Big Red LAX is All in the Family

When it comes to the Tripp family, it's clear that lacrosse is the chosen sport.

Steven Tripp is the boys' varsity lacrosse coach at Glen Cove High School. And it's no wonder that his sons, Eric and Dougie, who both grew up around the game, joined the school's lax program, where their father has been at the helm since 1988. 

Eric, who just finished up his first season on Drew University's lacrosse squad, is Big Red's all-time point leader with 315.  But that's not the only member of the family who holds a lacrosse record at the high school.  On April 22, Dougie registered his 122 goal of his career in a 13-5 thrashing over Sewanhaka, breaking the mark previously held by his older brother. He currently has 132 tallies.

Coach Tripp said that his sons have always have been competitive with each other, and they now jokingly take credit for the other's success.

"There was always a competition going on between them," Tripp said with a chuckle. "Dougie will tell Eric without him, he wouldn't have as many points, and Eric tells Dougie he wouldn't have scored so much without him."

After finding the back of the net for the Glen Cove history making goal, Dougie said that he immediately felt a strong sense of accomplishment.

"When I scored the goal, it felt like something was lifted off my shoulders, like a big bolder off my shoulders," said Dougie, who will be playing lacrosse at C.W. Post in Brookville next spring.  "I've been working on breaking that record all season long."

Not one to douse his brother's spirit, Eric, though a little disenchanted over losing the record, was happy that the Big Red goal scoring mark was staying in the family, according to Dougie.

"When I called him after the game, he was excited and a little bit disappointed," the 5-9, 190-pound midfielder said. "But he said, 'I rather you have the record than anyone else."'

While coaching his last offspring at Glen Cove will come to an end at the conclusion of the season, Tripp feels fortunate enough to have been able to lead both his sons in lax competition over the last few years.

"To coach them is fun," he said. "You get close to all of the players on the team, but it makes it a little bit more special when your own kids are a part of the team."

Big Red is scheduled to continue its playoff push against Lawrence High School on Friday at 4:45 p.m.