Raw talent and athleticism can dominate a 7/8th-grade lacrosse game, and we’ve all seen that in action. When you get to higher levels, however, the players that are putting in the work to improve their game quickly catch and surpass these “naturally good” players who don’t put as much work in to get better. Players who are building their strength and endurance in the offseason, who never let their stick go untouched in any given week, who show up to practice to train hard, and who take care of their health and nutrition habitually eventually rise to the top.

Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard

We’ve all heard the stories about Michael Jordan being cut from his high school basketball program as a freshman, Steph Curry getting very little interest from college coaches, and Tom Brady being drafted in the NFL’s sixth round, 199^th overall. If they simply accepted these circumstances and believed they just “didn’t have it”, where might they be today? Certainly not among the greatest performers their sports have ever seen.

So here are some things that highly successful athletes do to stay ahead:

1. While the world sleeps, they work

How many times do you catch yourself saying “I just ran out of time today,” making an excuse for why you didn’t go to the gym, or go for a run, or hit the wall for some stick work? I know I have. Well here is your solution… get up early, perhaps 5:00/6:00 am, and get it done first. I promise you all Fortune 500 CEO’s and Olympic athletes don’t sleep in or watch 4+ hours of TV a day, or waste hours on social media.

Think about it, do you want to be someone who reads about other people’s greatness or do you want to be someone that others read about your greatness? You decide. I think you will find that the morning calm before the world wakes up is a magical and spiritual time, and there is no greater feeling in the world than heading off to school, or your work day, knowing that you have already achieved something great… a long run, gym, or yoga class.

2. Their work creates confidence, so when life presents an opportunity, they seize it without hesitation

Opportunity is defined as “a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.” I am sure you all are recognizing the big opportunities– invitation to a recruiting camp, showcase, etc. But let’s really break it down and focus on the little opportunities that you may be overlooking that have the greatest impact. The opportunity to hit the gym with your parents or friends, the opportunity to play in a box league, the opportunity to reach out to a local collegiate player to train with them, the opportunity to stay late after practice and help a teammate or yourself work on your dodges, or stick handling, or shooting.

It is these little opportunities that will raise your game immensely. Gen. Colin Powell, former Secretary of State said “If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.” What he means by this is that if you are going to succeed on the grander scale you need to first succeed on a smaller scale. Start your day with making your bed. It is a little achievement but it is nonetheless an achievement and a start.

3. They create routines and hold themselves accountable

We all know routine is important, but we can all get a calendar and map out our week and think, wow, I am going to get so much done this week. But what I want you to do is get to the END of your week and say, “Wow, I GOT so much done this week!”

Look back and see how many actions you were able to cross off. This is accountability, and I promise you there is no one in your life that is going to force you to do anything. Your parents are great advocates of yours, along with your friends and teammates, but at the end of the day, the only person that can make you get up and run farther, or faster, or do a third set of squats IS YOU. This is a true testament to how bad do you want to be great? I guarantee all those lacrosse players you are watching on TV seldom had to be told to run harder, run farther, or lift more. They do it because they want to be great!

4. They fill their bodies with proper nutrients and a lot of it

Fuel. Cars need it to run, engines machines need it to run, and we ABSOLUTELY need it to run. But you have to remember that it needs to be the right fuel. If you just went to the gym and worked out hard, then reward yourself with a healthy snack and some hydration. Don’t ruin everything you have achieved in the gym by getting drive through after. That is being counterproductive.

Remember that you are an elite athlete and may look a little different than your non-athlete friends. I am here to tell you that more is OK! You are strong and fit, and your body needs more because you are burning more. So don’t feel bad about finishing your whole sandwich, yogurt, apple and peanut butter, Cliff bar, banana, and huge water. You needed it! Because at the end of the day, if you thrive at the first three–getting up early, seizing the opportunity, and being accountable, then you will never reach your potential if your body cannot keep up. Eat healthy, eat often and hydrate all the time! Be that person in the class that always has a water bottle with them.

5. They get the most out of every practice, drill, scrimmage, and game

You’ve gone to practice thinking about your upcoming math test, you’re tired from yesterday’s game, you don’t like Monday training sessions, you deserve a day off…

Highly successful athletes have bad days too, but they never give a bad effort or let themselves dog it through a drill or practice feeling sorry for themselves or making excuses. We’ve already talked about seizing opportunities, but what if your opportunity comes on a less-than-ideal day for you? Mental fortitude is another trait that is not inborn but learned and trained. It’s an everyday attitude that is built through a consistent level of effort, regardless of the circumstances.

