In the world of lacrosse, athletes face the trade-off between looking stylish and en-

suring their safety. Recognizing this issue, Wilmington Friends School student Tripp

Young ‘25 launched an awareness brand, called “Safe2Style” to educate the impor-

tance of wearing equipment properly, while still looking stylish.

The initiative began with interviews among his teammates to understand

the attitudes towards equipment usage. Through these discussions, it was clear that

the common issue was the alteration had an inverse relationship to that of the safety,

“As a lacrosse player myself, I recognized that athletes, even at the college level, do

not commit themselves to every play in games. Through research, I found that fear

arose from their concern that their equipment was altered to ‘look’ good, and they

held back because they were compromising their safety for style.”

Motivated by his own experience of accidentally incorrectly worn equip-

ment, and the desire to help others avoid similar injuries, Tripp envisioned Safe-

2Style, “I had been injured as a result of improper equipment. When I created this

initiative, I envisioned myself being the person I would have wanted to have known,

helping teach kids like my younger self how to wear equipment properly.”

The project quickly gained traction. Tripp’s approach involved creating an

Instagram account, ‘Safe2Style’, where he shared interviews and stories from athletes

who had improved their equipment use. “I then realized that my idea, if executed

correctly, could reach a larger audience, whether it be other athletes from different

sports/schools.” As more athletes engaged with Safe2Style, the movement grew, and

the community was eager to embrace the initiative. “I found that the more the idea

spread, the more people wanted to buy into the idea.”

As the idea continued to expand, S2S has gained the interest of several college level

athletes who resonated with the message and wanted to share their stories; these

stories have been made public for followers to see. If you have interest in watching,

follow “Safe2Style” on instagram.

Looking ahead, Tripp plans to expand the reach of Safe2Style even further.

He intends to conduct an interview with members of the Board of the US Lacrosse

Delaware Chapter, to gain deeper insights into the issue and further validate his

cause. This step marks a significant milestone in Tripp’s journey, highlighting the

potential impact of S2S on a broader scale.

Through the combination of commitment to safety and desire for style,

Safe2Style stands as a testament to the power of youth-driven initiatives in address-

ing important issues within sports. Safe2Style is making a lasting difference in the

lacrosse community, one properly worn piece of equipment at a time.