From Cougar to Black K night

38

alum ni news

Alex Gephart, MKA Class o f 2006 and West Point Class o f 2010, was recently highlighted in an issue o f IN SID E LAC RO SSE. Poised to start a new season as captain o f the highly competitive Army Black Knights, Alex was quoted extensively and spoke powerfully about his teammates.

“On a normal day here, a guy can go through so many challenges before he even gets to lacrosse practice, yet when you step in the locker room, you have 47 guys who can relate and who support you and have the ability to pick you up and help you sharpen your own mental toughness. Most teams might have been down and out after some of our losses last year, but our team is used to the demands of a very competitive environment and we really pull for each other.”

Alex’s talents go far beyond the lacrosse field. Last summer, he was awarded the distinction of being selected to be one of 32 “platoon leaders,” given the task of overseeing and running a group of 10-15 underclassmen for four weeks of platoon training at Camp Buckner. At the conclusion of the training period, Alex was selected as the number one platoon leader with his group putting forth the best performance. In the words of his former MKA lacrosse coach Paul Edwards, “Alex is a great example and role model.” Recently, Alex took some time out to speak to the Review.

Q . Can you tell us when and where you first began playing lacrosse and what it is about the sport that you so enjoy?

A. I started playing lacrosse in sixth grade when my dad and a couple other buddies’ dads started up a youth league. The program grew each year, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that lacrosse became a

review spring 2010

varsity sport at Glen Rock High School. I loved lacrosse right off the bat and knew that I wanted to continue playing it for as long as I could. I grew up loving baseball, but once I actually had the chance to play lacrosse, the intensity of the games attracted me.

Q . Attending West Point is not the typical path for an MKA alum - what was it that attracted you to pursuing this?

A . I actually joked about how I would never go to West Point, but when I came up for an official visit, I realized what this place is all about. The guys in the locker room are the best bunch of friends I could ever want. The school’s resources border on unlimited. Doors just seem to keep opening for you when you tell someone you’re from West Point. In many respects, it’s a tougher life, but in many more respects it’s a better life as well.

Q . Are there any lessons that you learned at MKA - both on or off the field, that have prepared you for life at West Point and for playing lacrosse at this level?

A . Two of the best lessons I learned from MKA were perseverance and effective communication. I started wrestling my junior year and got dominated almost every match. It was a pretty miserable time, but I still came back the next year and put together a winning record and got named Honorable Mention All-CHC. I learned that grinding it out is often as important as skill. That same lesson applies every day at West Point. It can get pretty bleak at times here, and the ability to perservere becomes a necessary trait. The second lesson I learned from MKA was how to

w e r e p e r s e v e r a n c e a n d e ffe c tiv e c o m m u n ic a tio n .

communicate effectively. The basis of being an Army officer is the ability to translate orders into actions. If every single person in your platoon isn’t on the same page for a mission, then the chances of failure skyrocket. Failure in such a situation has such a heavy price that you need to ensure that you’re on the top of your game at all times. MKA’s ability to teach effective communication skills have benefitted me in this area.

Q . Who have been your heroes as you have grown up?

A. My heroes are my parents, the Iron Man Cal Ripkin and Pat Tillman.

Q . What are your hopes for the future?

A. As I’m writing these responses (in early December), President Obama is on his way to West Point to unveil his strategy for Afghanistan. For the past three-and-a-half years, I’ve been training to deploy in order to help stabilize and rebuild such countries. I know that my education and my experiences have prepared me to make a positive difference there. I hope that I get that opportunity.

Have fewer issues of the Review been delivered to your address this season? During these challenging economic times, we are conscious of our responsibility to be good stewards of the school’s resources, so are attempting to ensure that we deliver only one magazine per address. If you have an updated mailing address for an alum, please notify dallen@mka.org. Visit the Alumni Resources page of the MKA website at www.mka.org to view an interactive copy of this issue.

review spring 2010 39

alu m n i news