On a Friday night last May 2017, a few fathers of the Jupiter High school boys lacrosse team sat together demoralized after losing for a second year in a row to their district rival Benjamin. A conversation ensued on how to help their sons achieve a competitive advantage through team building, mental toughness and leadership. To help find a way to have an Esprit de Corp, a willingness to go the extra-mile for the team and teammates. The team was lucky to have a connection to COL Douglas Vincent the current commander for the US Army’s, Airborne Ranger Training Brigade at Ft. Benning, GA. The fathers requested an opportunity to bring returning players for a three-day event of team building and leadership training. COL Vincent a former lacrosse player at Pope John Paul II high school Class of 88’ in Boca Raton, thought that this would be an exciting opportunity to help his nephews team and expose to a group of young men the dedication it takes to be a US Army Ranger.
In October 2017, 19 members of the Warriors lacrosse team traveled to Ft. Benning, GA to begin a three day program, of multiple obstacle courses, hand to hand combative, class room work on leadership, small unit tactics & paint ball and a visit to the National Infantry Museum. The Rangers of the ARTB after the team had completed the grueling obstacle course the Malvesti as a team, awarded them the Rangers coveted Tomahawk. At the end of three days of intense exposure, to the Ranger Way, the boys committed themselves to one another and the teams committed goal to win the State Championship. They honored this commitment by all signing a Ranger flag before boarding the vans to head home from Ft. Benning.
In January of 2018, once the Varsity team was selected, the Captains of the team explained to all the new members the importance to their training and what they had committed to as a goal. Jupiter’s first State Championship. To embrace this goal and focus, Head Coach Nick O’Hara suggested that the team change their helmet wraps to embrace the Ranger training. The team added the Ranger tomahawk to their helmets, along with the Warriors across the back being in the black & gold of the Ranger tab. They also adjusted the Ranger saying of “Rangers Lead the Way”, to “Warriors Lead the Way”.
Throughout the 2018 season the Jupiter Warriors carried the Ranger flag onto the field and hung the flag behind their bench at each game as a reminder of their commitment. The Captains awarded the tomahawk to the player who that game exhibited the spirit of a Ranger to hold till the next game. Lessons learned in October and their commitment to one another, at conditioning, practice, games as a team, paid off in May 2018. Jupiter High School’s first State Lacrosse Championship and the first Public school to win a lacrosse State Championship under FHSAA. They have also closed out their season being ranked by the Nike/US Lacrosse rankings as the number 2 team in the South and Max Preps has them named 9th in US Rankings.
Members of the Jupiter Warriors team had the opportunity to travel to Ft. Benning and personally thank the Rangers for giving them the opportunity to set the tone for a successful season. Senior midfielder Garrett Vincent and rising goalie sophomore Aiden Vincent, delivered a signed helmet by all players and coaches, as well as a plaque. They presented them to COL Vincent their uncle and Rangers of the ARTB, at a Ranger demonstration and graduation ceremony on Friday 22 June. The Rangers will display the helmet in the HQ display case, to show the possibilities when you commit yourself to a goal, of a team committed to a goal, that their Ranger motto “Sua Sponte” (of ones own accord) would become a reality.
Warriors Lead the Way #WLTW
Jupiter High School Warriors Boys Lacrosse 