ConnectLAXRecruitingHandbook

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RecruitingHandbook

YourGuidetoNavigatingToday’sRecruitingProcessandPlaying

COLLEGELACROSSE

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TableofContentsIntroduction.............................................................................................................................................................3TheRecruitingLandscapeToday....................................................................................................................5RealityCheck:LacrossebytheNumbers.....................................................................................................9EarlyRecruiting:TheNewNorm..................................................................................................................11FearFactor:RiseinVerbalCommitments................................................................................................13TheFutureofLacrosse:Forecast=Hot......................................................................................................16ScholarshipMyths:ImportantConsiderations.......................................................................................17Questions&Answers:TheCompetitiveRecruitingLandscape.......................................................19DiligenceItems:KeyQuestionstoAskCollegeCoaches.....................................................................21ClubTeams:RecruitingExposure.................................................................................................................23MCLA/WCLA:CompetitiveLacrosseatGreatSchools......................................................................26CoachInteraction:10TipsforMakingaStrongImpression............................................................28CollegePreferencesAndVisitChecklist.....................................................................................................31TipsforBuildingaGreatHighlightVideo..................................................................................................34WhyGeographyMatters...................................................................................................................................36SampleCollegeVisitCriteria...........................................................................................................................38TheLacrosseRecruitingCalendar................................................................................................................38AdditionalResourcestoReview....................................................................................................................41Step-by-StepRecruitingTimeline.................................................................................................................42BeforeHighSchool..........................................................................................................................................42FreshmanYear..................................................................................................................................................43SophomoreYear...............................................................................................................................................47JuniorYear..........................................................................................................................................................48SeniorYear..........................................................................................................................................................51

Conclusion:TheProcessisDifferentbuttheGoalistheSame........................................................53OurStory:FoundersGageandNick.........................................................................................................53

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IntroductionAsanonlinerecruitingservice,weworkwithallstakeholdersintheprocess,includingplayers,parentsandcoaches.Webuiltourservicewithcollegecoachesandpartnerwithclubteamsandeventstomaximizetherecruitingexposureoftheirplayers.Thisguideprovideseveryplayerwiththeinsightwegetfromtalkingwithcollegecoaches,speakingalongsidethematrecruitingseminarsandlisteningtotheirshowcasediscussions.Thisiscoupledwithourunderstandingofthechallengesplayersandparentsfacenavigatingtherecruitingprocess,whichstemfromourPersonalRecruitingCoachconsultations.We’reupfrontabouttherecruitingprocessandhopeyoufindthisguidetimely,practicalandrobust.Lacrosserecruitingisessentiallysupplyanddemand.Inthiscase,thedemandornumberoftalented,highschoolrecruitsisgrowingmuchfasterthanthesupplyornumberofavailablerosterspotsoncollegeteams.Asaresult,recruitinghasbecomeincreasinglycompetitiveforhighschoolplayers,aswellascollegeadmissionsingeneralforallstudents.Whatdoesthismeanforyou?Simplyput,lacrosseisatoolyoucanusetogetintoagreatschool.Furthermore,playinglacrossewillenhanceyourcollegiateexperienceandbetterprepareyouforlifeaftergraduation.AccordingtoastudythatanalyzedtheadmissionsdataatHarvard,Virginia,Middleburyandothertopschools,arecruitedathletewas30%morelikelytobeadmittedthananon-athlete.1Itgoeswithoutsayingthathighschoolstudent-athletescanexperienceelevatedstresswhiletryingtofindboththerightacademicinstitutionandlacrosseprogram.

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Thekeyistofindacollegethatyouwouldbehappyatwithoutlacrosse.Withover1,500collegiatelacrosseprogramsinourcollegedirectory,focusingonacademicsandsocialfitfirstisthebestwaytostartyourtargetlist.Ourcollegematchingserviceisafreeresourcetohelpplayersandparentsfindandevaluateschoolsthatfitthembothonandoffthefield.Theincreaseincollegetransfersisanunderreportedbyproductofearlyrecruitingandatrendwehopetostymiebyprovidingrobustinformationalongwitharoadmapforplayersandparentstoacton.Justlikeonthelacrossefield,communicationiskey.Makesureyouandyourparentsareonthesamepagethroughouttherecruitingprocessasmixedmessagescanprovidearedflagtocollegecoaches.Goodluckandgetreadyfortheexperienceofalifetime.

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TheRecruitingLandscapeTodayTherecruitinglandscapehasacceleratedoverthepastfivetotenyearswiththegrowthofverbalcommitmentsbyhighschoolunderclassman.NCAArecruitingrulesallowDivisionIcollegecoachestoofficiallycontactplayersonJuly1followingtheirjunioryear.However,bythistimemostrecruitingclassesatDivisionIprogramsarenearlyfull.ThistrendhascontinuedbecausecollegecoacheshaveuntilrecentlybeenunabletoreachaconsensusinreversingitandtheNCAAprefersnottoaddresschangestoonesportatatime.Infact,theNCAAhasactuallybeenderegulatingrecruitingacrosssportsasoflate.2InDecember2015,theDivisionImen’scoachesvotedtosupportabantorestrictrecruitinguntilafterSeptember1ofarecruit’sjunioryearofhighschool,joiningthewomen’scoachesinaproposalthatwillneedNCAAapprovaltogointoeffect.Verbalcommitmentsbyhighschoolunderclassmenhavebecomethenewnorm,whichmeansplayersandparentsneedtoproactivelyresearch,evaluateandengagetheirtargetcolleges.Thesummerbeforehighschoolistherighttimetostartpreparingfortherecruitingprocess.Bypreparing,wemeanahighleveldiscussionwithinyourfamilyaboutyourcollegepreferencesandageneralawarenessofNCAAacademicrequirements.Fearhasunfortunatelybeenadrivingfactorbehindthegrowthofearlyrecruitmentasplayers,parentsandevencoachesworryaboutbeingleftbehindintoday’sacceleratedrecruitinglandscape.However,itisimportanttorememberthatcollegeisa40-year,nota4-yeardecisionandourresourcesaredesignedtohelpplayersandparentsmakeaneducatedchoice.Weencourageplayerstofindahealthyactivitylevelwithintherecruitingprocess,whichmeansplayinginteamtournaments,attendingindividualshowcasesandconnectingtocollegecoachesonline.Thisdoesnotmeanplayingonmultipleclubteams,attendingeveryshowcaseyougetintoorusingeveryonlinerecruitingservice.Bediligentandtargetedin

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yourapproach;researchtheteams,eventsandservicesaheadoftimesoyouspendyourtimeandmoneywisely.• Whichtournamentsdoesyourclubteamattend?Manyteam-basedrecruitingtournamentsareinviteonly.Coacheswanttoseeyouplayagainststrongcompetition,sotheygowherethereisparityalongwithtopteams

• Whichcollegecoacheshavecommittedtoeachshowcase?Reversetheprocessandstartbyfiguringoutwhichshowcasesandeventsthecoachesatyourtargetschoolsareattending,thenapplytothose

• Attendprospectdaysatcollegeswhereyoualreadyhavearecruitingdialoguewiththecoachandfittheiracademicprofile.Beproactiveinfiguringoutifthecoachisrecruitingyourpositionforyouryear

• Showcaseyourgameonlineandcreatearecruitingprofilethathasallofyourplayerinformationinoneplace,butdon’tfeelpressuretosubscribetoeveryonlinerecruitingservice

• Creatingahighlightvideofromafewrespectedshowcasesandsharingitwithcoachesatyourtargetcollegescanbealotmorecosteffectivethansimplyattendingmoreevents

Remember,it’snotabouthowmanytimesacoachseesyou,it’saboutwhattheyseewhenwatchingyouplayorviewingyourhighlightvideo.Werecommendyourrecruitingplanincludethefollowing:• Investinyourgameandintheclassroom

— Attendinginstructionalcampsandworkingwithacoach,mentororprivateinstructoriscriticalindevelopingstrongfundamentalsthatcollegecoachesarelookingfor

— Clubteamsandindividualshowcasesprovideexposuretocollegecoaches,butbalancethiswithcontinuedworkonyourgame.Thespeed,athleticabilityandballskillsyouneedtostandoutaredeveloped“afterhours”withaspeedladderandwallball

— Useyouracademicstoeliminateyourcompetitionbeforeyouevensteponthefield.Openyourrecruitmenttothelargestnumberofschoolspossible

— Ensureyourgradesandtestscoresmeettheeligibilityandadmissionstandardsoftheschoolsyouareinterestedinandmoreimportantly,possiblyalreadycommittedto.Verbalcommittingdoesnotmeanthatyou’readmittedtothecollege

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• Createarealisticlistoftargetschoolsthatmatchyourcollegepreferencesandathleticabilities— Lacrosseshouldbeoneofmanyfactorsconsideredinyourcollegedecision,alongwithschoolsizeandlocation,studentbodyandcampus,majorsoffered,cost,etc.

— Donotweighallofthesefactorsequally;assigneachofthemavaluebasedonimportance.Focusonacademicsandsocialfitbeforelacrosse

— Researchthelacrosseexperience,coachingstaffandteamculturethroughvideos,interviewsandarticlesabouttheschoolandprogram.Considertheimportanceofplayingtime,manyDivisionIathletesneverorrarelyseetheplayingfieldduringtheircollegecareers

— Includeschoolswhereyoucouldseeyourselfbeinghappywithoutlacrosseincaseofinjury,etc.andensureyourlisthasenoughschoolsonitascoachingchangescancausetherecruitingtrailtogocold

• Beproactiveininitiatingcontactwithcollegecoachesattheprogramsyouareinterestedinandlookforeventsofferedbytheseschoolsorcoaches— Youronlineprofileisthebestmethodofcontactbecauseithasallofyourinformationinoneplace,includingyourhighlightvideo

— Providerelevantathleticandacademicstatisticsandkeepyourrecruitcalendaruptodatesointerestedcoachescanseeyouinperson

— Attendingcampsandclinicsallowsyoutoseethecampus,meetandhopefullyimpressthecoachingstaff,talkwithcurrentplayers,andlearnmoreabouttheprogram

Lacrosseisatool,alongwithyourgrades,testscoresandextracurricularactivitiesthatwillhelpyoureachyourdreamschool.Tomaximizethistool,youneedtoproactivelyreachouttocollegecoachesandgetyourgameinfrontofthem.Simplyput,don’twaitforcoachestocometoyou,gotothembysharingyourhighlightvideoandtargetingeventtheyareattending.Weunderstanditcanbeintimidatingtoreachouttocollegecoachesyourself.We’veaddedtheabilityforourrecruitstofeaturethemselvesdirectlywithinacollegecoach’sdashboardforthisreason.Keepinmindthatcollegecoacheshavelimitedbudgetsandstaff.Thisisnotcollegefootballorbasketball.Combinethatwiththesupplyanddemand

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situationweexplainedearlierandtrustus,it’sveryimportanttoproactivelyreachouttocoachesatyourtargetschools.Donotgetdiscouragedifcoachesdonotreplytoyoudirectly.Dependingonyoureligibility,DivisionIandIIcoachesmaybeunabletorespondduetoNCAArestrictions.Theywillinsteadreachouttoyourcoachesafterreviewingyourhighlightvideoandrecruitingprofile.

