This past week, freshman BSM boys’ lacrosse star Jack Rigley announced his verbal commitment to play NCAA Division I lacrosse at The United States Military Academy, also known as West Point. Rigley has played lacrosse for as long as he can remember, and playing in college has always been something that he has wanted to do. However, his commitment to West Point is different than most collegiate athletic commitments. Rigley’s verbal commitment includes a commitment to play four years of college lacrosse at West Point, a military prep school, and then to serve in the army for a minimum of five years immediately upon graduating.

Rigley has spent his last few summers traveling and attending tournaments and showcases all over the country, in hopes of being seen by major college lacrosse programs. The process for many student-athletes can take years to find the right college that they want to attend, for both academics and athletics. “For me, my process was mentally hard. It is different for everyone. It was stressful because I would talk to [the coaches] and then I would have to wait to hear back from them,” Rigley said.

Rigley, having a strong work ethic, excels in both the classroom and on the lacrosse field, which has opened up his many college choices. Rigley was being looked at by a range of colleges, including Ivy League Schools and other big names in men’s college lacrosse, but he ultimately chose to play at West Point. “I chose West Point because I wanted to be able to play lacrosse, get a good education, and then be able to serve my country,” Rigley said.

Even though Rigley already has the next dozen years of his life planned out, he has plenty to focus on during his three and a half remaining years at BSM. In terms of West Point’s expectations for him, he has to maintain a 3.7-3.8 GPA throughout high school and not become “a bad citizen.” Rigley also has big plans for the BSM boys’ lacrosse team, as he wants the team to win four state championships in the next four years. “I think it is very doable [to win four consecutive state titles], [as] we have a very strong freshman class,” Rigley said.