recruiting

[ljlax]

SO basically im starting to freak out about college in general and then lacrosse(recruiting etc) is just like stressing me out more.

i figure that since i live in san diego my best bet is to get into a college on my own and then talk to the coach about walking on (hopefully tlaking to them before obviously so they know who i am). but sometimes i think that im not really good enough to play in college anyway and they wouldnt even want me to walk on.

anyway i sorta started in the middle. im giong to be a junior and consider myself to be a good student. with my grades, i can get into a college i would want to go to on my own. but its really a matter of if i will have the opportunity to play lacrosse. since im a junior i think i still have time to contact coaches and everything. buti have duobts about whether they would even want to see me play. or care that im interested in their lacrosse program, since i live in california.
i have been to a million and one "recruiting seminars" etc but i still dont know how to go about this. i know i need to email coaches, which im int he process of. and fill out questionaires, something else im working on right now. but in th eemail i dont know what i shuld say. like my accomplishments etc.

anyway, can anyone just tell me what they have done, or are in the process of doing in order to play lacrosse in college. oh yeah, i dont really care what level i play at i just want to play.. :)

im guessing taht sumsum is doing a lot of this stuff right now and any other input would be greatly appreciated. thank you

[ques]

Go to games and find colleges that have players of your ability. You can also send game videos. Not just of you, they want to see more than just you. They like to see how you fit into the whole game and not just highlights of you. There are plenty of colleges out there that offer lax and there is place for you to play. One of my 12th graders that did not even get to play in some games had the coach of that college she is going to calling her.

[ljlax]

but what if i dont even know what kind of college i want to go to, even if i wasnt gonig to play lacrosse. i feel so lost. like i feel like i shuold know where i want to go. or atleast have an idea of what kind of school i want to go to when i dont.

[ljlax]

but thats my problem i dont know if i want to be in a city or rural or big or small. i know i want to get out of california, midwest at the closest but hopefully somewhere on the east coast. i want somewhere with really good academics but thats all i really know right now.

my parents didnt really tape me my soph year (this year) and well im just doing random camps and clinics and scrimmages until next season so i cant really get a video made until then.
also i havent taken SATs and have no clue what my class rank is. so its pretty hard to fillout the questionaires lol.

i've been talking to some coaches from high schools in my area. like last night i emailed the coach i had for the last two tournys i went to and she coaches at a high school that my team plays. i just asked her what level she thinks i could play at and some random other questions. i dont know why i feel like im running out of time for this but i do.

[molax19]

I know waht you mean. I started with this last fall as a junior, emailing coaches and that kind of stuff. The best advice I can give u is TAPE EVERYTHING! when it came to making my tape, i felt like i was scrambling for footage, and i didn't have what i really wanted.

[ljlax]

even if its like random pick up games?

i thought most coaches just wanted like a half of one of ur best games so they can see how u actually play? but obviously i would want to tape a lot so i can have a good one. but what if i dont have any real games to tape until like feb/march?

[ques]

They really dont want much more than 10 -15 minutes of you and your best game is not really how you actually play is it? Ever think about just going to a junior college, seeing you don't really know what want at this point in time?

[ljlax]

ques, i have like a year to figure out where i want to apply and no i havent considered junior college. i figure if all this stuff with lacrosse doesnt work then ill go to a college completely for its academics and play club.

liz so they dont care if its some random camp scrimmmage? haha

[CTLaxer]

http://www.lacrosseforums.com/showthread.php?p=191954#post191954

That will give you some help.

You should make a decision on where to go to school without thinking about lacrosse. Don't pick a school based on their team, their lacrosse background, or what kind of program they have. Pick a school you want a degree from in an area you like. THEN look into playing lacrosse there. What happens if you get injured and can't play and you ended up going to a school you hate with a lacrosse team you love? You'll hate it. Or if you get recruited and get some money to go somewhere to play....what happens if you hate the school and then the don't get the scholarship money to play? It happens.

Take out a sheet of paper, make a list of qualities you would like in a college/university. Things like location, size, type of education (religious, scholastic, etc), degree programs, close to a beach/mountains, etc etc. Then go down the list, find ones that are things you absolultely have to have, and find a school that matches that criteria. Once you narrowed it down to a handful like that and need some help deciding which one to go to, THEN you can look at lacrosse at those schools and use that to narrow it down.

You still have plenty of time and you can always go to a juco to get your grades up and transfer into a school or get some lacrosse in beforehand. You can also do a PG year at a local school to hone your skills some more and get your grades up without losing a year of eligability

[ljlax]

yeah i know that i shuoldnt base my school on lacrosse. even if i didnt play lacrosse or any other sport for that matter, i wouldnt have an idea what type of school i want. i know i want to get off the west coast but thats pretty much it.
again grades are not really an issue and i will be going to a regular university straight out of high school, unless something major happens between now and then.

[CTLaxer]

Well then may I suggest Arizona State University :-)

[goalLAX]

The best thing to do is talk to college coachs and ask what kind of players they are looking for. Go to www.e-lacrosse.com and look for the college link (http://www.e-lacrosse.com/div1m.htm). This lists all the colleges in the counrty that offer womens lacrosse DI, DII, DIII, and even club teams. Start there and just pick out a school and if you find somthing you like check it out and like i said talk to a coach.

Just to add. I had no idea where I wanted to go either, but I started talking to coachs and they were really helpful.

