DECEMBER 16, 2024 — The United States Military Academy has more than 4,000 cadets on campus every year, and each of them participates in some form of athletic competition.
They either play on one of the 28 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I teams, on a club team, or compete in intramural sports called company athletics.
“The culture of our academy is every cadet is an athlete,” said Col. Nick Gist, USMA physical education department head. “[These challenging environments] help define our program as more than just sport, it’s a character-building program.”
The athletic competition teaches humility, discipline, confidence, perseverance, and more, Gist explained. And it all starts from the moment they step foot on campus.
The cadets are pushed physically, mentally, and emotionally to make them better Soldiers. Each attends a foundations of personal fitness course, learning fundamental exercise science principles.
They train daily, conquering obstacle courses, learning hand-to-hand fighting and water survival as well as playing competitive team sports. Each activity is designed with the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness system in mind.
“Providing resources for readiness and lethality is critical for our Army right now and for future battlefields,” Gist said. “We’re certainly committed, here at West Point, to providing cadets with a foundation in H2F, so they can go out and contribute as leaders.”
H2F takes a holistic approach to fitness by addressing physical, mental, nutrition, sleep, and spiritual readiness. The program educates Soldiers and provides them with resources to maximize their performance on and off the battlefield.
Providing cadets a chance to be a part of an athletic team also allows them to develop important skills, Gist added.
“[It helps your] ability to communicate and to build cohesion with your teammates to your left and right,” he said. “I don’t want to want to equate combat and sports, but sports provide that surrogate experience to develop not just your leadership philosophy but your follower attributes as well because we’re all members of a team.”
Sports also develop fundamental movements like running, jumping, crawling and climbing, which are used during ground combat operations. The competitive aspect of sports tests the cadet’s mental and physical ability to handle stress, execute, and make decisions.
“All those aspects are very similar to what we expect our graduates, as commissioned officers, to demonstrate as platoon leaders, company commanders and staff officers throughout their careers,” Gist said. “Our programs are based on a foundation of character development, and [cadets] taking that forward into the Army is where we think we have the greatest impact.”
Each May, approximately 1,000 cadets commission into the Army following graduation.
These Soldiers, like Maj. Steve Anderson, U.S. Army Central space operations officer, and former USMA football player, then take the skills they learned through athletic competition and apply them to the battlefield.
Anderson grew up playing sports in Maryland and was an all-state linebacker at Damascus High School before coming to West Point, where he shined on the field. There, he was a two-time captain and led the team in tackles in 2010, helping the Black Knights win their first bowl game in 25 years when they defeated Southern Methodist University.
After commissioning, he spent more than a decade as an infantry officer, leading Soldiers in the field before switching to space operations. His many years on the gridiron taught him valuable lessons that he’s used throughout his time in service.
“I learned at a young age about accountability, working with your team and how every person has a responsibility,” he said. “The most important aspect of [that] is not wanting to let your teammates down and doing whatever it takes to ensure victory at the end of the day.”
There were times of victory during Anderson’s playing career and times of defeat. The Black Knights had a losing record during his first three years at the school until they ended that streak in 2010 with a 7-6 record.
Anderson also endured a season-ending knee injury in 2009 before returning with a vengeance the following year.
“In sports, you go through great highs and some sad lows,” he said thinking back on his playing career. “Being able to handle the emotional side and the mental side of things, on top of the physical aspects, that’s what football prepared me for in the military.”
That mental strength along with the character development taught at West Point allows Anderson and the other athletes to excel not just on the athletic field but on the battlefield.
By dedicating yourself and treating your sport with the seriousness of a real-world mission, you can develop the mental and physical toughness needed for future challenges, Anderson said. “Growing up, and during my time at West Point, I was just an athlete preparing to become a warrior.”
Story by Christopher Hurd
Defense Media Activity – Army Productions