UT Arlington student-athletes were welcomed back to campus on Tuesday as they came together at the Welcome Back Luncheon and Letterwinner Awards Ceremony.

The event, held at College Park Center, signified the start of the 2015-16 academic year for the athletes with action beginning on Friday with UTA volleyball taking the court at home in the Maverick Classic.

"This is one of my favorite events every year," UT Arlington Director of Athletics Jim Baker said. "It is fun and is good to see everyone back."

Addressing the new and returning Mavericks, Baker welcomed the group with words of advice that included keys in trust, passion, care and meeting deadlines.

"It starts with trust," Baker said. "You have to have to trust. You have to be able to trust your teammates and I really think everything you do in life begins with trust. If you do not have passion, you cannot win. Being passionate helps you be successful. Care, care about your family. Care about your teachers and teammates. If you care, you have passion."

Baker recognized the efforts of UTA baseball player and Student-Athlete Advisory Council President Darien McLemore with the Sun Belt Academic Leadership Award.

"If you want to build a solid foundation, you have to have traditions and one of the biggest traditions we have is winning," McLemore said of the annual event. "One of my big things is leaving things better than how I found it. When I got here, it was good, but we want to make it better. Getting the award made me feel like I am really making this a better place."

Student-athletes who lettered during the 2014-15 season received their various letterwinner awards during the ceremony. First-year athletes received a UTA letter jacket that dates back to previous alumni traditions. Second-year students received a UTA letter blanked, while third-year Mavericks received a watch. Upon graduation the student-athletes receive their letterwinner ring courtesy of the Maverick Club.

"It signifies they are a part of a huge family," Kris Wood, Assistant AD for Annual Giving and Alumni Relations, said. "Not just while they are here in 2015-16, but all the way back to when we were Arlington State College."