PASS IT ON...

I have been involved in the game of lacrosse since I was in 5th grade.
I have been a lacrosse player, a lacrosse coach, a lacrosse fan, and a lacrosse parent.  I don't talk much about my playing career with my athletes, but I think it's important for them to understand my credentials and the depth of my playing & coaching experience. I also want them to understand that every player is going to experience high's and low's throughout their journey. It's all part of the process, and it prepares us for life outside of the lines. 

THREE SIMPLE LESSONS FROM A LIFE IN LACROSSE

EVERYONE FAILS

I want my athletes to know that EVERYONE experiences setbacks and everyone fails at some point. Losing, being cut, playing badly or being left off of an all-star roster happens to EVERYONE. The difference between good players and great players is how they handle their failures, not how they handle their successes. When you lose or fail, it is an incredible opportunity to learn and grow. To accept responsibility and make the appropriate adjustments in your life. Maybe you need to train harder, eat better, get smarter or compete with more intensity. Failure is temporary. One of my favorite quotes sums it up best..

"There is no losing, only winning and learning"

MINDSET MATTERS

Becoming an elite player is a process.
It starts with the decisions that you make on a daily basis and grows with the discipline that is learned from that consistency. Each positive choice and sacrifice increases your commitment to the process. The more you sacrifice, the more you train, the more you sweat, the more you expect from yourself.
Every good athlete that becomes great knows that he has earned the right to succeed. The countless hours of time and the endless amount of energy are simply fuel for the fire. When you have worked harder than your peers and your competition, you know that you deserve to win. And with that knowledge, you have the confidence to take the last shot and a desire to win that is bigger and stronger than anyone else on the field.  This is why we train so hard and this is why we achieve our goals.

ENJOY THE JOURNEY

I can say, without a doubt, that the game of lacrosse owes me nothing. From the time that I picked up a stick in 5th grade, there was something special about the game.  The skills required to succeed were challenging. The game itself was fast and physical. Lacrosse was truly a combination of my favorite sports.  It was as if someone decided to combine football, basketball and  hockey to create the world's best game. And, whether they meant to or not, they certainly did.  I have traveled to places I would never have seen and met some of the most incredible people in my life thanks to lacrosse. My best friends, my biggest accomplishments, and my greatest memories are all connected to the game. I have been inspired & humbled, thrilled and disappointed, and overcome with positive and negative emotions throughout it all. The game is a part of me, as it is already a part of you. Embrace the journey and all of the stops along the way. Take time to appreciate the small victories and to celebrate the big ones. Thank your coaches, support your teammates and honor the game. You shall only pass this way once, and while it feels like it has gone fast, I feel lucky to have traveled this road at all, and I hope it brings you the same happiness, success and challenges it has brought me.  When it's all said and done, make sure that you can confidently say, "I left it all on the field".


Roy Colsey Career Highlights:

Yorktown HS:
***Cut from the Freshman team as an 8th Grader***
Scored the game winning goal in the 1989 State Championship as a Sophomore
2X State Champions 1989 & 1991
2X HS All-American

***Being cut from the Freshman team was the best thing that ever happened to me.  I was certainly good enough to make the team, and many of my close friends from the 8th grade team were selected, so it was a powerful lesson. I decided to dedicate myself to the game and spent the entire spring and summer working tirelessly at my skills and dodging and shooting. It allowed me to develop a work ethic that might otherwise have escaped me. I learned to love the hard work and the process.  This lesson has served me extremely well over my entire life and has taught me to fight for the things that I want.

EMPIRE STATE GAMES
HUDSON VALLEY REGION
GOLD MEDALIST 1994
SILVER MEDALIST 1993

USA U-19 Team:
1992 World Games Gold Medalist
1st Team All-World

Syracuse University:
2X National Champion 1993 & 1995
4X All-American
3X First Team All-American
1995 Midfielder of the Year

Mens Club Lacrosse:
New York Athletic Club
National Champions

National Lacrosse League (NLL Indoor Lacrosse)
Drafted by the Rochester Nighthawks in 1995.
New York Saints
New Jersey Storm
Anaheim Storm
Buffalo Bandits
New York Titans
1st Team NLL All-Pro
Tied for the league scoring title with John Tavares

Major League Lacrosse
1st Player Assigned to the Bridgeport Barrage
Bridgeport Barrage
Philadelphia Barrage
Barrage (No Home Town)
MLL All-Star
3 X World Champions 2004, 2006 & 2007
MVP of the 2006 World Championship (11 Points)

HS Coach 2009-2024
Ridgefield HS, Ridgefield CT
FCIAC Conference
3X State Champions
2009 FCIAC Champions
Ended Darien HS's 76 game winning streak to win the 2018 Class L State Championship in one of the biggest upsets in HS sports history.
Coached 22 HS All-Americans
Coached 50 Division 1 Players

2024 USA Mens Indoor Team Coach
Participating in the 2024 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships

USA NATIONAL HALL OF FAME
INDUCTED IN 2012 AS A TRULY GREAT PLAYER

PROFESSIONAL LACROSSE HALL OF FAME
INDUCTED INTO THE PRO LACROSSE HALL OF FAME IN 2023