not-so old goat wrote:
Recent graduate of USNA, ran for the XC and track teams all four years. Being a varsity athlete at a service academy is both a privilege and intense challenge. It's nothing like being an athlete at a "normal" university. The above posts are true that you will not have a typical college experience. Patience, determination, and time management are major components of the process. Training and competing at a D1 level along with training to be an officer in the U.S. military felt like a conflict my four years at Annapolis. Now that I've graduated I realize it wasn't a conflict, but rather a blessing. I know I am a better person for meeting all of the countless challenges that were thrown at me athletically, academically, and professionally. I wouldn't trade my experience for anything else.
The head XC coach has been coaching at USNA since 1963. He knows a thing or two about coaching midshipmen and the unique challenges they face on a daily basis. However, he can be a rather enigmatic person. He forces the athlete to look within themselves and find internal motivation rather than rely on him for guidance at every turn (he knows what to say when you need to hear though). The actual training is flexible since your schedule is very rigid but constantly changing on a daily basis. It's as high mileage a program as you want it to be. Coach stresses finding what works for you when it comes to volume. As for workouts, it's classic intervals, tempo runs, fartleks, strides. What you would expect of a good D1 program. If you love competing, challenging yourself, and don't need feedback from others to fuel you passion for running, then you will be successful running at a service academy.
Academics are a high priority at all of the service academies. At USNA specifically, I took classes ranging from poetry to thermodynamics. You spend your plebe (freshman) year learning the basics of chemistry, calculus, writing, and computer sciences. Then you move on to subjects such as advanced physics and electrical engineering sophomore and junior years, respectively. To be frank, the course load will feel like too much and will be overwhelming. That is by design. It's another challenge to test your determination and ability to manage your time effectively. For me personally, I was greatly challenged all four years and had to put in a lot of effort to keep up academically. So if I could survive the academics, I believe nearly anyone can.
Finally, the military commitment after graduation is actually a blessing for athletes. It provides an outlet and easy transition for life after athletics. Having a new challenge to meet and something to pour your energy into is invaluable post graduation. Learning to fly military aircraft, operate submarines and warships, and leading marines into battle will keep you busy. It's also a guaranteed job that provides a good living, and you get to live in some great places (everyone has their opinions of course, but each duty station is great in its own way). With that said, nothing in the military is set in stone. There are exceptions to every situation. I would never say never if there is something you want to do with your time in service. I've yet to see what life has in store after the military, but I know the possibilities are truly endless after experiencing everything I have in the last 7 years.
Oh, and Beat Army.