Give and Go: Former Maryland, Team USA Defender Becky Clipp
by Matt Forman | LaxMagazine.com
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| Former Maryland and Team USA
defender Becky Clipp is a nurse, a high school coach and STX rep.
No wonder she says she's always drinking coffee. © John Strohsacker/LaxPhotos.com |
A nurse by night, former Maryland/Team USA defender, current Catonsville (Md.) High head coach and STX rep saves lives and takes names.
Who is your favorite athlete?
Terrell Suggs (a.k.a T Sizzle), the 2011 NFL Defensive Player of
the year, Baltimore Ravens. Caw! Caw! He's my favorite athlete
because the persona and character he brings to the field inspires
his team, fans and me.
What's one thing you can't live without?
I love vanilla lattes. They are part of my daily routine whether
on the way to the hospital for my night shift, to the lacrosse
field to coach Catonsville High, or while directing my Step Up
Lacrosse clinics and camps. I always have a coffee in my hand!
Who in lacrosse is destined to be a reality TV
star?
I thought long and hard about this one... Me. It doesn't have to
be a reality show necessarily. I would settle for being a co-host
on "LIVE! with Kelly." Anybody reading have any connections?
Do you Google yourself?
Only when showing co-workers funny pictures of me from my glory
days.
What's under your bed right now?
Shoes. I might have a problem. And a plethora of fanny packs.
If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it
be?
Cal Ripken Jr. I admire his dedication as an athlete. He was
integral part of my childhood memories.
If you could trade places with any one person for a day,
who would it be?
Beyoncé ... next question!
What's one thing that always puts you in a good
mood?
Nothing puts a bigger smile on my face than when girls I have
coached at Step Up sing our signature songs back to me.
Where did you go on your last vacation?
I was in Bend, Ore., skiing Mt. Bachelor, shredding powder, after
running a Step Up clinic. I'm thrilled to contribute to the growth
of women's lacrosse.
What's one thing lacrosse really needs?
Better coverage of college and professional lacrosse on
television. That would be one way to help facilitate growth of the
sport.
It's 2022 – Where are you and what are you
doing?
Happily married with lots of rugrats. Still on the lacrosse field
coaching Step Up with Jenny Collins, possibly with a baby strapped
in the BabyBjorn. Don't worry, I'll still be getting a nursing
shift in here and there, saving lives and taking names!
What's been the proudest moment of your lacrosse
career?
As a player, I am proud to have had the opportunity to play at
Maryland with the best teammates in the world, who are still my
best friends. I am also proud of the time I spent coaching my
little sister, Abbey, who now is a Terp herself. Terps now,
forever, always!
Do you have any pregame rituals?
I always wore my hair in double buns with a shooting string around
my head. And during warm-ups, I always looked into the stands to
find my mom and dad to wave at them.
What's your favorite moment of a lacrosse
game?
Drawing a charge and getting up to celebrate with a fist pump!
One word you would use to describe
yourself?
Dynamic.
What's one bad habit you have?
During meals out, I tend to point at people with my fork when
emphasizing a point.
Overtime
(from Kent Denver High and Team USA's Matt Florence): If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see play the lead role as you?
Reese Witherspoon.
Double Overtime
(from Ruth Callahan, Houston, Texas): What's the biggest obstacle you've had to overcome?
In 2008, while trying out for the U.S. team, I got hit by a shot and broke my jaw. I ended up needing reconstructive surgery where they placed a plate and two screws through my chin. I made the team, so the obstacle was getting back out on the field in five weeks for a training weekend. I was actually afraid of the ball at first — some serious PTSD — but with some support from my family and teammates I was able to get back on the field and play. For the love of the game!
Pose a question for our next subject.
If you could only go on one vacation for the rest of your life,
where would you go?
A version of this article appears in the April issue of Lacrosse Magazine. Don't get the mag? Join US Lacrosse and its 400,000-plus members today to start your monthly subscription.