[OHlax3544]

go to loyola chicago..good school not really sure if they have a lax team..but if they do ull be a star there..good academics there ya go lol

[ljlax]

ct--i actually know a few people at ASU--um katie kellegan was on my team frosh year. im pretty sure shes playing club there. and im looking a little farther east considering its freaking HOT IN ARIZONA.... haha

and i'll look into loyolain chicago

my moms buying that book "the draw" that has all of the teams and all divisions etc with contacts etc and stats and everything

[RYU]

In my experience, I find that HS girls who say they want to play college varsity lax have no idea what they're getting into. Even a lot of the ones who are good enough to be recruited and play varsity ball find that they bought into a lot more than they bargained for.

ljlax, I'm not trying to discourage you. All I'm saying is, find out what it really means to play for a program you're interested in. Whatever level of time & commitment your HS team requires of you now, I guarantee you an NCAA program will require at least 5X that. If your HS team practices 10 hrs/wk, I don't literally mean a college team practices 50 hrs/wk, but it's close.

Are you willing to commit to two-a-day preseason practices? What if the morning session is at 630am? Are you willing to go to bed early on Fri night b/c you have a game Sat morning while all your non-athlete friends are out partying? Are you OK returning to campus a week before everyone else does when the school is nearly deserted? Are you OK w/ spending Spring Break w/ the team on away games instead of going crazy at the beach?

As for walk-ons, walk-on can mean a lot of things. The days of the true walk-on (when the varsity team has open tryouts to any student on campus) are mostly over. These days a walk-on is usually a player who the coach has more or less recruited as a non-scholarship player but is not part of the coach's official recruiting class. A competative program may take 1 or 2 players from open walk-on tryouts, and even then those true walk-ons may be cut at any time.

There's another thread in General forum w/ a lot of advice relevent to you inquiry.
http://www.lacrosseforums.com/showthread.php?t=23387

[sumSum]

Also be prepared for rejection...it hurts. Make sure coaches are realistic and honest with you throughout the whole process - most times you'll have to ask them where you stand because they wont necessarily tell you unless your a top recruit of theirs. When it comes to your junior year/summer after make sure you really make them aware of your interest. I learned too late that a phone call every once in a while or email a week or so can really make a difference.

[ljlax]

ryu--my sisters playing at berkley next year, yes they arent the best D1 but that will give me a pretty good idea for time commitment. she has prac 5 days a week 7-10. and im not the partying type. commitment really isnt the issue and i understand that it will be a crap load harder than anything im doing now.

so right now pretty much theres nothingf or me to do besides email and fill out questionaires right?

[CTLaxer]

If you want, I can give you an idea about the kind of commitment you can expect from a top club team such as ASU's(finished 5th at the national championships IIRC). And it's not too hot here, just in the summers.

[RYU]

That's great advice from Summer. ljlax, also great about your sister - she can provide you a day-by-day account of her experience. Incidentally, UC-Berkeley has a good letter about what to expect from the recruiting process located here:

http://calbears.collegesports.com/sports/w-lacros/spec-rel/100201aaa.html

I know I'm sounding like Debbie Downer, but you may go 1-2 years before seeing significant playing time. You may go your whole career w/o being more than a reserve player. Or you may be cut altogether to make room for new players. That's the harsh world of collegiate athletics. All the more reason to make sure you love the school before you love the sports team.

As a college athlete, you are expected to make your sport your #2 priority. The only thing that comes before are your studies. That means, if you have a family vacation scheduled to occur the time as preseason practice, you're going to be skipping that trip.

A good movie to watch is Love and Basketball. One of the main characters is a girls' HS basketball star. The movie does a good job showing the difference in a girls' HS team and women's college program.

[ljlax]

yeah i've accepted that im not as good as many many other girls so thats why id pretty much rather go somewhere where i would get some playing time atleast by junior year. also time commitment and whatever really isnt an issue. i woulnt mind if my entire life in college was studying and lacrosse.

[ljlax]

OK
So I have been talking to some high school coaches I know about college, and they know a lot of coaches and stuff. They think I could play D1 but at a middle/lower ranked school, or D3. i'm sort of leaning towards D3 since it's a lot more likely that I would get to play, and there are a few schools that arent as good but are awesome academicly(MIT, tufts,claremont mkenna) I don't know if I could get in or play or anything, but I'm just thinking.

ANYWAY, my real question is...Do D3 teams have officials? I know I can't get any money from them, but do they invite players they are recruiting to come, or are there only unofficial visits..that they tell you to go on or something?


*sorry I double posted but this is OLD and..yeahhhh

[celtlax]

BTW, just how important are hs grades and test scores? Would someone that has average test scores and grades but good lacrosse/athletic skills get overlooked for average player with good grades?

LJ, a local lax coach told me that DIII is the way to go...the amount of committment is much less, providing students a more balanced college life...Also, I went to several DIII camps and have played pickup games against DIII college players.....being just an average player I was able to stay with them on defense and offense....

Also, a very talented player here locally had a lot of issues adjusting to a D1 college as a freshman. She was very mad when they dropped her schollie to partial when they were trying to squeeze in more recruits...I guess that happens a lot...


CONGRATS on the posting nominations...you have my vote...
but I think the mods forgot lilaxgurl23.....too bad we can't do write-ins Liz...

[ladylaxer18]

About the grades thing, if you are looking to go to a better-known school then yes, grades are quite important. Why would a college take a chance on a girl who may become ineligible after the first semester? They would much rather go with someone who is able to keep up academically and may not be the greatest player. That way they are assured that they will have the player around long enough to develop her talent.

