Crush the Summer Recruiting Circuit:
Webinar Summary

If you’re attending showcases, tournaments, and other lacrosse recruiting events this summer and you’re still uncommitted, this webinar will tell you everything you need to know to ensure you take the correct steps at this crucial juncture.

 

In this webinar, we’ll show you how. You’ll learn:

• The must-have checklist to prepare for the summer circuit
• A fully comprehensive recruiting plan
• How to maximize the value of each recruiting event (get more out of every event)
• The “foolproof” summer schedule (ignore this at your peril!)
• How SportsRecruits Insights can help you maximize your efforts this summer

Thanks for watching!

 

 

Q&A

Should I still attend summer showcases if I am a freshman?

Yes! At the higher ends of Division I, evaluations begin freshman year. College coaches will build a list of prospects based on observations made the summer after 8th grade/freshman year. The student-athletes on that list will be evaluated throughout their sophomore year, with the final evaluations occurring the summer after sophomore year. These events are still valuable to your recruiting process and are a great chance to play against top talent.

Coaches will follow your progression throughout high school to see how you mature as a student-athlete. You will need to grab the attention of college coaches early on in order for them to track your progression until September 1 of junior year.

 

How does the new NCAA regulation affect my recruiting process?

On Friday April 14th, the NCAA Division I Council passed a new early recruiting proposal. This rule change bans college lacrosse coaches from communicating with prospective student-athletes (PSAs) until Sept. 1 of their junior year of high school, and it is effective immediately. This means that there can be no verbal commitments or communications of any form between a student-athlete and a Division I college coach before September 1 of the athlete’s junior year of high school.

Important clarifications:

• Legislation does not ban student-athletes from contacting college coaches. You can (and should) still message, email, and send video to coaches.
• DII, DIII, NAIA recruiting is unchanged.
• Proactivity is as important as ever – you need to make sure you are on coaches’ prospect lists prior to your junior year. There are no rules on student-athlete outreach. This means you can say “hello” to a coach at an event and/or send a follow up email. It is the coach’s job to follow the NCAA regulations, not yours.
• DI college coaches can no longer speak with student-athletes over the phone. Therefore, calling those coaches prior to your junior year is not the best use of your time.

 
Final Note: Use your advocates! College coaches can still communicate with your club and high school coaches about you as a potential student-athlete. Make sure you have a good line of communication with your advocates. They will be able to point you in the right direction from an athletic standpoint. Click here for more information on how SportsRecruits Insights can help you leverage your advocates.

 

Should I spend my summer going to prospect days?

Prospect days can be tricky. The value of attending them varies on a case-by-case basis. Hundreds of kids do get recruited at prospect days, but there is a far greater number of kids that attend them despite not being legitimate prospects.

Prospect days are generally a much smaller event at a college or university where student-athletes play in front of one coaching staff. These can be a great way to get on campus and decide if you can see yourself at that school for the next four years. However, almost every lacrosse program in the country now has its own unique prospect day. Prospect days are used by lacrosse programs to generate some revenue for the upcoming season. This means that the majority of the kids that attend are not legitimate prospects of that school. If you are making the effort to attend a prospect day, make sure you have a realistic chance at being one of the handful of kids that the coaching staff is actively recruiting.

As a general rule of thumb, if you have never had correspondence with a coaching staff, either directly or through an advocate, then attending the prospect day is likely not the best use of your time. Ideally, attending the prospect day will be the second or third chance you have to play in front of that coaching staff. If you are unsure whether you should attend or not, see if there are individual showcases that same weekend where you have the chance to play in front of a larger number of college coaches.

 

Want extra guidance? SportsRecruits Insights can help.