Medical Memoirs

High School Athletes’ Unsung Supporter Serves on the Sidelines

- Dr Eric Larue

THE SPECIAL PEOPLE who choose to donate their time to lend a helping hand to our communities, and especially those who dedicate their time to helping children, are true heroes in our society. Dr. Eric LaRue is one such outstanding individual. The Winter Haven pediatrician has built his practice on a dedication to children and their families. His commitment extends into the community, as well, as he serves as a volunteer sidelines physician for the Winter Haven High School football team, the Blue Devils. We caught up with LaRue to learn a little more about the good doctor.

LaRue has deep roots in Central Florida. Though he was born in Texas, he is a Winter Haven native through and through. He grew up in Winter Haven, attending Brigham Elementary, Denison Junior High, and Winter Haven High School. He has watched Winter Haven transform from the sleepy town of the ’60s and ’70s to the bustling city it is today. LaRue attended Auburn University in Alabama and graduated from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL, in 1983. LaRue’s father, Dr. Raymond LaRue, was also a pediatrician in Winter Haven and established the LaRue practice in the 1950s. The senior LaRue served the community for about 35 years, and his son joined him in 1986. Upon the death of his father in 1989, Eric LaRue took over the practice.

For the past 20 years, LaRue has been volunteering as a sidelines physician for the Blue Devils.