As a fifth-grader, Robert Arroyo jumped into lacrosse after participating in a clinic. He loved it, got into club call with East Ave. Lacrosse in Elmhurst and eventually made his way to the Fenwick varsity team as a freshman. That’s quite a journey, but it pales in comparison to playing internationally the summer just ahead of his senior year for Team Mexico in the U-20 World Lacrosse Championships — at Jeju Island, at the southern tip of Korea.
Arroyo, perhaps Fenwick’s best on-ball defender, according to coach Connor Lamb, played long-stick midfielder and defensive midfield for Mexico and helped his new team finish in 10th place out of 19 teams in the tournament, the best finish ever for the Mexican team. Keep in mind, Arroyo was one of the youngest players not only on his team, but in the tournament. Did that come with any trepidation?
Not really.
“I was more excited than nervous,” Arroyo recalled. “A lot of people were in college and had more experience.”
Arroyo, who lives in Garfield Ridge, south of Berwyn, has dual U.S. and Mexican citizenship, thus allowing him to participate for Mexico. But how he ended up on the team was a journey unto itself. He found out about the opportunity to play for the U-20 squad when he was a Fenwick sophomore, then went to tryouts before his junior year. Those are the basics. Here’s the whole story from Mexico coach Jake Padilla – a fellow Chicago-area guy.
“I was running the national team cycle and we were going to host the tryouts in Texas,” said Padilla, who once upon a time coached at Fenwick. His sister also graduated a Friar.
“I tracked registrations for the tryout, and I noticed he was a Chicago guy,” he said. “Once he got to Dallas for the tryouts, I zoned in on him and he definitely had potential.”
And how. Arroyo was a perfect addition to Team Mexico for not only his on-field skill, but also his demeanor.
“He has no ego,” Padilla said, “and we were looking for somebody who wanted to rep a team-first ideology. Every opportunity he went in there, he was composed and wasn’t down, and didn’t get daunted by not playing. Some guys do.”
That’s all fine and good, but what about where the rubber meets the road – when he stepped on the field for the first time, against Group D foe China?
Arroyo was cool, cool, cool in that first game.
“I didn’t start, but I got a decent amount of playing time,” he said. “I’m going to go out there, have fun and try to make a play and get the first win of the tournament.”
Which the Mexicans did, before defeating Israel and losing to Ireland, placing them second in the group. After that, they lost to England but beat The Netherlands.
How did the experience make Arroyo a better player for Fenwick? Let’s count the ways.
“I feel like it made me a little smarter because of the coaches there,” he said. “We had some collegiate coaches, one from Georgetown University. Our defensive coach, Mike Hernandez, played for the Outlaws in Major League Lacrosse and he played at Michigan. I just learned to be more loud, how to improve my approaches, be more set and not be so jumpy to get beat, and be more levelheaded.”
Arroyo pointed to Padilla and his team captains as “great leaders,” correcting him as needed and encouraging him to apply what he learned, especially talking defensively.
Of course, traveling to the other side of the world was a cool experience as well, though for the first time in his life he absorbed jet lag. That will happen when you’re traveling 20 straight hours.
Frank Arroyo said watching his son on the field, making plays in an international forum was “indescribable.”
“I was born in the U.S. but grew up in Mexico,” he said. “It’s seeing [him] do things I never imagined doing. It’s priceless. It fills me with pride.”
What’s next for Arroyo? His senior season notwithstanding, he’s considering College of DuPage to study engineering and play lacrosse. He’ll also try out for the Mexican senior team in July.
Though he has to make that team, Padilla is going to enjoy Arroyo’s future.
“I’m excited to see him compete,” he said. “He comes from an incredible family. He doesn’t get flustered.”