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RealityCheck:LacrossebytheNumbersResearchingandfindingtherightschoolforyouiskeybecauselacrossescholarshipsandprofessionalopportunitiesarelimitedfinanciallyandthe4-yearcostoftuitionandexpensesisapproaching$250,000atmanylacrosseschools.Ultimately,itisyoureducationthatisgoingtosetyouupforlong-termsuccessandlacrossecangiveyouthebestopportunitytogainadmissiontoatopschool.TherealityisDivisionIprogramsspread12.6fullscholarshipsacrossanaveragemen’srostersizeof46playersand12fullscholarshipsacrossanaveragewomen’srosterof30players.Thedifferenceinrostersizestemsfromdifferingsubstitutionpatternsanddegreeofspecialization.A“fullride”isveryrareinmen’slacrossebecausecollegecoachesprefertospreadscholarshipsacrosstheirentireroster,resultinginpartialscholarshipsforthemajorityofplayers.Infact,theUniversityofVirginiamen’slacrosseteamhasonlygiven3fullscholarshipstoasingleplayerinthelast20years.DivisionIImen’sandwomen’sprogramshave10.6and9.9fullscholarships,respectively.DivisionIIIandIvyLeagueschoolsdonotofferathleticscholarships.Further,onlyhalfoftheDivisionIandIIteamsarefullyfunded,whichmeansmanyprogramsareunabletoofferthemaximumnumberofscholarshipsallowedbytheNCAA.Using2014-2015NCAAstatistics,therewere3,109maleathletesacross68DivisionImen’steamscomparedto3,172femaleathletesacross106DivisionIwomen’steams.Withonly12.6and12fullscholarshipsavailableperteam,thatmeans3.6maleathletesand2.5femaleathletesshareeveryfullscholarship.Thisassumesalloftheteamsarefullyfundedandabletoofferthemaximumnumberofscholarships,whichunfortunatelyisnotthecase.Thesestatisticsarenotmeanttodiscourageyoufromplayingcollegelacrossebutrathertohelpyoufocusontherealbenefitsofbeingacollegiatestudent-athlete.Lacrossewillgiveyourelationships,withyourteammatesandpossiblyfuturebusinesspartners,withyourcoachingstaffandwithgreatalumnibaseswhooftenlovetohelpanathlete.Thecommitmentanddisciplinerequiredtoplaycollegiatelacrossewillhelpyoustandapartfromyourcompetitioninjob

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interviews.Nottomentionthefun,camaraderieanduniqueexperiencesyouandyourteammateswillshare.OpportunitiesinlacrosseaftercollegeincludeMajorLeagueLacrosse(outdoor,founded2001,9teams),NationalLacrosseLeague(indoor,founded1987,9teams)andLXMPro(travelAll-Starteams,founded2009,2teams).TheNationalLacrosseLeagueisprimarilyCanadian,whereboxlacrosseisthecountry’sofficialsummersport.LacrosseprofessionalstrulysacrificetogrowthegameastheyoftentravelacrossthecountryforFridaynightpracticesaheadofSaturdaygames.Contractsaretypicallypay-per-play,whichmeansplayersonlygetpaidforthegamestheyplayin.Theyplaybecausetheylovelacrosseandbeingpartofateam.Thatsenseofteamcamaraderieiswhatmakescollegelacrossesospecialatanylevelandwhyformerplayerslookbacksofondlyontheircollegiatecareers.Afew“walk-on”opportunitiesstillexistonthewomensideofDivisionIlacrossebutarelargelyathingofthepastforthemen’sside.DuetoTitleIXandsquadsizerestrictions,manymen’sprogramsdonotacceptwalk-ons.Themajorityofcoachesthatdoacceptthemgivetheirrecruitspreferenceoverwalk-ons.Onlyafewwomen’scoachesofferrecruitsandwalk-onsanequalopportunitytotry-outfortheteam.Despitebeinganon-revenuesport,lacrosseistheonlyNCAAsporttosharetheearlyrecruitingtimelinewithhigh-grossingfootballandbasketball.Giventhevastlydifferentscholarshipandprofessionalopportunitiesavailable,thismayappearsomewhatsurprising.However,themainreasonforthisintensecompetitionstemsfromlacrossebeingapowerfultoolingainingadmissiontothebestschoolsinthecountry.

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EarlyRecruiting:TheNewNormCollegecoachesoftenexpressfrustrationabouttoday’sacceleratedrecruitinglandscapeandit’simpactonhighschoolathletes.However,untiltheNCAAapprovestheirproposedchangesinreversingthistrend,wecanonlyconcludeitwillcontinueunabated.Thistrendhasbothwinnersandlosers.Surprisingly,DivisionIIIprograms,whichdonotofferathleticscholarshipsnoracceptverbalcommitments,benefitfromearlyrecruitingaslatebloomerswhostandoutasjuniorsandseniorsoftenfindmostDivisionIrostersarealreadyfull.DivisionIprogramsthatwerelessaggressiveinearlyrecruitingandthereforehadrosterspotsopenforlatebloomershavebenefittedaswell.LoyolaofMaryland’s2012championshiprunisanexampleofthis.DivisionIprogramshaveevolvedandnowtrytokeepafewspotsopenuntillaterintheprocessfortheselatebloomers.Unfortunately,anotherbyproductofearlyrecruitingisanincreaseintransfers.OftentimesfromDivisionItoDivisionIIIprograms.Theclearlosersofthistrendaretheplayers,whomayhaveverballycommittedasunderclassmenonlytolateronfindtheirschoolwasnottherightmatchforthem.Withmostcollegiateprogramscarryinglargerosters,itisimportantthatplayersandparentshaveaschool-firstapproachasplayingtimeisneverguaranteed.Weencouragefamiliestouseourfreecollegematchingserviceforhelpresearchingschoolsthatfitthembothonandoffthefield.Ourcollegeprofilesincludebothschoolandteaminformation,includingwheretheteamtravels,who’salreadycommittedthere,videosabouttheprogram,virtualtours,LinkedIninformationonwheregraduatesliveandwork,andmore.Earlyrecruitinghaslargelyunderminedtheimportanceofofficialvisits,whicharenowprimarilyusedtohostplayerswhohavealreadycommittedinsteadofprospectslookingtolearnmore.Officialvisitsaretripstocampusbyseniorsthatarefundedbytheschool.Gettingoncampusiscritical.Whetherit’sforacamporprospectdayledbythecoachingstafforjustastandardcampustour,youneedtobeabletoenvisionyourselfattheschool.Youcaneasilyfindvirtualtoursonlinetoaidinyour

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evaluationaswellbutnothingcomparestophysicallybeingthere.Beproactiveinlettingcoachesknowyou’llbeoncampusandinorganizingyourownunofficialvisitstoseethecampus,learnabouttheschoolandhopefullymeetwiththecoaches.Weunderstandit’sdifficulttoknoworverbalizeyourcollegepreferencesasahighschoolunderclassman.Starthighlevelandthendrilldown.Areyoulookingforachangeordoyoulikewhereyougrewup?Forexample,alotofnortheastrecruitslooktosouthernprogramsafteryearsofpracticinginthecoldandplayingonsnow.Weatherandtravelfromhomearesocialfitfactorsworthconsidering.Afterinvestinginyourgameandintheclassroomasafreshman,youshouldhaveaframeofreferencesastohowyoustackupathleticallyandacademically.Fromthere,trytoweightyourmostimportantfactorsandbeginansweringyour“musthaves”,suchasacademicdifficultyandmajors,scholarshipneed,sizeandlocation,etc.beforeseeingwhichcollegeprogramsfityourcriteria.Behonestwhenconsideringyouracademicstandingcombinedwiththeinandout-of-seasoncommitmentsofNCAAlacrosse.UnderstandhowthecommitmentleveldiffersforDivisionI,II,IIIandMCLA/WCLAprogramsandhowthatimpactsyourabilitytosucceedatdifferentinstitutionsandcollegemajors.DivisionIandIIIlacrossearenotthesamejustaspre-medandcommunicationsarenotthesame.Withthatsaid,asanathlete,youknowthatchallengingyourselfishowyougetbettersoreachfortheacademicinstitutionsthatwillsetyouupforlongtermsuccess.

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FearFactor:RiseinVerbalCommitmentsTheriseinverbalcommitments,especiallyinmen’srecruiting,isbeingdrivenbythesignificantsupplyanddemandimbalanceinDivisionIrecruiting.Inshort,thenumberofnewteamsandthusrosterspotsisbeingfaroutpacedbytheexplosivegrowthinyouthparticipationacrossthecountry.With68DivisionImen’steams,includingafewindependentprograms,thereareveryfewrosterspotstogoaroundforanever-increasingnumberofhungryandtalentedplayers.Thereare106DivisionIwomen’steams,whichhasseenmoregrowthinrosterspotsbutremainsverycompetitive.Morethan2,000newhighschoollacrosseteamshavebeenaddedsince2006,almostdoublingthetotalto5,123today.Thisexcludesovera1,000school-basedclubteamsthatdonotreport.Today,therearemorethan170,000maleand120,000femalehighschoollacrosseplayers,asignificantincreaseoverthe100,000maleand70,000femaleplayerstherewerein2006.3ThefollowingchartscomparethenumberofhighschoollacrosseplayerstoDivisionIlacrosseteamsfrom2006to2015.

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Tosummarize,DivisionIrecruitingissimilartothegamemusicalchairsbutinthiscasethenumberofpeopleplayingthegameisgrowingmuchfasterthanthenumberofchairsinthegame.Playersfeartheremaynotbeachairorinthiscase,arosterspotforthemiftheywait,andthereforelooktoverballycommitearlyintherecruitingprocesstoensureaplaceontheteam.Keepinmindaverbalcommitmentisnon-bindingforboththeplayerandthecoach.ThefirstbindingagreementbetweenaplayerandcoachistheNationalLetterofIntent,whichistypicallysignedinNovemberorApriloftheplayer’ssenioryear.De-committingcanhaveadevastatingimpactforcollegecoaches,especiallywhenit’sapositionwithsmallnumberssuchasagoalie.Beawaresomecoachesmaycontinuetheirrecruitmentofaplayerthathasverballycommittedelsewhere.Intheend,lacrosseisaboutrelationshipsandyourrelationshipwiththecollegecoachisabouttrust,trustthatyouwillhonoryourcommitmentandtrustinthecoachthatyouwillgainadmissiontotheschoolandhaveyourrosterspotwaiting.Relationshipswithyourhighschoolandclubcoachesareveryimportantintherecruitingprocessascollegecoacheswillmostlikelyreachouttothem.Themorerelationshipsyoucandevelopwithyourcoachesandthroughcamps,

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clinicsorbyworkingwithaprivateinstructor,themorelikelythecollegecoachorsomeoneonhisorhercoachingstaffwillhaveaconnectionwithoneofyourcontacts.Thesecontactscanprovideinsightintoyourgameaswellasatrustedopinionforthecollegecoachtoconsider,whichcanjumpstarttheirrecruitmentofyou.Thenumberofnewcollegeteamsisbeginningtogrowmorerapidly.Schoolsareseeingthestronggrowthofyouthlacrosseandwanttoattracttheacademicanddemographicprofileoflacrossestudent-athletes.4Specifically,39newvarsityprogramswereaddedin2014,42in2015and34in2016.Theadditionofmen’sandwomen’slacrossetotheBigTenConferencemayopenthedoortootherBigTenschoolswithoutDivisionIprograms.TheUniversityofMichiganbecamethefirstschoolwithaBCSfootballteamtoaddvarsitymen’slacrossesince1981.ForMichiganathleticdirectorDaveBrandon,thereasontoelevatetheMCLAlacrosseteamtovarsitystatuswasclear,“Lacrosseisthefastestgrowingsportinourcountry,it’sgrowingineverywaywecanmeasureit,andit’sgrowingineveryregionofthecountry.”5TheongoingNCAAconferencerealignmenthasaffectedDivisionIlacrosseaswell.Afewconferenceshaveaddedlacrosseorinsomecases,elevatedittoD1,suchastheAtlanticSunandSouthernConference.MercerandHighPointmen’sprogramslefttheirindependentstatustojointhisconference,whereasothers,suchasAirForce,becameindependentwhentheirconference,theECAC,died.Theconferenceofyourtargetschoolsisnotofcriticalimportancebutnonethelessshouldbeconsideredifthehealthoftheconferenceposesarisktothelacrosseprogram.Itisimportanttorememberthatifyouarepassionateaboutplayingcollegiatelacrosse,thereareenoughDivisionI,II,IIIandnon-NCAArosterspotsacrossthecountryforjustabouteveryplayerlookingtoplayatthenextlevel.

