July 5, 2006

Note: This story appeared in the November/December 2005 issue of Lacrosse magazine, a member benefit of US Lacrosse. Click here to become a member.

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Roy Colsey plays lacrosse angry. It's a quiet anger, but one quite palpable on the lacrosse field, forcing opponents to think twice about their motives and teammates to give him ample space.

It's an anger magnified by his contrasting demeanor off the field, that of a gentle family man and a dedicated, caring friend. It's an anger rooted in past rejections, and one that has made him one of the best midfielders in the world today.

The irascibility first appeared during Colsey's ninth-grade year. By many people's standards, this watershed event would have been a rather insignificant one in a life's course, but for young Roy it was the genesis of a lacrosse career matched only by the world's best.

He was cut from the freshman team at Yorktown (N.Y.) High.

Colsey started playing lacrosse in the fifth grade because that is what you did in Yorktown. Perhaps in other areas of the country the lure of more "traditional" sports is irresistible, but Yorktown is firmly lacrosse country.

"You could play football or soccer," said Colsey. "But the athletes played lacrosse."

After missing a couple of practices during tryouts because of illness, Colsey's name was missing from the freshman roster, and thus began a slow burn.

"All of my friends made it and I had to hear about the practices and games for a year," said Colsey. "I had to decide whether I was going to get [ticked] and just play football or dedicate myself to get better. That really fueled my desire to be really good."

Corralling the fury from the snub, Colsey immersed himself in lacrosse and emerged as the anchor of the Yorktown team that won state championships in both his sophomore and senior seasons, with the burly midfielder earning All-American honors. Like many of the state's standout players before him, Colsey was offered a scholarship to play for Roy Simmons Jr. and powerhouse Syracuse, and proceeded to use his edgy lacrosse persona to construct a stellar collegiate career both individually and team-wise.

"I'm a real aggressive player," he said. "I play with a chip on my shoulder. I'm tough and mean because I think it's important to set the tone."

Playing from 1992-95, Colsey was a four-time All-American, leading the Orange to a 51-8 record and two NCAA championships. He finished with 124 goals, good for 13th in the school's all-time record books, while his 163 points places him 21st overall. After cruising to the national title his senior year, Colsey was named the outstanding midfielder in Division I.

"When we saw him run, it was almost a limp. I'd say he was less than 50 percent, but 50 percent of Roy is better than 100 percent of most other guys." Blake Miller, on Roy Colsey's U.S. team tryout

He had done it. Colsey transformed the hurt from his youthful slight into the motivation and skill to become one of the best collegiate players in the nation. It was a vindication of sorts, but one that would be short-lived.

Just three years after graduating from college, which were spent playing both professional indoor and club lacrosse, all of the bile from his ninth-grade year came rushing back as, for the second time, Colsey was left off the final roster of a team he desperately wanted to make -- this time, the U.S. men's national team.

Making Team USA is the final accomplishment of any lacrosse player, and in 1998 it seemed Colsey was a lock for the team he coveted -- considering his impressive resume along with, from his perspective, a superb audition.

"In '98 I had a phenomenal tryout, but the coaches were looking for something different," said Colsey. "Maybe the coaches knew what they were going to get. But being in the game for a long time, I wanted to be on that team more than anyone.

"Not making that team made me pretty angry. I worked so hard and I should have made it. I'm not the type to say, `Well, I tried my best and I didn't make it, I'll do better next time.' I was angry. I wanted it so bad."

His old friend, anger, was back in full force, but instead of stewing for a year, Colsey had to wait even longer than that. He opted for a professional career with Major League Lacrosse and did not try out for the 2002 national team, putting his entire focus on being on the 2006 U.S. team.

"It is the last thing I wanted to finish off my career," Colsey said.

With the tryouts in June 2005, Colsey's dream of capping off his lacrosse life by wearing the red, white and blue took a serious hit. During training camp for his MLL team, the Philadelphia Barrage, he felt a twinge of discomfort in his hamstring -- perhaps the most important muscle available to a lacrosse player.

