A Letter to My Younger Self
Dear Quinn,
I write this letter for the one who thought wrong about what his time at West Point would entail.
You are about to embark on the journey of a lifetime. You have no idea how much you will mature and grow over the next four years. It will be full of challenges, late nights, trips with friends, and great lacrosse moments. Enjoy the ride.
Your first semester at West Point will greet you with a crushing blow in the form of a third ACL tear. It will nearly break you. You will suffer from crippling injury anxiety for months. Merely watching lacrosse practice will be impossible because you won’t be able to unhear the tear. Ask for help. You’ll get it in many forms: therapy, friendship, and family. You’ll waste hours wondering why God chose you to tear three ACLs. In the end, your growth from this injury will be the foundation of mental strength you rely on as a senior.
The pandemic during your Yuk year will be a blessing in disguise, as West Point will lock you in place for months with nobody but the best people in the world. You will be blinded by immaturity and a longing to escape; take a deep breath and look around the dinner table at your best friends. You won’t always have moments like these every day.
The Army lacrosse team will expose you to some of the best leadership West Point has to offer. You will develop a loving relationship with Coach Alberici, who truly wants the best for you at every turn. He’ll impart wisdom and harsh love throughout your career. You’ll learn more about leadership from him than anyone else at the Academy. As an underclassman, you’ll benefit from having incredible team captains and learn what it means to be an Army lacrosse player. Everything you say and do as a senior will reflect past players who showed you the way. Keep this in mind as you guide underclassmen, so the tradition of leadership in the Army lacrosse program never dies.
Being voted to be a team captain will be the greatest opportunity of your life so far. Walking into the locker room each day with 61 young men looking to you for guidance is taxing. Navigating the difficulties of captainship, academics, and friendships will cement your love for the program. In the end, you’ll feel happy with the effort you gave as a captain. You’ll walk away from the program knowing there was nothing more you could have given.
The greatest challenge you’ll ever face will be the fourth ACL tear. Years of knee rehab, playing on the scout team, and extra work will feel wasted. You won’t even get to play one game. You’ll cry yourself to sleep for days. It will take the greatest willpower you have to merely walk to the locker room to watch practice each day. When you get hurt, and the world feels like it’s collapsing on you, remember this: everything is going to be okay. The team will lose a key player, but it won’t lose a captain. Continue to pour your heart and soul into the program. It will all be worth it in the end. A patriot league championship and so much more await you.
You will grow to appreciate your family so much more throughout your West Point career. Your parents will sacrifice endless time for you and ask for nothing in return. Your brothers will be there for you at every turn. Without your family, this journey will be impossible. Reach out to them often, and always return the love they give you.
I’d urge you to maximize your time with your friends. Take an extra five minutes in the team room before walking down to your room. Never pass on an opportunity to go out and have fun with the boys. Your friends are the best thing about West Point. You should never take their presence for granted. The thought of soon waking up without all your best friends in one place is sad, so don’t blink. Please do these three things for me:
Call Mom more often. She misses you.
Hug your friends and tell them you love them.
Refrain from wishing time away. I wish I had more.
As I said, you are about to embark on the journey of a lifetime. It will be nothing like you expected but better in every way. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I’ll leave you with this:
You were born to wear the number five in white, black, and gold. You were born to carry that flag onto the field. You were born to be an Army lacrosse player.
Quinn Binney
Army Lacrosse, Class of 2023