or PJs. Krzyminski graduated as a Combat Rescue Officer (CRO). “You need to be strong enough
SECRET SAUCE
WHY LAX PLAYERS FARE WELL IN SPECIAL OPS
1
PHYSICAL FITNESS
Cardiovascular endurance and full- body fitness. Speed and coordination beats raw size and power.
2 MENTAL
TOUGHNESS Competitive
mindset, poise in pressure situations, willingness to grind through training.
3
A 2010 study found SEALs were likely to do better if they grew up in New England (bad weather) or the West (rugged terrain).
4 GEOGRAPHY INTELLIGENCE
Lacrosse annually tops NCAA graduation rates. “We don’t take stupid,” former SEAL commander Rorke Denver said.
to lift a guy over your back but you also need to have the endurance to go on missions that might be 48 hours straight without rest,” said Kryzminski, who is headed to Ranger School before taking command of a Pararescue team (special operators from different branches routinely train with each other). “Being a contact sport really drives the mental tenacity you need to survive in special operations. I think about what I learned in lacrosse, how to rise above pressure and not be intimidated by your opponent.” Perhaps the “secret sauce” isn’t
that lacrosse prepares players for special ops, but acts as a filter, attracting the same high-intensity personalities who might have found special ops anyway. That’s the case for “Ben,” a PJ currently overseas who requested his full name not be used due to the sensitive nature of his missions. Ben played lacrosse growing
The two teams meet annually
in the Fallen Heroes Game dedicated to Looney and Manion, who are buried next to each other at Arlington National Cemetery. One of the newest lacrosse
players turned special operators is Air Force Lt. John Krzyminski. As a cadet at the Air Force Academy, Kryzminski captained the lacrosse team and served as wing commander, the academy’s version of class president. On Sept. 26, he graduated from the Air Force’s Pararescue school at Kirtland Air Force Base, one of just 26 still standing from an initial pool of hundreds. His enlisted classmates, which included two other lacrosse players, became Pararescuemen,
laxmagazine.com
“We’d wondered, what is that secret sauce that gets somebody through our training? you have a better chance if you play lacrosse.”
— Rorke Denver, Navy SEAL
up in New York, but quit when his family moved. He came back to the game only as a college sophomore, transferring to a Division III school in Pennsylvania that gave him a shot. He graduated as the school’s all-time scoring leader, despite playing just three years and essentially having to relearn the game. Looking for another challenge
after lacrosse, Ben became interested in the high standards of Pararescue. “As I started training, I kept thinking, this is a lot like training for lacrosse,” he said. “This is great if I could get paid to do it. It was a whole new set of challenges that I was not good at, and just like lacrosse, I wanted to get better.” LM
Matt White was a Pararescueman (PJ) in the U.S. Air Force and
Alaska Air National Guard. He has written for Los Angeles Magazine, Washingtonian and SB Nation.
November 2014 » LACROSSE MAGAZINE 35
» » » »
ALAN C. HEISON/
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
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