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TheFutureofLacrosse:Forecast=HotYoualreadyknewthecoolkidsplayedlacrosse,butincaseyouneededproof,reviewthesestatisticsfromtheNationalFederationofStateHighSchoolAssociations(NFHS).TheNFHShasmorethan19,000memberhighschoolsacrosstheUS.Asof2015,25stateshadformallysanctionedorrecognizedlacrosse,upfrom13statesin2000.6Belowisthenumberofhighschoolssponsoringeachsportandtheirrespectivegrowthratesfrom2009to2014.7

Boys'Sports 2009 2014 %growthLacrosse 1,984 2,535 27.8%Swimming 6,556 7,101 8.3%Bowling 2,427 2,589 6.7%WaterPolo 746 795 6.6%CrossCountry 13,647 14,473 6.1%

Girls'Sports 2009 2014 %growthLacrosse 1,780 2,336 31.2%Bowling 2,345 2,589 10.4%IceHockey 558 612 9.7%Soccer 10,548 11,354 7.6%Swimming 6,902 7,429 7.6%

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ScholarshipMyths:ImportantConsiderationsThebelowhelpsdemystifyandclarifyafewmisconceptionsaboutathleticscholarships.• Therearemanyscholarshipsavailable,including“fullrides”

— FullyfundedDivisionImen’sandwomen’sprogramsspread12.6and12fullscholarships,respectively,acrosstheirentireroster;asaresult,incomingrecruitingclassestypicallyshare3fullscholarships

— DivisionIImen’sandwomen’sprogramshave10.6and9.9fullscholarships,respectively

— ManyDivisionIandIIprogramsarenotfullyfundedandthereforeofferlessthanthemaximumamountofscholarshipsallowed

— Collegecoachesfocusonmakingsureallplayersreceiveapartialscholarship,makingthe“fullride”ararityincollegelacrosse

• Scholarshipoffersgenerallycomeatthebeginningoftherecruitingprocess— Coachestypicallytellplayerstheyare“scholarshipcandidates”butwaittoformallyofferthescholarship;scholarshipofferscanbemadeatanypointintherecruitingprocessbutgenerallycomeattheend

— Playersshouldfeelcomfortableaskingcoachestospecifyascholarshipdollaramountinordertohelpthemdecidebetweenschools

— TheNationalLetterofIntenttypicallyincludesthescholarshippackage• Playerswillpaythefullpriceoftuitionandexpenseswithoutascholarship

— Student-athletesareeligibleforneedandmerit-basedfinancialaid,grantsandloans;refertothenetpriceofaschooltoseewhatincomingfreshmanactuallypayonaverageaftergrantsandscholarshipaid

— Scholarshipsarerenewedannuallyandprospectswhodonotreceiveascholarshiptheirfreshmanyearareeligibletoreceivetheminlateryears;theseone-yearrenewablegrantsareguaranteedforoneyear,notfourbutitiscommonpracticeforthemtoberenewedatthesamelevelyear-to-year

— Collegecoachescanconsultwithfinancialaidofficerstoidentifynon-athleticbasedaidyoumayqualifyforbutthisshouldnotbereliedupon

• Coachesonlyconsiderathleticskillsandgradesinofferingascholarship

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— Coachesperformanextensivebackgroundcheckintoanathletes’characterbeforeofferingascholarshipbecauseitisafinancialriskfortheschoolthatreflectsuponthecoach

— Coachesmaycallyourhighschoolandclubteamcoaches,guidancecounselors,teachersandpossiblyevenyourfriends

— Makesureyouarealeaderandsettingapositiveexampleontheteamandintheclassroom;beawareofyourclassattendanceandhowyougetalongwithteammates,demonstrateastrongworkethicandintegrityinyouractivities

Thescholarshiprealityinlacrossereinforcestheimportanceoffindingschoolsthatmatchyouacrossanumberoffactors,budgetbeingoneofthose.

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Questions&Answers:TheCompetitiveRecruitingLandscape• Whyhasrecruitingacceleratedandintensifiedoverthepastfivetotenyears?— Supplyanddemand,supplyisgrowingrapidlyaslacrossemovesWestandyouthparticipationratesincrease;comparetheroughly500women’scollegelacrosseprogramstotheover1,800women’scollegebasketballprogramsandyougettheidea,demandorratherrosterspotsatthecollegiatelevelisclearlylagging

• WhatlevelofcollegiatelacrosseamIgoodenoughtoplay?— DivisionIteamsaccountfor17%ofmen’sand22%ofwomen’scollegeprogramswithDivisionII(andNAIA),DivisionIIIandJuniorCollegesmakinguptherest(%excludesMCLA/WCLA/NCLL)

— Thereareover170,000malehighschoolplayersand120,000femalehighschoolplayers;only1.8%ofthesemalesand2.4%offemaleswillplayDivisionIlacrosse

— Lacrosseiscompetitive,butyoushouldn’tbedeterredfromchasingyourdream.BelievingandinvestinginyourgamecombinedwithusingacademicstosetyouapartmakesDivisionIandcollegiatelacrossemuchmoreattainable

• Whataretherolesofmycoachesintherecruitingprocess?— Yourhighschoolcoachisthereforon-the-fielddevelopmentandwilllikelyplayamorepassiveroleinyourrecruitmentsuchasansweringquestionsfromcollegecoachesaboutyourgameinsteadofinitiatingcontactwithcollegecoachesonyourbehalf

— Yourtravelorclubteamcoachesoftenplayamuchlargerroleandtakeprideintheirrecruitmenttrackrecord;askyourcoachesforadviceandtoprovideanevaluationofyourgameandrelateddrillstopractice

— Keepyourcoachesinformedaboutyourrecruitingprogressandcollegepreferencesbuttakefullresponsibilityinfindingyourcollegiatehome

— Askyourcoachesforinformationaboutcamps,clinics,leaguesandtournamentsyoushouldparticipateinandforlettersofrecommendationiftheeventsareinvite-only

• HowdoIgetdiscoveredandhowdocollegecoachesevaluateme?

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— PlayersontheEastCoastwillnaturallyhavemorerecruitingexposureduetotheirproximitytocollegeprograms,butregardlessofwhereyoureside,youronlineprofileisagreatwaytoinitiatecontactwithcoachesatyourtargetschools

— PlayersfromtheMidwestandWestCoastneedtoconsiderjoiningtravelorclubteamstodemonstratetheirabilitiesagainsttoptalentandimprovebycompetingagainststrongcompetition;coacheshavelimitedtravelbudgetsandtimesoattendingtournamentsandshowcasesprovidesanopportunityforthemtoseeyouinperson

— Lacrossecampsaretypicallybestforplayerdevelopment,notincreasingyourrecruitingexposure;trytoattendthematyourtargetschoolstolearnmoreaboutthecampusandcoachingstaff

— Assistantcoacheswilloftenevaluateyourhighlightvideoandreviewyouracademicqualificationsbeforeputtingyouontherecruitingradaroftheheadcoach;aftergettingontheirradar,thenextstepistoletcoachesknowwhereyouwillbeplayingviayourprofilecalendarsotheycanseeyouinperson

• HowmanycollegesshouldIputonmytargetlist?— Alistof40lacrosseprogramsthatyouqualifyforacademicallyisrecommendedandbreakingyourlistdowninto3tiersisbest;donotbeshyaboutcontactingcoacheswhoseprogramsyoubelieveyoucancontributeto

— Keepanopenmindandadjustthesizeofyourlistupordowndependingonifyouareaheadorbehindintherecruitingprocess

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DiligenceItems:KeyQuestionstoAskCollegeCoaches• Whatistheroleandavailabilityofacademicadvisorsinassistingstudent-athletesandthelevelofoversightbythecoachinmonitoringtheplayers’gradesandclassroomperformance?

• Whatisthecoach’slevelofconfidenceintheplayer’sabilitytomeettheadmissionsqualificationsoftheschool?— Thisiscriticallyimportantasplayerscommitearlierandearlierandhavelessofanacademictrackrecordforcoachestoevaluate

— Canthecoachhelpyougainadmissionandifso,whatgradesandtestscoresdoyouneedtoachieve;thismayincludeatleasta3.0GPA,1,800ontheSATor23ontheACT

• Whatisthelikelihoodoftheplayerreceivingscholarshipmoney,athleticorotherwise?— Howmanyscholarshipsareavailableforthisclassandhowmanyhavebeenofferedand/oracceptedthusfar

— ArethereminimumGPArequirementstomaintainascholarship— Again,askifthecoachcanspeakwithadvisorstohelpidentifymerit-basedscholarships,grantsoraidthatyouqualifyfor

— Incaseofinjury,couldanathleticscholarshipnotberenewed— Isthelacrosseteamfullyfunded,andifnot,whatfundraisingorotheractivitiesdoestheteamdoinordertomeettheirbudget

• Whatisthesizeoftherecruitingclassandwhichpositionsisthecoachlookingtofill?— Whatistherecruitingtimelineforthatparticularcoachandprogram— Howwillsigningorverballycommittingearlyornotaffectyourstatus— Howdoyoustackupcomparedtootherplayersthecoachisrecruiting

• Whatisthecoach’sassessmentofhowwelltheschoolandlacrosseprogramfityou?— Doesthecoachingphilosophyandstyleofplayfityourgame— Wouldtheschoolstillbeagoodfitifyouwerenotalacrosseplayer

• Doplayersgraduateinfouryearsandwhatarethemostpopularmajorsamongplayersontheteam?— Willmyfieldofstudyinterferewiththeathleticschedule— Issummerschoolofferedandifso,isitincludedintuition— Isitpossibletoworkpart-timeordoworkstudy

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• IfmymajorrequiresorIprefertostudyabroad,orpursueadditionalcoursework,couldthatbecomeanissue?— Howwouldthisaffectmystatusontheteam— Areplayerscurrentlyinvolvedinstudentorganizationsinadditiontotheirathleticandacademiccommitments

Feelcomfortableaskingcollegeplayersabouttheircoachesduringcampsaswellasofficialandunofficialvisits.Askhowthecoachreactswhentheteamisstrugglingorunderperforming,ifthecoachesarehelpfulifyoustruggleinclassandwhatthepracticesarelike.Whilethemajorityofyourquestionswillfocusontheincomingrecruitingclass,it’simportanttoexaminethecurrentrostersizeandconstruction.Verylargeclassesoradisproportionatenumberoffreshmanandseniorsmaysignalpendingcuts,quitsandtransfers.It’salsoworthnotingthestabilityofthecoachingstaff.Anytimethecoachesareattheirownalmamater,that’sapositivesignastheyclearlyrespecttheinstitutionandarefullyvestedinitsdevelopmentonandoffthefield.

