US Lacrosse on Recruiting

US Lax College Recruiting Guidebook 2012-13

Note:  Some guidelines have changed and some of the coaches listed in the last chapters are not accurate.  Always check the college website for up-to-date information.

Questions & Answers about Recruiting Process

What are the steps in the process?

Freshman Year:

• Speak to upper classmen, your coaches, and your parents about playing at the next level.
• If you decide you want to play in college, register with the NCAA.  NCAA Student-athlete Clearinghouse
• Start to consider what you may want to study in college and what parameters you may look for in a college (academics, size, location)
• Watch a lot of lacrosse on TV and online.  Improve your LACROSSE IQ!
• Play in high school and continue to love the sport - work on all your weaknesses.

Sophomore Year:  

• Look back at the list for Freshman Year and complete anything not done.
• Start to make a list of schools that are a good FIT for you.  FIRST CONSIDER ACADEMICS - ie YOUR INTENDED MAJOR or FIELD OF STUDY.  This cannot be stressed enough.
• Other areas for FIT - IN THIS ORDER - Academic, Athletic (could you play there), Location, Size, and Finances.
• Send introductory Emails to coaches of programs you are interested in (see Templates below).  List any fall tournaments or your high school spring schedule.  Included coaches information.
• Create a highlight video (if possible)
• Tryout for showcase teams and other recruiting platforms (if possible)
• Attend PROSPECT DAYS of the colleges you are most interested in!
• Watch a lot of lacrosse on TV and online.  Improve your LACROSSE IQ!
• Play in high school and continue to love the sport - work on all your weaknesses.

Junior Year:  

• Look back at the list for Freshman and Sophomore Years and complete anything not done.
• Continue to refine your list of schools.
• Follow up emails and phone calls
• Update your highlight video
• Visit colleges to see if the ones on your list are a good fit. 
• Attend PROSPECT DAYS of the colleges you are most interested in!
• Watch a lot of lacrosse on TV and online.  Improve your LACROSSE IQ!
• Play in high school and continue to love the sport - work on all your weaknesses.

Senior Year:  

• Continue to refine your list of schools. It should be a short list by now.
• Follow up emails and phone calls
• Update your highlight video
• Attend PROSPECT DAYS of the colleges you are most interested in!
• Watch a lot of lacrosse on TV and online.  Improve your LACROSSE IQ!
• Play in high school and continue to love the sport - work on all your weaknesses.

DO NOT FOCUS ON DIVISION!

There are some Division III schools that can beat some Division I schools. DO NOT Pick a school because of Lacrosse.  Pick a school based on academics and FIT to YOU!

When should I reach out to college coaches?

As an athlete, you can reach out to college coaches at any time. The NCAA recruiting rules only limit when coaches can communicate with potential recruits.  When the NCAA recruiting rules allow coaches to contact you, you will already be on their radar. Be sure to follow up each of your communications with a phone call, as coaches can take your call at any point. They just can’t call you back if they miss your call.

What should be in my introductory letter to a coach?

As soon as you have an idea that you might want to play in college, email the coaches of programs you are interested in as early as possible. Send them your athletic resume, which includes:

• Your highlight video
• Any sport-specific stats
• Travel programs you play for
• Coach's contact information
• Your academic information - including GPA and area of study your are interested in
• Why you are interested in their program

Examples of letters:

intro letter - template

What should be in my video?

• Your video should be 7 minutes or less
• Your name, number and contact information should be clearly stated
• You should be highlighted before the play
• Show highlights of individual and team play when possible
• Music should be neutral

When can college coaches contact me?

SHORT ANSWER: 

Division I - September 1 of Junior Year

Division II & III - anytime

Division I Women’s Lacrosse NCAA Recruiting Rules

• Any time: Athletes can receive recruiting materials from college coaches, such as questionnaires, camp brochures, nonathletic institutional publications and NCAA educational materials published by the NCAA.
• September 1 of junior year: Coaches can send all forms of private, electronic correspondence, including text messages, direct messages and emails, as well as recruiting materials. Coaches are also able to start calling athletes after this date. Unlike other sports, lacrosse athletes cannot call coaches before September 1 of their junior year.
• September 1 of junior year: Coaches can conduct off-campus visits at the athlete’s residence or school.
• September 1 of junior year: Athletes cannot go on unofficial visits or official visits before this date.
• September 1 of junior year: Coaches are allowed to conduct off-campus evaluations. But during the athlete’s junior year, those contacts are only allowed at the recruit’s school or home.

More information:  When can college coaches contact me?

NCAA Division I Recruiting Calendar

Evaluation period: The NCAA Evaluation Period is a specific time of year when college coaches are allowed to watch an athlete compete in person or visit their school. However, coaches are not allowed to communicate with that athlete (or parents) off the college campus. 

Contact Period: The NCAA Contact Period is exactly what it sounds like—all communication between athletes and coaches is fair game. Coaches can email, text, call, direct message and generally contact athletes and their parents through any NCAA-approved method. In-person contact can occur on the college campus, as well as at tournaments, at the recruit’s school and home. 

Dead Period: The most restrictive of all the recruiting periods is the NCAA Dead Period. During the dead period, coaches may not have any in-person contact with recruits and/or their parents. In other words, coaches are not allowed to talk to recruits at their college campus, the athlete’s school, an athletic camp or even the grocery store.

Quiet Period: The NCAA defines the quiet period as a time when “a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents off the college campus and may not watch student-athletes compete or visit their high school.” To break it down, the NCAA Quiet Period is a time you can talk to college coaches in-person on their college campus. However, the coach is not allowed to watch athletes compete in-person, visit their school, talk to them at their home—or talk to them anywhere outside of the college campus.

Division I Women’s Lacrosse Recruiting Calendar

What is the parent's role?

• Make sure that the recruiting process is PLAYER DRIVEN
• Your daughter will write the emails and make the lists
• Proof read her emails
• Help her to organize
• Invest your time and energy to match the time and energy put in by your daughter
• Be SUPPORTIVE!

What about financial aide? What if I cannot afford the school I want?

• By Division:
  • I&II give both athletic and merit money
  • III gives merit and need based aid (MERIT is based on your academic performance)
• * There are SO many resources out there
• * Do NOT discount a good school because of cost
• Often times, a coach/school will work with a player and family to make the $$ work for both.