I went to West Point and played for legendary college coach Jack Emmer. One of the many lessons I took from him was that you have to deal with what comes up and power through it if you want to win. He would say, “If we lose, there’s no asterisk next to this game because….” Fill in the blank:

“We had an Army Physical Fitness Test this week” / “It snowed 18 inches on our field” / “The streets outside our facility are flooded” / “You have a 20-page paper due”

I could recite a long list of things I heard from Coach Emmer over my four years at Army, but the lesson it left us with is that you cannot let outside factors affect your mental and physical preparation to meet your opportunities to excel. Try to use the energy from all the frustration or stress to fuel your focus during your training session or event…every thought you entertain that does not feed your success actually hampers it.

Remember, practice doesn’t make perfect…perfect practice makes perfect.

Whether you fall into the “natural talent” category or not, success at the highest levels of anything in life will require your time, effort, and focus. Make yourself better at every opportunity, and enjoy the growth you’ll achieve, knowing that you’re ready for your opportunity when it presents itself. It’s truly just up to you…do you want to think about the excuses you have or the success you want?

We would like to congratulate Ryan Friedman on his commitment to Hamilton College! Here is Ryan’s recruiting story and interview after his commitment. Good luck as an Alex!

1. Share your recruiting story and status

I did not know how to go about contacting or being seen by coaches so I employed SportsForce to help guide me along and after about a year and a half I gave a verbal commitment to play lacrosse at Hamilton

2. What school are you going to, and why did you choose them? I am going to Hamilton because they have a beautiful campus, very strong academics and an open curriculum as well as a dedication to athletics as part of NESCAC.

3. How did SportsForce help in the process?

SportsForce helped educate me on what colleges I should consider myself a prospect for as well as what kinds of schools they were. Chad Hadlock, who helped me personally as an advisor with SportsForce regularly gave me advice on how to approach any aspect of the process from skill specific workouts to how to show myself at tournaments to how to speak to college coaches on visits. SportsForce also helped me maintain relationships with all the coaches I was interested in playing for as well as reminding them where and when I will be playing.

4. What advice would you give to other players and parents with the recruiting process?

I think highlights and early communication certainly help, however some players develop later than others, such as myself; make sure you are doing the things necessary in order to catch a coach’s attention.

5. How excited are you on your future in college?

I’m very excited! I could not be more pleased with the school I have committed to.

6. How much money do you anticipate your family saving in college expenses because of you being recruited ?

If I had not been recruited I would likely not have known about this school, which is going to be giving us a large amount of financial aid, which I may not have received at a different institution. Likely several thousand dollars per year.

7. Would you recommend SportsForce to any other student-athletes? Why?

Yes they help you remain relatively stress free during the process and help maintain your confidence as a prospective athlete. They also help keep you very organized and make sure you do not lose track of any communication or interest from college coaches.

Over the last five years SportsForce has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.

We would like to congratulate Marcus Yandall on his commitment to Elmhurst College! Here are Marcus’ recruiting story and interview after his commitment. Good luck as a Bluejay!

1. Please share your recruiting story and status.

The process was very long but was very exciting at the same time. Towards the beginning of high school I was so set on playing at a division 1 school, until I realized all of the advantages of attending a smaller school at the division 3 level. On August 25, I verbally committed to Elmhurst College.

2. What school are you going to, and why did you choose them?

I committed to Elmhurst College because I felt like it was the best all-around fit for me. I fell in love with the city of Chicago, the opportunity to be a part of the honors program and be involved in the biology program to prepare me for medical school, and the environment that coach Morrell and his staff are creating at the school was very intriguing.

3. How did SportsForce help in the process?

SportsForce definitely played a huge role in my recruiting process. It opened up opportunities with the schools that ended up being in my top 10 and allowed me to get in touch with coaches in a simple way. Also, the player profile that SportsForce sets up on their website for you helps a lot and makes it easy for the coaches to see everything they need from you in one setting.

4. What advice would you give to other players and parents with the recruiting process?

I would definitely recommend starting early and not being afraid of reaching out to college coaches. With kids as young as 8th grade committing, getting a highlight video out to coaches as early as possible is definitely a good start. Also, getting in contact with coaches of schools that you think you want to pursue is key; if they don’t know you, you have no chance of playing at that school.