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ClubTeams:RecruitingExposureTheroleofclubteamscontinuestoincreaseastherecruitingprocessgetsmorecompetitive.Simplyput,itiseasierforcollegecoacheswithlimitedtimeandbudgetstotraveltorecruitingtournamentsandseemanytopplayersatonceratherthanattendindividualhighschoolgames.Inaddition,thehighschoolseasonconflictswiththeircollegeseason.Aslacrossegrowsacrossthecountry,thenumberofhighschoolswithtalentedrecruitsalsoincreases.Collegecoacheswanttoseeyouplayagainststrongcompetition.Thesamegoesforhighlightvideos,theywanttoseeyoucompeteagainsttoptalent,notrunupthescoreonyourhighschoolrival.Clubteamsruntry-outsinordertoassembletobestplayersinanarea,whichservesasafilterforcollegecoaches.EarlyrecruitingpreventsDivisionIandIIcoachesfromcontactingyoudirectlyduetoNCAArestrictions.Thishascreatedtheneedforanintermediarythatclubcoachesoftenfill.Yourhighschoolcoachcanalsofillthisrole.Withallthatsaid,itisimportanttodiligencetheclubteamsinyourarea.Whatisthepractice-to-gameratio?Whattournamentswilltheclubteamplayin?Whatisthepresenceofcollegecoachesatthesetournamentsandaretheyfromyourtargetschools?Whatisthesizeandexperienceofthecoachingstaff?Clubteamparticipationisaninvestmentoftimeandmoneysofindingtherightteamiskey.Clubteamsareagreatwaytomeetotherplayer’spassionateaboutlacrosseandpursuingthesportatthenextlevel.Clubteamcoaches,manyofwhichplayedincollege,areoftenwellinformedabouttherecruitingprocessandhaveseenwherepreviousrecruitshavesucceededbutalsotrippedupalongtheway.Theirexperienceandrelationshipscanbeofgreatresourceandhelpyouidentifycollegeprogramsthatfityouwell.Networkwithyourclubcoaches,askthemtoadviseyouintherecruitingprocess,probethemforareastoimproveyourgameanddemonstrateyouareseriousaboutplayingatthenextlevel.Playersmayfeelpressuretomakethe

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“best”clubteamsintheirarea;however,thisisoftenoverstatedandaslongasyourclubteamplaysinafairamountofcompetitivetournaments,yourexposureshouldbesufficient.Youronlinerecruitingprofileisanefficientandcosteffectivewaytogetyourgameinfrontofcollegecoaches,especiallyifyourtournamentscheduledoesnotoverlapwiththeirtravel.Yourhighlightvideoiskeysorefertooursectionontipsforbuildingagreathighlightvideo.Endorsementsfromyourcoachesareanotherimportantwaytohelpcollegecoachesintheirevaluation.Again,includebothyourhighschoolandclubcoaches,astherelativeroleofeachinaplayer’srecruitmentcandifferdependingonlocationandotherfactors.Thegrowthofyear-roundtournamentsandshowcasesprovidesplayerswithampleopportunitytoseektherecruitingexposuretheydesire,buttheseobligationsshouldbeweighedagainstplayerdevelopmentandacademicperformance.Keepinmindthatyourspeedandathleticability,coupledwithstronggradesarekeydifferentiatorsinyourrecruitment.Regardingyear-roundtournaments,USLacrossehascalledoncollegecoachesnottoattendorparticipateinrecruitingeventsthatinfringeontheacademiccalendar.8AttendancehascontinuedanditisworthnotingthatcollegecoachesnowruntheirownIMLCAconventionseparatefromUSLacrosse.USLacrosseisanon-profitorganizationfoundedin1998withthemissionofgrowingparticipationandprotectingtheintegrityofthesport.Itisimportanttokeepinmindthatmanycollegecoachespreferathleteswhocompeteinmultiplesports.DaveWebster,headcoachatDickinsonCollege,mirrorsthisbeliefinsaying,"weliketorecruitathletes.IliketoseeyoungmenplayseveralsportsinhighschoolandIthinktheybenefitfromtheexperience.Ithinkthepotentialforgrowthisgreaterwhenanathleteischallengedbymultiplesportsandcoachesratherthanbeingfocusedonjustonesportyearround.9ManhattanvilleCollegeassistantcoachRyderBohlandercommittedtotheUniversityofMarylandinthespringofhissenioryearaftersendinghisfootballhighlighttapetoCoachCottle,demonstratingtheimportanceofspeedandathleticabilityintheeyesofcollegecoaches.Further,collegeadmissionsingeneralprefermulti-sportstudent-athletes.

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Ultimately,theplayerandparentmustdefinetheirclubteamscheduleandlevelofinvolvement,andbalancetournamentexposurewithothersportsandinterests.Playersandparentsshouldbeinformedandawarethatunliketravelteamsinbasketballandfootballwherefullscholarshipsawaitmostprospects,lacrosseisprimarilyatoolforadmissiontoagreatschool,nota“fullride”.

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MCLA/WCLA:CompetitiveLacrosseatGreatSchoolsThereareover300men’sand250women’snon-varsity,collegiatelacrosseteamsacrosstheUS.Why?Lacrosseisanon-revenuesportthatcanbeexpensivetooperateattheNCAAlevel.Fortunately,thatdidnotstopover15,000collegestudentsfromcomingtogethertoplaythegametheylove.Themajorityoflacrosseplayersstillchoosetheirschoolbasedontheacademicprogramsofferedandthelacrosseprogramisofsecondaryimportance.Theseteamsrangeincompetitiveness,costandobligationrequired.ManyteamsareruninastructuredfashionsimilartoNCAAprograms,includingweekdayandfallpractices,gymroutine,teamfunctions,communityengagement,etc.Over200ofthemen’steamsareorganizedintheMen’sCollegiateLacrosseAssociation(MCLA),whichhastwodivisionsandholdsdivisionandconferencechampionships.TheMCLAishighlyorganizedwithteamstravelingacrossthecountrytoplay15ormoregamesaseason.TheMCLArepresentsthefastestgrowingsegmentofcollegemen'slacrosse.CollegeswithDivisionIprogramsareunabletoorganizetheirnon-varsityteamsundertheMCLAandthereforeparticipateintheNationalCollegeLacrosseLeague(NCLL).TheNCLLisprimarilybasedalongtheEasternSeaboardandincludesmorethan100teams.Mostwomen’steamsareorganizedundertheWCLA,whichisundertheUSLacrosseumbrellaandincludestwodivisions.ComparingtheMCLAwebsiteMCLA.uswiththeWCLAwebsite(availableatUSLacrosse)showstherelativeorganizationandfocusinvestedintheMCLA,whichisgovernedbyanindependentexecutiveboard.Theplayersorofficerselectedtoruntheteamalongwiththecoachenjoyahighlevelofresponsibilityandgainvaluableleadershipexperience.Itisworthnotingthatthisrealworldexperienceisastrongresumebuilder.Thecompetitionisoftenintensewithmanyteamshavingcutstoformtheirroster.Playersnotrecruitedtotheirteamshouldreviewtheteam’spolicyregardingcuts.

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Teamduestypicallycoverthecostofapparel,gloves,anequipmentbagandtravelbutdonotcover“personal”equipmentincludingsticks,cleatsandpads.Thecostvariesbutmostduesarearound$1,000peryear.Mostteamshavepaymentplansandworkwithfamilieswhocan’taffordthefulldues.OtherdifferencesfromNCAAsanctionedprogramsincludethefollowing:playersdonotneedtomeetNCAAeligibilitystandards,playersmaynotqualifyforfinancialoracademicaidavailabletoNCAAplayers,andplayersgenerallydonothavefull-timecoachesavailabletomonitortheiracademicperformance.Makenomistake;non-varsitylacrosseisnotthesamelevelofcompetitionorintensityastheNCAA.Butiftheschoolistherightfit,itcanbeagreatexperiencewithlastingfriendshipsandteammemories.ItcanalsoaffordopportunitiessuchasstudyabroadthatmaynotbeavailabletoNCAAplayers.Understandingthecommitmentrequiredforanon-varsityteamisimportant,asbudgetingtimecanbeachallengeforallcollegefreshmen.

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CoachInteraction:10TipsforMakingaStrongImpression1. BeOrganized

— Writedownyourgoalsfortherecruitingprocessandwhatyouarelookingforinaschoolandlacrosseprogram.Thencreateaconcreteplantoexecuteonandstartcontactingcollegecoaches

— Donotfeelhesitantoruncomfortableinitiatingcontactwithcoaches,whosestaffhaslimitedtimeandresourcestofindyou;ifyoubelieveyoucancontributetotheirteam,byallmeansreachoutandgetthedialoguestarted

2. BeYourself— Bedirectaboutyouracademicrecordandfinancialsituationasadmissibilityandaffordabilityarekeyfactorsintherecruitingprocess;discussthiswithyourfamilyandhaveanhonestappraisalforthecoachesyouspeakwith

3. BeProactive— ThecombinationoftheearlyrecruitingscheduleandNCAArulespreventingcoachesfromcontactingyouasanunderclassmanmakeitparamountthatyouinitiatecontactwithcoachesattheschoolsyouareinterestedin

— Thefirststepisreachingouttocoacheswithyouronlinerecruitingprofile,featuringyouredited,highlightvideo,whichmostcoachesfavoroverreceivingDVD’sinthemail

§ Mostvideosarescreenedbyassistantcoachesbeforereachingtheheadcoach,whowillthenreviewyourtournamentscheduletofindaneventtoevaluateyouin-person;besureyourhighlightvideohasclearandwell-editedfootagesotheassistantcoachcanpassituptheladder

4. BeArticulate— Everytimeyouspeakwithacoach,consideritaninterview.Coacheswanttoknowyou’reagoodlistenerandcomprehendwhattheyaresaying;communicationiskeyonthefieldandthuscoacheswanttoassessyourverbalskills

5. BePrepared— Thebestwaytobearticulateistobeprepared.Youshouldbeyourbestcheerleaderandthemosthonestcriticofyourgame,ascoacheswillwanttodiscussyourstrengthsandweaknesses.Haveananswer

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forhowyouareimprovingonyourweaknesses.Beconfidentbutnotconceited

— Bethoughtful,demonstrateexcitementtobethereandvocalizeanyquestionsorconcernsyoumayhave

— Haveapreparedlistofquestionsforthecoachthatwillhelpyoudecideiftheschoolistherightfitforyou;askquestionsaboutacademicsanddon’tbeafraidtoaskwhathappenswhenclassesconflictwithteampractices

