Sup, laxers? Hope you've been using the wise wisdom of Kyle Harrison and the stringing prowess of Fletch while I was gone, but I'm back! And I bring with me a little something for the younger laxers. Getting recruited is insanely difficult, since sometimes you have no idea how to get visible to coaches. How do you get your name out there to the colleges and programs that you're aiming for? And even then, how do you know which program you want? Do you want to shoot for NCAA D1? D2 or D3? MCLA? (Or D1 Club level...) It is an incredibly confusing jumble of things you have to do, but luckily, I have Chris Meade of LacrosseRecruits.com here to give you a little help. I asked him what you players can be doing to raise your profile, and if you're a college player now, sound off in the comments about what helped YOU!
What does it take right now for a high school laxer to get noticed by schools (What are coaches looking for?)
You need to get started early!!!
Coaches are looking for athletes who have great lacrosse IQ. Players need to get in the funnel to end up playing at top camps like Jake Reed's Nike Blue Chip or Showtime Spotlight or camps that fit your list of potential schools like New England Top 150 or Good to Great Showcase. Play travel lacrosse, attend summer camps, and have a presence online. The more a player puts into the process, the more returns they are going to get.
What can they do to raise their recruiting profile?
I think that players overlook the importance of marketing. Influencers like travel coaches, high school coaches, college coaches and camp directors have lots of influence on players who make all star teams, get invited to showcases and get publicity in publications. Having a highlight reel created and getting it out to influencers before the recruiting circuit will help create buzz. Buzz then leads to people taking the time to see a player in person.
What would you say is the difference for a student-athlete trying to get recruited by D1 vs. D3 (or MCLA?)
The timeline is different for D1 and D3. At this point, recruiting for the Class of 2012 is almost completely finished for top tier Division 1 programs and just starting to heat up for top tier Division 3 programs.
It is really hard to make blanket statements on the difference between recruiting at each level because there are many different variations within each Division. With lacrosse families, academics play such a large part in the college decision process that some players would rather go to most selective Division 3 institutions as opposed to loweer tier Division 1 institutions.
As a general rule, potential Division 1 players need to start reaching out to coaches in the fall of Sophomore year and potential Division 3 players need to start reaching out to coaches in the fall of Junior year.
For potential MCLA players, you fall in line with the Division 3 timeline. That being said, most potential MCLA players will have a more targeted list of schools because they coincide with their state or regional university. (Players from Oregon who want to play MCLA, tend to end up at U of Oregon, players from Florida who want to play MCLA, tend to end up at U of Florida or Florida St., etc.)
What are the biggest mistakes that players or parents can make in the recruitment process?
Chris Meade's Top 5
1) They wait until spring of Junior year to get started
2) Don't have realistic expectations of their ability (I'm a D1 player, not D3 - probably not)
3) Think that their child is going to get a lacrosse scholarship
4) Commit too early
5) Don't spend enough time on campus of their potential college and get a feel for what life is like for a lacrosse player
What are the biggest tools in the player's arsenal for recruitment? (Highlight reels, camps attended, etc)
This is going to sound biased since I run an online recruiting tool but... A professionally made highlight reel, unedited full game video and online profile will be the most valuable weapon in a player's arsenal. It allows you to have control in the recruiting process, you get to portray your game in the best light for a college coach. Then the college coach can make a decision if it is worth seeing a player in person.
Then the next biggest tool would be to have a person/resource that can help direct you towards the right camps and events for your ability. Having a realistic idea of where you shake out as a player and what schools would be a good fit, will then let you narrow down all of the camp options over the summer. Realistically, most camps and tournaments are not the right fit for you.
And there you have it! From the source, five ways to raise your recruiting profile. So get at it, laxers!
Follow me on Twitter, @marilynmonbro.
I’m Sammie, and am not A “lax babe”, I’m THE “lax babe”. My first big-girl crush was on a laxer, who let’s just say is still on the field (and in the box) today, and it’s only expanded from there. I live and work around bros, who I love and could hang out with all day every day. One could really even call me a “bro in babe’s clothing”. While lax is (with a bullet) my favorite sport, it’s not the only one I follow, growing up a diehard NY Giants/Yankees fan. If all I had was YouTube clips of MLL skills championships, my aviators, my Ipod, Summer days, pinneys, and laxers, I’d be one happy chick.