Profile: Peter Albers '97
Two-Sport Athlete at Harvard

By Buffy Clifford,
Assistant Sports Information Director

A two-sport athlete at the Division I level is becoming much more of a rarity these days. With sport specialization, off-season workouts and the time demands placed on student-athletes, it is understandably difficult to compete in two sports. This rare breed can still be found, flourishing at Harvard.

Peter Albers is one example of an athlete who has perpetuated the Harvard tradition of the dual-sport athlete. A senior goalkeeper for the men's soccer team as well as the captain and shortstop for the baseball team, Albers looks forward to the demands placed on him.

"I never look at the time commitment as a chore," Albers explains. "It's just the opposite. I enjoy the structure that it creates for me. I manage my time better knowing that I will only have a certain number of hours to do my reading or problem sets. Being in season for all but two months works to my advantage academically--I plan ahead better. The time that I'm not playing a sport has been the toughest on me as far as getting things done.

"Sports have always been fun for me," he adds. "If it's not fun, why would you do it? I've always tried to lighten things up for myself and everyone else on the team. There are too many pressures that we all face in life, so I try not to forget-or let my teammates-forget how to relax and have fun."

Don't get the wrong idea about this fun-loving native of San Diego, California Albers is an intense competitor on the field who has worked very hard since his freshman year to improve his many athletic skills to be the successful performer he is today.

"My first year was really a learning experience for me, especially in soccer. I only started playing goalie my senior year in high school, so I needed some time to continue to develop in that position as well as to get used to soccer at the collegiate level."

While observing Albers' commitment to both soccer and baseball, one is reminded of another recent Harvard graduate, Bo Bernhard '95, who travelled a similar path in his athletic career as a soccer and baseball player.

"Bo and I were really close as teammates and friends," he explains. "He's from Las Vegas and had experienced the same type of changes that I went through when I first got to Cambridge. Bo's strong work ethic made him a great role model for me. I saw it on our teams and with school--he worked extremely hard on his thesis."

Getting used to life on the East Coast was a major change for Albers, who now appreciates the inherent differences between the two regions. "Well, obviously it's colder in Boston than San Diego," he says with a chuckle. "But it's really much more than that. From what I've observed, people from the West Coast are more laid back about things. That was one thing I had to get used to--being around people who were much more uptight about life."

East Coast humor was also foreign to the Californian. "When I was in high school, the TV sitcom "Seinfeld" began. At first, I thought it was the stupidest show. I couldn't understand any of the jokes about life in New York City, dealing with winter, or life in a Jewish community. Then after a year here and meeting people from New York and listening to their stories, I began to have an appreciation for the "Seinfeld" humor."

Not only did Albers have to come to understand the East Coast mentality, he also had to deal with his family being 3,000 miles away, visiting just once a season.

"I really miss having them at my games," he says. "My mom's a school teacher and her schedule is pretty tight. Both parents have been very encouraging of my interest in athletics. My dad has always helped to provide the opportunity for me to play sports. He didn't have that opportunity because he had to work his way through school.

"My dad is probably the most influential person in my life. He always allowed me the chance to pursue athletics. He's always been positive in his support and constructive criticism and it's meant a lot to me."

Outside of soccer and baseball, Albers has an interesting hobby. He happens to be a "world-class" frisbee thrower. Over the course of his frisbee throwing career, Albers has held six world records, one of which still stands today. It all began innocently enough, as most hobbies do, on a frisbee golf course.

"Frisbee golf is similar to regular golf," he explains. "Instead of a golf ball, you use a frisbee and instead of a hole you have a frisbee catcher. I used to play with my brothers. We would go once in a while for something different to do. One day, I met an executive from Wham-o who invited me to try out for some throwing tournaments. Eventually, I competed in the World Junior Championships."

Along the way, Albers set records in age group categories and in open events. Three were for maximum time aloft and three were for distance. "You have five throws and the officials take your best one," he explains. "The people who are into frisbee throwing are very passionate about their hobby. I look at it as something different to have fun with."

A common theme observed of Albers is his ability to have fun and enjoy life. Stereotypically, Harvard is viewed as a serious environment. How then, did this fun-loving, frisbee-throwing, West Coast boy survive at Harvard?

"I love Harvard," he simply states. "There are just so many good people here with unbelievable talents. I've made a tremendous number of friends here. Attending Harvard has been the best experience of my life. It has opened my eyes to almost a whole other culture and way of thinking."