The Ins-and-Outs of NCAA Lacrosse Recruiting DI, DII, DIII Presented by Black Swamp LAX WWW.BLACKSWAMPLAX.COM November 16, 2013 1
Introduction Lacrosse is spreading rapidly throughout North America. Lately, youth programs, middle schools, high schools, and universities have adopted one of the most loved and interesting sports. Colleges and universities have been creating men s and women s lacrosse programs throughout the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). To compete with some of the strongest, fastest, and smartest athletes in North America, it does not take just physical training and 100% effort in the classroom. It takes many hours, days, even years to complete the recruiting process as a high school lacrosse player. The following report will consist of firsthand experience of coaches, parents, and players, along with research and statistics. Purpose of this Study: The purpose of this study and research is to help fellow high school students have a future playing collegiate lacrosse at the DI, DII, or DIII level and to help players understand the recruiting process. Ohio, and especially Northwest Ohio, is growing the game of lacrosse, along with growth of talent. (Please see the map below that shows how lacrosse has significantly gained popularity since 2005). Many players have concerns and educating student athletes on the importance of the recruiting process is something I would like to do to contribute to this region. I have gone through the process since 9th grade and while looking back on it, have found it has been one of the most beneficial things to happen to me as a student. It taught me to be disciplined and hard working, which translated to my studies. I believe this guide will assist student athletes since all of this information is current and from a young fresh perspective. NCAA Lacrosse Growth from 2005 2014 - http://thegrowthblog.blogspot.com/ 2
Answers were sought to the following questions: 1. When do I start the process? 2. How often do I need to contact college coaches? 3. How do I get a coach s attention? 4. How many schools should I email? 5. What if I am talking to a coach, but I have little interest in their school? 6. What is the best way to get exposure to coaches? 7. Do I need film, if so, what should be in the film? Methods and Procedures Used: Research was conducted through electronic searches along with firsthand accounts by me and other future/current college athletes. Crucial Reminders: First, always remember that you are going to college for academics so you can succeed as an adult, lacrosse and athletics are secondary. Secondly, there is a school and lacrosse program for everyone, whether it is Division I, Division II, Division III or Club. Ideal Status & Offering of Program: Division I, Division II, Division III, or Club? Intended majors, does the university offer your program? Are size, location, and climate a factor in your decision? Scholarship or non-scholarship program? If scholarship, full or partial? Influence of coach and players during contact and visits. Time commitment required? Private, Catholic, or State? *These bullets should be a consideration early in the process when narrowing down your school choices. It is always a good idea to contact a variety of schools. For example, contact Adrian College (DIII) in Michigan, while also contacting University of Tampa (DII) in Florida, while also sending your information to Sacred Heart University (DI) in Connecticut. Remember, you can contact whom ever you want as much as you want. Take advantage of this and be open minded. Film and Video Tapes: Film is a great way to show your talent in just a few minutes. There are many aspects that go into making a highlight tape. Take the following into consideration when making and uploading a highlight tape. Editing, cutting, and uploading takes days, even weeks, so make sure you manage your time. Do not send full games unless a coach requests it. Coaches wanted to see how I communicated with the defense along with how I answered/reacted when getting scored on. The following positions should include these areas of play: o Attackmen: Goals, Feeds, Ground Balls and Riding the clear. o Midfielders: Goals, Feeds, Ground Balls, Riding the clear, Clearing, and Face-offs. 3
o Defense: Goals, Ground Balls, Slides, Clearing, Stick and Body Checks. o Goalie: Variety of Saves, Ground Balls, Vocal Ability, Quick Outlets, and Leadership. Film length should be around 3-8 minutes. o Coaches do not want to see whole games or 20 minutes of film. o They want to see the important aspects of the game in an organized fashion. o Make sure you edit and cut the film in a professional manner. Don t include lack of action like a dead ball or passing around the horn. Include film from high school games, summer club tournament games, and all-star games. No inappropriate music or lyrics. Identify your number, jersey color, helmet color (if it differs from teammates and teams you are playing) in a 10 second slide before the film starts. Include contact information in the Description box if uploaded online. o In the description of my own highlight video on YouTube, I included the following: John Doe Highlights from the 2012 Spring Lacrosse Season. Class of 2014 Anytown High School. Toledo, OH. Email: @gmail.com Phone Number: xxx-xxx-xxxx Recruiting Page: Youtube link or Black Swamp Profile link Always show hustle within your film: o Coaches want to see that you are constantly giving 110% effort. o No coach wants a player that slacks during the game, especially when this video is made by you. Appropriate goals, and hits: o If you decide to include hits or take away checks, make sure they are legal, not flagged, and not dirty. Academic Considerations: Meet with your guidance counselor or college advisor about the following: ACT Requirements, SAT Requirements GPA Academic requirements for your college choices Sending your transcript to coaches and college admissions offices Make sure unofficial and official transcripts with ACT and SAT scores are sent to any college that is actively recruiting you. 4
What a parent should and should not do: WHETHER IF YOU ARE A PARENT OR PLAYER READ THE FOLLOWING. Both should know the parents restrictions. If you are reading this as a player, keep in mind that this whole process of recruiting is to get you to the college that will make you an educated and well rounded person. Do not baby yourself by having mom or dad do your work. If you are reading this as a parent, you should actively be involved in the process to an extent. Pressure to get things done is one thing, but to have pressure on your son or daughter to play at a certain school, let alone play at the collegiate level, is another thing. I firmly believe that pressure can lead to bad choices. Players are given the tools to shape their future. They are old enough to make their own decisions. Now don t get me wrong, guidance is great along with check-ins to see how the process is going. Finally, become knowledgeable about the NCAA Clearinghouse, which will be introduced later in this guide. Recruiting Timeline: Freshman Year: Become familiar with the recruiting process. Attend tryouts for your high school team. Tryout for elite travel teams and get to tournaments on the east coast (applies to all high school years). That is where the coaches are. Attend camps and showcases. Become familiar with ACT and SAT testing. Research different colleges. Sophomore Year: Make contact with schools (send cover letter and summer lacrosse schedule). Attend camps, showcases and tournaments with your club team or elite travel team. Towards the end of sophomore year, start going on unofficial visits to schools you are interested in. Try your best to set-up a meeting with the coach on these visits. Junior Year: Study and take ACT and SAT tests Start narrowing school choices Keep taking unofficial visits o On unofficial visits, you should visit admissions and try to meet up with the coach for a tour or meeting o Treat it as a job interview o Make sure to discover the campus life. You will not be staying with the team nor having the university pay for your expenses. Attend showcases and tournaments Be on the same page with your parents about the future ahead of you 5
