West Point, to thee
Maddie Miller, Women's Lacrosse
The Greatest Team on Earth
Grit, resilience, and determination are characteristics we all admire in others, but how do we prove to ourselves that we are worthy of these descriptors? For me, it was the pursuit of sports, specifically lacrosse.
The sport of lacrosse has shown me that these values are available to me if I work as hard as I know I am capable of. Beyond showing me what I can achieve personally, I am eternally grateful to the sport for the friendships, mentors and memories I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I recognize that the opportunity to continue playing this game at the Division I level is not a given for anyone, and that it is a privilege that has been afforded to me.
My experience on the women’s lacrosse team at West Point will soon transition to an experience on another team, the greatest team on Earth, the United States Army.
Further, I am thankful for the school to which lacrosse has ultimately brought me. Without lacrosse, I would not be at West Point. Lacrosse provided me with a career path which I am passionate about. One of selfless service and integrity. My experience on the women’s lacrosse team at West Point will soon transition to an experience on another team, the greatest team on Earth, the United States Army.
As a child, or even a young high school student, I could have never imagined myself as an officer in the U.S. Army. It was not until my sophomore year of high school that the idea of being a cadet at West Point germinated. When I went on my first recruiting visit in December of 2014, I was timid and hesitant. I had no clue about how daily life functioned at West Point, and I was even more clueless about the duties of an Army officer, to which I would have to commit five years of my life after graduation.
I was overwhelmed with the possibility of having a drastically different lifestyle than I had ever imagined. I had the misconception that at a military academy, everyone is robotic because they are all tactical experts who are flawless marksmen. Upon my visit, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the cadets were not these automatons that I had imagined. In fact, the community of cadets comprises of a healthy demographic mix of a student body.
Moreover, I was shocked to see more women than I had imagined would be on post. I realized that cadets look just like many other college students around the country, besides the uniform and haircut standards. However, it is what people do not see that differentiated the cadets. These cadets were internally motivated, determined, courageous, and dedicated leaders working together ultimately for a purpose greater than themselves. I identified with this mindset. I wanted to be part of this culture and tradition. Two weeks after my visit, I verbally committed to study and play lacrosse at West Point.
The commitment of being a cadet on its own is incredible and the commitment of being a Division I athlete is great. Combined, one may think that this would be nearly impossible to handle.
For my teammates and me, taking 22 credit hours in a semester is normal.
Waking up early on a Saturday morning for a room inspection is normal.
Spending consecutive nights in the woods in the rain during the summers is normal.
And, of course, going to lacrosse practice every day for several hours after a full day of classes is normal.
It is a lifestyle no one else but my teammates and I understand (although surely the student-athletes on other teams experience their own version of this).
It may be overwhelming at times and surely rewarding at others, and I would not trade this experience for the world. The bond that my teammates and I have created together is one that will last a lifetime. We go through each experience by each other’s sides, whether it consists of the inability to breathe after a conditioning session, studying nonstop all night for a test, or rappelling out of a Black Hawk helicopter together. I am honored to share each day with 44 strong-willed, resolute, confident, inspiring women.
The number of lessons I have learned from being on the Army women’s lacrosse team is countless. I have learned to not dwell on minor setbacks and to demonstrate resiliency from failures, to express gratitude to my teammates, to use transparent communication, to not take any day for granted and to stress the importance of humility. Most important, I have learned that each member of a team has a significant and important role. Whether it is athletic talent on the playing field, the energy provided on the sideline, or the approachability that invites others in times of need, every single team member brings a different asset to the table, and each asset is valuable.
The lessons I have learned from the lacrosse team and from life as a cadet at West Point have sharpened my sense of gratitude, selflessness and humility.
I will take with me every lesson that I have learned to my career as an Army officer and beyond. The lessons I have learned from the lacrosse team and from life as a cadet at West Point have sharpened my sense of gratitude, selflessness and humility. I am fortunate to soon enter a career path where teamwork, integrity, and perseverance are the cornerstones of the organization. I have already been in an organization with those congruent values for four years now, though, and that is the lacrosse team. I am confident that my experience on the lacrosse team will make entering the force a more seamless transition.
I have grown exponentially as a person and have learned innumerable lessons throughout my experiences at West Point and on the lacrosse team. It is humbling that I have been afforded so many opportunities just from the sport of lacrosse.
Thank you to my coaches who made this opportunity possible to begin with, and who showed me how to be an unyielding competitor.
Thank you to my teammates, who are now my lifelong friends and family. It has been an honor to spend nearly every day for four years with such inspiring women by my side.
Thank you to my family, who supported my decision to join the long gray line, and who have been my biggest cheerleaders through the highs and the lows of my cadet and lacrosse careers. They have offered relentless, unconditional love.
Finally, thank you to the sport of lacrosse for teaching me work ethic, ambition, toughness, and fortitude.
- Maddie Miller
To read all of the letters in the West Point, to thee series, please click this link.