Chances are, if you go to a men's soccer game this season, you won't have too hard of a time picking Peter Gail out from the other 21 players on the field. His bright blond hair and aggressive style of play catch your attention from the get-go.
It's much more difficult, however, to nail down exactly just who Peter Gail really is.
Trying to label, categorize or stereotype the junior midfielder is nearly impossible to do. He doesn't even come close to fitting into one group or classification.
Once you start talking to him, the contrasts of his life immediately become apparent. On the field, Gail is a relentless competitor who means nothing but business. But off the field he is more laid-back and in his own words is sort of the team's comic relief.
Don't stereotype Gail as just a jock either, because he'll surprise you with his acting ability. His interest in acting has led him to pursue a minor in drama and last year he even performed in a student-run play here on campus.
"I played the part of a southern redneck hick and I had a great time with that." Gail said.
And just when you think Gail is yet another run-of-the-mill athlete that took up soccer and attended an expensive east coast prep school, he again throws you a curve by relating to you his experience of growing up as the son of a filbert farmer in Oregon.
Not to mention the fact that when he is not on the soccer field, you might find him fly-fishing with his family, snowboarding in Oregon, or as he half-jokingly puts it, philosophizing about the meaning of life with his friends.
Gail's various interests and diverse experiences reflect a certain passion for life. In his own words, he enjoys living for the moment-the here and now. This season, the here and now have been particularly sweet for Gail.
By working himself into a starting spot on the team, Gail has accomplished one of his personal goals and put an end to two years of struggling to find a place for himself on a very competitive Blue Devil squad.
Gail has found his niche this year by doing what he knows how to do best-staying in excellent physical shape and having the endurance to outlast other competitors.
"At the Division I level, everyone has a skill; every player has something that they do better than anyone else," Gail said. "Fitness is definitely my strength. I'm not the most skillful or the fastest but I like to run."
Having run track in Oregon during his high school years, Gail feels that he has a definite mental edge over other players when it comes to being in shape and knowing how to get the most out of his body.
His impressive stamina and work ethic didn't translate into much playing time during his first two years at Duke. So this summer, he played in a couple of semi-professional leagues in Oregon to work on improving his overall game.
By using his experience from the summer and his natural versatility, Gail has finally broken into Duke's rotation. Listed as a midfielder, he has been starting at forward as of late to fill in for sophomore Ali Curtis, who is injured, and scored two goals in last week's win over Wofford. This ability to play different positions has helped him fit into coach John Rennie's constantly changing lineup.
"He's been a role player for us in his first two years." Rennie said. "He's played as a defender, he's played as a marking back, he's played as a forward-he's been an all-around versatile player.
"[This year], he's raised up the level of his game to the point where he has demanded playing time."
Indeed, because Gail has emerged as a valuable player for Duke this year with his improved play, he is now seen as a leader both on and off the field.
One way that Gail contributes to the squad that doesn't show up in the stat sheet is with his somewhat atypical sense of humor.
"I'd say there is definitely a sense of humor that I add to the team," Gail said. "It's not always understood. I present kind of an off-the-wall sense of humor that often times leaves the guys on the team a bit baffled. I think that kind of spontaneity is important in life to keep things interesting."
Besides being the designated funny man of the team, Gail is also a motivator that always stresses the importance of living and playing for the present moment.
"That's something I really work hard trying to do-to get guys on the team to realize, 'Hey let's make the most of this; let's make the most of this awesome experience we have with soccer here at Duke,'" he said.
While Gail continues to emerge as a vocal leader for the team, he silently allows his work ethic and competitive nature to set an even greater example for his teammates to emulate. Rennie said that Gail makes it a point to win every sprint that he possibly can during practice, and challenges the other players to do the same.
On such a competitive team, Gail realizes that someone will always be pushing him for his position and takes nothing for granted.
For right now, Gail is just enjoying his moment in the sun.
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