Toughness defines Special Operations and the sport of lacrosse. Toughness requires a person to deal with hardship, overcome difficult situations, persevere through mental and physical challenges. Toughness is one part natural, one part learned, and one part the result of consistency. To excel as a Green Beret, Navy SEAL or a lacrosse athlete, you better be tough. 

Joe Alberici and Ben Harrow are two tough men. Joe is the head coach of Men’s lacrosse at West Point, and Ben is a West Point lacrosse alumni, Green Beret and double leg amputee.

Coach and Ben joined Fran Racioppi to recap the Stars and Stripes Classic, what it meant for our Green Berets and Navy SEALs to face off on the lacrosse field, how to build teams based on being tough, and what it takes to win no matter the challenge; whether that’s on the playing field, the battlefield or the boardroom. 

Take a listen, watch, or read our conversation, then head over to our YouTube channel or your favorite podcast platform to catch all the action from the Stars and Stripes Classic. 

Don’t forget to go to Green Beret Foundation to  join our 18 Series Match Challenge to support our team as the Snakeeaters took on the Frogmen. 

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:05 Stars and Stripes is in the books
• 3:17 Break down the game for us
• 4:57 Ben Harrow is toughness
• 6:46 Why is toughness important?
• 10:39 West Point lax is a player
• 15:01 Put in the extra work
• 16:22 What did you tell the team after the game?

Quotes

• “Clock got a little short on us. Time ran out.”
• “Toughness is when you're 100%, 100% of the time.” 
• “Grateful for everything. Entitled to nothing.” 
• “If you can be an elite human being…you’ll probably be a pretty darn good Army lacrosse player.” 

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation. Learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

Special thanks to the Premier Lacrosse League and the Kraft Group for hosting us the Stars and Stripes Classic.