Lacrosse Do's and Don'ts

College Recruiting

Prior to College recruiting there are a few point to remember

  • Academics- College coaches take grades and test scores into deep consideration. In order to become a successful collegiate athlete students must maintain certain Grade Point Averages (GPA’s). If a student cannot do that in high school, how can they in college where there is more freedom and distractions. High School students should strive for a minimum 3.0 GPA.
    • Standardized tests do weigh on a student’s admission. Utilize test prep courses and retake exams as many times as possible. Test scores have proven to rise as students continue to take the SAT’s or ACT’s
  • Gaining Exposure- College coaches are extremely busy people, recruiting during their spring season is severely limited. The best way to expose yourself is to send a highlight film and/or attend recruiting showcases and tournaments in the Summer and Fall post junior year. These showcases tend to be expensive but guarantee exposure to dozens of coaches. Attending one tournament will increase the likelihood of being recruited substantially. Ask us or your coach about such showcases as some require recommendations from varsity coaches to attend.
    • To be most efficient, contact coaches whom you may be interested in playing for and find which showcase they will be at. Inform them of your interest and that you will be at tournament X. Hundreds of players will be at these events, showing an interest before such events will help in being evaluated.
  • Post-Graduate Year: One path that some students decide to explore is doing a PG year at a prep-school. The advantage to the student-athlete is that he gets another year to develop as a student and a lacrosse player. He will be involved in highly competitive lacrosse and get plenty of exposure... if he gets playing time. College coaches always consider these players because they have matured both mentally and physically, arriving as freshmen more prepared to succeed at the college level.
    • There are several risks to be aware of when considering a PG year. A year at a prep school is usually very expensive, often as expensive as a year at a private college. Also, while a prep-school coach may be interested in your son/daughter, there are no guarantees for playing time, as he is competing against players who have been there for three years as well as other fifth-year seniors. The opportunity to play is more competitive than regular high schools. As lacrosse is a spring sport, it is played after the college application process is complete

Do’s & Do Not’s of College Recruiting

Participating in athletics at the collegiate level can be one of the most enjoyable times of your life; getting there can also be one of the most stressful. Don’t make it more difficult than it is. The following guidelines will help make the recruiting process more enjoyable as a player and or parent The following ideas come from athletes who have been through the recruiting process and college coaches who recruit players like you annually.

  • Do your homework; provide yourself with a variety of options. Look at a few “reach” school, a few great schools and a few safety schools. This ensures you will be accepted while allowing you to pursue schools of higher education.
  • Find schools that suit YOU; not your friends, relatives and so on. Only so much can be determined over the internet and phone; be sure to visit the school at least once before a final decision is made.
  • When contacting a coach be sure to provide your basic information, such as address, phone number, email, grade, school and so on. You may think you are the sole recruit but be aware there are dozens of other student-athletes in contact with college coaches.
  • YOU, THE STUDENT-ATHLETE BE THE MAIN CONTACT WITH COACHES. You are entering adulthood; coaches do not want your parents to be the middle man in building a relationship with you.
  • When you begin to speak with a coach have a list of potential questions to ask, be confident and open minded. Coaches are going to promote their programs; so ask questions they don’t cover. This helps avoid choosing the wrong school.
  • Be honest with your expectations of college. If they do not match those of the team and institution, that school may not be for you.
  • Utilize campus tours and visit your desired schools, parents too. When you determine which schools interest you most set up “official visits”. Meet coaches, players, faculty and spend a night on campus with a student-athlete host (coaches will be able to inform you of their school’s policies regarding this)
  • When visiting a school officially or unofficially, you are being evaluated beyond the lacrosse field. Dress appropriately, speak properly and carry yourself as a confident, young and educated adult. Players talk to coaches about recruits; if your attitude and actions are poor even beyond the coach’s eye, they WILL hear about it and loose interest in you.
  • When playing in tournaments where you know there will be a lot of college coaches, make sure that your coach has given the tournament directors the correct jersey number and contact info for you so the college coaches evaluate the right player. You want the college coach to be evaluating your son and not someone else because of inaccurate information on the roster. Be sure to check the roster at the start of the tournament to make sure you are represented properly.
  • At recruiting showcases you are evaluated on much more than your efforts when the ball is in your stick or while defending the ball. Your work ethic, attitude toward teammates, officials, fans and coaches, and behavior while on the sideline or off the field play a vital role in a coach’s decision of contacting you.
  • Highlight videos are an additional means of aiding coaches in evaluating your level of play. Be sure to label your video with team color and your number. Include a few highlights but most importantly an entire game (anyone can be a superstar during highlights).
  • Choose a school for the right reasons, ACADEMICS, LOCATION, SIZE, MONEY and so on. ATHLETICS should be considered heavily but realize the potential for a career ending injury and that most of your time is spent away from participating in athletics (would you be happy at school X if you no longer could play lacrosse?).
  • Most Importantly:
    • Pick a school you see yourself being happy at for a number of reasons.
    • Be sure you like the coach; you will interact with them a great deal for the next four years.
    • ***Enjoy the Recruiting Process*** Coaches want you to come to their school!!! Relax and look at all your options.