I am currently a junior and going through this whole process too. I have a few friends that are playing D1 at great schools and they are loving it. I also know some people who are playing at the D3 level or D1 club level who are enjoying themselves as well. The big thing that you need to ask yourself is how big of a commitment do you want to make lacrosse in your college years?

[ljlax]

BTW, just how important are hs grades and test scores? Would someone that has average test scores and grades but good lacrosse/athletic skills get overlooked for average player with good grades?

LJ, a local lax coach told me that DIII is the way to go...the amount of committment is much less, providing students a more balanced college life...Also, I went to several DIII camps and have played pickup games against DIII college players.....being just an average player I was able to stay with them on defense and offense....

Also, a very talented player here locally had a lot of issues adjusting to a D1 college as a freshman. She was very mad when they dropped her schollie to partial when they were trying to squeeze in more recruits...I guess that happens a lot...


CONGRATS on the posting nominations...you have my vote...
but I think the mods forgot lilaxgurl23.....too bad we can't do write-ins Liz...Grades matter, but only to a certain point, I think. Like if you are a good student but not like the VERY BEST they will probably take you, depending on the academics at the school you want to go to. but if you are a not so good student but a stellar lacrosse player I don't think Harvard will want you..no offense.

Yeah, colleges and scholarships are sometimes shady, but everyone should know/expect that.

again
Does anyone know if D3 schools have official visits?

[ilaxitup007]

i can't wait until this process is over. its entirely draining and very emotional. i hope theres a lght at the end of the tunnel. i am guessing there is but i hope it comes soon! a lot of my friends already verbally committed but i think they did it too early. when does everyone think is a good time to commit?

oh and does anyone know the exact early siging date in november? i forget teh exact day

[sumSum]

I think it's either the 1st or 15th but I don't remember. I have friends who have commited too and I respect that if they know it's where they want to be.

IMO, the right time to commit is when you're ready, and never any other time. A coach worth their marshmellows who respects you won't pressure you too much.

And grades ARE worth a lot girls, news flash. I was getting recruited by a top D3 school with very high academics and was told a little while into the process after an early read that my profile wasn't up to standard so they were sorry. The coach had told me I reminded her of some of her best defenders she'd coached so it was purely academics, and I'm not a bad student. A thing to ask schools is if they have slots (this is more for D3 and Ivy), how many, and if you're going to get one.

About official visits for D3 schools - they do have them, but due to limited budgets they pay for next to nothing. Typically you'll get transportation (as in to and from airport, train, etc), all meals paid for, rooming with students, and such. It's unsual for your transportation to and from school to be paid for, unlike D1.

[celtlax]

About official visits for D3 schools - they do have them, but due to limited budgets they pay for next to nothing. Typically you'll get transportation (as in to and from airport, train, etc), all meals paid for, rooming with students, and such. It's unsual for your transportation to and from school to be paid for, unlike D1.

when I was at a winter clinic at Ohio Wesleyan they had players on the team shuttle potential recruits to the airport....no fancy limos there...irony is the DIII schools in Ohio cost nearly $30,000/yr......one of them told me at best they could give $19,000 for lax and another $17,000 if I would play field hockey...

any of you guys plan on playing 2 sports in college?....or is that too insane...

[laxfolife24]

Can you play 2 sports in college, or does it depend on what college it is?

[ljlax]

About official visits for D3 schools - they do have them, but due to limited budgets they pay for next to nothing. Typically you'll get transportation (as in to and from airport, train, etc), all meals paid for, rooming with students, and such. It's unsual for your transportation to and from school to be paid for, unlike D1.
Are you allowed 5 total, or could someone potentially go to 5 D1 and 5 D3?
Can you play 2 sports in college, or does it depend on what college it is?
It depends on each individual coach.

Summer-that sucks that they didn't want to recruit you, I would think that if it was a super elite school, but you had good grades it would be OK. I can understand good schools not wanting bad students but that sucks. Sorry :(

I know a bunch of people that have already committed too. Atleast one to Berkeley and another to either Berkeley or Oregon, but there are a couple more I haven't talked to yet. It's crazy. I would love it if I was already committed a year from now, that would take off SO much pressure from my senior year and applying.

[RYU]

[the] irony is the DIII schools in Ohio cost nearly $30,000/yr......one of them told me at best they could give $19,000 for lax and another $17,000 if I would play field hockey...How does a Div3 school make those kind of offers to you when D3 schools are prohibited by the NCAA from offering athletic scholarships???

any of you guys plan on playing 2 sports in college?....or is that too insane...As ljlax wrote, it depends on the coach. Many coaches are afraid of their players getting injured playing other sports, overtraining, missing their team's off-season practices, etc. In D1, it is definitely a lot harder to pull that off than in D2 or D3 (i.e. the stakes are higher in D1).

I would love it if I was already committed a year from now, that would take off SO much pressure from my senior year and applying.There is such thing as early committment/early signing you know. I think it's usually reserved for blue chip recruits though.

[celtlax]

How does a Div3 school make those kind of offers to you when D3 schools are prohibited by the NCAA from offering athletic scholarships???

There is such thing as early committment/early signing you know. I think it's usually reserved for blue chip recruits though.

it wasn't an offer...I had an informal conversation with the coach...that's what most of her players were getting...and those are based upon having certain academic standards not an athletic schollie...I am only a sophmore way too early for any of that....and certainly not a blue chip player....lol...

