J Sandy Roy went to Amesbury High School from 1921 until 1925. He was a 3 or maybe 4-sport athlete. He was voted best athlete for the class of 1925. After graduating from UNH he came back to Amesbury in 1929 to teach. He also became a vice principal and coach or all 3 until 1969 when he retired. Beside coaching he was an advisor to classes and he and Bikes Wallace worked at the parks program during the summer giving young athletes a good foundation and a love for sports. Leo Dupere, Hall of Famer, said” He loved going to the parks program when he was a youngster during the summer. Sandy drew the kids in with his style and kindness. Sandy is a very deserving candidate for the Athletic Hall of Fame.”
Sandy was liked by anyone who crossed his path. How could you not like him when you read his high school yearbook quote. ” All stars don’t shine in heaven! Athletes first- girls next.”
Mr. Roy, for most of us young people who remember him as a Vice Principal, psychology teacher, or maybe a coach, has a great admiration for him. He had his picture on the wall of the AHS library and now in the Frank Lawlor auditorium when it meant something. Helen Hoyt Kulik, Class of ‘42 “told us that J Sandy Roy was the best teacher she ever had.” Howie Doane, Class of 64, said “if not for Sandy Roy, there would have been a lot of students who would have never have graduated from AHS.”
In football he played all 4 years and lettered in his sophomore , junior and senior years. He may be the only player in Amesbury High School football history that was a Captain for both his Junior and Senior years. He was a standout for the Charlie Broderick teams that went 13 and 6. Sandy was the leading scorer both his Junior and Senior years. In his senior year he scored 18 times for 108 points.
He was an assistant football coach in ‘29 and ‘31. He was offered the head football coaching job in 1931. Even though he was intelligent enough not to take the position, he stayed on as an assistant. Sandy was also an assistant football coach in ‘44, 46′, 47′, and 48′. He probably coached in other years and maybe other sports, but we do not have any information unfortunately.
As an assistant coach the 1949 yearbook wrote “everybody knows Sandy. He’s been part of the framework around football picture at AHS for a long time, both as a player and coach. As a rule, he makes it a point to shrug off all credit aimed in his direction, passing it on instead, to the “boys. We know better.”
In the winter he played hockey. J Sandy played at a time when we were at the mercy of Mother Nature hoping for cold weather and no snow so we had some ice. We have no statistics for hockey during these years. He was the head hockey coach for the ’31-’32 season that went 1-0 but didn’t play any more games because of weather and financial reasons. Therefore, Coach Roy may be the only head coach in the history of Amesbury sports that went undefeated as a head coach.
It is said that he may have played some basketball and run some track in the Town Hall during this time, but we don’t have any statistics.
In baseball he lettered both his junior and senior years and was a Captain during his senior year. He was one of the leading pitchers his junior and senior years. In one game he pitched a 5-hitter with 15 strikeouts in a 3-3 tie against Brewster Academy. In another game he pitched a 10-inning game and had 16 strikeouts in an 8-7-win vs Kennebunk, Maine. He also was the leading hitter with a .325 average his junior year.
This was written in a class 1948 yearbook dedication about J Sandy.” Few people realize the amount of time and worry the coaches have to put in to develop any kind of team whether it be football, basketball, or baseball. Amesbury is fortunate to have at the head of the athletic department two such hardworking men. They are Tony Tassinari and J Sandy Roy. No matter what kind of team is produced, they have always trained the boys in the way of hard playing and good sportsmanship. It is to these two men that this sports section is appreciatively dedicated.”
Congratulations to inductee J Sandy Roy, Class of 1925.