— Knowwhyyouareinterestedintheprogramandwhyyouaregoodfit6. BeThorough

— Puttimeandthoughtintocreatingyourlistoftargetschools.Getinputfromvarioussourcesincludingyourcurrentcoaches,olderorformerteammatesandyourfamily.Keepanopenmind,stayinformedandbestraightforwardaboutwhatyouarelookingforinaschoolandprogram,thiswillgiveyoumoreconfidenceandcontrolthroughtherecruitingprocess

§ Don’tjustreachouttocoachesindiscriminatelytogetyournameoutthere,doyourhomeworkandcontactschoolsthatmatchyourcriteria

§ Ensureyouhaveenoughschoolsonyourlisttocompensateforcoachingchangesattargetschoolsthatcanresultinasuspensionorendoftheirrecruitmentofyou

7. BePresentable— Inshort,dressinbusinesscasualandlooksharpforanyon-campusmeetingswithacoach.Youcanexpectthecoachingstafftobeinbusinesscasual,whichdemonstratestheirseriousnessabouttheprogram.Mostteamfunctionsarebusinesscasualandcoacheswanttobeconfidentthatyouwouldbeabletorepresenttheschoolwell

8. BePersonable— Makeanefforttogettoknowthecoachesyouarespeakingwithandletthecoachesknowwhoyouare;bepreparedtotalkaboutyourfamily,hobbies,music,etc.andtrynottoberoboticorstiffinyourmeetings

9. BeEngaged— Askquestionsabouttheinformationthecoachistellingyou;providethecoachwithanyupdatesaboutyourathleticandacademicprogress

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andconveyyourlevelofinterestintheprogramwhenclosingthemeeting

— Maintaineyecontactandsituprightthroughtheentiremeeting,thisexpressesyourinterestintheprogramandleavesapositiveimpression

— Feelfreetotakenotesduringthemeetingontheprosandconsofyourconversation

10. BeConfident— Afirmhandshakeisaneasyfirststepinmakingastrongimpression;coacheswantconfidentplayerssolookthecoachintheeyewhileshakingtheirhand

Additionalquestionstopreparefor(notmentionedabove):

— Whatotherschoolsarerecruitingyou?Behonestbutendbyconveyingyourstronginterestinthatprogram

— Howareyourgradesandtestscores?Whattypeofclassesareyoutaking?Bedirectascoacheswillneedtofindoutanyway,trytogetguidanceonspecificnumbersyouneedtohittogainadmission

— Doyouviewyourselfasaleader?Hopefullytheansweris“Yes”;haveexamplesandifthisisanareaforimprovement,tellthecoacheswhatyouareactivelydoingtoimprove

— Howimportantisplayingtimetoyou?Conveyyouarebothhungryandalsoateamplayer,it’sanobviousquestionsofocusonpresentingyourselfintherightway

— Doyouhaveaworkoutroutine?Discussyourworkinandoutofseason.Coachesarelookingforspeedandathleticabilityandwanttohearthatyouarelifting,runningandtrainingonyourown,suchasworkingwithaspeedladder.Mentionanyprivatecoachingyoureceiveandclinics,campsandleaguesyouparticipatein

Expecteveryconversationtoendwith“Whatquestionstoyouhaveforme?”Haveanon-genericlistpreparedandaskquestionsonanyofthenotesyou’vewrittendown,thisconveystothecoachthatyouareseriousaboutyourinterestintheprogram.

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CollegePreferencesAndVisitChecklistHereareafewfactorstoconsiderasyouevaluateyourtargetlistofcolleges.Takedownnotesonyourpreferencesundereachcriterion.1. Size

— OhioStateUniversity(DivisionI)hasover56,000studentsandArizonaStateUniversity(club)hasover70,000students;thatisalotofpeople,especiallyifyougrewupinasmalltown

— Incomparison,WellsCollege(DivisionIII)haslessthan500students,whichmightfeellikeadesertedislandtosome

— Thepointisthatyoushouldgetoncampusandseewhereyouaremostcomfortable

— Manyofourcollegeprofileshavevirtualtoursofthecampus2. Cost

— TotalexpensesincludingtuitionatDartmouthareover$60,000ayearwhiletuitionisfreeatUSmilitaryacademies

— Youwilllikelyfallsomewhereinthemiddlebutkeepinmindthatwhilestudentdebtisdeferreduntilafteryougraduate,itbecomesveryrealasyoubeginyourcareerandmaylimitfutureopportunities

— Reviewhowmuchgrantandscholarshipaidincomingfreshmanreceive,thisdeterminesthe‘NetPrice’inourcollegematchingservice

3. Selectivity

— Froma6%admissionsrateatHarvardUniversitytoopenenrollmentatcommunitycolleges,thekeyhereistouseacademicstoqualifyforthelargestnumberofschoolspossible,eliminatingsomeofyourcompetitionbeforeyouevensteponthefield

— Reviewthetestscoresofincomingfreshmanifavailable

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— Learnabouttheacademicindexcalculator,whichisusedbytheIvyLeagueandmanyPatriotLeague/NESCACschools.Itrequiresincomingrecruitingclassestohitacertainaverage

4. CampusType

— City,suburbanorrural;yourcampusplaysabigroleinshapingyourcollegeexperiencesofindaplacewhereyoufeelathome

— Reviewhousingoptionsandifupperclassmanliveoncampus— Learnwheregraduatesliveafterschooltoseeifthosearelocationsyoumightbeinterestedin;havingyourcollegenetworktravelwithyouandsurroundingyourselfwithastrongalumnibasecanbeapositiveinfluence

5. SeeWhatGraduatesDoandWhereTheyWork

— Seeifthecareerfieldsthatgraduatespursueandthecompaniestheyworkforoverlapwithyourinterests

— Linkedininformationonthisisavailableonourcollegeprofiles6. TeamCulture

— CheckouttheTwitterfeedandanyYouTubevideosabouttheprogramtoseeiftheirsocialprofilematchesyourpersonalityandinterests

— Reviewtherecruitsthathavecommittedtotheschooltoseeifanyarefromyourarea,reachouttothemtogetinsightintotheirexperience

— Considerthestyleofplay,academicsupport,off-seasontraining,facilities,classandstudyabroadpolicy,conferenceandrostersize.Reviewthetenure,reputationandalmamaterofthecoachingstaff

7. MajorsOffered

— Seeifanyofthemajorsofferedsoundinterestingtoyou— Alsocheckiftheschooloffersenoughmajorsthatyoufeelconfidentinfindingoneonceyouareoncampus

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— Youcanfilterprogramsbymajorinourcollegematchingservice— Learnabouttheorganizationstructureoflectures,classtimesandlabs.Forexample,ColoradoCollegehasauniqueblockplanwherestudentsdeep-diveintooneclassatatimeoveramonthperiod

8. StudentBody

— Checkoutthebreakdownofin-stateverseout-of-state;maybeyouwanttomeetnewanddifferentpeoplefromacrossthecountryandworld

— Considerstudentgenderandfull-timeversepart-timeascampuseswithahigherpercentageofpart-timeandcommutingstudentsmayseemlessengaging,thisislessofanissueforlacrosseschools

— Learnaboutreligiousaffiliationsorpoliticalassociationsattheschool

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TipsforBuildingaGreatHighlightVideoThesupply/demandimbalanceandgrowthacrossthecountryhasmadeitharderforcollegecoacheswithlimitedbudgetsandstafftoseeyouinperson.Videohelpstosolvethisissueandallowstheentirecoachingstafftoformanopiniononaplayerandadvancethemontotheirrecruitingradar.Ahighlightvideocoupledwitharecruitingprofileallowsplayerstoshowcasetheirgameonlineandconnectwithanycollegecoach.Asadisclaimer,wefilmeventsandprovideprofessionalvideoediting.Youdonotneedtouseourvideoservices,butyouneedtotakeyourhighlightvideoseriouslybecausecollegecoachesreceivehundredsofvideosamonth.Ifit’shardisolateyouorfollowtheaction,theysimplymoveontothenextone.Forexample,weonlysellvideopackagesthatincludegamefilm,ahighlightvideoandrecruitingprofilebecausecollegecoachesrarelywatchrawgamefilmandalsowanttohaveallyourplayerinformationinoneplaceincasetheylikeyourhighlightvideo.Yourgoalistogetthecollegecoach’sinterest,getontheirrecruitingradarandhavethemattendoneofyourtournamentorshowcasegames.Justbecauseacoachisattendingthesameevent,donotassumetheywillbeonthesidelinesofyourgames.Reachoutinadvancesotheyseekyouout.• GetGreatGameFilm

— Elevationiskey;youcanfilmyourselforhireavideographerifallyourgamesarelocatedwithinastadium,otherwisewerecommendpurchasinggamefilmfromtheeventifitwasfilmedatelevation

— Ifaparentorfriendisfilming,getaninexpensivetripodwithafluidheadandwearbrightsocksorputtapeonyourshoessoyoucanbeeasilyidentifiedandtrackedbythecamera

— Whenfilming,youneedtoframetheaction,whichmeanszoominginwhentheballisnearthegoalandzoomingourduringtransitions;it’simportanttoshowtheentireplaydevelop

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— Again,youarevyingforthecoachesattention,amateurfilmingandhomevideoswithoutzoomingmakethisdifficult,leadingthemtosimplymoveontothenexthighlightvideo

• FollowTheseEditingGuidelines— Donotoveredityourvideowithspecialeffects,music,etc…— Rememberyouraudience.It’snotyourfriendsbutcollegecoachesandoddsareyourtasteinmusicprobablydoesn’tmatchCoachTierneyanyway;nomusicisfine

— Avoidmusicwithswearing,thisisyourfirstimpression— Havea3-5minutehighlightvideoanda15minutelongformvideowithuneditedgamefilmsocoachescanseeyoumovewithouttheball,ridingclears,yourdefensivepositioningandyourbodylanguagebetweenplays;hustleandathleticismmatter

— Werecommend10to20clipswithyourbestplaysatthebeginning— Includeafewsecondsbeforeandaftereachplaysothecoachcanseeitdevelopandevaluatethefullmotionoftheplay

— Includekeyinformationsuchasname,graduationyear,height/weight,club/HSteamswithcontactinfo,GPA,anyaccolades

— EnsureyourfootageisinasoftwareformatthatcanbereadbybothMacandWindowscomputers;it’sbesttoembeditwithinyourrecruitingprofileoruploadittoYoutubeorVimeo

• ShowTheRangeofYourGame— Showbothoffensiveanddefensiveclipssocoachescanseeyouridingaclearaswellasrippingthenet:includeavarietyofclipssuchasbothleftandright-handedgoalsandanumberofdifferentdodgesorchecks

— Includefootagedemonstratingtheentiretyofyourskillset§ Offense:strongmovestothecage/cleanlybeatingyourdefender,scoring,feeding/passing,riding/defense,groundballs,off-ballmovement

§ Defense:afewtake-awaychecks,defensivepositioning,footwork,off-ballawareness,clearingability,groundballs

§ Goalie:shotsfromoutside,incloseandone-on-onestops,in-cageawarenessshowingyouhavegoodpositioningwithoutoverextending,clearingpasses,end-lineplay

§ Face-offs:Take-offspeedafterwiningtheface,howyouhandlethescrum,wing-playawareness,groundballs,offensive/defensiveabilities

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• IncludeFootagefromShowcasesandTournaments— Coacheswanttoseeyoucompeteagainststrongcompetition;notethetournamentoropponentinyourvideoasnotallgoals,savesortakeawaysarethesame

— Filmhighschoolgamesagainstdifficultopponentsandidentifywhoyouareplayingagainst;collegecoachesdonotwanttoseeyourunupthescoreonyourweakcompetition

— Keepyourhighlightvideoup-to-date,especiallyifyou’vegrownorimproved;anewversionafterthesummerandfallrecruitingeventsworkswellbutyoudonotneedtobecreatingnewvideosfromeveryevent;simplypurchasethegamefilm

WhyGeographyMattersGeographycanimpactyourrecruitingplan.Ifyouliveoutsidethenortheast,wherethemajorityofcollegeprogramsarelocated,theimportanceofclubteams,highlightvideosandonlinerecruitingprofilesincreases.Increasedtravelcostsmeanit’simportanttorefineyourtargetlistearly,createaprofessionalhighlightvideo,connectwithcollegecoachesonlineandresearchtheeventsyouattend.Hereisthelocationof1,500collegiatelacrosseprogramsacrossthecountry.