"He came back the day before tryouts and if you have any kind of injury going into those tryouts, forget about it," said Blake Miller, one of the top midfielders in the country and a close friend of Colsey's. "It was tough enough for players who were fully healthy."

In the first session of the national team tryouts, the twinge became a tear, hobbling Colsey considerably and making it nearly impossible for him to get up and down the field. Self pity attempted to rear its head and send Colsey to the sidelines, but the rage, rising from the poor timing of the injury, quickly beat away any thoughts of quitting.

"Roy is one of those guys who doesn't make excuses," said Miller. "You might see other guys give up, especially since the tryouts were so grueling. He had a torn hamstring from day one but he doesn't take any glory in that. I watched him out there and you saw what he was going through. You knew he couldn't dodge, but we were still trying to get him the ball. Everyone knows what his game is like, but when we saw him run, it was almost a limp. I'd say he was less than 50 percent, but 50 percent of Roy is better than 100 percent of most other guys."

"I couldn't play the way I wanted to play, but I think the coaches saw how much it meant to me," said Colsey. "It meant more than anything to me, really."

The Team USA coaching staff, led by Syracuse's John Desko, did notice his performance, and was struck by the determination and ability to play well under the circumstances. Whereas a debilitating injury might be a reason to cut a lot of players, it was the reason why Desko placed Colsey's name on the final roster.

"He got hurt in the very first session, but it didn't seem to slow him down," said Desko, who referred to Colsey as a 'complete' player. "And there is something to be said for playing hurt, especially when you have a limited number of players. You are not allowed to add players, so having someone who can play hurt is important. To play hurt, and as well as he did, was very impressive."

Furthering Colsey's credentials was his well-documented track record of playing mean in between the lines. Due to his knack for scoring at any location in an offensive set with his frighteningly strong shot, Colsey is anything but a goon. But his willingness to take a hit or, more typically, dish one out for the good of the team made him a logical solution for Desko's goal of standing up to various international bullies.

"It's important to play that way," said Desko. "In the last world games, the opposing teams would try to intimidate the U.S. and, with a guy like Roy, that won't happen."

"I think he just gets in guys' heads," added Miller. "He can be very physical and you're always worried about his shot. He's not afraid to get hit and he can go through anybody. Some guys have a great shot from the outside but can't go inside, and others can go inside but can't shoot from outside. He can do both. One guy can't cover Roy, which I have learned first hand."

It may have taken longer than the first time, but Colsey has again used the spark of an indignity to achieve his goals on the lacrosse field. The tough and talented player will be a member of one of the best midfields ever assembled in the history of the sport.

Perhaps magnifying Colsey's angry, brooding, physically intimidating persona on the lacrosse field is the stunning contrast to these traits off of it. A dedicated family man to his wife, Chrissy, and young son, Ryan, Colsey is a physical education teacher at Bell Middle School in Chappaqua, N.Y., fulfilling his love of working with youngsters and being a good friend.
,br> "I love kids," he said. "I love my day job. I can't imagine doing anything else or wanting to do anything else. I've got a son who's a year old and my family is everything. Anytime I can help out another person, I will. If I can help a friend out, I will. Local stuff with players, I can help."

"Roy is an unbelievable father, a great husband," added Miller. "My nephew has cerebral palsy and Roy would drive down from Yorktown, which can be a three-hour drive over the bridge, just to see him. Kids around the neighborhood all knew who he was and Roy would hang out with them. Besides being a good lacrosse player, Roy is one of the guys everyone likes being around."

He's one of the guys unless he is on the field. That still is, despite all the successes and achievements he has attained in his career, Roy Colsey's time to prove people wrong: wrong about cutting him from the freshman team and wrong about leaving him off previous national teams. On the field is where he tries to get his due.

"I'm a pretty laid back guy off the field," said Colsey, currently the Barrage's leading scorer with 15 goals (including two 2-pointers) and seven assists. "Nothing really bothers me, but when I put on that helmet I'm working to earn respect."