[ljlax]

There is such thing as early committment/early signing you know. I think it's usually reserved for blue chip recruits though.
Yeah, that's what I was saying. That I knew people that committed now and I want to do that too..but it would be hard to find a school that wanted me to play and that I wanted to go to. I'm a junior so I have a year to figure it out...

[celtlax]

does san diego state have a team? my mom went to school there....city with the perfect weather....you know almost all the girls that played xteam in ohio got schollies...and they have some sort of senior team that gets a lot of looks...

[ljlax]

Well, coaches I know are putting together a club team and we would play a couple ofther teams from the west coast and then go to allstar express. national draw, and a couple others.

SDSU has a club team.

[celtlax]

Well, coaches I know are putting together a club team and we would play a couple ofther teams from the west coast and then go to allstar express. national draw, and a couple others.

SDSU has a club team.

yea those are great tourneys to be noticed from what I hear...I'm going to check out the Xteam deal next weekend to see if it's worth it...I know it's expensive and a lot of people say it's a waste of money...but there are no club teams here and limited tourneys...I am really having a tough time finding playtime b4 next spring...Xteam may only be the way to play more...for me anyway...midwest just doesn't have the benefit of the east coast when it comes to wlax...but guys lax is real strong...maybe that's why I was getting so annoyed with those boys that wanted to take over the girls team...lol..how is it there?...a lot of opportunities?

[laxfolife24]

i think stephy samaras is putting a team together out west too, i dont know if that's the one you are talking about but just heads up.

[laxfolife24]

yea those are great tourneys to be noticed from what I hear...I'm going to check out the Xteam deal next weekend to see if it's worth it...I know it's expensive and a lot of people say it's a waste of money...but there are no club teams here and limited tourneys...I am really having a tough time finding playtime b4 next spring...Xteam may only be the way to play more...for me anyway...midwest just doesn't have the benefit of the east coast when it comes to wlax...but guys lax is real strong...maybe that's why I was getting so annoyed with those boys that wanted to take over the girls team...lol..how is it there?...a lot of opportunities?

when i lived in cali there were maybe 2 girls who played for xteam. they loved playing for it too, so i would def. look into it it's def. worth it in my opinion. think about it if you spend the 700 dollars(i think thats the price) to play for them it's way better than paying the cost to get into college. what im getting at is pay for the club and in the end it will prob save you money when it's time to go to college bcuz of the exposure you will get. i dont know if that made sense.

[ljlax]

yea those are great tourneys to be noticed from what I hear...I'm going to check out the Xteam deal next weekend to see if it's worth it...I know it's expensive and a lot of people say it's a waste of money...but there are no club teams here and limited tourneys...I am really having a tough time finding playtime b4 next spring...Xteam may only be the way to play more...for me anyway...midwest just doesn't have the benefit of the east coast when it comes to wlax...but guys lax is real strong...maybe that's why I was getting so annoyed with those boys that wanted to take over the girls team...lol..how is it there?...a lot of opportunities?
Yeah, there aren't a lot of opportunities here, but the high school coaches have a lot of connections and put together teams for tournies etc..
the thing about xteam is i think their "season" starts in the spring. so you couldnt join now, unless you wanted to waste a TON of money since you missed all the summer tournaments.i think stephy samaras is putting a team together out west too, i dont know if that's the one you are talking about but just heads up.Yeah, I'm good friends with a lot of coaches that are good friends with her. and she was at the rose bowl thing. But I haven't heard anything abuot her making a team or anything.

I think xteam would totally be worth it. I met the girl who started it and a few others that were on it and they all got to play in college, because of the exposure etc etc. it's definately something to look into. plus xteam is based in ohio isnt it?

[celtlax]

Yeah, there aren't a lot of opportunities here, but the high school coaches have a lot of connections and put together teams for tournies etc..
the thing about xteam is i think their "season" starts in the spring. so you couldnt join now, unless you wanted to waste a TON of money since you missed all the summer tournaments.Yeah, I'm good friends with a lot of coaches that are good friends with her. and she was at the rose bowl thing. But I haven't heard anything abuot her making a team or anything.

I think xteam would totally be worth it. I met the girl who started it and a few others that were on it and they all got to play in college, because of the exposure etc etc. it's definately something to look into. plus xteam is based in ohio isnt it?

suprisingly yes...because the Samaras' are from Cleveland...but the way it's setup it's more of a national thing....last year's first practice was in Pittsburg and all their tourneys are hosted out of state...and actually she was responsible for my being in lax...I went to a one day lax camp in 6th grade run by Crista...and I fell in love with the sport....rest is history...my dad was really mad when I dropped soccer for lax...

good luck with the whole recruiting thing, it will be cool to hear where u end up in a couple of years...and hopefully we can run into each other in one those tourneys you mentioned....I met Liz (lilaxgurl) at PSU camp and a tourney in NY...it's a small world I guess...

[celtlax]

when i lived in cali there were maybe 2 girls who played for xteam. they loved playing for it too, so i would def. look into it it's def. worth it in my opinion. think about it if you spend the 700 dollars(i think thats the price) to play for them it's way better than paying the cost to get into college. what im getting at is pay for the club and in the end it will prob save you money when it's time to go to college bcuz of the exposure you will get. i dont know if that made sense.

really at this point I just want more pt and get more experienced....far as college schollie isn't as important as playing...and for now I think as long as I get a degree from whatever college is fine by me...in a perfect world I would like to be a elementary teacher in my hometown and coach lax for one of the ms/hs schools here...

