BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums NORTHEAST LACROSSE BOTC MAIN FORUM (LI, CT, WC) Recruiting stories from the road. Share your experience.

I have always thought that lacrosse referees are the most sensitive guys in sports. Not growing up playing lacrosse, I've always watched how reactive they are when anything they do is questioned. Even the slightest criticism from coach or fan and i've seen many lose their mind. Do not see that in other sports. Seems like football and basketball refs have a higher tolerance. Soccer officials have the most. Which leads me to my real point. It also seems that in lacrosse recruiting there is ALWAYS mentioned about the parents....always. I don't see that in other sports? Why is that. Do you think that when Nick Saban recruits a 5 star running back from Alabama that his parents are a huge part of the package? I doubt. Obviously you want good parents but who cares? How much of a problem can a parent be at the Divison 1 level or any level? Not getting it? Someone jump in here and give your best.

If you have been through the process of college recruiting please share your insight.

Thanks. See if this works.

http://m.bleacherreport.com/article...dium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

Hop, if you ever called homewood home, met your wife at school and had a 14 yo top player. That would be a good fit!

We have been through the process and the travel club scene coupled with very lose if any guidelines on early verbals is out of hand. As stated on another thread parents boast that their kid makes Blue or top team even if they don't play, then they boast on the summer sideline that their 7th or 8th grader got called up to varsity, then all the talk last summer was about the kids that committed before entering 9th grade! The only way a 14 year old is picking a college that FITS at 14 is if their parents said it was a fit for them. My kid wasn't a top 25 d1 lacrosse kid, so we waited and picked a school that was strong academically and that they wanted to be at even if the lax didn't work out. The hardest part was keeping my kid from picking a school just because a coach "had money" because every kid and most travel parents eyes light up

I have seen many examples of early verbals at my son's club, his prep school, his prep league and amongst rival clubs and in the prep or public HS leagues around here. My son also got Twitter friendly with out of area kids from other elite clubs. He is a 2017 and was "not committed" until recently and now is what we maybe could call a "non-public verbal" to a school that is no fan of early announcements of these things. Fine with our family and our club owner has been pleasantly cool about it, but I am always both amazed and dismayed how many times other parental inquiring minds who want to know ask what is wrong with our son because he seems to be a decent player but is not committed. What is wrong? He gets it from his friends and takes it well considering he is 15. But this wears and wears on the kids who are checking the Twitter constantly to measure up who is getting committed versus who isn't. Let's be blunt here: if your 2017 or 2018 son needs to be committed in a month or your family is headed into therapy for clinical depression, here is my recruiting guide:
1. Get your club owner to dial up some 8th tier academic school that has "D1 lacrosse" status bar and beg the coach for a spot. If the kid is an ok player Furman, Bellarmine, Mt. St. Marys, UMBC and the like will take him, especially if you don't get all pedantic about scholarship money. Costs them nothing for something and a lof of college coaches are going in for that now. Rosters closing in on 60...half the kids can't play, no problem. It isn't like the school won't be getting 30 full tuition paying students. Nobody is the victim.
2. Go upmarket and beg beg beg beg a top 20 D1 program via the club and prep school coaches who can shove your kid down a coach's throat as a nothing attached verbal. No money, just a spot please. A shocking number of top 20 program coaches will humor this. See #1. And Ty Xanders is confused why JHU is carrying 6 goalies?!? Seems more and more like he doesn't have a clue about recruiting and it is supposedly his profession.
3. Once your kid is verballed, by all means that opens the sieve for you -- the parent -- to not shop it, but also entertain what other offers may come 1-3 years later. If the kid is a great student and was committed to Furman but Duke calls, well, duhhhh who is throwing a rock at your kid or you for playing the game? I honestly think that 8th or 9th or even 10th grade verbals are considered at least in part "placeholders" to lock in a status, be viewed more favorably by parent or kid peers (and is very very important to both), get your kid ranked by some recruiting guide guy and to honey pot more bees to offer your kid later.
4. The draconian route, ignore it. Implore your kid to enjoy playing club and HS and do your best to teach your son that if he really really wants to play D1 lacrosse he can walk right on at the D1 schools that a cat who isn't dead yet could be admitted to and no coach won't love a capable practice player or will the bursars office at that university. If by now you have not figured out the economics of lacrosse, let me explain it very simply: if you need financial help to put your kid through college you are better off "committing to the financial aid process" than taking a lacrosse partial, and if your kid is a very good student to boot "committing to the academic merit scholarship process" is a walk off home run versus a come with $1,500-$20,000 scholarship being amortized out by a lacrosse coach.
5. No wait, this is the part where anonymous dads post that is just not true, their kid is getting a full ride!!!!!!!!! When one of you guys meets another lacrosse parent of a committed 2017 or 2018 who IS NOT getting a full ride, be sure and let us know. There is not such a thing I know of.