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SampleCollegeVisitCriteriaCollegeandcoachname:ImpressionofCampus:ImpressionofAthleticFacilities:ImpressionofCoachingStaffandTeam:NotesfromMeetingwithCoachPros:Cons:CoachingStyle/StyleofPlay:HowDoIFitinwiththeRecruitingClass?HowDoestheCoachThinkIFitinattheSchool?AdmissionsandFinancialAidNotes:Follow-upQuestionsand/orConcerns:

TheLacrosseRecruitingCalendarAcontactoccursanytimeacollegecoachsaysmorethanhelloduringaface-to-facecontactwitharecruitorhisorherparentsoffthecollege’scampus.Contactperiodiswhencoachescanmakein-person(face-to-face),off-campusrecruitingcontactsandevaluations.Evaluationperiodiswhencoachescanbeinvolvedinoff-campusactivitiesdesignedtoassesstheacademicandathleticabilityofrecruits,butnoin-person,off-campusrecruitingcontactsarepermitted.Quietperiodiswhencoachescanmakein-personrecruitingcontactsonlyontheircampus.Noin-person,off-campusrecruitingcontactsorevaluationsarepermitted.Deadperiodiswhencoachescannotmakein-personrecruitingcontactsorevaluationsonorofftheircampus,includingofficialorunofficialvisitsbyrecruits.

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BelowistheDivisionIMen’sRecruitingCalendarThedayafterthefirstSundayinJanuarythroughMartinLutherKingJr.Holiday

ContactPeriod/NoEvaluations

ThedayafterMLKHolidaythroughthelastdayofFebruary QuietPeriodMarch1throughtheThursdaybeforetheNCAADIMen’sLacrosseChampionship,exceptfor(a)

ContactPeriod

(a)MondaythroughThursdayoftheinitialweekforthespringsigningoftheNationalLetterofIntent

DeadPeriod

TheFridaybeforetheDIMen'sLacrosseChampionshipthroughnoontheTuesdayafterit

DeadPeriod

NoontheTuesdayaftertheDIMen'sLacrosseChampionshipthroughthefirstMondayinAugust

ContactPeriod

ThedayafterthefirstMondayinAugustthroughthesecondMondayinAugust

QuietPeriod

ThedayafterthesecondMondayinAugustthroughAug.31 DeadPeriodSeptember1throughOctober31 ContactPeriod/

NoEvaluationsNovember1throughtheTuesdaybeforeThanksgiving,exceptfor(b)

ContactPeriod

(b)MondaythroughThursdayoftheinitialweekforthefallsigningoftheNationalLetterofIntent

DeadPeriod

TheWednesdaybeforeThanksgivingthroughtheSundayafterThanksgiving

DeadPeriod

TheMondayafterThanksgivingthroughDecember23 QuietPeriodDecember24throughthefirstSundayinJanuary DeadPeriodBelowistheDivisionIIMen’sRecruitingCalendar.ThereisnoDivisionIIIMen’sRecruitingCalendar.TheThursdaybeforetheDIIMen'sLacrosseChampionshipthroughnoontheTuesdayafterit

DeadPeriod

TheWednesdaybeforetheIMLCAClinictoMondaynoonaftertheclinic

DeadPeriod

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Belowisthe2016DivisionIWomen’sRecruitingCalendarJanuary2throughMay26,2016,exceptfor(a) ContactPeriod(a)April11-14,2016 DeadPeriodMay27-29,2016.Note:EvaluationsmayoccuratoneeventconductedduringtheweekendoftheNCAADIWomen’sChampionship,providedtheeventisconductedwithina100-mileradiusofthesiteofthechampionship.TheevaluationmustbeconductedonadayinwhichnoNCAAgameisconducted.

DeadPeriod

May30throughJuly31,2016 ContactPeriodAugust1-31,2015Note:Sevencontactdaysselectedatthediscretionoftheinstitutionanddesignatedinwritingintheofficeofthedirectorofathletics.Onthedesignateddays,aninstitution'scoachesarenotrestrictedinthenumberofprospectivestudent-athletescontactedinasingleday

ContactPeriod/NoEvaluations

ThosedaysduringAugust1-31,2015excludingthesevencontactdays

QuietPeriod

September1throughNovember24,2015,exceptfor(b)and(c)

ContactPeriod

(b)November9-12,2015 DeadPeriod(c)November7-8,14-15and21-22Note:Evaluationsofprospectivestudent-athletesparticipatinginlacrosseactivitiesarelimitedtothethreeweekends(SaturdayandSunday)priortoThanksgiving.

DeadPeriod

November25,2015,throughJanuary1,2016 QuietPeriodANationalLetterofIntentissignedbyarecruitwhenheorsheagreestoattendaDivisionIorIIschoolforoneacademicyear.SchoolsagreetoprovidefinancialaidforoneacademicyeartotheplayeraslongasheorsheisadmittedtotheschoolandiseligibleforfinancialaidunderNCAArules.TheNationalLetterofIntentisvoluntaryandnotrequiredtoreceivefinancialaidorparticipateinsports.Itendstherecruitingprocesssinceotherschoolsareprohibitedfromrecruitingaplayerthathassignedwithanotherschool.

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AdditionalResourcestoReview• CollegeMatchingService

— Afreeresourcetofindandresearchtargetcollegesthatfityoubothonandoffthefield:connectlax.com/colleges

• ConnectLAXYoutubeChannel— Recruitingadvicefromclubteamseminars,collegecoachdiscussionsfromshowcasesandourlatestinsightfromspeakingwithcoaches:youtube.com/connectlax

• PrivateLessonsService— Afreeresourcetohelpplayersfindprivateinstructorsintheircommunity;easilysearch,filter,reviewandconnectwithinstructors:connectlax.com/private-lessons

• PersonalRecruitingCoach— Getinsightandanswerswitha1-on-1recruitingconsultation:connectlax.com/recruitcoach

• NCAAResources— GuidefortheCollegeBoundAthlete:ncaapublications.com— NCAAClearinghouse:eligibilitycenter.org

• NationalJuniorCollegeAthleticAssociation(NJCAA)— TheNJCAAgrants20fullscholarshipsperteam:njcaa.org

• FinancialAidandScholarshipResources— FederalStudentAid(FAFSA):fafsa.ed.gov— Fastweb(ScholarshipResources):fastweb.com— FinAid(Saving,Loans,Scholarships):finaid.org

• VirtualCampusTours— YOUniversity:youniversitytv.com— CampusTours:campustours.com— YouVisit:youvisit.com

• RelativeAcademicPerformanceResources— AcademicIndexCalculator:collegeconfidential.com

• TestingandAdmissionResources— TheCollegeBoard:collegeboard.org— TheACT:act.org— TheCommonApplication:commonapp.org

Anyfeedbackandcommentsarewelcomed.Contactguide@connectlax.com.

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Step-by-StepRecruitingTimelineCollegeisa40-year,nota4-yeardecision.Findacollegethatfitsyouracademic,socialandfinancialpreferencesinadditiontolacrosse.Uselacrosseasatooltogainadmissiontothebestcollegepossiblebecauseitisyoureducationandnetworkfromcollegethathelpsprepareyouforlong-termsuccess.Knowthenumbersandberealistic.WithalimitednumberofrosterspotsatNCAAprograms,keepanopenmindanddonotletyourfocusonaparticularteamordivisioncauseyoumissothergreatopportunitiesinfrontofyou.Parentsshouldbeinvolvedateverystageoftheplayer’sdecision-makingprocess,includingspeakingwithselectcollegecoaches,talkingwithtravelandhighschoolcoachesandguidancecounselorsandreviewingNCAAClearinghouseinformation.RefertotheNCAAGuidefortheCollege-BoundStudent-Athleteforfurthereligibilityinformation.Thebulletpointsfollowachronologicalorderthroughouttheyear.

BeforeHighSchool• InvestintheClassroom

— Thehigheryourgradesandtestscores,themoreschoolsthatcanrecruityou.Thiswillhelpwiththesupply/demandimbalanceasyouwillqualifyacademicallyformorerosterspotsacrossdifferentprograms,increasingyouroptionsanddecreasingthestressleveloftherecruitingprocess

— TheNCAArequireshighschoolathletestocomplete16corecoursesinhighschooltobeeligibleforDivisionIandIIlacrosseandachieveaminimumGPAinthesecourses;minimumSATandACTtestscoresarealsorequired

• BuildaStrongFoundation— Focusonbalancingplayinglacrosseonyourlocalandclubteamswithcamps,drills,wallball,fundamentalstrainingandprivatelessons.Identifyweaknessinyourgameandareastogrowyourskillset.Train

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andbuildendurancethroughplayingmultiplesportsandindividualexercisessuchasaspeedladder

— Collegecoachescaneasilyidentifya“one-trickhorse”;sohavingmultiplestrengthstoyourgameiskey.Challengeyourselftolearnnewdodges,checksandfinishingmovesandkeepthecompetitionguessing

• SpeakwithYourFamily— Theearlyrecruitingprocesscaneasilysneakupandoverwhelmplayersandtheirfamilies.Prepareyourselfbytalkingaboutanyhigh-levelcollegepreferencesyoumayhavesuchassizeofschoolordistancefromhome;understandanyfinancialparametersthatmayfactorintoyourdecision

• SocialMedia— Socialmediaisawesome.Don’tbeafraidtobeyourselfbutkeepinmindthatcollegecoachesandadministratorsmayreviewwhatyoushare.Thefirstrealinterviewformosthighschoolathletesiswithcollegecoachesandyouwilllikelyneverknowifitisyoursocialmediathatclosesadoor.Don’tliveinfear,justberealistic,likeknowingyourSnapchat’sarenotactuallydeletedbutinsteadarestored.Googleit.

