The 2021 Senior Perspectives is the 16th in a series of annual collections. Senior captains and representatives of teams at Harvard have been invited to contribute viewpoints based on personal experience from both their senior seasons and full varsity careers at Harvard.

Kyle Anderson
Hometown: Downingtown, Pa.
Concentration: Government
House Affiliation: Dunster

For most, I would suspect that it is uncommon to think of 40 names of people that you can truly rely on, people that you support unconditionally, and they do the same for you, but as a member of the Harvard men's lacrosse team I was fortunate enough to have exactly that: 40+ best friends every single year that I could count on for anything. The team provided me with the greatest gift of all: a family when I was away from my own. Every day when I walked into the Dillon Field House and entered the locker room, I was overwhelmed with a sense of belonging and purpose. To say we struggled together would be an understatement, and the bonds we forged through commitment to the team, sacrifice in our personal lives and battling through different degrees of adversity together will last forever.

During my freshman year I found myself frequently questioning whether or not I was in the right place. I felt out of place in the classroom, in social settings on campus and I missed the comfort of my family and friends from my hometown in Pennsylvania. This was certainly not a problem unique to me, however, I am happy to say that during my sophomore year I realized that I was not just in the right place; I was in the perfect place. In October of my sophomore year, I received a call from my doctor that would drastically change the course of my fall semester and to this day plays a significant role in my life. The swarm of support I received from teammates, the parents of my teammates, former players and my coaching staff was something that I have never experienced in my life. It was through the Harvard lacrosse family that I found strength to keep a smile on my face, stay focused on steady progress and set my goal of returning to compete in every single game just a few months later for our spring season.

I was never much of a believer in fate during my life, but it was fate that brought me to Harvard five years ago. I am grateful to Harvard for giving me the opportunity to receive a world class education while competing in the sport that I love. The entire coaching staff, led by Coach Gerry Byrne, impresses me endlessly with their tenacity and relentless effort especially during the last 15 months when the majority of the team has been scattered across the country. It was my goal from day one at Harvard to leave the men's lacrosse program in a better place than I found it. Today, I am confident with the incredible coaching staff in place and the character of the players on the team that there is no program in the entire country with a greater capacity to accelerate to the top ranks of the sport.