[laxfolife24]

Yeah, there aren't a lot of opportunities here, but the high school coaches have a lot of connections and put together teams for tournies etc..
the thing about xteam is i think their "season" starts in the spring. so you couldnt join now, unless you wanted to waste a TON of money since you missed all the summer tournaments.Yeah, I'm good friends with a lot of coaches that are good friends with her. and she was at the rose bowl thing. But I haven't heard anything abuot her making a team or anything.

I think xteam would totally be worth it. I met the girl who started it and a few others that were on it and they all got to play in college, because of the exposure etc etc. it's definately something to look into. plus xteam is based in ohio isnt it?

I want to say that she is making a team called axile? I might be wrong though. I agree Xteam is worth it. Yeah, you always hear about kids playing in college from that team.

[sumSum]

As far as I know, the Samaras are not from Cleveland. They're from Maryland. Their mother is the founder of CCLax.

[laxfolife24]

^Yeah, I think they are from Maryland

[celtlax]

As far as I know, the Samaras are not from Cleveland. They're from Maryland. Their mother is the founder of CCLax.
you are right she isn't...but there's some extended family connection..I overheard one of the lax coaches bad-mouthing them...said they were a part of some wealthy family in cleveland....and he didn't like the whole xteam thing..

[aLAXc5]

I play two sports in college...it is very busy depending on the school u go to i play d3 but i could not imagine not playing 2 sports its alot of fun one unds the other begins i love it. But it all depends on the person and the major i am a nursing major it is very very hard to play with that but i manage to make it work no social life at all but you have to sacrfice something

[celtlax]

I play two sports in college...it is very busy depending on the school u go to i play d3 but i could not imagine not playing 2 sports its alot of fun one unds the other begins i love it. But it all depends on the person and the major i am a nursing major it is very very hard to play with that but i manage to make it work no social life at all but you have to sacrfice something

Wow, I hear nursing is very tough...besides lax what do u play in college?

[ReLaxing16]

The Samaras' are from Annapolis Maryland i live like 5 houses down from them

[celtlax]

i'll ask her about the cleveland connection this weekend....

[laxfolife24]

The Samaras' are from Annapolis Maryland i live like 5 houses down from them
yeahh she's my coach and she like would talk about Maryland. I thought she lived there but then i got confusedd.

[ljlax]

stephy's your coach? I thought she moved to SD recently? Oh wait maybe it was like OC or somewhere...which is where you used to live. haha I'm smart.

Do any of you guys have the e-mail you sent to coaches? I just want to read an example before I start writing some...I've been meaning to do this forever..

[laxfolife24]

stephy's your coach? I thought she moved to SD recently? Oh wait maybe it was like OC or somewhere...which is where you used to live. haha I'm smart.

Do any of you guys have the e-mail you sent to coaches? I just want to read an example before I start writing some...I've been meaning to do this forever..

yeahh she is, for newlax. she is like doing both and she flys out for our games and practicee. btw im soo happy to be out of thee oc hahaa. but its cold hereee.

sry cant help you w/the email thing i got a year to goo before i havee to doo thatttt.

[ljlax]

yeahh she is, for newlax. she is like doing both and she flys out for our games and practicee. btw im soo happy to be out of thee oc hahaa. but its cold hereee.

sry cant help you w/the email thing i got a year to goo before i havee to doo thatttt.
haha, ok thanks, hopefully some of the other juniors/seniors will have something..

Did you really not like it there that much?

[laxfolife24]

i didnt hate it. but i wanted to play lax bad on the eastt, so it wass like i was going do whatever i coulddd to leavee. but i misss my friends and myy high school but itss worth it i hopee. except it iss soo coldd here!!

[laxstar003]

i dont want to post it on here but if you pm me i can send you an example of one of the emails i've sent to coaches. :o)

basically i just say who i am, who i play for, a couple of my awards, where i'll be playing, etc.

[brickwall5]

OK
So I have been talking to some high school coaches I know about college, and they know a lot of coaches and stuff. They think I could play D1 but at a middle/lower ranked school, or D3. i'm sort of leaning towards D3 since it's a lot more likely that I would get to play, and there are a few schools that arent as good but are awesome academicly(MIT, tufts,claremont mkenna) I don't know if I could get in or play or anything, but I'm just thinking.

I was in the exact same situation when I was in high school. I was looking at a d3 school that I really liked and I was pretty set on going to until my coaches started telling me that they thought I was good enoung to play d1. I knew that I would get more playing time at a d3 school but my coaches kinda thought that by me going to a d3 school that I was just "settling" and not challengeing my self by going to a d1 school. I ended up going d1 and i'm not sure that I made the right decision. So just make sure you spend alot of time thinking about exactly what you want, not what other people want you to do.

[ljlax]

I was in the exact same situation when I was in high school. I was looking at a d3 school that I really liked and I was pretty set on going to until my coaches started telling me that they thought I was good enoung to play d1. I knew that I would get more playing time at a d3 school but my coaches kinda thought that by me going to a d3 school that I was just "settling" and not challengeing my self by going to a d1 school. I ended up going d1 and i'm not sure that I made the right decision. So just make sure you spend alot of time thinking about exactly what you want, not what other people want you to do.
Yeah, it might be way to intense for me, since I'm from San Diego...no where near the east coast. Also, I want to go to a really good academic school, and all of the D1 schools that are really good at lacrosse are also really good academically..which would make it super hard for me to play there. Like double whammy...intense classes and lacrosse

Are you still in college? Why don't you like your team/the experience/etc?