5. How excited are you for your future in college?

I am extremely excited to be attending Elmhurst College next year. Living in Chicago is going to be a lot of fun and getting a great education at a high-achieving school and playing lacrosse for a program that is headed in the right direction are just a few of the exciting factors.

6. How much money do you anticipate your family saving in college expenses because of you being recruited?

I anticipate my family saving a total of around $80,000 over the course of my 4 years in college.

7. Would you recommend SportsForce to any other student-athletes? Why?

I would recommend SportsForce to any athlete looking to play a college sport because of all of the help their service provides. SportsForce really makes sure you end up at the best-fitting school and provides you the tools and resources you need to easily make contact with the coaches of your choosing.

Over the last five years, SportsForce has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.

With this year’s summer club seasons complete and fall tryouts proceeding through late August and September, we thought this was the perfect time to take a look at NCAA DI recruiting schedules for college lacrosse and see where they fit in our fall recruiting plan. Additionally, we’ve provided the NCAA definitions of each recruiting period on the calendar. You can find all the information below, straight from the NCAA, at the following links:

NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Recruiting Calendar:

https://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/June2016_DIMensLacrosseCalendar_20160613.pdf

NCAA Recruiting Calendar FAQs:

http://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/resources/recruiting-calendars?division=d1

Contact Periods

A contact period is a period of time when it is permissible for authorized athletics department staff members to make in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations.

During a contact period a college coach may have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents, watch student-athletes compete and visit their high schools, and write or telephone student-athletes or their parents.

Contact Defined: A contact is any face-to-face encounter between a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete’s relatives, guardian(s) or individual of a comparable relationship and an institutional athletics department staff member or athletics representative during which any dialogue occurs in excess of an exchange of a greeting. Any such face-to-face encounter that is prearranged (e.g., positions himself/herself in a location where contact is possible) or that takes place on the grounds of the prospective student-athlete’s educational institution or at the site of organized competition or practice involving the prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete’s high school, preparatory school, two-year college or all-star team shall be considered a contact, regardless of the conversation that occurs. Any communication (e.g., face-to-face, telephone call or electronic transmission) with a prospective student-athlete at the site of organized competition involving the prospective student-athlete by athletics personnel who are attending the competition or who are aware of the competition also shall be considered a contact.

Evaluation Periods

An evaluation period is a period of time when it is permissible for authorized athletics department staff members to be involved in off-campus activities designed to assess the academic qualifications and playing ability of prospective student-athletes. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts shall be made with the prospective student-athlete during an evaluation period.

During an evaluation period a college coach may watch college-bound student-athletes compete, visit their high schools, and write or telephone student-athletes or their parents. However, a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents off the college’s campus during an evaluation period.

Evaluation Defined: An evaluation is any off-campus activity designed to assess the academic qualifications or athletics ability of a prospective student-athlete, including any visit to a prospective student-athlete’s educational institution (during which no contact occurs) or the observation of a prospective student-athlete participating in any practice or competition at any site.

Quiet Periods

A quiet period is a period of time when it is permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts only on the institution’s campus. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts or evaluations may be made during the quiet period.

During a quiet period, a college coach may only have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents on the college’s campus. A coach may not watch student-athletes compete (unless a competition occurs on the college’s campus) or visit their high schools. Coaches may write or telephone college-bound student-athletes or their parents during this time.

Dead Periods

A dead period is a period of time when it is not permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on or off the institution’s campus or to permit official or unofficial visits by prospective student-athletes to the institution’s campus. It remains permissible, however, for an institutional staff member to write or telephone a prospective student-athlete during a dead period.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE

Institutional staff members may receive telephone calls placed by a prospective student-athlete at the prospective student-athlete’s own expense at any time, including before July 1 following the prospective student-athlete’s junior year in high school.

So please use this information to plan your fall/winter recruiting cycle. Form your plan early, then just play hard, have fun, and good luck!

In the last decade or so, a number of camps, showcases, tournaments and club teams have grown exponentially. Year-round lacrosse has become the norm, even in colder weather states. This includes play for both high school programs and club teams. With this trend of the ever-expanding season, there has been an increase in a number of players either getting injured or burning out at a young age. In this regard, the volume and accessibility of events, teams, and programs aimed at aiding with development and providing exposure to college coaches has been both a blessing and a curse.

