PHILLYBURBS.COM                    OCTOBER 1, 2006

Players learn the 'real' meaning of commitment

By Wayne Fish, phillyBurbs.com

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Sacrifice and commitment are important to building a close-knit sports team, but they’re quintessential to the success of midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy.
 

The Flyers were reminded of this Saturday when they visited the elite institution where our finest officers are groomed.
 

As was the case in previous visits to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., the Flyers got a taste of what aspiring admirals must go through to earn their stripes.

It was eye-opening, to say the least.
 

Several players struggled to get through the famed “ropes’’ course. The obstacle course left others with their tongues hanging out.
 

Afterward, on a visit to the main dorm and shrine to naval personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty, the Flyers caught a glimpse of sacrifice and commitment in the real world.
 

The whole experience left the Flyers with a greater appreciation of the discipline it takes to reach a goal and the dedication it requires to maintain that excellence.

If coach Ken Hitchcock was trying to get a message across, he appears to have achieved his purpose.
 

“I said to some of the guys, I might not make it through a week [here],’’ said Niko Dimitrakos, a Massachusetts native, with a smile. “It’s tough. They’re here for a reason, to support us. You have to applaud that.
 

“We all know why we’re here. We’re trying to become one. Being in sync, the synergy. You see the guys doing the rope course and see everyone cheering each other on. I had a blast doing it. I thought it was the highlight of the day. Getting behind each other, I think that’s great.’’
 

The Flyers had lunch with the Navy hockey team and the players mingled, with the Flyers asking most of the questions. It’s a tough balancing act between a sport and the classroom at a demanding place like the Naval Academy.
 

Navy assistant coach Pat Eliason, a 1996 Council Rock High School graduate who played for both the Indians and the Midshipmen, said a number of Flyers were impressed with the demanding daily regimen.
 

“It’s great for the Flyers to see how our half lives,’’ Eliason said. “One thing ‘Hitch’ said was [the Flyers] had much more interaction here than they did at West Point. It kind of shows them the challenges our guys go through.
 

“When you go through that hall and see who has passed away, people who have given their lives for our country, it’s a wakeup call. Army lost their team captain [Derrick Hines in Iraq] last year and it kind of shows our guys too what they going to be doing in a year.’’
 

The 28-year-old Eliason has already seen it all. At 26, he was in charge of 60 men overseeing two nuclear reactors. Earlier, he served on a ship which made one of the biggest drug busts at sea in U.S. history.
 

No wonder people like Peter Forsberg, Simon Gagne and Mike Knuble were the ones peppering him with questions. “Mike told me, ‘We [hockey players] represent the U.S. but you’re the true ones,’ ’’ Eliason said.
 

Hitchcock, the ultimate history buff, says there are plenty of lessons to be learned both at Navy and Army.
 

“They’re both reality checks for us,’’ he said. “It’s understanding people who make bigger sacrifices than we do. It’s important for us, not just the level of sacrifice but the level of commitment that people make for something bigger than themselves. That’s the whole focus.’’
 

This was Derian Hatcher’s second visit and he still found plenty to see.
 

“It’s a piece of U.S. history,’’ said the Michigan native. “When you see all the names in there [of men who gave their lives] through the years, it definitely makes you think. And they’re still over there in Iraq right now.’’