[ilaxitup007]

stephy's your coach? I thought she moved to SD recently? Oh wait maybe it was like OC or somewhere...which is where you used to live. haha I'm smart.

Do any of you guys have the e-mail you sent to coaches? I just want to read an example before I start writing some...I've been meaning to do this forever..

i sent out letters in the mail exlpaining about me and my background and stuff the winter of my junior year. also i sent newspaper clips and hich school and club team schedule. if you have a video i would suggest sending that too. if you PM me ill send you the letter that i sent to them. but i made a list of about 25 schools first, then sent them to the ones i chose.

[brickwall5]

Yeah, it might be way to intense for me, since I'm from San Diego...no where near the east coast. Also, I want to go to a really good academic school, and all of the D1 schools that are really good at lacrosse are also really good academically..which would make it super hard for me to play there. Like double whammy...intense classes and lacrosse

Are you still in college? Why don't you like your team/the experience/etc?

Yeah I'm a freshmen in college. And I'm at an honors college so academics are really big here. I'm only taking 14 credits and my courses are pretty easy so it's not that hard for me to keep up with school and lacrosse but alot of the other feshmen are not doing as well. Some might not even be eligble to play in the spring because of their grades. The people who end up quiting its because they can't keep up with the acedemics not because they don't like playing.

It's not that I don't like the experience, I think of myself as very lucky to be able to play d1 lacrosse but I'm just not having fun. It's hard to explain but I'm just not happy here, part of that is I don't like the school but I just don't like playing here. Its alot different then high school. We practice 20 hours a week including weekends and 6am practices, and practices till midnight. It's alot to deal with. So I would say if your definatly set on playing d1 and think you can handle classes, homework, and practice then go for it. Just make sure you really think about it and like I said before do what you want not what other people want you to.

[ljlax]

i sent out letters in the mail exlpaining about me and my background and stuff the winter of my junior year. also i sent newspaper clips and hich school and club team schedule. if you have a video i would suggest sending that too. if you PM me ill send you the letter that i sent to them. but i made a list of about 25 schools first, then sent them to the ones i chose.
I'm going to put together a video this spring, but I don't have anything to send yet. Someone already PMed me their letter, but thanks for the offer and of course I would still appreciate to read what you wrote too.Yeah I'm a freshmen in college. And I'm at an honors college so academics are really big here. I'm only taking 14 credits and my courses are pretty easy so it's not that hard for me to keep up with school and lacrosse but alot of the other feshmen are not doing as well. Some might not even be eligble to play in the spring because of their grades. The people who end up quiting its because they can't keep up with the acedemics not because they don't like playing.

It's not that I don't like the experience, I think of myself as very lucky to be able to play d1 lacrosse but I'm just not having fun. It's hard to explain but I'm just not happy here, part of that is I don't like the school but I just don't like playing here. Its alot different then high school. We practice 20 hours a week including weekends and 6am practices, and practices till midnight. It's alot to deal with. So I would say if your definatly set on playing d1 and think you can handle classes, homework, and practice then go for it. Just make sure you really think about it and like I said before do what you want not what other people want you to.
A lot of coaches have warned me abuot choosing a college just for lacrosse reasons, but you don't seem to like your team or school. I'm sorry :( My sister is a freshman at Berkeley, and they practice 3 hours every morning from 7-10..which seems more reasonable than 6am or midnight. When I'm chosing where to go to college I'll make sure to ask the coach about the time commitment. Thanks for telling me, and saving me from picking the wrong school/team.
Maybe you should talk to your coach, or even consider transferring. Hopefully, you're just homesick/shocked at the difference between highschool adn college and soon you will get used to it and start liking it. Good luck.

[brickwall5]

A lot of coaches have warned me abuot choosing a college just for lacrosse reasons, but you don't seem to like your team or school. I'm sorry :( My sister is a freshman at Berkeley, and they practice 3 hours every morning from 7-10..which seems more reasonable than 6am or midnight. When I'm chosing where to go to college I'll make sure to ask the coach about the time commitment. Thanks for telling me, and saving me from picking the wrong school/team.
Maybe you should talk to your coach, or even consider transferring. Hopefully, you're just homesick/shocked at the difference between highschool adn college and soon you will get used to it and start liking it. Good luck.

Yeha I chose the school based on lacrosse and that was a bad decision. I considering transfering to the d3 school that I was going to go to.

[ljlax]

Yeha I chose the school based on lacrosse and that was a bad decision. I considering transfering to the d3 school that I was going to go to.
That's a good idea. I would rather have fun than play at the best lax school in the country. I don't care what division, I just want to play. So, I think I want to go with D3.
Just out of curiosity, where do you go now and where do you want to go? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, because some people don't like posting stuff like that online.

[brickwall5]

That's a good idea. I would rather have fun than play at the best lax school in the country. I don't care what division, I just want to play. So, I think I want to go with D3.
Just out of curiosity, where do you go now and where do you want to go? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, because some people don't like posting stuff like that online.

go d3 it funner

[ljlax]

Hm..my coach was talking to me about UMBC..but I didn't know anything about the school and she didn't either. Haha, we were just going through a book and looking at all the schools.
I've never heard of lynchburg, where is it?
Is it hard to switch schools like that and get on the team?

[brickwall5]

Hm..my coach was talking to me about UMBC..but I didn't know anything about the school and she didn't either. Haha, we were just going through a book and looking at all the schools.
I've never heard of lynchburg, where is it?
Is it hard to switch schools like that and get on the team?