With this newfound accessibility and today’s technology, more players are getting opportunities to be recruited by schools they would have previously never considered, even 10 years ago. Players can be recruited on a national level more easily, which gives student-athletes a better chance to find their best-fit college program. Players are getting more informed on the recruiting process and exposed to the different levels and divisions of college lacrosse. In general, it is easier to find a good athletic/academic/financial match than in previous years.

Our “regular season” is typically where we want to be at our best, as we have a daily practice and can play a brand of lacrosse more like the college game. The challenge that we all face, as both players and coaches, revolves around the schedule. The LEAST convenient and LEAST realistic time for colleges to see you play is during your high school season. Coaches may occasionally be able to make it to a local game or to a game while on a road trip, but they are consumed with their own seasons, which puts a live evaluation on the back burner. So naturally, coaches are most actively recruiting and evaluating from late May-January. As it happens, the bulk of quality recruiting showcases and tournaments are scheduled during that period as well.

The most elite professional athletes in the world have a schedule that includes stretches of time devoted to rest (not complete inactivity, but a break from the repetitive motions required to compete). It’s literally scheduled into their training plans by most professional sports teams’ training staffs. So why do so many high school lacrosse players think it’s ok to have a longer season and less rest than professionals? High school athletes are not done growing and developing. They have likely not prepared themselves physically to handle the strain they are putting on their bodies. They haven’t given their bodies any sufficient, extended period of time to heal, recover, and grow.

It’s a good idea that physical and mental rest be factored into every family’s plan for their growing student-athlete. Whether it be private lessons, camps, showcases, tournaments, club teams, training programs, or other specialty events, sometimes the correct answer is no. Families are dedicating increasing amounts of time and money every year hoping to find that golden ticket at the next event that gives their son a lacrosse scholarship. It is not uncommon to see high school players who never take a break from playing tournaments, high intensity camps, or other showcases for longer than a few weeks.

So what is the solution? These events/teams are not going away anytime soon, and likely they will only continue to increase in number and frequency. The burden of this responsibility really lies on players and their families to make smart, responsible decisions. Each player’s calendar will likely be unique to his situation.

Here are some tips to help set you up for success and health…

1. Plan your calendar in advance for the entire year. Start with the active playing seasons (high school/club) and carefully select additional events and training as they fit in your schedule.
2. Do not enter an event where you are expected to perform at max speed/intensity without preparing physically. Getting ready to play requires at least a week or two of cardio, agility, and flexibility workouts.
3. Plan a few periods of consecutive (2-3 minimum) weeks of rest throughout the year.
4. Use your down time for strength/conditioning training, stick skills, and light lacrosse activity. Get back to fundamentals and lower intensity drills aimed to maintain and develop skills/mechanics.
5. It’s ok to say no. It is flattering to be invited or chosen to play or participate in many events. Sometimes, however, it is not necessary. Plan in advance and try to avoid spur of the moment decisions on events you are not ready for physically, mentally, or financially.
6. PLAY MULTIPLE SPORTS! It creates a natural off-season. Even if it is recreational or you will never play in college, it gives your mind and body a break. In most cases, the skills and coordination learned in other sports translates to you being a better athlete and lacrosse player.

We would like to congratulate Jack Pharies on his commitment to Centre College! Here are Jack’s recruiting story and interview after his commitment. Good luck as a Colonel!

1. Please share your recruiting story and status

I was actively recruited by over 20 colleges to play lacrosse. I narrowed down my choices to 3 colleges by the beginning of the summer before my senior year, and I committed to a college in July before my senior year.

2. What school are you going to, and why did you choose them?

I chose Centre College, which competes at the NCAA Division III level in the Southern Athletic Association. Centre is a national liberal arts college located in Danville, Kentucky. It was founded in 1819, has a national reputation for the quality of its academics, and is the number 1 school in the nation of any size for its travel abroad programs. I realized from the beginning that I would not make a living playing lacrosse, so my main focus has been choosing a college I would want to attend even if I did not play lacrosse. I have been interested in Centre from the beginning because of its size, the relationship between the faculty and students, and its travel abroad opportunities. Centre is among many schools that do not actively recruit in California. I contacted Centre through Sportsforce, and luckily the coach liked my video and asked me to campus. I already had offers from other colleges by the time I visited Centre, but I was just blown away by Coach Sharbaugh and Centre. Everything seemed to fit perfectly with what I wanted. The academics are great, the campus is beautiful, and the lacrosse coach is terrific and has a clear vision for the program and my role in realizing that vision.

