Ridge Lacrosse Phenom Cashes In Athletics For Ivy League Education

Who would have imagined that the athlete who put in a tremendous amount of effort to become one of the best players in the state, eventually helping Ridge to a state championship this year, once considered lacrosse an "off-season sport."

Alex Otero, a recently graduated senior at Ridge High School, didn't begin playing lacrosse until the second grade, when he was a predominant hockey player and was only intrigued by the game of lacrosse because of its similarity with his then favorite sport.

"I wasn't a 'good' lacrosse player until the fifth or sixth grade," he said, "I played it because it was like hockey in everyway--except you score more--so the games were more intense. I loved dangling in hockey and one-on-one's with the goalie and in lacrosse, dangling and one-on-ones are more common and it takes less luck to score. I fell in love with it."

Otero notes the transition of sports wasn't as easy as it may seem, but the presence of one man in his life constantly took the stress off the young superstar. Antonio Otero, the father of Alex, is seen in his corner of every Ridge lacrosse game, usually nervous with a combination of anxiety and excitement against every opponent.

"My dad and I argue a lot," Otero notes, "But it's because we are so similar and equally stubborn. He is the guy that's on the sideline of every game no matter what the weather is and no matter what other business or prior commitments he had made. A lot of my summer and travel teams are in places where we would have to travel or fly to for a long weekend and he almost always makes room for. When I'm being lazy over the summer or before a season starts, he always pulls out a tape or drives me to a game just to go watch."

For a player who tallied the highest number of career points in Ridge history, nothing mattered to Otero except that state championship he won less than a month ago.

"None of those awards – except the state championship – ever crossed my mind. Halfway through my senior year [head coach Ken] Marsh told me to forget about my points, play my game and everything else will follow. From that point on, my game changed. I didn't care about points, and instead of always calling for the ball, I called to my coach and asked what he wanted me to do. Instead of dodging, I took more face-offs and soon, I found the ball in my stick all game long. The awards I've won are nice, but they'll just be collecting dust under the state championship trophy in Coach Marsh's office."

Yet despite being known for his play on the lacrosse field, schoolwork always came first for Otero – a major reason why he was offered a spot on the Yale University lacrosse team after his first visit there.

"I never had to tell myself that school comes first in my life because those morals were embedded into me by my parents," the All-American said, "Every kid wants to drop out of high school and play in the NBA if they could, but I can step back and understand that while I would love to play for a top-ten Division I school, I'd much rather find the perfect balance with education was my goal. I use that same determination on the lacrosse field."

"If I could clear, face-off, play defense and offense, then why can't I write a paper before the game? As for Yale, I could not be more excited to make the transition and move on to play at a higher level at a school that will allow me to leave with strong opportunities," he said. "I did not decide to even consider Yale until Mr. Rosen [father of Alex Rosen, Ridge defensemen], told me to use lacrosse to get into the school that I wanted to. I chose Yale because it had no flaws and I could see myself on that campus with my teammates having a good time. I also considered, Bucknell, Princeton, Brown and Delaware."

Throughout his four years at Ridge, Otero claims that if he had one game or moment to choose, it would be that State Sectional Semi-Finals win against Motgomery 11-10, this season.

"When you play in a game when everyone on your team leaves everything they possibly have on the field, that is something special," he says of that game that boosted them to the final, "That's a game that none of us will forget."

Despite all this incredible success, Otero explains that he has no interest in furthering his lacrosse career past college.

"Playing college lacrosse will keep me in line as far as school is considered, but after that, I'm not going to need the competition to keep me going. Besides, I don't think I'd be good enough to play professional lacrosse." Judging by his play this season, there are some who would dispute that claim.

"I am happy I could be the player that many of the parents and kids enjoy watching, but I hope they realize that not one player fueled this team. Everyone who stepped on that field this season is part of a historical year and should be recognized for it."

Alex Otero may very well not be interested in pursuing a professional athletic career for now, but what everyone does know, is that, he is without a doubt, one of best student-athletes to grace the halls--and turf--for Ridge High School.