Lynchburg is in VA. I don't know if it is normally hard to switch schools like this but I had been talking to this coach when I was first looking at schools and went on an official there and everything so when I was thinking about transfering I called him up and he said he still wanted me so I know if I did transfer I could play.

[ljlax]

Lynchburg is in VA. I don't know if it is normally hard to switch schools like this but I had been talking to this coach when I was first looking at schools and went on an official there and everything so when I was thinking about transfering I called him up and he said he still wanted me so I know if I did transfer I could play.
Wow, that's awesome. I'm glad you have somewhere you want to go and play lacrosse and go to school. Hopefully that all works out.

For D3 officials, are they like D1 officials or do they like pay for less since they have less money. Or how do they work?

[brickwall5]

Wow, that's awesome. I'm glad you have somewhere you want to go and play lacrosse and go to school. Hopefully that all works out.

For D3 officials, are they like D1 officials or do they like pay for less since they have less money. Or how do they work?

I never went on any d1 officials so I don't know how there different but when I went to lynchburg I drove down and they gave me a ticket to get food in the dining hall and for breakfast they had a team breakfast at a players house. so i didn't have to pay for anything. I only stayed one night but i think at d1 schools you stay for 2 nights.

[ljlax]

I never went on any d1 officials so I don't know how there different but when I went to lynchburg I drove down and they gave me a ticket to get food in the dining hall and for breakfast they had a team breakfast at a players house. so i didn't have to pay for anything. I only stayed one night but i think at d1 schools you stay for 2 nights.
Ok, and then you also talked to the players/coach about the school/team etc right?

For officials, they just like ask you to go right?

[brickwall5]

Ok, and then you also talked to the players/coach about the school/team etc right?

For officials, they just like ask you to go right?

I had been talking to the coach for a while and he asked me if I wanted to come down for a visit and I said yes. I went to the practice and then hung out with the team that night. So I got to talk to the players alot.

[ljlax]

I had been talking to the coach for a while and he asked me if I wanted to come down for a visit and I said yes. I went to the practice and then hung out with the team that night. So I got to talk to the players alot.
Ok thanks..
AH is it bad if I don't have a tape yet. I probably won't be able to make one until the season in spring and then I would rather use footage from the end of the season since I'll improve. Is that bad if I don't have a tape to send? If I email a coach and tell her that I'm going to make one can I ask if she prefers highlight or raw footage of me and dvd or VHS. Is she allowed to reply?

[laxstar003]

yes coaches can reply to that. you can even call them to ask them that if you want, just remember if you leave a message they cant call you back. i think most coaches prefer raw footage, though.

[ilaxitup007]

Ok, and then you also talked to the players/coach about the school/team etc right?

For officials, they just like ask you to go right?

they will offer you an official visit usually in the summer right before your senior year. and you have to make sure that they are offering you an official which will be very clear. bc they will pay for everything.

[laxfolife24]

yeah, ^^ i think coaches want to see the full game, not just the highlights from what i have heard.

[smooth87]

yeah, ^^ i think coaches want to see the full game, not just the highlights from what i have heard.

I heard that too, and submitted a full game to a few coaches that are looking at me. They want to see a full game (or a bunch of halfs/quarters) so they can see your mistakes and how you recover from them. Also, about the offical visits, usually only the top 25 D1 programs have you visit in the summer, but most schools do it in the early fall so you can see the campus when it's "alive." That was my experience at least.

[ljlax]

Yeah, most coaches prefer raw footage but a few dont, or that's what I have heard.

I think a lot offer the officials during the summer, but then you actually go in the fall, right?

[laxstar003]

yeah you cant go on officials in the summer, i'm pretty sure your only allowed after youve started school your senior year, whatever day that might be.

[sumSum]

Yeah. No one is allowed to take any officials until after they begin school in the fall of their senior year. You can be offered one anytime before that but you can't actually take it until later.

[ljlax]

Yeah. No one is allowed to take any officials until after they begin school in the fall of their senior year. You can be offered one anytime before that but you can't actually take it until later.
That's what I meant. That they offer it (or can offer it that summer or sooner) and then you go on it in the fall

[ljlax]

OK...
Double post to bump

Wow... so procrastinating to the MAX

My friend is already verbally committed to Cal and is a junior..basically she's in and on the team..
and all I have done is fill out questionaires and have my dad tape me...but the tape isn't put together yet and isn't sent to anyone.
I don't even have a top choice.
I'm freaking out..
:(
I feel like I waited too long and now I'm pretty much screwed and this is going to be hard ah :(

I think I am going to talk with my coach this weekend..but I can't stop thinking about it right now and I need to do hw! ah

[ilaxitup007]

hah i just wrote a huge long post and my computer froze, so ill summarize i guess...

If you are a junior, than you definitely are not too late. and basically you are going to be stressed throughout the whole recruiting process, so you just have to find time to relax and enjoy life in between. You aren't too late...you said you have received questionnaires, so I'm assuming that you have already sent out letter to all of your colleges. Just make sure you have a long list and you aren't rulnig any schools out yet. It's important to have as many options as possible. I didn't send out my video until the start of the summer after my junior year, but you should get it out as soon as possible.... a good video can get you far. Most people get their good looks in the summer, so don't worry. If you are playing club, make sure the coaches have your team,schedule,number and everything and most importantly, make sure you bring your A game. It's awkward at first emailing all the coaches for the first time and keeping in contact, but let them know whats going on with you, but don't be too annoying. Also when you get your phone calls starting July 1st, make sure you are nice and make conversation.

