RECRUITING TIMELINE:
What you should be doing and when you should do
it!
Rising Seniors (Class of 2008)
- Create a profile sheet that you can send to colleges you are
considering. Make sure your parent or a coach proofreads
your profile before you send it. (See sample copy)
- Begin narrowing your list of potential colleges. Some
factors to consider: Academic profile, level of lacrosse, type
of school, distance from home, and cost of attendance. Be
realistic when focusing you list – include “sure
things”, “reaches”, and a “long shot” on
your list.
- Contact the coach at the top five to ten schools you are considering – let
them know they are one of your top choices. Include your
summer lacrosse schedule so they can see you play.
- Prepare videotapes to have available for coaches that request
them. Videos should include at least 30 minutes of unedited
game footage.
- Have copies of your transcript, SAT/ACT scores, and senior
class schedule available to sent to coaches, particularly those
you intend to visit.
- Tentatively plan “unofficial visits” to your top
schools during the late spring and summer.
- Be proactive – if you are very interested in a particular
school, make sure they know it.
Rising Juniors (Class of 2009)
- Begin researching colleges that have men’s lacrosse. Make
a list of all the schools that meet your criteria (for example:
Division III private schools in New York that offer physical
education teacher certification as a major). The list should
include 10-25 schools.
- Work on the profile sheet that you will be sending to colleges
on your list. Make sure your parent or a coach proofreads
your profile before you send it.
- Write a letter of interest you can send to the schools on your
list. Ask a coach, parent, or teacher to help you write
the letter. This letter can be sent via US Mail or e-mail,
along with your profile and summer lacrosse schedule. Make
sure you verify the coach’s name and mailing address on-line
or with a phone call before you send the letter. Spell-check
everything before you send it.
- Return all questionnaires and requested info to the schools
you might consider. If you know you are definitely not
considering a particular school, let that coach know. Honesty
is important.
- Remember that college coaches are restricted by NCAA rules
regarding phone calls and contacts off their institution’s
campus. E-mail is the most efficient way to correspond
until you have finished your junior year.
Rising Sophomores/Freshman (Class of 2010)
- Stay focused academically. NCAA eligibility standards
keep getting tougher. The grades you earn now will determine
admission to college, initial NCAA eligibility, and your future
success.
- Play lacrosse, but don’t burn yourself out. Attend
lacrosse camps and play club lacrosse, but not to the exclusion
of everything else. Coaches and Admissions counselors look
for well-rounded student athletes.
- Start researching colleges. Consider what each level
of college lacrosse entails (Division I, II, and III). Begin
thinking about academics – what are your career goals,
and what types of things might you study to achieve them? Talk
to your parents, guidance counselors, teachers, coaches, siblings,
and older teammates to get information.
- Request academic and admissions information from college admissions
offices. NCAA lacrosse programs cannot provide athletic
recruiting information other than a questionnaire and camp information
until September 1 of your junior year in high school.
|
