Byram Hills Lax Tourney Raises Over $60G for Wounded Warriors

Sunday was a beautiful autumn morning for middle school and high school lacrosse players to pick up a stick, head outside and get some playing time in to prepare for next spring’s season.

However, the primary focus for members of the 60 teams that converged at Byram Hills High School in Armonk last weekend wasn’t to work on their game but to support a vitally important cause.

Byram Hills and community volunteers held the second annual No Man Down Lacrosse Classic to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project, which helps wounded U.S. military members with a wide range of services and support.

The tournament featured varsity, junior varsity and seventh- and eighth-grade teams from throughout the Hudson Valley, Long Island and Fairfield County with continuous 25-minute 7-on-7 games for boys’ teams and 8-on-8 games for the girls’ squads.

The action started at about 8:30 a.m. and continued throughout the afternoon. More than $60,000 was expected to be raised through a $500 entry fee for each team that participated, along with donations and concession sales.

While the day was fun for the participants, the event represented much more than lacrosse.

“Obviously kids love playing lacrosse, but they’re doing something wonderful for charity and they get to learn a little bit about it from our wounded warrior Deven, which is so nice,” said Beth Grotta, one of the organizers and whose husband, Tom, was the former Byram Hills athletic director. “I think it’s a nice combination of doing something good, bringing attention to the wounded warriors and also playing lacrosse.”

During a break in the action, retired U.S. Army Sgt. Deven Schei was recognized and briefly addressed the hundreds of players and community members who attended. Schei tours the country speaking to groups about the Wounded Warrior Project’s work.

Schei, who joined the Army as a pledge to his brother after his older sibling was left a quadriplegic while serving in 2005, was with the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Ky., when he was deployed to near Kandahar, Afghanistan. About three weeks after arriving, he and several Army buddies were ambushed on July 2, 2010, when a roadside bomb exploded while they were on patrol.

Schei and his three Army buddies all survived but suffered devastating injuries. Schei injured his shoulder and leg – part of his left calf was torn away – and he also lost the hearing in his left ear and was blinded in his left eye.

After battling a wide range of emotions while recovering from his injuries and a dependency to pain medications and booze, he hooked up with the Wounded Warrior Project to participate with their Soldier Ride where members ride modified bikes.

“It opened my eyes and made me realize I didn’t need the alcohol, I didn’t need the medications to be normal again,” said Schei, who grew up in Minnesota and lives in Texas. “I just need to find a new normal, find a way to make a difference and it really changed my life.”

Current Byram Hills Athletic Director Rob Castagna said the day has special meaning for him because there is a strong military presence in his own family.

“It’s just wonderful to come out and see everybody here supporting it,” Castagna said. “Everybody here understands the cause. We’re here for lacrosse but we’re not here for lacrosse. From Deven’s speech to all the parents and community members who made this day possible and the coaches, I’m deeply moved by this.”

Coaches from neighboring high schools said their players looked forward to participating. Horace Greeley High School lacrosse coach Kevin Kuczma said it didn’t take much prodding to get about 30 players from the boys’ varsity and junior varsity and girls’ varsity teams to participate.

“Once they found out the cause and it’s right down the road they were happy to do it,” Kuczma said.

Schei said he was impressed with the turnout and the willingness of the youngsters to give up a Sunday to help the Wounded Warrior Project.

“This is the generation that as long as we get them now and teach them what a veteran is and tell them about combat, tell them what these warriors are going through overseas, to me it’s very important,” he said.

To learn more about the Wounded Warrior Project, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.