Kelli Saunders
Staff Writer
When on the field the term coach is only used.
Mira Costa junior Harrison Dulgarian’s father, Duke Dulgarian, is the head coach for rugby as well as linebacker coach for football. When Harrison Dulgarian is on the field he is just another player, and he only refers to his dad as coach.
“When I’m out there he’s just my coach,” said Harrison. “I try to make it seem like he’s not even my father, and I know kids who still don’t know he’s my dad.”
In rugby, substitutions are rare while in football, playing time varies between players. A common stereotype for the coach’s son is being favored and getting more playing time than other players. Assistant Coach Cameron Chow, however, is Harrison’s position coach in football and decides who is substituted.
“In football, my playing time is really out of both of our hands because he coaches a position that I don’t play,” said Harrison. “I don’t have much of a say in what I play and who the coach decides to put into the game.”
Though it is easy to assume Harrison practices day and night because of his father, this is not necessarily true. The Dulgarians have a normal family dynamic off the field. Harrison is able to learn more about the game from his dad through watching games together but does not get additional practice in without his team.
“When we are watching a football game or rugby game we talk about what’s going on,” said Duke. “Any son of a coach tends to know more about what’s happening. There’s the term ‘coaches’ son’ because we’ve been around the sport for so long.”
When Harrison became a freshman Duke brought Rugby to Costa since he had also played in college. Harrison had been playing for the Los Angeles Rugby Club since he was eight-years-old along with many other Costa students.
“I think that the thing I enjoy the most is watching the way he handles and conducts himself on the field with his teammates,” said Duke. “I’ve watched him grow up and improve and I’m very blessed to be able to spend so much time with my son and watch all of his games.”
Duke has been coaching other players on the Mira Costa team as long as he’s been coaching his own son. Throughout this time, he’s gotten to know many student’s talents just as well as he knows his son in the sport.
“I have thirty sons on my rugby team,” said Duke. “I care for them as much as I care for Harrison when they’re out on the field and I respect all of their decisions.”
According to Duke the hardest part of his job is withholding his parental instinct to want what’s best for his child. He must constantly be focused on the greater good of the team, rather than just his son’s playing time.
“It’s hard when I think he should play more,” said Duke. “In our football staff meetings things get a little difficult because I always want him to have the best but sometimes I need to make the hard decisions as a coach that don’t benefit him the most.”
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