• DefineaRecruitingTimelinethatisRightforYou— InNovember2012,thefirstfreshmanonrecordmadeaverbalcommitmenttoaDivisionImen’slacrosseprogram,havingneverplayedahighschoolgame.10Theplayerandhisfamilyinitiatedcontactwiththecollegecoach.Thisscenarioisrare.Keepinmindthistimelineisappropriateforthevastmajorityofplayers.However,theorderofthestepsisgenerallythesameandifyoufeelcompelledtomovethemup,dosowithcautionbutasneeded

FreshmanYear• StayActiveintheFallandWinter

— Lookforfallleaguesandwintercamps;considergoingoutforfallsportswithsimilarendurancerequirementssuchassoccer,crosscountryandfootball

— Keepastickinyourhandandhitthewalltostaysharpaheadofseason— Prepareforaspringthatwillbeginyourseparationfromthecompetition;focusonspeedandoverallstrengthandconditioning

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• Academics— YourGPAiscumulative;thegradesyouearnnowwilldetermineyourcollegeadmissibilityandinitialNCAAeligibilityyearsfromnow

— Ifyourtargetschoolsareveryselective(IvyLeague,NESCAC,Patriotconferences,etc.),trytogetontrackforAdvancedPlacement/College-levelcourses,whicharekeyforadmissiontotheseinstitutions

• CommunityService— Lookforwaystogivebacktoyourcommunity;trytofindsomethingyouwillenjoysuchasvolunteeringasanassistantcoachonrecreational,youthteam.Youthcentersandchurchorganizationsarealwayslookingforhelpanditisvaluedbycollegeadmissions

• KeepTrackofYourPersonalStatsandAthleticAwards— Thisincludesawardsinothersports,especiallyiftheydemonstrateleadership,teamworkorskillstransferrableacrosssports

• MakeYourGoalsKnown— Letyourhighschoolcoachesknowyourdesiretoplaylacrosseincollege

— Askthemwhereandhowtoimproveyourgameandworkhardinpracticeeverydaytoprovehowmuchyouwanttoaccomplishyourgoals

— Meetwithyourguidancecounselortoreviewyourscheduleandlookaheadbytargetingtherightclassesyoursophomoreyear

• CollegePreferencesandVisits— Visitacoupleofnearbyschoolsoverwinterbreaktofurthergetanideaofwhatkindofcollegesyouareinterestedin;speakwithteachersaboutschoolsthatmaybeagoodfitforyouaswell

— Keepinmindthatsomestatesrestrictyourabilitytodorecruitingvisitsduringthehighschoolseason,whichincludesshowcasesandprospectdays;speakwithyourhighschoolcoachtoprotectyoureligibilityandthatofyourhighschoolteam

— Ifyouhavefamilyorfriendsthatarecurrentlyincollege,trytovisitthemandaskthemquestionstogetaninsidescoopofwhatyoushouldbethinkingaboutandlookingfor

— Continuetorefineyourlistofschoolsandalsostartingthinkingofwhichprogramlevelorlacrossedivisionyouwouldliketoplayin;ifplayingimmediatelyisimportanttoyou,thenconsiderDivisionIIIteamswhereyoumaybeabletocontributeonthefieldearlier

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— Consideriftheteamisscholarshipornon-scholarshipandifthescholarshipprogramisfullyfundedorpartiallyfunded;getanideaofthestatusoftheprogramattheschoolandthecompetitivenessoftheteamwithinitsdivisionorconference

— Alsoconsiderthepersonality,trainingmethodsandstyleofplayofthecoachandhisorherinfluenceontheadmissionsprocess

— Buildatargetlistofschoolsandlearnmoreabouttheschoolsyouareinterestedin;researchafewschoolseveryweekandcontinuouslyrefineyourtargetlistasyourcollegepreferencesevolve

• CampsandClubTeams— Findcampsandprospectdaysatthecollegesyouareinterestedinandthatoffergreatinstruction;lookforgoodcoach-to-playerratiossoyourgamecangetindividualattention

— Lookforcampsofferedbythecollegecoachesyouareinterestedinplayingforasthisisagreatwaytomeetthecoachingstaffandteam

— Playintournamentswithalocalclubteamtoincreaseyourexposure,researchwhichtournamentsyourclubteamplaysintomakesuretherightcoachesseeyouandasalways,besuretostayhydratedbetweengames

— Donotburnyourselfoutandgiveyourbodytimetoheal,overusecanleadtoinjuriesthatcansidetrackyourwholemission

— Keepyourrecruitingprofileuptodatewiththesummertournamentsyouareplayinginsointerestedcoachescantrackandseeyouinperson

— Haveyourhighschoolandclubcoacheshelpyouwithinvitation-onlytournaments

• ContactCoacheswithYourRecruitingProfile— Beproactiveincontactingcoachesatcollegesyoubelieveyoucancontributetoandgetontheirradarearlyintherecruitingprocess

— Beaggressiveincontactingcoachesassometimesacoachataschoolyouareinterestedinmaynotbelookingtofillyourpositioninthatyear’srecruitingclassbutmayshareyourinformationwithanothercoachwhois

— Yourrecruitingprofileactsasanintroductionletterwithcoaches;trytodevelopstrongrelationshipswithinterestedcoachesofflinewithphonecallsandvisits

— Proofreadyourrecruitingprofileforanymistakes;thisisyourresume

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— KeepinmindDivisionIandIIcoachescannotpersonallycontactyouuntilyourJunioryearbutDivisionIIIandNAIAcoachescancontactyouatanytime

— Youcancontactcoachesatanytimebutobviouslyuseyourdiscretion;thisincludesphonecalls,emails,letters,instantmessagesandtextmessages

• UnofficialVisits— Visitthecampusesofschoolsyouareinterestedintolearnmoreaboutthelacrosseprogram,coaches,playersandathleticfacilities

— Conversely,visitschoolsthathaveexpressedinterestinyouandlearniftheschoolmatchesyouoffthefield;keepyouroptionsopen

— Reachoutaheadoftimetosetupantimetospeakwiththecoachandexpressyourinterestintheschool;donotshowupunannounced

— SinceDivisionIandIIcoachesareunabletoreplytoyouremailandconfirmyourappointment,followupwithaphonecalltoconfirm

— Ifyouareoncampus,youareallowedtotalkwiththecoachesallyouwant;exceptduringthedeadperiodsodonotschedulevisitsthen

• StartPreparingforStandardizedTests— SignupinadvancetotakeyourSATand/orACTbetweenMarchofyourFreshmanyearandOctoberofyourSophomoreyear;nolater

— Lookintoonlineprepcoursesandpracticetests,speakwitholderfriendsandteammatesandalsoseekourprivatetutoringifyouwish

— Viewyourtestscoresasanotherpillarofyourrecruitmentstrategy,whichcansetyouapartfromthecompetitionjustlikeyourperformanceonthefieldandintheclassroom

— Youcanandshouldplanontakingthesetestsmultipletimes• GetGameFilm

— Createahighlightvideotosharewithcollegecoaches;HDvideoonly— Followoureditingguidelinesorhireaprofessionaltomakeyourhighlightvideo;collegecoachesreceivehundredsofthesevideossomakesuretheactionandyourplayerisolationisclear

— Reviewyourowngamefilmtolearnfrommistakesandidentifyareaswhereyoucanimproveasaplayer

Anyvisittoacollegecampuspaidforbythecollegeisanofficialvisit.Visitspaidforbyrecruitsortheirparentsareunofficialvisits.Theonlyexpensesarecruitcanreceiveduringanunofficialvisitarethreeticketstoahomegame.

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SophomoreYear• GetFeedback

— Getfeedbackandevaluationsfromcoachesandcampcounselorsonyourgameandwhatprogramleveltheybelieveyoushouldbetargeting;continuetorefineandshortenyourtargetlistofschoolswiththisinformation

— Shortenyourlistto20-30targetschoolsandaggressivelypursuethem• ContinuetoBuildRelationships

— Continuetonetworkwitholderteammates,clubcoachesandcollegecoachesatdifferentschoolsasyourtargetlistevolves

— KeepinmindthatcollegescoachesareunabletorespondtoyouremailsuntilSeptember1ofyourjunioryear

— Developarelationshipwithyourhighschoolguidancecounselorandlethimorherknowyouwanttoplaysportsincollege

• FillOutQuestionnaires— Expressyourinterestinprogramsbyfillingoutquestionnairesandreturningthempromptly;ensureyouranswersarewell-writtenandthoughtout

— Questionnairesaresenttoplayersthathavecontactedthecoachtoexpressinterestintheprogramandthosethecoachhastargetedastoprecruits

— NCAAlacrosseprogramscannotprovideathleticrecruitinginformationexceptthequestionnaireuntilSeptember1ofyourJunioryear

• KeepYourHighlightVideoUptoDate— Addfootagefromyourclubtournamentsandsophomoreyearcampaignsoyourhighlightvideoisfreshandshowsyoucompetingagainststrongcompetition

— Useaneworupdatedhighlightvideoasareasontoemailcoachesatyourtargetcolleges,alongwithalistoftournamentsyouareplayingin

• StayActiveinWinterLeagues— Boxlacrosseisagreatwaytotestandimproveyourskillsinclosequartersandmanycollegecoacheslookfortheseskillsintheirplayers;thesuccessandinfluxofmoreCanadianplayersreflectsthistrend

• AttendCollegeGamesintheSpring

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— Trytowatchteamsatyourtargetschools;getanideaofhowyoustackupandifyoucangetonthefieldearlyinyourcollegiatecareerifthat’sapriority

— Don’tjustfollowtheball,beattentivetooff-ballmovementsaswelltounderstandthestyleofplay

• CampsandClubTeams— Continuetoattendcampsandprospectdaysatyourtargetschoolsandplayintournamentsandshowcaseswithexposuretothecoachesatcollegesyouareinterested;clubteamslisttheirtournamentscheduleandtournamentslistcollegecoachesinattendance

— Keepyourtournamentscheduleup-to-dateandgivecoachesaheadsupofwheretheycanseeyouinpersonoverthesummer;remindthemofyourclubteam,jerseynumberandposition

— Useyourhighlightvideotomaketheir“watchlist”sotheyseekyouout— Ifpossible,arrangetimestospeakwithcollegecoachesforafewminutesattheseevents,especiallyyourtopchoices;youareabletospeakwithcoachesifyouareontheircampus

— Trainhardoverthesummersoyou’reingreatshapeforclubtournamentsandworkhardtoaddressanyweaknessesinyourgame

• EvaluateProgressandPrioritize— Attheendofyoursummerclubseason,evaluatewhereyouare,whichcoachesandatwhatprogramlevelyou’vehadtractionwith

— Ifacoachhasneverrespondedtoyouorgivenyouanyindicationthattheyareinterestedinyou,thenmoveonandconcentrateeffortselsewhere

— Adjustyourtargetlisttoreflectyouracademicperformanceoverthelasttwoyears;alwaysincludeboth“reach”and“safe”schoolsonyourlist,frombothanathleticandacademicstandpoint

JuniorYear• ContactCoachesAgain

— Reachouttocoachesagainthroughyourrecruitingprofile;followupwithawrittenletter,noteanyupcomingfalltournamentsorshowcasesyouareplayingin,tryto“catchthemintheoffice”

— Reintroduceyourselfandyourpassiontoplayfortheirprogram

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— Yourwrittenlettershouldbealittlemoreformalandtreatedlikeyourresumeandcoverletterinone.Youcanrefertoitasyourletterofinterest.Discussyourinterestintheschool,theprogramandacourseofstudyifknown.Touchonyourgoalsandwhyyoufeelthatschoolisagreatfit.Includelettersofrecommendationandtestscores.Youcanalsoincludeaprint-outofyourrecruitingprofileasreference

— Confirmthecoach’snameandaddressarecorrectbeforesendingit;reviewyourspellingandgrammarbeforeyousendit

— Shortenyourlistoftargetschoolstoamoremanageable10-15schoolsandtakeadvantageofany“JuniorDay’s”offeredbytheschoolsyouareinterestedin;theseareinvite-onlyevents

