Go Navy!

Only 45 minutes from Washington D.C. is the quaint and very colonial town of Annapolis, Maryland.  Narrow tree lined streets, brick sidewalks, restaurants serving crab, cute old houses, with black shutters framing paned windows, all give that Eastern Seaboard feel.

But the crown jewel of Annapolis is of course the Naval Academy.  Just being there is an emotionally charged experience. The men and women here are held to a standard well above any most of us have ever or will ever experience. They have surpassed their perceived physical, emotional and mental limits and are growing stronger in all areas everyday. Our safety as a nation depends upon it.

Here is a plaque positioned just inside the pedestrian gate: 


It says: 
The mission of the Naval Academy is to develop midshipmen morally, mentally, and physically; and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, honor, and loyalty in order to graduate leaders who are dedicated to a career of naval service and have potential for future development in mind and character to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship, and government.

Before we left on our trip,  a fellow lacrosse parent in CA was able to arrange for Payton to be able to see the Navy Lacrosse team practice.  We came on to the campus ("Yard" as they call it) just as the midshipmen (students) were finished with classes and ready to start their afternoon of athletics. Looking for Dewey field that the lax team practices on, we past the football team running to their field, and the sailors readying their boats. The track was filling up with athletes too, some holding poles or discus.




If there was ever a time I needed everyone to pretend that I had 'raised them right', it was now. Payton helped me drill them. It was important that if anyone asked them a question they not say "Yeah"  - say, "Yes Sir" or Yes, Ma'am" Also, for the love of God, please don't fight or draw anymore attention to ourselves than necessary.

On the Yard with a view of the harbor.

We found the lacrosse field and stayed for the entire 2 hour practice. On the sidelines, there were a few injured players and a few of the team managers. They were very informative and answered all of our questions about the team, and life as midshipmen.


The lacrosse team is of course top notch. Their speed and stick handling skills were great to watch, not to be outdone by the constant focus and hustling  that did not wane for a second for the entire two hours. The practice was not to be outdone further by the view to the left: the bay, sail boats, and wooded hills dotted with gorgeous houses on the other side. To the right, stone buildings on the Yard some, that date back to pre Civil War.  And from somewhere in the distance the crack, crack, cracking of the rifle team's practice. We thought is was thunder until someone explained...

After the practice we met Coach Ryan Wellner and Goalie Coach Mickey Jarboe. Both were gracious and made Payton feel welcome.  If you look closely, you will see true pride and happiness on Payton's face that he is sandwiched between two (for lack of a better term )complete studs.

The following day, we returned to  the Naval Academy.  We went to the visitor's center and walked around the Yard, and ate lunch in the one place visitors can eat. We missed seeing the lunch formation because they moved it inside due to the drizzle. We saw the midshipmen (that is the term used for both men and women I found out there is no such word as midshipwomen) in their daily uniforms rather than their sports uniforms.  I embarrassed my kids more than once asking to take a pictures with the sharply dressed future naval officers. 

Just to give you an idea of how their college experience may have differed from yours or mine,  I copied and pasted below from  Naval Academy Website:
And by the way a "plebe" pronounced pleeb - is a freshman. They come to the Naval Academy to start school the summer just after high school graduation and it is something like hardcore boot camp.

A typical weekday schedule looks something like this:

5:30 a.m.

Arise for personal fitness workout (optional)

6:30 a.m.

Reveille (all hands out of bed)

6:30 - 7:00 a.m.

Special instruction period for plebes

7:00 a.m.

Morning meal formation

7:15 a.m.

Morning meal

7:55 - 11:45 a.m.

Four class periods, 50 minutes each

12:05 p.m.

Noon meal formation

12:10 p.m.

Noon meal

12:50 - 1:20 p.m.

Company training time

1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Fifth and sixth class periods

3:45 - 6:00 p.m.

Varsity and intramural athletics, extracurricular and personal activities; drill and parades twice weekly in the fall and spring

6:30 - 7:15 p.m.

Evening Meal

8:00 - 11:00 p.m.

Study period

Midnight

Taps for all midshipmen

"When you add to this schedule the time required for military duties, inspection preparation and extra academic instruction, you can see the demands on your time are considerable."

 

 

So happy that the kids and I were exposed to this level of work ethic, patriotism, integrity, and intelligence.  I saw proud and confident men and women, but a lot of smiles and laughter too. In the photo above, Sally is drinking lemonade. Two midshipmen had set up a little lemonade stand table... turns out  they had lost a bet having to do with the Navy football game. - the losers would have to have a lemonade stand in the Yard. 

It was all in good fun, as obviously, at the Naval Academy there are no losers. 

Go Navy!