Sounds like a lot of 7th and 8th grade parents are drinking the Ryan McClernan brewed and spiked Kool Aid. If you think some college coach watching a 20 minute running half of middle school club lacrosse at an NLF or Crabs or an NXT event is a game changer, you are mistaken. Approximately 100% of colleges attending these kiddiepalooza lacrosse tournaments are there for two reasons: 1. to sign in to say "Joe was here!", and 2. do #1 in order to get from Ryan McClernan and other tournament directors your email addresses from the tournament registry. This creates a cross reliance between NCAA coaches ad club coaches with your credit cards in the middle, and that is exactly where Ryan McClernan wants you for 2,3 or 4 years of pony rides and lacrosse merry go rounds.
With your email addresses, those nice "we noticed you at Crab Fiesta" emails come inviting you to expensive college camps and prospect days. The term in the trade is to help you gather "the illusion of being recruited" so you will stay on the juice for a few years going to all these events. Somehow in all this mess Ryan, Cabell, Trig, Langley, etc etc decided already which players he will steer to colleges first and attend to that. Here's some free financial advice to you folks if you haven't purchased or bargained the club people's focus and advocacy before these stupid tournaments get going then be reflective about the fact you are only a paid participant and hopefully your son is enjoying it along the way. The sooner you understand that being a good lacrosse player on a top team has little to nothing to do with being a recruit, the more informed and better off you will be.
Interesting you single out McClernan as if his is the only club that is "spiking the Kool Aid" as you put it.
I'm not sure what rodeos you attended, but college coaches can't contact players directly as you suggest. No, your son isn't going to get a direct email from coaches. Also, do you think it makes ANY SENSE for college coaches/assistants to attend tournaments to simply gather email addresses? All the time, expense, etc. they could use for other things? Use common sense, please. Nobody is going to showcases and tournaments to simply collect emails.
I will agree that the club coach is the conduit between your son and college. Does it have to be that way? NO. Your son or yourself could certainly reach out to xyz college coach with your resume and highlight tape, and hope for the best. OR, the club coach can be your advocate. There is an underlyign presumption that club coaches have some lax acumen, and are able to judge talent at some level. So yes, lax pedigree and the club you play for does make a difference. Of course there will be outliers, but in GENERAL you join the clubs that will give exposure. Better competition, better level of play ... the old adage iron sharpens iron. If your son's goal is to play Div 1 ball, they need to be seen competing against kids in the same skill level. I've never met a college coach that didn't ask 1) where do you play club and 2) high school? They're not asking to make small talk; they're asking to get a general sense if your 65 points is impressive or simply a function of the level of competition your son was playing.
Take Crabs out of the equation. Your son wants to be recruited to play, it is the player's responsibility to get the ball rolling. In GENERAL:
1) Resume 2) Highlight tape 3) List of schools, proactively contact coaches with 1 and 2 indicating interest 4) Email coaches the tournaments/showcases you plan on playing. The more specific the better (i.e. field 5 vs. Team 91 vs. playing in xyz Fall tourney) 5) Coordinate with club coach on feedback, etc. and hope that you impressed. Cause yes, the coaches are watching - but they're watching the kids that did all the steps above first.
I don't agree with the early recruiting phenomenon, but that is the nature of the beast at the moment. It will be seen if the trend continues over the next few years as the early commits enter college.
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