Researching Schools

College campuses are closed. Tours and official visits have been put on hold. So what now? While you may not be able to physically step foot on campus or communicate with a coach face-to-face, now is the perfect time to build or narrow your college list. It varies depending on your graduation year, but use this time to do as much research as possible on prospective schools and lacrosse programs. 

READ MORE: Recruiting 101 - Highlight Reels 

FRESHMEN & SOPHOMORES

Just because you are not allowed to be communicating with college coaches yet does not mean your recruiting process has not begun. By the time June 15th (DII) or September 1st (DI) of your junior year rolls around you want to have a good idea of where you want to play college lacrosse and what schools fit you best. Use this time (if you haven’t already) to start or continue to build your list.

1) Find schools that are a good academic fit 

• You are going to get an education after all

• Academic standards of an institution will affect a coaches ability to recruit you  

2) Do your research on the schools

• Consider location, size, majors, and social life

• Take a virtual tour of the campus

3) Do your research on the lacrosse program

• Fill out a recruiting questionnaire

  • This is how you are added to their mailing lists for upcoming clinics and recruiting events

  • Check out the team website

  • Get creative

    • Check out a team's social media, YouYube, or anything else. While no decisions are made scrolling through a team's Instagram, you may be able to learn a thing or two about what a day in the life is like for a student-athlete at that school. 

    • Some programs even have social media pages dedicated to recruiting

4) Begin to email coaches and express interest

• Just because they can’t respond yet, doesn’t mean they are not storing your information or keeping you on a list

• Email head and assistants coaches 

  • Assistants are usually the ones who see you first 

5) Sign up for individual showcases

• Get yourself out there and take back some lost recruiting time

• Begin making a name for yourself and gauge your play against other competition

• Use these opportunities to interact with multiple coaches at one event. At NXT Showcases, you are able to interact with college coaches, so this is a great place for you to get face time and build relationships even if you are a freshman or sophomore. 

LEARN MORE: BOYS INDIVIDUAL SHOWCASES

JUNIORS

Use this time to begin to narrow your list. After September 1st (June 22 for DII) of your junior year, coaches can begin to contact you. Have a solid list of schools and programs you are interested in by then. After that date, start narrowing down your list. Even during this time, continue constant contact with coaches of schools you are interested in. 

1) Continue to contact schools you are interested in

2) Send coaches your updated information and highlight reels 

3) Let them know where you will be playing this summer

• The summer lacrosse schedule is becoming clearer by the day

4) Sign up for individual showcases this summer and fall

• You just missed most, if not all, of a very important junior high school season

• Make up for it this summer and maximize your exposure

• Individual showcases provide you the best opportunity to get in front of the multiple coaches at once

• NXT Showcases also provide you an opportunity to be coached and interact with college coaches

LEARN MORE: GIRLS INDIVIDUAL SHOWCASES

5) Even if you are verbally committed, you need to perform well this summer and fall since upperclassmen now have more eligibility then they did when you committed

SENIORS

May 1st has passed. It is time to focus on getting better and improving your game.

These unprecedented times also provide an unprecedented opportunity to prepare yourself for when you are back out on the field and in front of college coaches. Recruiting has not stopped. What are you doing to gain an edge? Are you improving your game, getting your name on coaches' radars, building your highlight tape, or researching schools? Whatever it is, make sure you are taking advantage of your time.