A Letter to My Younger Self
Danny Kielbasa
Dear younger Danny,
This is a letter for the kid who dreamed of being where he is right now.
The kid who grew up watching hours and hours of lacrosse. Both on TV, and trips to Klockner Stadium to watch the best of the best.
The kid who spent hours in the side yard as a little kid playing lacrosse with Connor, Tyler, and Ryan.
The kid whose biggest role model in life is his Dad, and who wanted to follow in his footsteps and come to West Point.
The kid who dreamed of playing college lacrosse at Army.
Your first semester at West Point will be hell. You will suffer a major injury, you will undergo surgery, and you will experience the death of your best friend.
Gus’s death will nearly break you, you will want to quit, there will be nights filled with tears, and you will constantly wish that you could just be home with your family.
However, you will quickly learn a lot about yourself. You will learn to deal with hardship and grief, you will spend more time checking in on other people, and you will appreciate the little things in life a lot more. You have no idea what sits in front of you, but you will learn and grow from these hardships more than any class, book, or instructor could ever teach you.
As time moves on, you will realize that the 18 other guys in your class have become your best friends. These guys would do anything for you. You will take a bunch of trips together, you will spend countless hours in the team room laughing together, the Lehman’s house on Long Island will become your second home, and you will watch the parents on the team become best friends.
You have no idea what sits in front of you, but you will learn and grow from these hardships more than any class, book, or instructor could ever teach you.
My advice is to never say no to an opportunity to be with the boys. Take the trips, go out to dinner, and buy Bo a meal every now and then. You won’t regret it one bit. You will remember the laughs and memories more than you will remember the daily grind that is West Point, enjoy it while you have it.
You will gain an appreciation for Coach Alberici, and you will develop a relationship with him that will last a lifetime.
You are playing for a coach that many players dream of playing for. You will not recognize it at first, but you will find that he loves you and your teammates like his own children. He is nuts; his practices will drive you into the dirt, and you will wonder what is going through his head half the time, but you wouldn’t want it any other way. There isn’t another man you’d rather play for. He will teach you a lot about life, so listen when he speaks.
You will realize that you have the greatest parents in the world. In your four years, they won’t miss a single game. Every game you will find your mom in the stands wearing her Dolphin’s beanie in honor of Gus, and you can count on your dad cheering on the boys as they walk into the locker room pre-game. They will open their house up to the whole team on numerous occasions, and they will always make sure that everyone is taken care of. Take time to tell them how much you appreciate them and spend as much time with them as you can. The way they live their lives will provide you with an example of how you want to live yours. Hug them and tell them you love them.
Playing lacrosse at West Point will teach you these two very valuable lessons that you should carry with you for the rest of your life.
Work in silence
Do what you have to do without letting everyone else know. You’ll have two major surgeries, tear a meniscus, and have a slew of other injuries, but at the end of the day you signed up for it. Don’t complain. It’s not that bad.
Enjoy the moment because you are living a dream
You dreamed about this when you were a little kid… following in your dad’s footsteps and playing lacrosse at Army. Take a step back every now and then to enjoy where you are. Appreciate the hard practices, the time in the locker room, and the time with your teammates. You were once that little kid who looked up to guys like you. Take time to talk to the little kids who come watch you play, sign autographs, and create memories for them.
When it’s all said and done you will realize that you just lived out a dream. It was hard, and it wasn’t always fun, but at the end of the day, you wouldn’t change a single thing. You will have no regrets about your decision to come to West Point.
You will score goals in big games, you will be on the posters, you will be a team captain… but at the end of the day, your greatest memory will be the relationships. Being with your best friends every single day for five years. You will remember and cherish this time for the rest of your life.
Family. Toughness. Tradition.
- Danny Kielbasa, West Point Class of 2022