5.   I’d Be Happy Just to Make the Team

Always set high goals for yourself. We have found that the athletes who have the best college experience are the ones who get the chance to compete on a regular basis. Staying at home while the team travels to an away game is no fun unless you have the potential to work your way into a more competitive role within a short period of time. You have to ask yourself: would you rather be the big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond?

LESSON LEARNED: Find a team where you can contribute and have a realistic chance to compete.

6.   Lots of College Coaches Will Watch My High School Games.

If more than a handful of college coaches ever watch you compete throughout your high school career, you are in a select group. Even if coaches attend games, they most likely represent schools that are nearby. Most athletic recruiting budgets do not allow coaches to travel around the country scouting talent. It’s just too expensive. Coaches will scout regional high school and summer tournaments or events, usually within a couple hours of their school, but rarely will they travel farther. It’s just not financially feasible or an efficient use of their time. To get to coaches outside of your region, a LacrosseRecruits.com profile is highly effective.

It’s not unusual for a college coach to spend the majority of his travel and recruiting budget scouting a select few blue-chip prospects. What’s left in the travel budget will be

used to attend national events where the greatest number of prospects can be seen in one place, i.e., showcase events and regional and/or national tournaments.

Say for example you live in Maryland and are interested in attending a college in Massachusetts. Even if the coach in Massachusetts really likes you, he probably won’t have the money or the time to fly to Maryland to watch you compete. He would rather find out if you are going to attend any events where he can see you and a number of other athletes on his list. He, also, might invite you to attend one of his summer camps.

LESSON LEARNED: Be pro-active and take your skills to coaches of the schools that interest you. Don’t expect them to travel to your hometown. Reach out to them and ask them to view your LacrosseRecruits.com profile. One click and they are viewing your profile and video.

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