BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums NORTHEAST LACROSSE BOTC MAIN FORUM (LI, CT, WC) Girls 2024-10th Grade Fall 2021/Summer 2022

Agree with this. This is a 2024 thread as our daughters begin the recruiting process and not bashing other clubs would be a great start. There are parents on here that are not from LI if you can believe that and we do not care about the politics in your area. If you had an older daughter and have something of value to add that is great, but let's keep it to current opportunities for 2024's. Many parents are just trying to navigate the process and bounce ideas off other parents and egt feedback on camps and clinics.

Oh yeah what if I’m a 2033 parent just gearing up for this as my kid scored 71 goals in PAL last spring and had 8 shutouts with 114 draw controls!

Take it or leave it…. From someone who has been through it multiple times.

1 - Do not rely on Club (use the club as a resource but do not rely on them) reach out to anyone you know who might have a relationship with a coach at a school that your daughter is interested in (club director, club coach, Hs coach, current/former player at the school etc…)

2 - Identify and list a number of schools that your daughter would like to attend (and play lacrosse).
I would recommend going on the NCAA Lacrosse website, go to rankings, select RPI (you will see all of the schools that have Varsity Lacrosse. You can do it for DI, II and III. I would start with a large number.

2 - Develop a plan and help your daughter “market” herself to the schools. Email each coach (head coach as well as assistant coaches at each school) introducing herself and expressing her interest in the school and the program. Be persistent without being obnoxious / annoying. Update the coaches from time to time making them aware of what events she will be at, new film available, etc…

3 - make sure that your daughter understands that coaches look at things other than scoring a goal.
- always hustle off the field, never react negatively to a teammate I.e. if she gives a perfect pass to her teammate and she drops it do not react in a negative way. If she is a middlie be sure to hustle back ( sprint) to get on defense (it’s okay to trail the play when going on offense, it’s not okay to jog back to play defense). If she plays attack redefend with as much if not more effort than when going to the goal. If she is a defender slide with conviction, talk/communicate and never show dejection if she gets beat 1v1 . Teach her that it is the next play that matters just like a goalie. Every goalie let’s in shots and every defensive player gets beat.

Stay positive when her team is losing, fight harder when things are not going well, encourage her teammates when they make a bad play, pat them on the back, pick them up. Fight like heck for ground balls.

Make the right play I.e. if the right thing to do is move the ball then move the ball… if the right thing to do is clear space then clear space, if the right thing to do is go to goal then go to goal.

Unless your daughter is one of the best 50 - 100 players in the country the little things are what will make the difference. (Actually, in many cases it is all of those little things that make the difference for many of those top 50 caliber girls).

In recent years I can think of two # 1 ranked recruits that were not big goal scorers , they were all around solid midfielders who did a lot of their work between the 30’s, played good defense and were very smart players who hustled all over the field. Many parents (scratched their heads) But every coach in the country wanted them.

4 - have some reach schools but remember the recruiting process will generally tell your daughter where she stands. Help her to stay positive as other players commit or her dream school does not express interest. Be willing to engage with any school / coach that expresses interest. If a school/coach expresses interest and your daughter is not interested look to schools with the same caliber of lacrosse program that she might be interested in and reach out. Do not turn your nose up, do not burn bridges, coaches, especially assistant coaches move around. Engage with any and all coaches who express interest.

5 - do not base everything around lacrosse!!!!
For example , if your daughter wants UNC, UVA, MD, PSU, Florida, Michigan but she is not at that level look at similar schools that have strong Club Programs . It’s about education, experience and
best fit.

6 - the process is very fluid, every time a player commits there are a bunch of coaches out there adjusting their lists and priorities. As players are taken off the board other players move up on coaches lists.

7 - remember the process is different for everyone, help her to stay positive and to keep an open mind.
This crazy process is a life lesson, learn and grow throughout journey and try to enjoy the ride.

Yes, I know it was long but hopefully it is helpful to some.

Best of luck

So it’s 30% accurate. This is as expected since all kids change and develop at a different pace. It just reflects that some kids peak earlier than others. Bottom line is who cares about these lists.

That’s pretty creative math … as for who cares about the lists just wait until one comes out for the 24’s and you will see all of the negative comments.

I know that I'm late the party. We just moved to LI so just started on Back of the Cage. We were told that coach Tilts was the best coach on LI and we should think about going to any team she coaches, but her players don't get any looks by colleges. Is that because she coaches weak team? Is there any truth to that? My daughter has played since she was 5 and has been top of team, league in points since age 8. We were told that because her teams always play the lowest bracketl at tournaments without much success? ? And does she coach
Lightning or Power or Jesters? And direction and guidance would be greatly appreciated!!
Good lluck to all the girls this sseason!

We can attest to the fact they were college coaches looking at the '24s at Presidents Cup & yes they contact your daughters coach or director. Two of schools also invited her to their Prospect Days in the winter.IMHOP playing for a strong, well regarded team & playing in top tournament is HUGE leg up on the recruiting process

Until this year she was at a lower club called 91. They are a very strong boys program but not so much on the girls side From the looks of her past team it seems like most of them went to play at d1-D3 schools. Considering this club doesn’t usually have any top players that is pretty good odds.

