Originally Posted by Anonymous
Publically announcing an early commit is a new phenomenon but early scouting and early recruiting have been going on in all sports for a very long time. Both pro and college coaches and scouts have been trying to identify young talent for many years. Baseball, Basketball Hockey etc. know who the talented kids are at a very young age.

High School coaches don’t like it because in some ways it makes them less relevant.
Parents of players who are not getting interest from college coaches don’t like it because they know that there are only so many “spots” available at the top Lacrosse Schools.

The reality is that college coaches are out there trying to identify young talent that the coach believes can help their program win. These coaches are not going to 99.9 percent of the High School Lacrosse games that are played each Spring. The coaches are not going to any middle school / JHS games. The College Coaches are going to specific recruiting events that may not be open to all players. The coaches are going to Summer and Fall Tournaments to watch the best club teams in their rising 9th and 10th grade year.

There are some exceptions to the rule. If you are a 9th or 10th grader who starts on a great HS Team that makes it deep into the playoffs in NY, MD, PA you will not be overlooked.

Does anyone know the percentage of 2017 and 2016 early commits who did not play for a Select Club Team? I think the large majority of the early commits developed their skill on a club team and were eventually identified and recruited. All of the kids will play for their HS Team but many will develop and get recruited as a result of their club experience.




In West Islip many or most of the boys play for the town travel team only and get recruited to some top D 1 schools