— EvenifyoudonotreceiveaJuniorDayinvite,stayactiveinpursuingtheschoolandlookforclinicsandothereventstogetoncampusfor

— Brieflycommentonanarticleabouttheschoolorprogramoraninterviewwiththecoachtoexpressyourgenuineinterestintheschool

• YourFinalHighlightVideo— Keepyourhighlightvideoup-to-dateandfocusonhavingbothashort3minutevideoandalong15minutevideoavailablethatiswelledited

— Refertoourtipsforbuildinganexcellenthighlightvideoasthisislikelythelastversionyouwillshareandveryimportanttopromotingyourgametocollegecoaches,especiallyatthisstageoftheprocess

• UseAcademicstoStandOut— Thisisthemostimportantacademicyearinyourcollegeapplications— TakechallengingclassesincludingAdvancedPlacementcourses— Focusonyourtestscores,sharestrongtestscoreswithcoachesandincludetheminyourrecruitingprofile

• CoachesCanContactYouSeptember1— Coachesmaystartemailingyouquestionnairesandinitiatingonlinecontact;returnthempromptlyandsuccinctlyexpressyourinterestintheprogram

— Respondtoeverycoachyouhearfromtobuildyournetworkwithcoaches;keepinmindthatemailandcorrespondencethroughyourclubcoacharetheprimarymeansofcommunicationyourjunioryear

— Letcoachesofschoolsyouarenotinterestedinknowimmediately;thankthemfortheirinterestandthatyouarefocusingonotherschools

• RegisterwiththeNCAAClearinghouse

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— TheNCAArecommendsstudent-athletesregisterinthebeginningoftheirJunioryear;askyourguidancecounseloraboutanyquestionsyoumayhave

— PlayersconsideringDivisionIandDivisionIIschoolsmustregister;forDivisionIIIschools,eligibilityisdeterminedbytheschoolratherthantheNCAA(visitwww.ncaaclearinghouse.nettolearnmore)

— ThereisnoregistrationdeadlinebutstudentsmustbeclearedbytheEligibilityCenterbeforetheyreceiveathleticscholarships

— TheNCAAprovidesreleaseforms,theinitialcertificationnecessarytotakeofficialvisitsandfinalcertificationonyoureligibility,whichisbasedonyourhighschooltranscriptsandSATorACTtestscores

• TaketheSATintheFalland/orSpring— Leaveyourselftheopportunitytotakeitmultipletimes;playerswhohaveverballycommittedstillmustachievethetestscoresnecessarytogainadmission

— IndicatetheNCAAClearinghousenumber(9999)asaplacetosendyourscores

• SpringCorrespondence— AttheendofyourJunioryear,sendcoachesyouareincontactwithupdatedacademicinformationincludingyourunofficialtranscript,testscoresandanupdatedscheduleofthesummertournamentsyouareparticipatingin

— Includeyourmostrecenttelephonenumbersocoachescanreachyou— Askcoacheswhereyoustandontheirrecruitinglistsoyoucannarrowyourtargetschools;startreachingouttoDivisionII,III,NAIAorclubteamsifyoudon’thavetractionwithDivisionIcoaches

• Camps,ClubTeamsandShowcases— Attendasmanycampsandtournamentsasreasonablypossibleasmanycollegecoacheswillbeactivelyrecruitingforyourclass

— Travelandclubteamsremainthebestwaytogetexposuretocollegecoaches,whowanttoseeyouinpersoncompetingagainsttopcompetition.Ifyourtravelopportunitiesarelimited,yourrecruitingprofileandhighschoolteamgamefilmcanstilldemonstrateyourabilitiestothecollegecoachesyou’reinterestedin

• July1ContactPeriod— ThisisthefirsttimeDivisionIcoachescanofficiallycontactorcallyou,thisperiodcontinuesuntilatleastSeptember;donotstressifyoudon’thearfromcoachesthefirstday

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— Coacheswillbegintoextendscholarshipoffersatthistime;ifyoudonotgetascholarshipatthispoint,itdoesnotnecessarilymeancoachesarenotinterestedinyou

— DivisionIIcoachescanofficiallycontactyouJune15thofyourJunioryear;bothDivisionIandIIcoachesarelimitedtocontactfrequencyofonceaweek

— DivisionIIIcoachesdonothavethesamerestrictionsbutgenerallystartreachingoutaroundthesametime

— Keepanopenlineofcommunicationwiththecollegecoachesyouareinterestedinandtrytospeakwiththemaboutonceamonth

— Acompletemen’sandwomen’srecruitingcalendarisavailableontheNCAAwebsiteundertheresourcessection,detailingthecontact,quietanddeadperiods;thecontactperiodallowscollegecoachingstaffstomakein-person,off-campusrecruitingcontactsandevaluationswhilethedeadperioddoesnot,thequietperiodallowsonlywrittenandtelephonecommunication

• FulfillNCAAClearinghouseRequirements— Confirmyourstatusofyourfileandknowtherules

SeniorYear• RefineYourFinalTargetList

— Cutyourlistto4-6schoolsbasedonthelettersyouhavereceivedfromcoachesatschoolsthatmatchyouracademic,socialandfinancialpreferences

— Reachouttotheseselectcoacheswithupdatedinformation;includealetterofrecommendationfromyourhighschoolandclubcoaches

— Arrangeoncampusinterviewswithcoachesandspendtimeoncampus

— ByOctober,90%ofDivisionIrecruitingclassesarefullsobeaggressivebutalsorealisticsoyourtimeisfocusedonthebestopportunities

• ApplytoSchools— Tellcoachesyouhavesubmittedanapplicationtotheirschool— Requestcoachesworkwithfinancialaidofficerstoprovideafinancialaidpre-read,whichprovidesanestimateofyourfinancialaidpackage

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— ApplyforfinancialaidwithFAFSAbeginningJanuary1— Pursuetheschoolswiththebestacademicfitthatwillpositionyouforlong-termsuccess;remember,youcanalwaystrywalkingonorplayingonaclubteam

• OfficialVisits— Youareonlyallowedtotakefiveofficialvisitsandofficialvisitstakenforothersportscounttowardsyourfivetotalpermittedvisits

— Anyvisitthatisfullyorpartiallyfundedbyaninstitutioncounts,thisincludesaDivisionIIIvisitfundedbyarepresentativeofathleticsinterests(i.e.,abooster)

— Officialvisitsmusttakeplaceyoursenioryearandarelimitedto48hours;donotletyourguarddownduringthevisitevenwhentheplayersareshowingyouagoodtime,treatitasajobinterview

— Continuetotakeunofficialvisitsatallschoolsyouhaveinterestin• ConsiderEarlyDecisionorEarlyActionAdmission

— AlsoconsiderEarlySigningforascholarshipyouhavebeenoffered;earlysigningperiodisthesecondweekofNovember,theregularperiodisinApril

— Youshouldreceivealetterthatstateswhetheritislikelyorunlikelythatyouwillbeacceptedtotheschoolandreceivefinancialaid,allowingyoutomakeaninformeddecisionatthistimewithoutvoidingthescholarship

— EarlySigningofyourNationalLetterofIntentbindsyoutoattendthatinstitutionforatleastoneacademicyear;failingtodosowillcauseyoutolosetwoyearsofeligibilityoroneyearwithaQualifiedReleaseAgreement

• CrosstheFinishLineAcademically— Allcollegeswanttranscriptsoffirstsemestergradessostaysharp

• SignandCommittoaProgram— Writeallthecoachesyouhavebeenworkingwith,thankingthemandinformingthemofyourdecision;holdontotheserelationships

— GetthesummerworkoutscheduleatyournewprogramGoodluckandgetreadyfortheexperienceofalifetime.

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Conclusion:TheProcessisDifferentbuttheGoalistheSameTherecruitinglandscapeinlacrossehasacceleratedoverthepastfivetotenyears,drivenbymoreathleteslookingforastagnantnumberofcollegerosterspotsbutalsobymorestudentsfromacrosstheworldlookingforadmissiontothegreatschoolsthathavelacrosseprograms.Therecruitingprocesshasbecomemorestressfulashascollegeadmissionsingeneral,requiringathletesandfamiliestoinvestmoreonthefieldandintheclassroom.Theprizeattheendremainsthesame,atrulyuniqueexperience,theprideofwearingyourschool’snameacrossyourchestandtheopportunitytodeveloplastingrelationshipswithyourteammates.That,alongwithadegreefromagreatschool,isworthfightingforandwakingupearlyonSundaytorunstairsatthelocalstadium.Wehopethisguideandourresourceshelpsyoudefineandreachyourgoal.

OurStory:FoundersGageandNickThereasonourcollegedirectoryhasover1,500programsfromDivisionItoMCLA/WCLAisbecausethereisnosinglerightanswerwhenitcomestofindingtherightcollegeteamtoplayfor.Collegelacrosseatanylevelmatters.Theexperience,networkandresumeyougetfrombeing“partofateam”and“handlingadversity”willhelpyoustandapartininterviewsandfindsuccessbeyondtheplayingfield.GagegrewupinIndianaandplayedfortheIndianaUniversityclubteam.Nickgrewupinup-stateNewYorkandplayedforDivisionIFairfieldUniversity.Eachchoicewastherightmatchforeachplayerandperson.GagewasabletostudyabroadtwiceinBarcelonaandBeijing,earnadualmajorinfinanceandhistoryandjoinasocialfraternity.NickwasableexperienceDivisionI

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competitionandplayedintheNCAAtournament.Bothreachedtheirgoalsandusedlacrosseasatooltodoso.Manyyoungplayerssimplylisttheteamsfromthepreviousyear’sNCAAchampionshipastheirtargetschools.Wewantplayerstokeepanopenmindastheyentertherecruitingprocess,suchasDivisionIIIschoolsmayleadtoabetterall-aroundcollegiateexperiencethatincludesstudyabroad,whichmaybeanimportantexperiencetothem.Lacrossehasgivenusalot.Welovethesportandwanttohelpyoungplayersgetthemostofit.1Bowen,WilliamG.andLevin,SarahA.“ReclaimingtheGame:CollegeSportsandEducationalValues.”PrincetonUniversityPress.20052Walker,Childs.“DespiteReservations,CollegeLacrosseCoachesRecruitYoungerAndYoungerPlayers.”TheBaltimoreSun.17Nov.2012.3“USLacrosse2014ParticipationSurvey.”USLacrosse4Kiley,Kevin.“CollegesUseLacrosseToRecaptureSuburbanStudents.”USATODAY4Apr.2012.5Meinke,Kyle.“Lacrosse,Revenue,SocialMediaandMoreDiscussedByMichiganAthleticDirectorDaveBrandon.”TheAnnArborNews22Aug.2011.6Boyle,Bill.“Lacrosse,BowlingAmongNation’sLeadingHighSchoolSports.”Mar.2008.7“USLacrosse2014ParticipationSurvey.”USLacrosse8“USLacrosseStatementOnRecruiting.”USLacrosse18Oct.2012.9Satterfield,Lem.“CoachesRecognizeCompetitivenessInPlayersWhoPlayMultipleSports.”ESPN.com4Oct.2011.10McLaughlin,Corey.“Freshman’sCommitmentAgainPutsFocusOnEarlyRecruiting.”LacrosseMagazine.10Dec.2012.