The “best” coach is relative and up to opinion. Anyone who invests interest and matches your daughters needs could be the best, but she does have a very positive response from kids who train with her. She is with a stronger club now that has a history of top recruits and coaches their 24 A and B teams. The A team plays in the higher brackets while the B team plays in the lowest brackets.

You’ll find with most coaches or directors that people love or detest them, there is no in between. On this thread you’ll see tilts Expect praise posts and some posts absolutely hating on the girl. I haven’t met her personally but from people I know only hear good things. Then again, you’ll see the same thing about Kotowski, Rose, Spallina, Smiths, etc. Its the name of the game. If people aren’t talking about you, you’re probably irrelevant in the scene. For people to be opinionated in some way you are doing something right in my opinion.

If you are an actual parent whose daughter has played lacrosse competitively , you know the names of the top Long Island teams. Top guns, YJ, Legacy, and jesters are the top of list and you likely know those names if you are involved.

My advice to you would be to talk to tilts or other clubs directly. Most can be reached on social media or by going to the clubs website and looking for emails. If you can get different coaches on the phone, go to a training, or meet them you can get a feel for what they have to offer instead of the rumors people say.

Go to US club lax website and click the team names. You can see how each team has done this fall and the level of competition they played. Don’t base opinions on he said she said, do the research for yourself.

A lot of coaches watched 2024s this fall. We had them lined up on sidelines at presidents cup. Not to restir this pot but any good teams know that coaches most certainly were recruiting this fall.

Not from LI so can’t speak to any teams or coaches but there is a huge misconception that who your coach is will get you looks. Your talent and ambition get you looks. Some connections may help and a solid team behind you, but no amount of connections, team rank, etc can help you if your talent is lacking.

The more well known 24 coaches are Tilts, Ramos, Weiner, Smith. Those cover the Jesters A and B team, YJ A and B team , and TG Black. Everyone has either something good or bad to say about all four of them. Seek them out and talk to them and form your own opinions. All you’ll get on here is either extreme of emotion towards them.

Agreed. No one on her is unbiased. I’d suggest forming opinions for yourself if your new here.

You left off Legacy. They are def. Up on the top as well. I would say YJ, Legacy, Top Guns, Liberty and Jesters, Are the teams you should be looking at. Tilts coaches at Jesters. I wouldn’t say they are top three ranked. However, may have the most committed coach.

Would agree here. She was at a weak program until this year. Better programs pull better players so it is easier as a coach when you have the top talent to start off with. Considering the type of players her old club attracted she did well with them. Kids on her teams and kids she trains seem to adore her. She is by far one of the most involved and committed coaches you will find which is part of the reason you'll hear her praises sang by any who work with her. Her team is probably top five of the 24 teams on the Island behind Weiner and Legacy for sure, but equivalent to Ramos.

All of the clubs mentioned by the last post are spot on with where you would want to put your kid minus liberty in my personal opinion, but again it is just that: an opinion. You'll get a lot of opinions on here, but remember they ARE NOT facts. Your best bet is to do research by going to teams or coaches pages. Here are some on social media to look at:
@LI_Yellowjackets
@liyj2024wiener
@Jesterslaxgirls
@Jesters2024Black
@coachtilts
@legacylacrossegirls
@LItopgunslacrosse
@libertylax

Hope this helps.

Thanks for posting this. I agree and this is great advice for anyone looking to help their child play college.

We love the posts that talk about playing the game correctly, enjoying the experience and that education comes first. Pick the school first based on major, level of education and atmosphere first. You aren’t going to be playing lacrosse for the rest of your life so choose your school and major wisely.
D1, 2, 3 or club it’s all about having fun and getting an education.
Plenty of places to play and everyone’s experience is different. Take your time and enjoy the experience. Spring and Summer will be a hot time for the 24 group but will also carry on through next fall for most. Middle to lower end D1 will carry on into late fall and still be commiting payers throughout the winter. NESCAC and top D3 settle very late. If you look most 24s are not welcome to the camps being run right now because they are still settling with some 22 and heavy on 23. Sept 1 is not the finish line for most of these girls. It will only be the beginning for most.

Title 9 has brought so much opportunity for women.
124 D1
107 D2
293 D3
42 NAIA
Many more club teams at great schools.
Some schools have an NCAA and club option.
Schools are adding women’s lacrosse constantly and who knows how many will be added this year. Seems to be a spot for everyone. So much fun!
24s enjoy the ride.

Check out Newsday's College Commitment page ..... you can compare what type of college opportunities lacrosse provides compared to other sports like soccer, basketball, track and field / CC, softball, field hockey etc... Not only are there way more girls going to play lacrosse in college (from Long Island) there is no comparison in the caliber of schools.

Not true for us. My 3 girls have been to tryouts and have been selected multiple times for US Lax School Girls & UA, AS & AU. Double digit tryout events for 3 kids and have spoken to others from 2 other regions. Well over 20 + tryouts & not one had a current college coach evaluating. Most were HS & Club evaluators and in some circumstances vetted parents that signed up to evaluate.

