NCSA caught up with Ice Hockey standout Marcel Alvarez about his high school career and the opportunity to compete at the college level.
What have you gained from playing sports in high school (teamwork, the importance of hard work)? How has it affected your life away from the game?
I have gained so much from playing sports in high school. Through all the traveling I have made so many friendships with guys in other cities. Regardless of what people say, hard work, determination, and drive will accomplish anything. In hockey people told me playing Division 1 hockey would be unachievable. I proved those people wrong, and away from the game those three qualities continue to help me. I was told during my junior year that West Point would never be a reality because my grades were not high enough. I continued to work in the classroom, and now it's paid off.
Tell us a little bit about your high school coach. What is he like, what does s/he teach you, what's the toughest part of working with him/her and what have you learned from them?
My high school coach was a lot different than any other coach I have ever had. In first assessing a player he would not look at your skill level, he would judge a person by their character. He didn't care what grade you were in, who you were, or who your parents were. He wanted to have guys who were dedicated to the team. I learned from him that having all the skill in the world would only take you so far. Hard work, determination, and discipline will take you the rest of the way.
Who's your role model and why?
My role model growing up was Pat Tillman. He was a former Arizona Cardinals football player who walked away from the game to join the Army. He died in Afghanistan in 2004. To me he was the ultimate example that there is more to life than making millions of dollars and being an athlete. People say that his heart was his best quality, and that's the one quality that so stood out to me.
At what age did you start playing your sport? Have you ever had to choose between it and another sport or activity?
I started skating when I was three years old and I picked hockey up not long after that. When I was growing up I loved playing hockey, but I was also a really good skier. When I was five I was ranked nationally for skiing, but at seven I stopped racing to play more hockey.
How do you plan on spending the summer? Are you playing sports, working or traveling with you family etc, etc?
I've been home since April and I have done a lot of traveling. I'll be working as a lifeguard at the local pool, and I will go on vacation with my family in August. Besides work and enjoying summer I'll be in the weight room a lot to get ready for next year.
What is your favorite and also what is your least favorite classes in school and why?
I loved physics in high school. The labs were always interesting. My least favorite class was geometry. I hated proofs and theorems; it just never clicked with me.
What made you choose your school?
I chose the United States Military Academy for so many reasons. When I visited the school I was in awe. The campus is beautiful, and the camaraderie among the cadets can't be described. I wanted to be a part of the history of the school and of the hockey program.
West Point offered everything to me that I wanted in my college experience. I'm going to receive an unbelievable education, I'm going to enjoy some of the best facilities in all of college sports, I'll be a part of a great hockey program, and I get to serve my country. Most importantly, the West Point degree will open up so many doors for me later in life.
