Captains of Wareham High School sports teams got a pep talk from athletic director Marc Loranger on Friday, September 23.

As the first month of the fall season comes to a close, Loranger hosted the school's first ever "Captains Lunch," an effort to encourage students to work hard and be role models both on and off the field.

Loranger, who began work in Wareham this year, made sure the students repeated his signature saying - "pay the price" - and that it was drilled into their minds before the lunch concluded.

"Pay the price" means that captains need to do what it takes "to be good," including doing off-season work, getting up early in the morning to train, and taking care of the team, Loranger said.

"As I watch you guys compete ... I can see that you're working really hard," he said. "That's the beginning of success."

Several coaches attended the lunch with their captains and all discussed how morale could be kept up among all the teams.

"Being a captain isn't [something you do] because it's good to put on a resume. ... It's an honor. Cherish it," Loranger said. "What is your role?"

Captains agreed that they needed to have positive attitudes, always support their coaches, and work hard.

"Be the coach's right-hand man," said members of the golf team.

Loranger agreed.

"Not everyone's going to agree with what their coach is doing," he said. "If you talk bad about them in the locker room, it filters through the team."

Members of the field hockey team stressed the importance of being a mentor to the underclassmen - something Loranger tried to instill in all of the captains throughout the lunch.

"The freshmen are the lifeline of your program," he said, noting that in three years, the freshmen would be in charge. "You should welcome them."

Loranger also advised students not to get mixed up with alcohol and partying.

"Winning feels better than that," he told them. "Winning feels so darn good. Do what you've got to do to win."

As the students feasted on pasta and salad donated by The CabbyShack in Plymouth, Loranger noted that he put together the lunch for one reason: "Take this back to your team," he told the students. "Your programs get better when they become a family."