Huh??? You are so far off base from OG post that I can't even respond to this dribble.

I think you responded to the wrong post.

What are you responding to?

So true. Over 500 and some really good schools in all divisions. Sport is growing in leaps and bounds ,,especially for the women.
You have to have the grades or they won’t want to talk to you.

Over 500? What are you talking about?

For those on Long Island the hotbed is fading. There is a school for just about every decent travel lacrosse player ( So many solid D3’s ) but don’t sit back.
The rest of America is coming on board and there are lots of top notch lacrosse players from many new states hitting the college ranks. If 2022 and now 2023 recruitment is a guide lots of traditional D1’s that were in the past going to LI ( yes Maryland Conn / Mass NJ VA PA DE ) are now being won by newer states kids.
Colorado Texas California Florida Carolina’s are coming up fast and now Oregon Minnesota Ohio plus rest of New England states plus Canada are clocking in great players. Long Island still the top or in multi area tie but even as new schools are added new areas are producing great lacrosse players. Gotta work, best of luck

I think you are trying to say that the sport is growing in leaps and bounds. Plenty of opportunities for so many and I don’t see it slowing down anytime soon.
Long Island is well represented on so many D1, D2 and D3 rosters. It will always be a hotbed but with the growth comes good athletes being exposed in different areas.
Of course Maryland is a huge hot bed and parts of NJ, NE and a few others. Plenty of good players from all over on all of these rosters. Sorry if I left any areas out.
No shame in going D2 or D3 or club.

Add D1 D2 D3 and NAIA schools and you get well over 500 options. 124 plus 106 plus 293 plus 42 And that’s not including club

There are so many great options from Maine to Florida on the eastern seaboard.
Take a look at how many colleges are represented in states like Pennsylvania, NC and Virginia.
Florida and South Carolina is also well represented
Upper Midwest states has a growing list of options. Especially Ohio and Michigan.
Would like to see some more options out west but it’s more than it’s ever been. Was sad to see Fresno state drop its program. California and Colorado are doing ok but could use some more friends. Come on Arizona and Oregon colleges let’s join the party.
Waiting for colleges in states like Texas and Oklahoma to jump on board.
Would like to see more options develop in Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky, Alabama, and Illinois

The addition of Clemson in my opinion will open the flood gates for Alabama, Auburn, Texas etc etc.
In coming years they’ll be a bunch big schools coming.

My belief is that conferences already with the sport will have the next schools to add. I would think Texas would be a great add with a lax only venue and a strong club team but they along with Oklahoma are moving to SEC. No women’s lacrosse teams in that conference and the only NCAA team in Texas is U of Dallas(D3). Too much travel expenses for those teams to add unless the whole conference decided to add it. Hopefully with more growth in the those states over the next few years it will happen.

Watch out for ACC schools- NCState, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Miami and Wake Forest

AAC(American)-Florida Atlantic, UNC Charlotte stated 2 years ago they were adding WLax but seems to have stalled,

PAC 12 and the west coast- hopefully as the MPSF conference only has 2 teams- UC Davis and San Diego state.

CAA-College of Charleston, Northeastern, UNC Wilmington

ASUN-Bellamine, Central Arkansas, Florida Gulf Coast, UNorth Florida, Eastern Kentucky, Cleveland State

How about a school like West Virginia? Close to many lax schools but they are currently in Big 12. There is a tremendous amount of realignment as football schools look to grab TV $$. So who knows what the future will bring.

I love your enthusiasm but the reality is there isn’t enough talent to go around.

Everything above sounds great but SEC schools Florida and Vanderbilt have women’s lacrosse. Both are associate with other conferences for that sport. It’s still a tremendous undertaking for Texas or Oklahoma
to take on a non revenue sport that would require so much traveling.
Many of these schools have club teams so we will see.

Any feedback from XPO yet?

Rumor is the next two D1 women teams will be NJIT and Miami (OH). Potential start of 2024 for both

Thanks for sharing. Where did you hear this?

NJIT makes a lot of sense as American East sponsors the sport. That would leave Maine as the only school in American East without women’s lacrosse as a varsity sport. Hartford is dropping down to D3. Plus they already have a men’s team.

Miami Ohio is another great choice as a member of the MAC. That’s a growing conference for women’s lacrosse with several schools having new programs, YSU, Akron, CMichigan, Detroit Mercy, EMichigan and Robert Morris just moved from NEC.

UA150 deadline is today. Any comments on it of any kind would be appreciated. (application process, evaluation, experience, value)

We have a club parent on the NJIT Board. Apparently Miami is no really a secret, it has been in their athletic strategic plan for a while and was delayed due to Covid.

Lots of good players and lots of games. Best in class is new and similar concept. Some 24 from Long Island doing that one.

It’s very political- coaches favorites will go. Don’t bother applying if your coach isn’t obsessed with you

Best in Class is run by Deemer Class. He's awesome and truly cares about the kids reaching their goals of playing in college.
UA 150 was a well run event. Both are good options IMO.