RECRUITING FAQS
- What should we be doing now to help in my son’s/daughter's college decision process?
- We haven’t heard from our top school in a while, what should we do?
- What is the NCAA Clearing House and why do I need it?
- We haven’t been contacted by the schools we wanted?
- As an underclassman, what should I be doing?
- I am a rising senior, is it too late for me?
- Our high school coach is not helping us that much, what should we do?
What should we be doing now to help in my son's
/ daughter's college decision process?
As a rising senior you should follow up on all contact you have
received from those schools you have an interest in attending. Try not
to be concerned about what level of play that is but rather if that
school fits all of your needs. E-mail any coaches you have been in
touch with and let them know if you want to go there. Narrow your list
of choices to your top three realistic schools and make sure you are
happy with those decisions. Keep one or two dream schools on the list
because you never know what may happen. Look at the admissions forms
and see if you are allowed to send additional letters of
recommendation. Every thong you can do to separate yourself from the
pack of applications will be a help.
As a rising junior, now is the time to see as many schools as possible. Long weekends or an overnight trip to look at as many campuses as possible is a great idea. E-mail coaches of schools you are interested in and ask if you can see the facilities when you plan a visit to the school. Keep in mind all visits are unofficial and coaches may have specific guidelines that they follow in regard to junior visits. Concentrate on your SAT/ACT exams. Take a proactive attitude when taking them; work hard to get the best score you can. As a rising sophomore, you too should visit schools when you can. Gain as much knowledge about where you might want to go to school now so when the time is ready, you are prepared to sort through the recruiting process.
We haven’t heard from our top school in a while, what should we do?
Keep in mind recruiting is a business as much as coaches need to and
do personalize it. Coaches begin by speaking to as many players as
possible. As more information and commitments from players are made,
there sights narrow to their top 8-12 choices, just as your do with
college selection. If a coach is showing less and less interest,
e-mail him / her or have your high school coach contact him / her to
see why his level of interest has waned. In most cases it is just a
game of numbers and you need to move to your next choice on your list
of schools.
What is the NCAA Clearing House and why do I need it?
The clearing house in an eligibility system set in place by the NCAA
to ensure all prospective division I and II athletes meet the minimum
academic requirements necessary to be eligible to play as college
freshman. Rising seniors will need to fill out the clearing house
application in order to be eligible for the following season. Clearing
house checks the core classes of the student athletes and makes sure
they are taking at least the minimum amount of core classes needed to
meet requirements. You may use the link on the web site to browse the
site and even to fill out an application. Underclassmen can check
requirements as well without applying so they can familiarize
themselves with the requirements. (more...)
We haven’t been contacted by the schools we wanted?
College recruitment is an objective process with many variables.
College coaches are under a lot of pressure and restraints with
recruiting. Certain years a school may have 9 returning midfielders
and only 5 returning defensemen. A college coach in that position is
not going to spend a great deal of time on midfield recruits.
Don’t take anything during this process personally. Keep in
mind that you need to find the best situation for you and don’t
worry about the fact that John’s Hopkins isn’t returning
your calls. Ask your high school coach for his opinion on your level
of play and narrow your list to those schools. Also remember just
because you have not been contacted by a school does not mean they are
not interested. Reach out to them via your coach or e-mail and let
them know of your interest. Remember, keep moving forward despite any
frustrations you may encounter.
As an underclassman, what should I be doing?
The biggest change over the last 5-8 years is how the recruiting
process has changed. It is not uncommon to have Juniors verbally
commit to top schools. More and more college coaches are looking at
rising sophomores and juniors to stay ahead of the recruiting process.
So as an underclassman you need to work hard academically, to help
with the process when coaches call. You also should try to attend
camps and tournaments where you can be seen by college coaches, who
are always gathering names and information on young players. See as
many schools as you can and be open to anyone who may send a letter or
speak to you when they are able to.
I am a rising senior, is it too late for me?
The biggest problem to arise with the new trend in recruiting is that
a lot of quality players fall through the cracks. Also a lot of
coaches and players make mistakes with those early decisions leading
to the high amount of transfer players in college ranks these days.
But please don’t be discouraged. As we have stated here and
elsewhere there are many, many quality schools to attend and play
college lacrosse. You need to work with your high school coach and
college counselor to find the right one for you. Just because you
weren’t recruited by a school does not mean you cannot play
there. Contact the coach and ask questions. Be proactive because as a
rising senior you need to act now.
Our high school coach is not helping us that much, what should we do?
Speak to your coach and ask if he/ she could offer you more help and
guidance. Some coaches wait for parents or players to ask for help and
then they are more then willing to do their part. Also speak to your
college counselor at school and see if they can help with narrowing
your list of schools and help with setting realistic goals. If you
need more assistance please don’t hesitate to contact us for
advice and information.