4. How did SportsForce help in the process?

Sportsforce played a critical role in my recruiting journey. The best way to put it is that Sportsforce allowed me to control the recruiting process rather than the recruiting process controlling me. Without Sportsforce, I would have to rely on being seen at a showcase as my primary recruiting tool. While showcases are important, and I was recruited by coaches who saw me at showcases, it limits the universe of potential colleges to those that attend particular showcases. Sportsforce allowed me to introduce myself to the colleges I wanted to attend, not just the ones that happened to be at this weekend’s showcase. I could target a school, use Sportsforce as a way to get noticed by the coach, and then drive the recruiting process from there. It also allowed me to get ahead of the recruiting cycle so that, at each school that gave me an offer, I was one of the first offers they gave to players in my class. This proved to be an unexpected benefit because nothing makes a coach want a player more than knowing that a competing school wants that same player. This gave me a big advantage in recruiting because it put me in the driver’s seat. Not only did Sportsforce give me the tools to control my own destiny, it guided me every step of the way. From producing my initial video to the first e-mail campaign, to campus visits, and ultimately to making my commitment, Coach Hadlock and Sportsforce have advised me, supported me, and encouraged me.

4. What advice would you give to other players and parents with the recruiting process?

First, recruiting begins with grades. One of the first question every college coach asked me was my GPA and test scores. To keep your options open, you need to keep the grades up and do well on standardized tests.

Second, choose a college that you would want to attend even if you couldn’t play lacrosse. After all, every player is only one injury away from becoming a spectator.

Third, get to know the coach and the lacrosse program well and make sure you share the same goals. Find out how the coach recruits – is he selective in who he recruits or does he recruit huge classes and let the Freshman fight it out when fall ball starts. What is the lacrosse team’s reputation on campus – both among other athletes and the student body at large? Do the coach and the athletic department support your academic goals? Does the team have an academic adviser who travels with the team? Will the coach support your academic goals even if they require an absence from some training (such as for study abroad if that’s important to you).

Fourth, do an overnight visit. It is important to meet the team, see what it’s really like on campus, and understand the issues the current players face.

5. How excited are you on your future in college?

It is the perfect school and team for me. The academic environment, with small class sizes and an exclusive focus on undergraduate education, will challenge me and allow me to reach my goal of going to law school. The lacrosse team is always competitive in its conference and I’m going to travel throughout the South during conference play. I can’t wait to experience a different part of the country. In short, I am very excited. Go, Colonels!!

6. How much money do you anticipate your family saving in college expenses?

My school is NCAA Division III, so there are no athletic scholarships. However, I have been told that I will receive nearly $20,000 per year in academic scholarships.

7. Would you recommend SportsForce to any other student-athletes? Why?

I strongly recommend Sportsforce. It provides the tools to allow the player to control the recruiting process. Most players and parents go into the recruiting process with no idea of what it entails or what to expect. All of the coaches, however, do this every year and know exactly what they are doing. This necessarily puts players at a disadvantage. Sportsforce helps to not only level the playing field with their knowledge and guidance, but they help put the player in control of that process by giving the player the tools to target schools, get noticed by the coaches, and to get ahead of the recruiting cycle.

Over the last five years, SportsForce has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.

…and just what are you showing to college coaches?

Now that many of the club teams and tournaments are winding down until October, it’s important to capitalize on your summer experience. While many parents elect to purchase professional videos from the various events, the quality of the video is only one component of what makes an effective and attention-grabbing highlight reel.

In this installment of our College Game Plan Education series, we’ll provide some basic tips for creating and editing your game film to make the best impression on potential college lacrosse recruiters.

What you want to show
The goal with any highlight reel is to give college coaches an idea of how you can play the game and the special talents you believe set you apart. Whether it’s 1-on-1 defense, shooting, open-field speed, or FOGO skills, you want the reel to have a definite theme. Don’t get us wrong, you absolutely need to show more than one skill set, but you want your highlights to be a representation of your strongest attributes, allowing coaches to evaluate how you play and where you might fit in their program.