Senior Year: Fulfill NCAA Clearinghouse Verbally commit before the start of your senior year Study and consider information about Early Decision or maybe Early Action admission to a college and Early Signing of a National Letter of Intent. The National Letter of Intent is usually the third week of November. DO NOT LET GRADES SLIP Train for the next level of play for next year *This is how my process worked out and is a normal timeline. Some players commit as early as sophomore year and as late as senior year spring. Basic information to include in an e-mail and/or cover letter: The following is a checklist of what should be covered within an e-mail or cover letter: If you use a cover letter, make sure you include a paragraph about why you are interested in the program/university you are pursuing. Make it personal. I recommend personal emails to coaches talking about what interests you have within their program/university. State academic and athletic goals. Academic major or program of study, if you know Discuss how the specific education of the university you are pursuing would benefit you Personal Information: Name Phone number Home address E-mail address Year in school or year of graduation Name of High School Height and weight Sport Background: Position Years of experience Roll on high school team (Freshman, JV, Varsity, or Varsity starter) Club team(s) Elite travel team(s) Recent camps High school and Club team game schedule o Before going to a summer tournament, send your schedule along with your jersey number so they can find you Highlight film Involvement in other sports besides lacrosse 6
Academic Information: Current GPA Class Rank Current SAT, PSAT, ACT scores if available Honors (Honor Roll, AP classes, etc.) Recognition: This area includes significant accolades or recognition received, for example, all-league, all-district, all-state, all-american, selection for all-star teams, and also includes information about your team s accomplishments. References: Name and contact information of high school/club coaches. When interviewing a college player on why this is one of the most important parts of the e-mail he said, Anyone can talk themselves up and try to show why they are fit for the college program they want to go to. Giving a college coach a source to reach out to is crucial and it gives you the ability to have reassurance and gives the coach reassurance of your level of play. Character: A player s character is extremely important. I will go as far to say that character is more important than skill. Coaches will judge you on appearance, manners, personality, and phone skills. Yes, I did say they will judge personality. Coaches will want to see leadership, confidence and a positive attitude. Character is important because you will be spending a great deal of time around the coaches and your team. They want someone that can lead while, at the same time, encourage others and enjoy the experience in a positive way. Manners are key as and coaches recruiting at tournaments are not only on the sidelines, but walking throughout the tournament area talking to club and college coaches. They are watching you and you do not even know it. That is not the time to act immaturely. They will see if your mom is carrying your bag to the field. They will hear about you pulling the fire alarm in the dorm at 4 a.m. They will hear about you putting a dirty hit on someone when you are losing and then turning around and slashing someone. Above all you need great communication skills on the phone with the coaches. When talking to a coach, you need to set yourself apart from the other recruits by exuding self confidence. You need to have energy and focus during your conversation. Also, make sure to talk about something other than yourself. For example, read up on the program/record or their current team and discuss what you know. This will get questions going, as well as impressing the coach. 7
Recent Recruiting Statistics: Men's Lacrosse High school men's lacrosse players: 162,416 Division I programs: 61 NCAA-mandated maximum number of scholarships per program (over four years): 12.6 Average scholarships per program per year: 3.15 Average players per recruiting class: 12 Average estimated scholarship: 26 percent Fully-funded programs: 31 Total scholarships available: 400 Players receiving some scholarship over four years: 1,450 Odds of any high school male landing any Division I scholarship: 0.89 percent Women's Lacrosse High school women's lacrosse players: 112,865 Division I programs: 92 NCAA-mandated maximum number of scholarships per program (over four years): 12 Average scholarships per program per year: 3 Average players per recruiting class: 9 Average estimated scholarship: 33 percent Fully funded programs: 50 Total scholarships available: 780 Players receiving some scholarship over four years: 2,363 Odds of any high school female landing any Division I scholarship: 2.1 percent *Sources: NCAA, US Lacrosse data from 2011-12 and estimated projections based on Lacrosse Magazine research 8
Closing Thoughts: Coaches will ask you what your GPA is and what your ACT or SAT scores are. Do not lie. You will not play for a coach if he feels like you are a risk. Coaches do not want to be called in to talk to the AD about you, your grades, or your behavior any more than a boss at work. Coaches are not there to babysit players and they have their jobs on the line. They will not risk their job for you. Find a school that matches your style of play. If you are a run and gun player, you need a school that matches that style. Always do an overnight visit at the college. You will need to network if you want to get noticed. You will need coaches that will call other coaches (hopefully they have a network within the colleges) and actively promote you. Outside of a well-connected coach and his network, you need to do it yourself. Players from non-lax areas get scholarships because they work their own network and pursue the coaches. It is rare that someone is going to come looking for you and beg you to come to their program. Lacrosse has really grown in popularity in the last few decades and being recognized and recruited is tougher than ever. Do your research, be diligent, study hard and enjoy lacrosse and the rest will work itself out. 9