|
RECRUITING
You
do not become an official recruited athlete until after
July 1st after your junior year and a college calls
you at least 2 times, you are invited for an “official” visit,
or you have been contacted by a college recruiter in
person. If these things begin to happen for you
it is time for you to start determining what criteria
you will use to make your final decision. Of
course you will want to know all you can about the lacrosse
program and the school but also look into the social
atmosphere and location.
If
your phone is ringing on July 1st the process may be
accelerated for you in terms of making a decision about
where you want to play. If not, don’t worry,
many athletes don’t
commit until well into their senior year.
1) Scholarships
The NCAA allows for DI lacrosse to
have 12.6 scholarships for each program. That does not mean that every college or university fully funds the program at 12.6. A typical lacrosse team carries around 50 players. 12/50= a quarter of a scholarship per player if the coach wants to distribute them evenly, which they don’t. Most coaches save these scholarships for their better players who are seniors and juniors. But that does not mean they are not willing to help you find ways to qualify for help in other areas. It is an area you will have to explore with the coach and admissions office when the time comes. The Ivy League does not offer athletic scholarships at all but the military academies offer a free education in turn for your 4-5 years of service after graduation. DII
may offer athletic scholarships and DIII schools do not
offer scholarships, but can award academic scholarships
and help getting into a school.
2) Admissions
It is a
good idea to develop relationships with the admissions
representatives in your area. Even though you may
not get an athletic scholarship right away, your lacrosse
skills may get you into a school you would not normally
qualify for.
3) Official Visits
You
are allowed one “official” visit to
5 different colleges during your senior year. You
should go on these visits if you have a sincere interest
in the school and your schedule can handle it. If you have made it this far, don’t
feel like you have to go and
impress anybody. Many times you will be with other
kids and this gives you a chance to meet some of the
other guys you may be playing with some day. This
is a
good time to feel out your peers. These trips can
also be a lot of fun but you will want to pay attention
to all aspects of college life while you are there.
DANGER:
If the trip is
an overnight trip you will most likely be housed by a
current team member. Keep in mind that the choices
you make regarding drinking and other inappropriate behavior
can/will be communicated to the coach and this could
hurt your chances of making the cut. The choices
you make are important! Character Counts!
Questions to consider when talking with a coach:
- How high of a priority am I for you and how do I stack up against the other kids you are recruiting?
- What position will I play?
- What expectations do you have for training and conditioning?
- What times do you run practice, how often, and how much time?
- Does your program have trainers that work out with you in the gym?
- Does the college provide academic support services for lacrosse players/
- How many kids are you bringing in this year?
- When do you see me getting on the field? As a freshman? A senior?
- How serious is the program about trying to make the NCAA playoffs?
- Will I be redshirted the first year?
- How would you describe your coaching style?
- What is a typical day like for a student athlete?
- What are the residences halls like?
|
