Recruits for college lacrosse need to know that there are plenty of steps that can make the process easier. NCSA can help make sure that you do every little thing that you can to separate yourself from other lacrosse recruits.
1. Develop your game plan and get evaluated by a third party. Recruiting for lacrosse is a little different than it is for bigger money sports like football or basketball. College lacrosse coaches don’t always have the budgets to travel and see a lot of potential recruits in person, so they rely heavily on evaluations from a trusted source like NCSA. And because NCSA is a neutral third party, we provide honest answers about your skill level, which helps you set realistic goals about where you want to play college lacrosse.
2. Post your academic/athletic resume online. NCSA has the largest digital platform available to high school athletes, which makes it easy to post videos and profiles and makes lacrosse recruits visible to hundreds of lacrosse coaches.
3. Create a winning highlight/skills video. College lacrosse coaches may not be able to frequently travel and see lacrosse recruits in person, and that’s why a good highlight/skills video is essential. Use between 20 and 40 match highlights (about five minutes worth), preferably from club lacrosse against solid competition, that show you’ve got the skills for your position.
Field players should highlight:
- The ability to shoot stationary and driven shots to all areas of the goal.
- Handling the stick under pressure as well as unguarded.
- Show five repetitions of lateral and forward passing, as well as you receiving five repetitions of later and forward passes.
- Shooting and passing with your off hand.
- Scooping ground balls on the run or under pressure.
Goalies should highlight:
- A mix of skills footage and match footage.
- The ability to stop shots at all areas of the goal.
- Clearing the ball from the goal and from in the crease.
4. Contact up to 50 realistic lacrosse programs. Fewer than 400 colleges have a women’s lacrosse program, and fewer than 300 have a men’s lacrosse team. When you’re a recruit for lacrosse you should begin with as large of a pool of colleges as you can to help ensure that the perfect fit rises to the top when the lacrosse recruiting process ends. Using NCSA’s digital space makes it extremely easy to get your information to dozens of prospective colleges. Realize that the majority of college lacrosse teams aren’t in Division I. Nearly 80% of men playing collegiate lacrosse and 75% of women’s college lacrosse players compete at the Division II, Division III, or junior college level.
5. Realize that it’s not a four-year decision. It’s a 40-year decision. Choosing a college is easily one of the most important decisions of your lifetime. Do your research and make an educated decision when you select a college, not only as a recruit for lacrosse, but also as a student athlete. Input from a neutral third party like NCSA can match you up with a school that’s an ideal fit for you during the four years that you are there.