I can easily envision a kid being enthralled with an academy at a young age, especially if they attended an Army-Navy football game, or even another game at West Point or Annapolis. As an adult, I still am amazed and caught up in the whole thing at West Point when I go. The kid may not know exactly why they are enamored by the academies, or maybe it's for the 'wrong' reasons, but that doesn't mean they can't aspire to go there from a fairly young age.