Virginia Military Institute’s cadet-athletes have to juggle cadet life, heavy academic course loads, and their NCAA Division I sport. Committed to both academic and athletic pursuits, balancing their rigorous schedule in both sports and school requires a certain level of commitment and discipline. Behind the Balance is a series that focuses on those cadet-athletes and how they handle the hurdles of the day-to-day. 

LEXINGTON, Va. March 10, 2026 — Originally, Tazewell Rae wasn’t thinking of attending a military school. It was a high school coach that put him in touch with Virginia Military Institute’s head track and field coach and set up a visit. 

"Every other school I visited, I kept comparing to VMI,” he said. The students he saw on other campuses didn’t match up to the caliber VMI presented. 

“The other academic departments don't compare to VMI. I really enjoyed the civil engineering department here. The classes are about 20 people or 25 people at the most. It just felt like a good environment," he continued.  

Rae comes from Middlesex, Virginia, where his high school was tiny and had a graduating class of about 65 people.  

“I'm the only person out of my school in the past two years who’s committed for any sport,” he stated.” 

He came to VMI for track and field. Although in high school, he played several sports, including soccer, football, basketball, and indoor track and outdoor track. He stuck with track and field, where he throws the shot put.  

“Throwing is that nice break where you're one-on-one with yourself, and you're just focusing on that,” he explained. “You have control of that.” 

During his first two years of high school, he didn’t have a track and field coach. Then in his junior year, a friend’s father came to coach. That coach had a daughter who attended VMI, which gave Rae the connection to the Institute.  

Cadet-athletes at VMI not only have their responsibilities with their selected sport but cadet duties on top of that. Cadets are also required to take physical fitness classes twice a week, participate in ROTC all four years, prepare for room and uniform inspections, practice for parade, guard duty, and more. 

The civil engineering major has 17 credits this semester, while also serving as the 3rd squad Bravo cadre corporal. He is also seeking a commissioning route with the U.S. Army. 

Some days he has up to five classes, so balancing all his responsibilities can be challenging.  

“There are a couple of long nights a week. I've had my fair share of three-in-the-morning Nichols Engineering study sessions with my roommates,” he admitted. "I'm one of three civil engineering cadets in my room, so it's nice. We're all athletes, so we're used to the same load.” 

To distract himself, he tries to pick up hobbies. 

"I'm trying really hard to learn the banjo,” he said. “I try to stay busy, it's usually how I avoid stress. Idle hands are not good.” 

He also finds reprieve in throwing, which serves as an escape for him. 

Rae takes his training seriously, weightlifting up to four days a week during the season. Even in the off season and over the summer, he said he’s throwing nearly every day. 

“It's just a lot of rinse and repeat, focusing on one thing. It's never perfect, so there's always something to work on,” he stated. “It's kind of methodical. A lot of people call it poetry in motion. It's just something you can focus on.” 

In high school, he had the mindset of doing things on his own. At the Institute, he realized there’s more team effort. 

"I got close with all the people in cadre, I've learned how to find my place in an organization,” he said. “Here I'm able to I'm around like-minded people, where they want to stay in shape and they want to push you. I thrive in that environment.” 

Laura Peters Shapiro
Communications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE