Captain Troy Pollock dodges down the alley on a Belmont Hill defender.
Inspired by his brother’s love for the game, Andover Boys Lacrosse Co-Captain Troy Pollock ’21 began playing lacrosse in first grade. From playing as a first grader to becoming co-captain during his Senior year in high school, Pollock has developed a strong work ethic and sportsmanship, two qualities his brother and father have encouraged throughout his career.
“I started playing lacrosse when I was in first grade and I grew up watching my brothers play lacrosse. I look up to my brother, Ryan… My dad and my other brother both inspire me in different ways and… [teach me] to be a leader and have good sportsmanship,” Pollock said.
According to Liam Hall ’21 and Preston Whitehurst ’22, Pollock exemplifies leadership to his teammates through his actions both on and off the field.
Hall said, “His leadership ability is really great. Being new here, even though I’m one of the older kids on the team, he’s helped me adapt to the [Andover] community both on the field and in the classroom as well.”
“Troy’s contributed to the team by being a really selfless leader… He leads by example and it’s great to watch him interact with the younger players on the team and be motivational for everyone,” Whitehurst added.
Hall and Whitehurst praised Pollock’s worth ethic, adding that he is always working to improve and describing his athletic performance as “gritty.”
“Kind, hardworking, and gritty. I think all three of those words describe [Pollock’s] playing style and personality. I’ve never seen him in practice take a drill off or take a rep off, he’s always going 100 percent,” said Hall.
Whitehurst said, “The first word that sticks out to me is gritty, just because he’s always working hard… He’s a really hard-nosed guy that works really hard at the little things and the things that might not be as flashy or make the crowd go crazy. But he does the little things very well and some of the things that may not get all of the glory.”
Pollock’s hard work and determination are reflected in his desire to participate as much as he can in games. According to Pollock, his favorite position is midfield because the position offers more action during games.
Pollock said, “I play attack right now at Andover. It’s not my favorite position, [but] I do like playing attack because at attack you’re behind all the plays, almost like a quarterback. But I do love playing midfield because, at midfield, you’re more involved in the game. You’re playing defense, you’re playing offense, you’re playing a lot more scenarios.”
Despite the ongoing pandemic, Pollock and the other co-captains continue to lead the team in intense practices. The team works to follow Covid-19 protocols by wearing masks and filling out the school’s daily symptom tracker.
Pollock said, “Everyone is wearing their masks and following safety protocols. We’ve all been doing the daily symptom tracker… I think that as long we keep the safety protocols, we’re allowed to play lacrosse at its fullest.”
According to Pollock, although he has been put in unusual circumstances due to Covid-19, he enjoys being co-captain of the team and is grateful for the opportunity.
Pollock said, “I love the situation I’m in now. I think Coach Bolan, who was new last year but didn’t get to coach, I think he’s done a great job rallying us together. We have little groups where we compete against each other. I love being a part of that and I love having the opportunity to lead this team with the other captains. As of now, and focusing on the now, that’s what I am most excited about.”
Pollock will continue his lacrosse career at Hamilton College this upcoming year.
Editor’s note: Preston Whitehurst ’22 is a Copy Editor for The Phillipian
