Athlete of the Week: Kevin “Dad” Gilbert

Commonly and affectionately referred to as “KG” or “Dad” by his peers, post-graduate Kevin Gilbert has become a beloved friend on campus and a driving force in Big Red boys’ soccer.

Gilbert has shaped his entire life around the game of soccer. From the tender age of six up until now, Gilbert, has dedicated huge amounts of his time and energy to soccer. In the process, Gilbert has made close friends and learned much about himself and his surroundings.

Gilbert, an undeniable athlete extraordinaire, began the sport more than a decade ago when he joined his town soccer league. Following that, Gilbert played every spring and fall for a club team, eventually competing at the high school level.

“I went to a regional high school, and we had a pretty successful soccer program, and I was varsity all four years there,” Gilbert said. “The programs here are different because here there is a higher level of competition and play, and I think that’s the biggest thing,” Gilbert said of the differences between his old school and PEA.

Gilbert added that in general, most of the athletes at the Academy tend to take the sport more seriously. “There are a lot of guys at my old school who just play for fun. And there are kids who do that here, and the program here is a lot of fun. It just has a more serious feel to it,” Gilbert said.

Regarding Exeter’s boarding experience, Gilbert viewed the close living quarters of Exeter as a positive influence on the team, and he said that it has greatly added to the team chemistry. “I think that the team here is closer than my old team. We’re basically living with each other,” Gilbert said.

“You see each other from eight in the morning until ten at night, whereas back home you’d just see each other for a few hours at practice everyday.” This chemistry has been vital, not only in fostering a successful team, but in shaping Gilbert’s time at the Academy.

The boys’ soccer team spent the two weeks before the start of preseason at Prep Camp in Maine. This introductory period was advantageous to Gilbert, as it provided him with an immediate network of friends.

“It was nice to come in already knowing some people,” Gilbert said. “And with knowing those people, it was easy to branch out and meet their friends. So it really set me up with a close network of guys right off the bat.” These friends have become some of Gilbert’s closest companions, both on and off the field. Senior and co-captain Devin Moore called Gilbert “a very funny guy at practice and during school,” and said that Gilbert’s performance in games this season has been crucial to the team’s success. “Wherever coach needs him to play on the field, he plays there, and he’s consistently one of the best players on the pitch.”

Fellow senior and co-captain Trevor Cosgrove agreed with Moore and said that Gilbert’s arrival at PEA has “had a huge impact this year.” Like Moore, Cosgrove praised Gilbert’s positional versatility and his ability to dominate the field wherever he plays.

“KG is a big, tough player that has speed and an absolute cannon of a shot,” Cosgrove said. “I know I speak for most of the team when I say he’s been a father figure to us, both on and off the field.”

While it is only his first year at Exeter, Gilbert has not shieded away from mentoring many of the younger kids on the team. Upper Alistair Matule said that Gilbert “immediately fit in with the guys on the team.” Matule also called Gilbert a “tremendous leader” and praised Gilbert’s consistent hard work and tenacity.

Gilbert’s long-time friend and teammate, senior Henry Behrens, said that Gilbert is “just a crazy athletic dude.”

“He’s kind of lanky, so you wouldn’t expect it, but the dude is insane” Behrens said.

Gilbert said that the wide variety of athletes he’s played with has changed the way that he views both himself and the world around him.

“I’ve played for a bunch of teams with kids from all over the area. It’s kind of cool because a lot of the kids that I meet come from a different background than mine,” Gilbert said. “It kind of opens your eyes to the situation that you’re living in and the situation that other people are living in. I think that rubs off on you. It makes you more understanding. It gives you a better outlook on life. You get to see that people’s backgrounds can shape them.”

So far, Gilbert and his team have had a fairly successful season. With a current record of 7-5-2, the squad has marked down several good wins and has managed to stay competitive in each of its losses. Gilbert said that he appreciated the challenge associated with playing at Exeter, and that he enjoys the opportunity to play against particularly skilled opponents.

“We have to show up and play every single day,” Gilbert said. “It’s a much stronger league. It makes it much more fun to not go up against teams that you can just blow out of the water, because that gets kind of boring.”