As a practical matter, as parents we'd be better parents if we take the game back from the salesmen in the lacrosse trade. 12-18 year old kids deserve enjoyment and their own fulfillment out of sports and it is silly to take it away from them for a Twitter banner that may read Johnny Lax, XYZ HS 2018, Johns Hopkins 2022. When I was a freshman in high school I don't think I ever thought of what the calendar year of my college graduation would be and would have needed to look it up. I wasn't the brightest kid, but I was normal to not think about that. What 2018 lacrosse kid doesn't know without thinking or counting he is a 2022 college year?

The fact that most parents of committed lax players is that they receive no money! Most early commits get to commit because it costs the coach nothing! The parents are more than willing to pay for everything to tell everyone that there son has committed to a D1 school and that he received a full ride.

It's pretty sad and pathetic but it's the truth.

What happens with the kids who get hurt (torn ACL, etc.) after committing? Is the commitment honored? Even if they're not the same player afterwards?

What happens with the kids who get hurt (torn ACL, etc.) after committing? Is the commitment honored? Even if they're not the same player afterwards?

I believe this to be the reality. I hear too many "full ride" stories to believe, and not just in lacrosse. There's not that much money out there. <cue the "my kid got a full ride posters>

As for the early commits transferring, that will be something to watch and track. I don't think 9th and 10th graders can make a sound choice, but I don't think 11th and 12th graders are reliable either. They're still kids. What do they know about life and careers and what the whole college experience will be like? It's a crap shoot. One of my kids had a lifelong career in mind, choose her college accordingly -- and then choose a new career at the end of sophomore year! Doh! You just don't know, they just don't know, you play it as it comes.

As for transferring, be aware that there are NCAA restrictions. I'm not fully conversant on these but you may have to sit out a year, you may need your coach's consent, you may be penalized by your coach if you discuss it with him/her and don't go through with it (seen that secondhand). Transferring is, of course, a possibility, but it's not as easy as just deciding to do so.

The fact that most parents of committed lax players is that they receive no money! Most early commits get to commit because it costs the coach nothing! The parents are more than willing to pay for everything to tell everyone that there son has committed to a D1 school and that he received a full ride.

It's pretty sad and pathetic but it's the truth.

I have seen many examples of early verbals at my son's club, his prep school, his prep league and amongst rival clubs and in the prep or public HS leagues around here. My son also got Twitter friendly with out of area kids from other elite clubs. He is a 2017 and was "not committed" until recently and now is what we maybe could call a "non-public verbal" to a school that is no fan of early announcements of these things. Fine with our family and our club owner has been pleasantly cool about it, but I am always both amazed and dismayed how many times other parental inquiring minds who want to know ask what is wrong with our son because he seems to be a decent player but is not committed. What is wrong? He gets it from his friends and takes it well considering he is 15. But this wears and wears on the kids who are checking the Twitter constantly to measure up who is getting committed versus who isn't. Let's be blunt here: if your 2017 or 2018 son needs to be committed in a month or your family is headed into therapy for clinical depression, here is my recruiting guide:
1. Get your club owner to dial up some 8th tier academic school that has "D1 lacrosse" status bar and beg the coach for a spot. If the kid is an ok player Furman, Bellarmine, Mt. St. Marys, UMBC and the like will take him, especially if you don't get all pedantic about scholarship money. Costs them nothing for something and a lof of college coaches are going in for that now. Rosters closing in on 60...half the kids can't play, no problem. It isn't like the school won't be getting 30 full tuition paying students. Nobody is the victim.
2. Go upmarket and beg beg beg beg a top 20 D1 program via the club and prep school coaches who can shove your kid down a coach's throat as a nothing attached verbal. No money, just a spot please. A shocking number of top 20 program coaches will humor this. See #1. And Ty Xanders is confused why JHU is carrying 6 goalies?!? Seems more and more like he doesn't have a clue about recruiting and it is supposedly his profession.
3. Once your kid is verballed, by all means that opens the sieve for you -- the parent -- to not shop it, but also entertain what other offers may come 1-3 years later. If the kid is a great student and was committed to Furman but Duke calls, well, duhhhh who is throwing a rock at your kid or you for playing the game? I honestly think that 8th or 9th or even 10th grade verbals are considered at least in part "placeholders" to lock in a status, be viewed more favorably by parent or kid peers (and is very very important to both), get your kid ranked by some recruiting guide guy and to honey pot more bees to offer your kid later.
4. The draconian route, ignore it. Implore your kid to enjoy playing club and HS and do your best to teach your son that if he really really wants to play D1 lacrosse he can walk right on at the D1 schools that a cat who isn't dead yet could be admitted to and no coach won't love a capable practice player or will the bursars office at that university. If by now you have not figured out the economics of lacrosse, let me explain it very simply: if you need financial help to put your kid through college you are better off "committing to the financial aid process" than taking a lacrosse partial, and if your kid is a very good student to boot "committing to the academic merit scholarship process" is a walk off home run versus a come with $1,500-$20,000 scholarship being amortized out by a lacrosse coach.
5. No wait, this is the part where anonymous dads post that is just not true, their kid is getting a full ride!!!!!!!!! When one of you guys meets another lacrosse parent of a committed 2017 or 2018 who IS NOT getting a full ride, be sure and let us know. There is not such a thing I know of.