As for the stress...you bascially have to just know that everything is going to work out and there will be nights that you will cry yourself to sleep thinking that you will never play anywhere, but it changes. If you do what you are supposed to when you are supposed to, than everything will work out, i promise. Let me know if you need any help, I'll be more than happy.

[ljlax]

We play our rivals next week and my dad has been taping a lot, so I think I will have him edit and put everything together after that game.. The only thing is..we like KILL every team..not trying to be cocky..so it's hard to show us against some real competition..but the game next week should be good..
Do you recommend highlights or just a half of a game of me playing?

If I only sent the questionaire to a coach, should I e-mail her too before sending the video? Is that also a good time to jock myself and say how amazing I am and mention tournaments I'm going to soon?

EDIT!
WOW..

My parents are weird... They like secretly went out to dinner with my coach tonight..
My coach was crazy good in college and knows a LOT of coaches and will talk to them for me and even the ones she doesn't know.
I don't know why they didn't tell me though..weird..but I wasn't invited to the talk. lol. But I'm so excited and less stressed now.
Like my mom had a list of schools that basically had my major and D1 and my coach went through and just said the ones she thought I would be able to play at and the ones where she knew the coach..now I just need to get that tape finished!

[laxstar003]

from what i've heard, most coaches like actual game footage as opposed to highlights. highlights are obviously only the good stuff and they want to see the whole package like off ball movement on offense, how you respond to your mistakes, how you intereact with teammates, etc.

also, yes, you should email the coaches you are going to send a tape too again. try to narrow your list down to 5 or less and then keep those 5 coaches updated throughout your spring, summer, fall, etc. they even like to hear how you are doing in your other sports. keeping in contact shows your interest in them, therefore increasing their interest in you.

good luck with everything...i'm going through the same process right now :)

[ilaxitup007]

every coach prefers something different but i would reccomend a highlights tape, but make sure you have everything on it from goals to groundballs to cto's and show yourself losing the ball and re defending to get it back. I had a highlight film as well as my team mate and coaches reacted very well to it.

i would disagree with laxstar and say that at this point...spring of your junior year...you DEFINITELY DO NOT want only 5 schools on your list. You are allowed 5 official visits at most and trust me when i say, not every coach responds or is interested. I started out with about 30 and just got 5 officials. don't rule out any schools yet.

[ljlax]

every coach prefers something different but i would reccomend a highlights tape, but make sure you have everything on it from goals to groundballs to cto's and show yourself losing the ball and re defending to get it back. I had a highlight film as well as my team mate and coaches reacted very well to it.

i would disagree with laxstar and say that at this point...spring of your junior year...you DEFINITELY DO NOT want only 5 schools on your list. You are allowed 5 official visits at most and trust me when i say, not every coach responds or is interested. I started out with about 30 and just got 5 officials. don't rule out any schools yet.
I was thinking that I would do a highlight-ish tape like that..like not only me shooting, but like our attack running plays, transitions, etc etc
My list isnt that long, maybe 10 or 15 schools right now.. considering my sister applied to 13 that's not that many...but then she didn't go on any officials or anything because coaches weren't that interested..which was weird..but then she didn't do a lot to get exposure/recruited..sorrry tangent sort of..

OK..so right now. Finishing up questionaires on schools recently added to my list. Then I will e-mail all the coaches within the next week or so. Say my tape's almost ready etc I'm going to be at a tourn next week..I'm amazing you should give me a scholarship etc etc... Send out the tapes ASAP...
And then...wait? Or what?
and then e-mail them when I know what tournaments I'm going to this summer?

[ilaxitup007]

I was thinking that I would do a highlight-ish tape like that..like not only me shooting, but like our attack running plays, transitions, etc etc
My list isnt that long, maybe 10 or 15 schools right now.. considering my sister applied to 13 that's not that many...but then she didn't go on any officials or anything because coaches weren't that interested..which was weird..but then she didn't do a lot to get exposure/recruited..sorrry tangent sort of..

OK..so right now. Finishing up questionaires on schools recently added to my list. Then I will e-mail all the coaches within the next week or so. Say my tape's almost ready etc I'm going to be at a tourn next week..I'm amazing you should give me a scholarship etc etc... Send out the tapes ASAP...
And then...wait? Or what?
and then e-mail them when I know what tournaments I'm going to this summer?

yeah after you do that i would wait until like the end of your season and tell them about the tournaments you will be attending this summer. Also e-mail them your jersey number and your coach's phone number.

[laxstar003]

OK..so right now. Finishing up questionaires on schools recently added to my list. Then I will e-mail all the coaches within the next week or so. Say my tape's almost ready etc I'm going to be at a tourn next week..I'm amazing you should give me a scholarship etc etc... Send out the tapes ASAP...
And then...wait? Or what?
and then e-mail them when I know what tournaments I'm going to this summer?

i would try to narrow your list down as much as you can just to make it easier on yourself. look at the schools and ask yourself if you would want to go there if you weren't playing lacrosse. i try to email my top 4 or 5 schools a couple of times a month just updating them on my season and letting them know that i'm following their season and i've seen a couple of games or whatever. and yeah, as soon as you know your tournament schedule, send that as well. if you're looking at any schools somewhat close to you, i'd send them your HS schedule because you never know. almost all of the coaches i've talked to have asked for mine.