What you don’t want to show
Lacrosse is a flow sport, meaning that the action never really stops. Unlike football or baseball, where a “play” has a beginning and an end, lacrosse can thrust a player from offense to a loose ball to defense in a very short time. This makes editing clips very important. Factors like the quality of your competition, your demonstrated lacrosse IQ, and how you interact with your team may not jump out to a young player, but college coaches can take a lot from the fringes of your video. Typical examples of no-nos would be dodging through several defenders to score a goal despite open teammates, taunting the opposition, performing a solo celebration that is only about you, or passing up a good shot to go for a BTB or other “fancy” shot. If you drop the ball three times on your way to the goal or miss a pass before picking it up to score, the clip should only include the ground ball and the shot. And just as an FYI, coaches usually aren’t terribly impressed that you are good enough to try an advanced move in a game…if it didn’t work, don’t include it.

Sequencing your clips
The first 45 seconds of your video will likely dictate whether a coach watches the whole thing, so don’t bury your best clips or try to crescendo at the end. After you show your personal information, take the three most impressive examples of how you play and lead with them.

After these initial clips, start to mix in the other aspects of your game to show you have more than one dimension. Continue to pepper in the clips that support your general video theme, whether you’re presenting yourself as a scorer, feeder, ground ball specialist, or defender. Again, the best of these clips should be toward the front as well. For the remainder of the 3-4 minute highlight reel, simply mix in the various clips you have, but with the understanding that sometimes less is more, so don’t add extra clips to get to a certain video length if they don’t truly show your skill level or what you can do.

Guidelines for your highlight reel:

1. Start with your name, class, school name, and club team (include GPA if 3.5+)
2. The first few clips are your best…the “wow” clips that grab attention
3. Scour your clips and edit to ensure you’re not showing anything undesirable
4. Don’t exceed 3-4 minutes of clips
5. Include your contact info and your coaches’ contact info

Most college coaches will request a video before they take the time to talk to you, so it’s very important to make sure you’re truly aware of what you’re presenting. Ask your coach to look at it and provide feedback before sending it out to college programs, make any suggested edits, and good luck!!

It’s that time again…summer club season.

By this point in the year, most high school lacrosse players have sifted through the multiple club teams, showcases, prospect days, and tournaments to which they have been invited, and tough decisions are being made. Likewise, college coaches are finalizing their plans, allocating precious recruiting resources to various tournaments and events throughout the country.

In this installment of our College Game Plan Education series, we’ll provide a basic overview to get the most out of your summer investment.

So let’s stay at a high level and get started with a few questions:

Have you narrowed the list of schools that you’re interested in?

There are over 350 colleges with NCAA Men’s Lacrosse programs, but only a few schools that align with your academic, athletic, social, geographical, and financial goals. Taking the time up front to focus only on best-fit schools will save you and your family tremendous amounts of time, money, and frustration. We call this developing a “target list” of schools. Factors such as what academic programs are offered (and their rating), school size, location, social aspects, level and culture of the lacrosse program, and the coaching staff must be considered to make an informed final decision and should be part of developing your target list.

What coaches from your target list committed to attend your events?

The questions I most hear from families in late spring revolve around one topic: the BEST teams/camps/showcases to attend this summer to be seen by college coaches. The answer to “which is best?” comes down to how many of your targeted schools will be at an event and whether you can interest them enough to come see you play. For example, a showcase heavily attended by Ivy League schools would likely not be the best use of resources for a player with a 2.5 GPA. If you have the grades, the desire, and the talent to attend Harvard or Princeton, however, it would likely be a great event to attend.

Have you contacted any coaches to let them know where you’ll be playing?

Many players believe that if they’re on the right team or at the biggest showcase, they’ll simply get noticed. NCAA rules limit the amount and type of contact a coach can have with an underclassman (currently 2018 and below), so you can’t expect to have meaningful conversations with them when you see them or meet them in person at events. While accolades like all-star teams and all-tournament teams on your resume can certainly have an impact, a college coach usually arrives at an event with a list of names they’ll be evaluating and those players’ schedules, so it’s important to make personal contact and begin to establish relationships with coaches in the weeks leading up to your events.

Do you have an effective online presence?

