West Point, to thee
Dear Senior Teammates,
If you had asked me what success in sports looked like before I got to West Point, my answer would automatically and undoubtedly have been “winning.” The two words were always synonymous to me. At a young age, it was evident to me that winning was the only reason people played sports. Like you all, I grew up on winning teams. I fell in love with sports and competing because I loved the feeling of winning and accomplishment. Out of all the sports I played, I enjoyed lacrosse the most. Ironically enough, that was the sport I won the most while playing and I am sure we have all had similar experiences. Each of us displayed a successful lacrosse career that led us to playing Division I lacrosse at West Point.
We committed to the prestigious academy and the service it stood for, but also put an immense amount of belief in both the highly reputable coaching staff and athletic department.
When each of us committed to playing lacrosse at West Point, we all took a leap of faith. I, like most of you, was recruited my junior year of high school. When we were recruited, West Point was still in the process of building a Division I program. Many of us were recruited to other winning programs, but something in us decided to join Coach Waagbo, West Point, and all the others behind the scenes working hard to construct the program. We committed to the prestigious academy and the service it stood for, but also put an immense amount of belief in both the highly reputable coaching staff and athletic department.
When we entered West Point, the team just finished their first season with a 5-12 record, going 0-9 in the Patriot League. Although that was not an awful first season for a brand-new team, the program had higher potential that equated to higher expectations. This was evident during the offseason of our freshman year. Being at a service academy as a freshman was pretty tough, but lacrosse practice, lifts, and conditioning were much tougher.
The first season we experienced was also hard. We had more competitive teams on our schedule and we were playing with only two fully recruited classes. The spring season my freshman year was the first time I had really learned what it felt like to lose. Of course, I had lost games before West Point. We all had. But I had never experienced working so hard and falling short game after game. Our class’ first season ended with a 5-12 record, once again, and with a 1-9 record in league play. After finishing that season, it was safe to say we went into the next year dissatisfied.
The second season we experienced was not any easier. Throughout the team’s third year competing, we definitely grew more mature and skilled. However, we still faced tough opponents and experienced tougher losses. This was the year we had our first winning record, which was a huge step in the right direction, but we still left the season not feeling fully satisfied.
In the third season for our class, we continued to improve. This season we were finally considered upperclassmen and had the drive, leadership and experience to contribute to the team in more ways than just on the field. We thought during our third season, the fourth for the women’s lacrosse program, that we could accomplish anything. This still meant that day in and day out it was going to be a challenge. We moved mountains that year, going 14-5 and making the Patriot League tournament for the first time ever. Our class could have easily left the season thinking of ourselves as successful leaders on a successful team. Instead, the eleven of us were more determined than ever to return to work with more to accomplish in 2020.
A lot went into our final season. On the field and off, we put in even more work than years before. When the spring finally came around, we had a hot start. Even though our season ended abruptly, we finished with a 7-0 record. We won. Although the scoreboards all showed Army on top, we finished each game talking about how much better we could be. Yes, of course we were proud of an undefeated season, however, we knew we could have done more.
Success is limitless.
I recount the journey of being a member of the 2020 recruiting class of Army women’s lacrosse for several reasons. The main reason is because this experience has uncovered a clear message. A message that has been engrained in each and every one of us. Success is limitless.
Through the experiences the lacrosse team gave us, we have all witnessed victories. Together, we won games, created new records, reached new levels, and defied odds. Although we had our fair share of losing, even my high school winning-obsessed self would have considered our team very successful.
But what is so special about the eleven of us in the class of 2020 is that we refused to put a limit on success. We have now walked away from four very different seasons, each time knowing that we are capable of so much more. We collectively agreed that there is always more to give, always more to prove, always more to accomplish. Coach Waagbo taught us a valuable lesson she learned that “behind mountains, are more mountains.” I cannot think of a better saying that encompasses all that our class has endured and still strives for.
Army women’s lacrosse taught us work ethic, grit, competition, passion and to never accept complacency. We all knew when we committed to Army that it was not going to be easy. It took losing, adversity, and change to create the spirit of humility, teamwork, and relentlessness that led us to finishing with an undefeated season.
Everyone views success differently. However, no matter how you define success, our class experienced both accomplishment and victory. What this program has taught me, taught us, is that there are always more ways to succeed.
Once you reach success in something, your job is not finished. Instead, you have just uncovered a new level of potential and have the ability to achieve something more.
If today you asked me to define success, I would tell you that success is a process, not a result. Success is not a complete measure of greatness. Success is not just winning. Success is realizing what you have done, but at the same time realizing what more you can do. We experienced this process and trusted it from instinctively committing to a brand-new program to walking off the field undefeated and unaware that it was our last game. We experienced my definition of success.
No other program, no other people, no other team would have taught me such a valuable lesson. For that, I am ever grateful to have experienced new levels of success with the ten girls who continually inspired me to give more. Through this journey, the eleven of us will take valuable lessons, memories, and experiences into our next chapters.
-Rilee Scott
To read all of the letters in the West Point, to thee series, please click this link.