Recruiting 101 Chris Delfausse Why You Should be

Recruiting 101 Chris Delfausse

Why You Should be Informed 1. The Recruiting Calendar has Moved up Dramatically in the last 10 years 2. There is a lot of misinformation out there 3. There is more money to be lost recruiting than gained 4. Choosing a College is Hard work and factoring Athletics makes it even Harder 5. Knowledge is Power, and Planning is a Necessity

A Look at The Numbers ➢ Number of programs 2011 -2012 ○ ○ ○ DI- 67 DII- 56 DIII- 215 MCLA- 208 ➢ Roster Size Approximation DI- 50 DII- 40 ○ DIII- 40

Numbers Con’t ➢ Approximate # of players ○ DI- 3, 350 ○ DII- 2, 240 ○ DIII- 8, 600 ➢ # of High School Participants (2013) ○ 169, 095 ○ The gives you 14, 190 spots for 169, 095 players ○ or 8% of the high school players out there can have a Varsity NCAA roster spot. ➢ Percentages 6. 7% of ALL High Schoolers will play NCAA Athletics 3. 7% to Play DI

Numbers Con’t ➢ Scholarships ○ ○ ○ Maximum allowed Scholarships ■ DI- 12. 6 (. 252 Scholarship per DI )layer) ■ DII- 10. 8 (. 27 Scholarships per DII Player) ■ DIII- None These scholarships are per program Scholarships are a One Year Contract No Scholarships in Ivy League No a Coach can not get you More Academic Money Many Programs are not Fully Funded

Top Misconceptions/Myths It’s too late to be recruited So and so received a full ride to ____ College Coach can get you admitted or get you more Financial Aid Everyone is committing their Freshmen Year ○ Earlier is always better ➢ If I don’t play for a certain club team I won’t get recruited ➢ There is an unlimited amount of Scholarships ➢ YOU decide whether you are a DI, DII, or DIII player. . . YOU decide if you are a good student. ➢ ➢

Truths About the Process Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder (College Coach) Recruiting Rankings don’t mean much Video Helps but not always Conclusive, Get in front of coaches Admissions Leverage, Recruiting Timelines, Style/Messaging/$$ etc. all vary By School ➢ You are You and Not Someone else ○ So make the best decision for YOU and move at your speed ➢ Landscape changes and shifts Daily ○ What was an option today may not be tomorrow, ○ What was not an option today might be tomorrow ➢ ➢

What is Out There ● NCAA o o o ● ● DI DII NJCAA (Junior College) MCLA (College Club) NAIA (Governing body similar to NCAA but lacrosse plays in MCLA) PG Year (Post graduate Year)

General Things To Think About ● How important is lacrosse to my college experience ● Does this school fit “My Academic Profile” ● Am I a small/large school person and am I willing to sacrifice that for Lacrosse ● How far do I want to go from home ● What type of social scene am I looking for ● What level of lacrosse would be satisfying to me ● Am I being honest with myself ● What can our families budget afford (Both for lacrosse and school)

What You Should Be Doing ● Sit down with Parents and make a Plan ● Basic College Research o Academic fit/Social Fit/Athletic Fit/Location/etc ● Making a list of YOUR Priorities ● Get Noticed by College Coaches (described in later slides) o Travel Teams o Individual Showcases o College Prospect Camps ● Reach Out to Coaches at Colleges You’re Interested in ● Work Every Connection you Have to get your foot in the door ● Re-evaluate every couple months to make sure your plan is in tune with your goals.

Travel Teams ● If financially viable becoming part of a select travel teams is a great option ● It will give you exposure, solid coaching, and a great experience that will also make you a better player. ● Playing with a well respected group will give you instant credibility and looks ● Not all Travel Programs are created equal and many don’t give you the exposure they claim. Coaching is certainly better at some than others ● The financial price tag is steep so you need to make sure it is workable for your family and still a great experience even if you don’t get the college looks you’re hoping for. ● Understand that many of these are profit earning entities first, and therefore they don’t always have the individuals best interests at heart. ● Find a well run, well coached program first and you should be happy with your experience no matter what.

Individual Showcases ● These tend to be cheaper than doing travel teams, so you can get more for your dollar, unless you do more than 2 of these in a summer. ● These are fun since players get to play with a different group of kids from around the country ● These tend to be targeted to specific players, Academics, Recruiting Regions, or top 100 players. So you can pinpoint the best event for you. ● Like Travel Teams they are not created equal, and you need to do your due diligence ● There are some showcases that are essential if you want to be recruited by top 20 DI programs. ● For more Information on Individual Showcases see our dedicated page on our Westlake website.

College Camps ● Many DI Schools, and some DIII, now run their own “Prospect Camps” and bill it as a way to get recruited ● These are great ways to target yourself to a specific school you are interested in ● Be aware that while billed as a recruiting opportunity these are also huge money makers for the coaching staffs. So, not every player there is viable recruit. That does not mean it is not a good opportunity. ● Most Coaches use these camps to get to know recruits and spend more time with them, so if you are really interested in playing for one of these programs then it is in your best interest to go. ● Again be an informed consumer and know what these camps are. This is a great opportunity to catch the eye of the coaching staff, but it may also turn into nothing. If you are truly interested in the school it is a great chance to get to know the school and see if it is an option even without lacrosse.

What Are Coaches Looking For? -Ever Coach is Looking for Something Different, each School is Unique ● ● Attitude Academics Style of Player Size/Speed/Athleticism ● Lacrosse IQ ● General Lacrosse Skill ● Parent/Player Relationship ● School Fit In General they are looking at entire Prospective Student Athlete (PSA), not just lacrosse ability

Mistakes that Can be Made ● Lack of Conversation between Player and Parents ● Gap between Player/Parent Goals ● Not Being Timely/Honest in Communication ● Too Much/Not Enough Parent Involvement ● Narrow List to Quickly ● Not Enough Research ● Not Knowing what You can Afford for College ● Not Knowing what to Expect from Financial Aid ● Visiting Schools when not in session ● MAKING DECISION ON LACROSSE ONLY!

Final Reminders 1. What is most important to You? a. What do You Want, out of College and this process? 2. Be cautious of anyone trying to push you in any one direction (Coaches, Club Coaches, Relatives). Their interests are not always inline with yours. 3. It’s Never too Late! Don’t worry if you start the process later than others, a great school is out there for you. 4. There are Great Opportunities at Every Level 5. Be Patient, it’s a long and arduous process but it can and will end well.