As a practical matter, as parents we'd be better parents if we take the game back from the salesmen in the lacrosse trade. 12-18 year old kids deserve enjoyment and their own fulfillment out of sports and it is silly to take it away from them for a Twitter banner that may read Johnny Lax, XYZ HS 2018, Johns Hopkins 2022. When I was a freshman in high school I don't think I ever thought of what the calendar year of my college graduation would be and would have needed to look it up. I wasn't the brightest kid, but I was normal to not think about that. What 2018 lacrosse kid doesn't know without thinking or counting he is a 2022 college year?

The fact that most parents of committed lax players is that they receive no money! Most early commits get to commit because it costs the coach nothing! The parents are more than willing to pay for everything to tell everyone that there son has committed to a D1 school and that he received a full ride.

It's pretty sad and pathetic but it's the truth.

You are obviously making this up. the top schools that are engaging in the early commit process are all giving money for lax. That doesn't mean full ride, that means a partial.

Plenty of other d-1 schools do not give lax money (think patriot league) but that is also why they are not committing 9th graders. The early kids are going committing to schools that have offered money...

I have had two go through this process and would love to know what you are seeing that is different? Perhaps you are just spreading rumors and have no first had experience? Or, please share which of the early commit schools are not giving money?

Michigan, JHU, Virginia, UNC, Ohio, Penn State, Loyola...all giving money for lax.

My daughter verbally committed to a d1 school in tenth grade. 70 percent athletic with the opportunity for some academic money on top of that if she keeps her grades up which she is. No bull [lacrosse]. All truth. We are feeling quite excited for her because although it's not an ivy, it has a very good academic reputation as well.
I don't necessarily agree with what has become of the recruiting proceeds but this was what happened to her. Her particular class has six verbal commits. I will let you know if something goes sour but as for now- driving up and down the coast for four years has paid off.

First, most of the people reading this are not going to get any $ for need based financial aid. Great for you if you can, but not in the cards for the majority.

Really? good to be you I guess. While many people do not qualify for federal need based grants many private schools with large endowments offer a lot of need based grant money, do you really think every kid on every Ivy League school is paying $60,000 a year out of pocket? they are not. depending on your net worth and income many many kids will do better getting academic and grant money then they could have ever gotten in Athletic and academic money.

And just FYI - for those of us that do qualify for grant money it is not great for us.

I never said that the schools aren't giving scholarships. What I said is that a large amount of the commits are getting nothing so that there parents can tell everyone that they received a full ride to a D1 school. If a big program takes 15 kids in a year they are not al getting money. Half of them at least are getting nothing.

Really? good to be you I guess. While many people do not qualify for federal need based grants many private schools with large endowments offer a lot of need based grant money, do you really think every kid on every Ivy League school is paying $60,000 a year out of pocket? they are not. depending on your net worth and income many many kids will do better getting academic and grant money then they could have ever gotten in Athletic and academic money.

And just FYI - for those of us that do qualify for grant money it is not great for us.

(1) There are only a handful a top universities with huge endowments that offer financial aid / tuition discount if your family income is below $150 - 200K. If your family earns just above that, particularly in a high-cost of living area, very hard to afford. Great schools and great fit if your kid can get in and you qualify for a discount (especially if you are from a low cost of living area).

(2) How are schools allowed to package "merit" aid with athletic scholarships? I realize that a large number of colleges now charge a very high "retail" tuition that only a tiny percentage of students actually pay, using "merit scholarships" as essentially tuition discounts for kids with better grades and scores. So that kind of packaging is not necessarily unfair (or else the athletic scholarship would essentially be worthless), but I would think it would be hard to police schools from essentially using large merit packages as a way around the restriction on athletic scholarships.

Most from LI wont get a sniff of need aid money.

They will qualify for athletic and academic which can be bundled. Example $44,000 Get .25 for athletics which is $11,000 and then a $15,000 for a 1200 SAT and a 95 GPA Nets at $18,000 which is just slightly cheaper than going to Stony Brook or Suny Bing.

The ones who lose are the pure athletic kids that barely hit the academic admission minimums and then just get the .25 with no athletic money.

What no one ever talks about is that they have spent $30,000 or more on club lacrosse to get a $15,000 athletic scholarship

Most from LI wont get a sniff of need aid money.

They will qualify for athletic and academic which can be bundled. Example $44,000 Get .25 for athletics which is $11,000 and then a $15,000 for a 1200 SAT and a 95 GPA Nets at $18,000 which is just slightly cheaper than going to Stony Brook or Suny Bing.

The ones who lose are the pure athletic kids that barely hit the academic admission minimums and then just get the .25 with no athletic money.
What no one ever talks about is that they have spent $30,000 or more on club lacrosse to get a $15,000 athletic scholarship