Lacrosse is quickly growing into a nation-wide sport, with more and more new players picking up a stick each year. College coaches are flooded with emails and phone calls from high school players that desperately want to attend their school and be a contributor in their program. It’s wise to make it as easy as possible for a coach to evaluate your potential as a recruited player rather quickly. In today’s recruiting landscape, a highlight video, your academic information, and your measurable statistics (height, weight, speed, etc.) are a bare minimum. It is a good idea to also include references and their contact information, your upcoming schedule, a copy of your transcript, and even a personal statement or a list of college goals you’re looking to achieve. Your goal is to establish a relationship with these coaches, so the more you set yourself apart during the initial evaluation phase, the more likely you’ll be recruited by multiple coaches and programs.

Steps to Maximize Your Summer Game Plan

1. Develop a target list of potentially best-fit schools and lacrosse programs
2. Create/Update/Maintain online presence that markets YOU
3. Establish contact with college coaches, interest them in your information
4. Be yourself, ask questions, and learn all you can from the coaches you meet
5. Have fun playing lacrosse
6. Conduct follow-up with interested coaches after each event

Other tips for success:

1. Stay hydrated and have a nutritional plan at summer events
2. Play hard all the time, you never know who may be watching
3. Play smart- it’s still a team game in the summer
4. Always display sportsmanlike conduct
5. How you look & act between games matters

The common thread in everything we do in the recruiting space is that it’s all about relationships. Choosing a college is an extremely personal and emotional decision for every family, and the investment is likely the largest any parent makes in their child’s future. As such, every player and parent feel the need to be personally comfortable with the school, the campus, and the lacrosse program before committing to attend. Likewise, college coaches earn their living based on how their team performs on and off the field, and the stakes are high, so they have to truly get to know the young men they invite to play for their program. Developing relationships with college coaches should be one of the main goals of your summer, and will require you to formulate a plan to make the best use of your summer lacrosse schedule and the opportunities you will have to be seen and evaluated by your best-fit programs.

We at SportsForce would like to congratulate Cole Wolfson on his commitment to Bellarmine University. Here are Cole’s recruiting story and interview after his commitment. Good luck as a Knight!

1.) Share your recruiting story and status.

The recruiting process for me took place mostly between the end of my sophomore year and my junior year. I committed a couple months before the 2014 spring season started.

2.) What school are you going to, and why did you choose them?

I am going to Bellarmine University. To be honest I did not think I would like Bellarmine but I completely changed my mind about my school when I visited. I committed because I liked the coaching staff and I thought the city of Louisville where Bellarmine is located was really cool.

3.) How did SportsForce help in the process?

SportsForce really made the process easier for me. SportsForce helped spread the word about my highlight video and notifying coaches on what tournaments I would play in.

4.) What advice would you give to other players and parents with the recruiting process?

I would say that working hard in middle school is probably the best advice I can give because the recruiting circuit starts so early in lacrosse it is important that coming into high school your game is up to par.

5.) How excited are you for your future in college?

I am super excited for college. Playing college lacrosse has been a dream of mine for some time so to be fulfilling it is a relief.

6.) How much money do you anticipate your family saving in college expenses?

I am not exactly sure but I think somewhere in the ballpark of $60-70,000.

7.) Would you recommend SportsForce to any other student-athletes? Why?

Yeah, I would recommend SportsForce to other student-athletes as it’s a nice tool to have in the recruiting process.

Over the last five years, SportsForce has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.

1. Why did you decide to sign with Stevens Institute of Technology?

It has a great reputation for engineers everywhere and it is a prestigious school to play lacrosse, with a chance to win a national championship. Coach Peluso and Coach Madalon and Coach Koch are very great teachers of the game.

2. Describe the excitement you feel about becoming a college student-athlete?

I’m one of a very special group that gets to continue their dream of playing sports in college; I am absolutely excited to have this opportunity.

3. What advice would you give to other athletes looking to get recruited?

The game of lacrosse and recruiting is speeding up; there are sophomores committing left and right. Every opportunity you have, visit colleges and call coaches. It can only help and may be the difference between your dream school and settling.

4. Who has been the biggest influence in your sports career and why?

My first ever coach, John Gendron. He has introduced the game to me and all my friends that lived on my street. Without him and his teaching of the fundamentals, I wouldn’t be the player I am today.

5. What would you like to accomplish during your college sports career?

I would like to enhance my skills on defense and make a true name for myself. Also I would like to start many long-lasting friendships with my teammates and fans. My hopes for the team are to win conference, as well as contend for a national championship.

Over the last five years SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.

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