West Point, to thee
Ben Vasta, Men's Rugby
Hi, I am Ben Vasta, a former member of the Army West Point men's rugby team, and a lifelong brother to countless others who have ever worn the Army rugby jersey.
Buckle up! The story I am going to share with you is a rollercoaster recap of my last four years as a member of the team.
Where do I start?
Let us go back to the fall of 2016. I am a plebe and part of the first recruiting class for rugby at West Point. Before coming to Army, I played rugby for about two years. I was excited for the opportunity to play collegiate rugby at the Division I level and in America’s most competitive rugby league before the Major League Rugby started.
My career as a rugby player at West Point started out strong. I was fortunate enough to make the top-23 among the team most game weekends in the fall as a plebe. Even though my performance on the pitch was going well, I was not performing well in the classroom. I struggled to get ahead on my academic work, and it was spiraling out of control.
Eventually I hit rock bottom. I committed an honor violation in November of 2016 for lying about the word count on a research paper. I never thought my cadet career could get any worse; then it did.
I ended up failing the research paper and the class. By the end of my first semester I had a 1.63 GPA, an honor board and a fractured fibula from rugby. As you can tell, I had a rough start to my cadet career.
My second semester I was lucky to still be cadet. The academic board had allowed to me to stay at West Point, and I was still able to play rugby until a full review of my honor violation took place.
During the spring semester, rugby kept me motivated, driven and focused my goals as a cadet.
During the spring semester, rugby kept me motivated, driven and focused my goals as a cadet. As a team we lost in the first round of the national playoffs to league rival Penn State. After that game I would not earn the right to wear the Army Rugby Jersey again for over a year-and-a half.
Fast forward to the end of the semester and Summer Term Academic Program (STAP); my academic performance did not get any better. After STAP I held a 1.49 GPA. I can only blame myself. I was not taking full advantage of all the resources that West Point offered.
After cadet summer training was over in 2017, I changed my outlook of the challenges that lay ahead of me; I was ready to conquer them.
After cadet summer training was over in 2017, I changed my outlook of the challenges that lay ahead of me; I was ready to conquer them. At the beginning of my second year at West Point I was on semester long academic probation and on probation for my honor board. Both prevented me from leaving West Point on the weekends.
The fall of 2017 I was able to practice with the rugby team, but I was unable to play due to my GPA. During that semester I started to turn the tide, I was making progress academically, and I was working through Special Leadership Development Program – Honor (SLDP – H).
After a final decision was made regarding my honor violation, I was immediately enrolled in SLDP-H; a program that aims to rehabilitate cadets in the honor code and moral and ethical decision making through a series of journal and other related work with an officer mentor.
At the end of my third semester I was able to raise my GPA to a 1.91. I began to realize the potential I had both academically and as a future officer. I started to take advantage of the copious resources West Point offered cadets through Additional Instruction (AI) and the Center for Enhanced Performance (CEP).
I was starting to build momentum academically; I knew that the long uphill battle in front of me was too important to give up on. However, my challenges did not end that semester.
I was starting to build momentum academically; I knew that the long uphill battle in front of me was too important to give up on. However, my challenges did not end that semester.
Going into my fourth semester I had the momentum and drive necessary to succeed as a cadet and the goal of one day returning to the rugby pitch kept me driven. At this point in my rugby career it had been a year since I played in game and wore the Army rugby jersey.
This disappointment began to affect the way I was performing in the classroom again. So much so that halfway through the semester I was failing two classes; my other class grades were not outstanding either.
At this point, Coach Sherman and I discussed the way forward, and he helped me realize how much more I needed to do to stay at West Point. At the end of our meeting it was clear that I needed to depart from the rugby team for the remainder of the semester to refocus my efforts on my academic work and progress through SLDP – H. This was difficult for me.
If I was not on the rugby team anymore, what would keep me driven?
The thought of one day wearing the Army rugby jersey again.
If I was not on the rugby team anymore, what would keep me driven?
The thought of one day wearing the Army rugby jersey again.
At the end of my fourth semester I held a 1.89 GPA. This was a minor setback, but it enlightened me that I had a lot of work to still do to play rugby again. Fortunately I was able to remain at West Point over the summer for my leadership detail, followed by STAP II and STAP III. By the end of the summer I finished with SLDP – H and I raised my GPA to a 1.95. At this point I was academically eligible to play rugby again, and I was waiting for final approval from the Superintendent of my successful completion of SLDP – H.
I finally turned the tide! I was only halfway through my cadet career and my fight was not over.
During my cow (junior) year I was able to wear the Army rugby jersey again, and by the end of the year I improved my GPA to a 2.00. I realized that the effort I put into the classroom had a direct impact on the way I played rugby and my development into a leader of character.
There is a connection in what you do as a person daily, and your performance in one area will directly impact your performance in another area.
There is a connection in what you do as a person daily, and your performance in one area will directly impact your performance in another area. I give credit to Coach Sherman for teaching me this philosophy. It helped me build good habits over time that I use every day and will continue to use in my career as an officer in the United States Army.
I am speaking to you now as a second semester firstie (senior) counting the days until I graduate from West Point and be commissioned as an officer. I went from a 1.63 GPA after my first semester to now holding a 2.01 GPA after my seventh semester, and I will continue to improve academically.
Find your “why” and define what drives you to grow as a leader of character each day."
I share my story to help others that may find themselves in a similar situation to mine. I want current and future cadets to realize that the 47-month experience at West Point is challenging, but it allows you to grow into a better person than when you started. Find your “why” and define what drives you to grow as a leader of character each day.
To my Army rugby brothers of the past, current, and future, I say thank you. I am eternally grateful to you all for inspiring each day over my cadet career to keep going when my future was unclear and to relentlessly get after it in all areas of my life.
SOTE
-Ben Vasta
To read all of the letters in the West Point, to thee series, please click this link.