The Changing Face of Recruiting in Lacrosse

Parents often ask me…"How much exposure does my son need?" The answer is that it is a function of how good your son is and how his grades are. If he makes the EMPIRE team, he will probably get all the exposure he needs. However, we know that this applies to a very limited number of kids on Long Island. Of course grades become the key determinant in how actively top-tier programs will aggressively recruit an EMPIRE player. There are very few players like a Max Motschwiller [Jericho] or a Rich Sgalardi [Chaminade] or a Dan D`Agnes [Chaminade/Georgetown] or a Chris Peyser [Manhasset]…players who were/are an unbeatable combination of superior lacrosse skill and great grades, resulting in their being recruited by virtually every program in the nation. The vast majority of EMPIRE kids, historically, have ended up at D1 programs, but not all have unlimited options, because of poor academics.

The competition for the remaining D1 slots, after the Empire kids are committed, is fierce. There will only be a handful of our non-EMPIRE players who will go D1. Why? Because the talent pool now is nationwide. The traditional Hotbeds…Long Island and Maryland, no longer have a stranglehold on talent.

Take a look at the rosters of the top programs this year and you will see more and more kids from California, Texas, Ohio, and Florida than ever before.This is a trend that has been years in the making and is now a reality. Also take note of the kids at any D1 program and you will see another major change from years gone by-- size!!!!! This is another trend that is changing the face of the game. I was told by the Carolina coaches that they had a middie show up at their summer camp from California, who was 6'4" and weighed 225 lbs and he had jets. He was being recruited by U.S.C., U.C.L.A. and multiple other big football programs as a wide receiver, but he wanted to play lacrosse at Carolina. Believe me, this kid is not an anomaly. There are dozens of kids like this at every camp who are entering the talent pool from non-traditional locations.

Today, your prototype D1 middie is over 6 feet tall and is a superior athlete, usually excelling at more than 1 sport. For example, Cullen Molinarri, on his way to Georgetown...6'2" 200 lbs plus…Max Pomper, on his way to Virginia…6'1" 200 lbs plus...Andrew Miller, on his way to Hopkins…6'2" 200 lbs plus. Players with exceptional speed also dominate the top tier of recruiting…players like Will Barrow at Virginia and Austin Walker, committed to Hopkins. Common denominator? All very good football players in addition to being great lacrosse players.

The attackmen are not far behind. Anyone who has seen Ian Dingman play at the Naval Academy knows what I mean. Speed is still the great equalizer, but size is where the D1 game is headed. There will always be a place for a smaller, extremely tough kid, like a Nick Tintle, Brian Connors, Gavin Petracca, or Mike Kaworski. They are a rare combination of fierce determination, endless practice and God given talent, but kids like this are few and far between. In terms of defensemen, today they are built like linebackers and they are just as fast as middies.

These trends are a natural progression, as more kids move away from baseball, football, and basketball and look to lacrosse as their entre' to a better school/education. This is also a result of more dedication in the weight room and better nutrition/supplementation. Trends like these do not usually reverse themselves. The lines are drawn.

So back to the question about exposure…you can bemoan the fact that recruiting camps are an absolute necessity, or you can deal with reality. I am happy to report that the overwhelming majority of our players who did the recruiting circuit with us, are being recruited. The level of recruiting they are experiencing is a function of how well they did at the camps and their grades. There are about 8-10 of our players who are looking at great deals at D1 schools that would not have materialized, had they not been part of THE STING recruiting circuit. Then there are another 40-50 kids who are being recruited by D3 schools as a result of their travels with us this summer and last fall.

The recruiting circuit process works, but it takes a lot of time, money and dedication. Again, this is a natural progression in an environment where there are a limited number of slots for an overwhelming number of candidates. Darwinism at its finest. There is still a school for every player…but it will be increasingly harder to find that match without a concerted effort to maximize exposure.

SOME RECRUITING TIPS—

Skill assessment-Be realistic in determining the type of program/level you can play at.

Focus on academics first—choose the best academic institution over the better lacrosse program...How can you lose? Lacrosse will get you into a much better school than would have normally been possible. Sitting on the bench, quite frankly, sucks...it always has and always will. The lure of a name program comes with the warning that no spot on any roster is assured from year to year…every year a new group of superstars comes in who push the envelope. This is not to say that competition is bad, but you need to be realistic about your ability to compete. Otherwise you are setting yourself up for major disappointment over the course of your 4 year career. Every top ten program has 10-15 high school superstars who watch the game from the sidelines. Some kids can accept this because they wanted “in” at a certain program…but increasingly, players are transferring because they misjudged the talent level at the school and realize that their playing time will be diminished at best. As I said, sitting on the bench sucks…be it Carolina, Hopkins, Duke, or Maryland.

Take unofficial visits early—This will allow you to avoid the mania of cramming multiple visits in during inopportune times and will allow you to say no to certain schools early on.

Establish a dialogue—Make a list of your top 10 schools and add 2 “reach” schools to your list. Establish a dialogue with the coaching staff at these schools and ask them about the academic standards of their recruits.

***** As always, we are here to answer your questions.

Play hard….practice harder and weight train even harder and study like your future depends on it…because, in fact, it does.