About Roy Marshall

Appearance:

When you meet Roy, you’ll probably notice his smile first. It’s warm and engaging, much like his basic personality. His eyes are slightly hooded, but they have a twinkle. There is no gray in his close-cropped hair. Roy is just below average height, with a powerfully built frame. He dresses in a style that is understated but professional.

Dialogue Style: 

Roy has a deep, resonant voice. He spent time away from Kentucky when he played professional baseball; the separations took the edge off his accent but didn’t eliminate it. He chooses words and stories based on how many people are in the room. With a larger group, his speech is punctuated by quotes from well-known coaches. If the group is smaller, he’s more likely to reference the Bible.

Personality traits: 

Low-key, knowledgeable, inspiring. Roy understands how to motivate his players to reach their goals. He does that by allowing them to be part of the process, not by intimidating them. Roy often jokes with his players, but it’s unlikely he’ll raise his voice. 

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Backstory: 
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In the summer of 1970, Hartsend learns of a court-ordered plan to desegregate their high schools in the fall. New Zion, Hartsend’s Black high school, will be closed as a result. New Zion’s students will be sent to the two remaining schools, Hartsend High and Ford County High. Roy receives an offer to be head coach at Ford County High. Then he learns that his son Louis, a rising senior and football star, will attend Hartsend High.

There are predictions of violence towards New Zion students involved in the desegregation program. Roy and Helen worry about Louis’ safety. They also know Louis, who is considered a top candidate for an athletic scholarship, might lose his chance if he gets caught up in the violence. To help prevent this, Roy turns down the Ford County job and accepts the assistant coach job at Hartsend High. He’ll report to Coach Art Kearney.

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Relationships:

Roy and Art met as teenagers and followed similar career paths as young men. Both played professional baseball after high school, then returned to Hartsend and began coaching. They’re friendly acquaintances rather than friends at this point. 

Art is aware of Louis’ abilities and considers Louis a strong candidate for the starting lineup. He realizes there are complicating factors, though. Rich families such as the Harts are accustomed to buying spots on the football team for their sons. Such people don’t respond well to being told no.

In addition, Louis feels driven to stand with his friends and teammates should there be a protest or threat of violence. Roy fears this could work against Louis’ ability to receive a scholarship. Louis says he doesn’t want a scholarship that comes to him because he abandons his friends. Roy doesn’t mention this to Art, worried it might cause Art to leave Louis on the bench.

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Motivations and Goals:

Roy’s personal motivations center on Helen and their children. Louis tends to dominate his thoughts, because this is his senior year. Of course, he still worries about James and Daphne. The first item on Roy’s list is getting all three children safely through high school and into college. 

The job at Hartsend High will be challenging for Roy on some levels. He’ll know his own players better than the Hartsend players but needs to treat everyone the same. Also, he must communicate clearly to everyone, even himself, that Art’s in charge. 

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Character Arc:

Roy accepts the job at Hartsend High thinking he’ll focus on keeping Louis out of trouble. As it turns out, he and Art deal with administrative problems centering on other players. To no one’s surprise, the Harts and their supporters are typically on the opposite side.