Lacrosse continues to grow in popularity nationwide. Over the years, more high schools and colleges offer boys and girls lacrosse teams. If you loved playing lacrosse in high school, you’re probably considering playing college lacrosse in the future.
Trying to figure out how lacrosse recruiting works can be a little overwhelming. There are many different ways for lacrosse players to get a coach’s attention, but having a recruiting profile is one of the best ways to showcase your lacrosse career.
Since a recruiting profile is so important in this whole process, we want to help make this as easy as possible for you. Below are all the things you’ll need as you create a recruiting profile to help you get noticed by lacrosse coaches. We’ve also created free lacrosse recruiting profiles for you to use.
Know the Type of School You Want
As you build a lacrosse recruiting profile, it’s important to have an idea of what type of school you want to play for. That way you can design your profile for the type of environment where you want to play college lacrosse. You’ll want to know the difference between the five division levels.
Division 1 is the highest level of lacrosse that you can play at the college level. These are school teams that have a large budget that can go toward the team, meaning there is money for large lacrosse scholarships, great facilities, and travel. Since this is the highest level, it is the most competitive and requires a larger time commitment to practice, conditioning, and traveling for games.
Division 2 is still competitive but allows for more time outside of lacrosse. Practices are still time-consuming, but there is more time carved out for school and your social life. At this level, you are still able to get a scholarship to play.
Division 3 schools are still competitive, but they have shorter seasons and fewer practices. These types of schools have more of an academic focus, helping players balance sports and school. You are not able to earn an athletic scholarship at this level, but you can still apply to other forms of financial aid so that you can play college ball.
NAIA is a much smaller division of schools. This is a good fit for students who want to still play lacrosse but have a smaller college or particular major in mind.
NJCAA is a junior college division for athletes in a two-year institution hoping to transfer into a four-year college. In this division, athletes can still play the sport and gain eligibility for a four-year college in the future.
Play as Much as Possible
Coaches scouting out players will go to games to get a feel for players who may be a good fit for their team in the future. High school sports are great but limited to one season a year. Joining a club team can help connect you with other ways for a coach to watch you play.
You can sign up for showcases through some high school teams and many club teams. These showcases are events where college coaches can watch players from around the region play a series of games. With such many coaches at these events, it will be easier for you to get recognized.
It’s also intelligent to attend recruiting camps whenever possible. Potential recruits play lacrosse in front of coaches at these camps and can show their abilities. Look for camps throughout the year to get more practice and show coaches your skills.
Create Highlight Videos for Your Recruiting Profile
If a lacrosse coach is interested in you, they’ll want video footage of you playing the sport. This is an excellent chance to put together a highlight reel where you can show off your best games.
These videos need to be well made so that it’s easy to see jersey numbers and what is happening in the play. Shoot all footage on a tripod or stable surface so that the camera doesn’t shake and is easy to watch. Make sure that whoever is filming has a wide enough angle so that whoever is watching the tape can see footage of the entire play.
Video footage should last a few minutes and showcase some of your best moments as a player. Try not to just show the same thing over and over. Capture a variety of moments, such as scoring goals, moving the ball across the field well, and playing good defense.
Connect With Coaches
You’ll need to take the initiative now and reach out to coaches if you are interested in playing for their team. This can be as simple as sending them a formal email or mailing them a letter.
When you reach out to a coach, make it clear who you are, what program you are a part of, and that you are interested in a spot on their team. You’ll want to mention your graduation year, position, and game statistics you think would stand out to them. It’s also helpful to mention academic-focused topics, such as your GPA and test scores.
Take the time to invite the coach to watch a game or come see you play at a showcase. Ensure coaches have your contact information, including your email address and phone number.
Create a Recruiting Profile Today
We’ve provided you with free recruiting profiles to use as you pursue your lacrosse career. You’ll also want to check out Canva to customize your feature theme and make your recruiting profile stand out. This profile can help you present yourself to future coaches in a way that will catch their attention.
Feel free to explore Stringers Society and all of the great tools and tips we have to offer lacrosse players. It’s our goal to help you have the best lacrosse experience possible!
