Some of the seniors were asked to reflect on who their favorite captains have been throughout their years of playing and what made them a memorable captain.
Ali Rouse ‘26, who has been on the spring track team since her freshmen year and joined winter track her sophomore year, expresses “when I was a freshmen, Isabella Garcia-Ippolito was one of our captains for the distance team and she was always so calm before races that she inspired me to be able to lock in, and not be afraid for whatever race was coming up”.
Colton Moore ‘26, who has been on the high school wrestling team for four years, states that Giorgio Corica ‘23 was his favorite captain because he “guided me through freshman year.”
Even though it can be hard work to be a captain, it is equally important to have fun and ensure that your teammates are having fun throughout the season. Boys basketball senior leader Mark Stafford ‘26 said, “My favorite part is laughing and joking with the team, team bonding and the experience with the guys.”
Naheema Goin ‘26 agrees, saying her favorite part of the season has been “going to Richmond. These trips are so fun and allow us to grow our relationships with one another.”
When asked how their seasons were going, the senior leaders gave enthusiastic responses about their goals for the season. Ali Rouse ‘26 says: “We have a lot of talent and strength on the team, and I think we’re going to go to fun places this year.”
Mark Stafford ‘26 also has high hopes for the end of the basketball season. He says, “I feel like the season has been going pretty well, recently. We’ve been struggling a little bit, but we’re definitely gonna find our way back and do better for the IAC.”
Overall there is an impressive group of seniors this year, who have learned important lessons in leadership and responsibility, throughout their winter sports season.
