Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 – Bethany Beach, Delaware – As the class of 2010 continues to move through their recruiting process, I wanted to take some time to help everyone get a better idea of where they fit in the scheme of college lacrosse. I get asked many times the uncomfortable question “Coach Paul, where do you think I can PLAY college lacrosse?” It’s uncomfortable because it’s not an easy question to answer AND because sometimes the answer is a bit of a ‘dream buster’, however honest or realistic it is. And no one likes pigeon holing someone LESS than I do. I made it to the National Football League without a scholarship and played Division I and Division III football, and I came out of the Diamond State which at the time had only a few major college and NFL players to its lineage (sound familiar, Florida lacrosse?). So when a lot of D1 programs would drive thru Wilmington, Delaware on their way from Baltimore to Philly, many of us were told “You can’t play there!”

Not so fast, old men on the message boards!

There is a system to the madness of recruiting and we run a very good recruiting program for free (it comes with the membership) and this keeps me full-time busy assisting the rising senior class. I guess you could call me the world’s poorest sports agent!

First, let’s answer the question “where do you think I can PLAY college lacrosse?” Let’s break down this question into two parts: THEM  (the colleges) and YOU (the student-athlete). First let’s start with THEM!

THEM: Profile – NCAA programs from new start-up D3 schools to Northwestern (5x NCAA D1 champ). NAIA/Scholarship club programs like SCAD (Savannah College) would be considered like a D2 or D3 program. Let’s take a look at THEIR LEVELS first – because it’s not anything like the mature sports of football, soccer, and basketball. Lax recruiting may as well be the moon relative to those other sports!

LEVEL 1 (The best of the best) – Consists of the top D1 programs (40 of them) who are recruiting the top 200-300 players in each graduation year class. Florida and Jacksonville would be in that mix at this point because most high school prospects want to look at Florida’s programs because they are in, well, Florida. This means both of those programs are going to be very tough to be recruited by. This level also consists of the top-8 D3 programs and the top-4 D2 programs. If you take those 52 programs, you are looking at the most difficult to ‘play’ at in terms of playing time and selectivity.

More than 35 colleges of all levels, including Level 1, saw the LaxManiax show very well against Westchester (NY) Elite. Coaches and club parents handed out pink Maniax rosters to all the watching coaches.

Level 2 (really good lacrosse) – Consists of D1 programs from #41-#75, #5-#30 D2 programs and the #8-#40 D3 programs. These roughly 75 programs are very selective and many offer scholarships (most of the D1 and D2’s do, though some do not). Keep in mind, many of the D3 programs will easily beat the D2 and D1 opponents if they played them on the field. This does not happen often as there are tons of D3 schools for them to play, but well established D3 programs at this level, like McDaniel, will “put it to” schools that are listed as “higher level”. It is still VERY difficult to be recruited by this level of program.

Level 3 (solid college lacrosse) – Consists of the #76-100 D1 programs (more adding each week), the #31-40 D2 programs and the #41-110 D3 programs. These are programs where the competition is very good and most schools play in competitive conferences within their own right. It is important that the student-athlete look at these schools to find the exact ‘feel’ they are looking for. These programs will struggle to move up the charts ahead of the schools in category 1 and 2, but often the quality of life for the student-athlete is very high at these places. FIT is the key.

Level 4 (college lacrosse) – Consists of some schools of each level. You can check the results on the web to see where they would fit in terms of competitive level. Many of these programs are located in the south and are focusing on southern recruiting. There will be tremendous growth over the next few years in these programs. Take Rollins for example. Their first season out they won a few games and cancelled their season early. They then recruit well and played this year a much improved game and rapidly advanced from Level 4 to more of a Level 2 program. And they did it all without scholarships which tells you how many northern kids just want to play college lacrosse in Florida and what a great recruiter Coach Short is! So you can see from the Rollins example, schools in the south that are new can go from level 4 to level 2 or 3 in a year or two.

Level 5 (“This Just In!”) – Schools that announce programs over the next few months that they are starting a program. For 2010’s who really want to get playing time, these schools are a great place. High Point, Georgia State (if they ever name a coach), LaGrange, Agnes Scott, are just a few programs in our region who are looking for players and have not recruited a class yet. They will be relying heavily on their class of 2010 recruits to get them off the ground and competitive over the next few years. So if your dream is to play Division I lacrosse and you have not gotten any D1 interest, the schools to contact are Georgia State and High Point. They will be looking to fill a class and are behind the 8-ball in the recruiting process.

OK – now lets look at some statistics and start figuring out where you fit in to the process. This year there were 1,200 girls from the class of 2010 competing at the IWLCA events in the grad year exclusive brackets and about 400 competing in the Open Division brackets. That means there are about 1,600 girls who were showcasing at the tournaments from the class of 2010. Of that grouping, about 80% would like to play in college. 20% are going to college for other sports or no sports at all. That gives you a list of about 1,280 girls who are looking to be recruited at the IWLCA events in June. We had 40 girls competing as a club and a few other clubs had some Florida contingent to them, so Florida girls made up about 3.5% of all recruits (a pretty decent number considering 75% come from MD, PA, NJ, NY, MA, CT). Let’s breakdown now what the NEEDS of the different levels are so you can determine where you stand numbers wise and how difficult it is to compete for various levels:

Level One: 52 Programs recruiting an average of eight players each: 416 players will commit or sign to play with these programs from the class of 2010. That is about the top 33% of all 2010’s at the IWLCA. Remember, this includes the Skywalkers, Heros, Yellow Jackets, Capital, and MD United kids as well! If you look at it from a pure percentage standpoint, Florida will have about 14 or 15 players looking to go to schools at this level. If you factor in that Florida is not as good of a lax state as Maryland and New York, this number may be closer to 12. So, if you look at your game as one of the top-12 in the State of Florida, you probably will fit this level for the 2010 recruiting year. My prediction is that in 2011 there are closer to 20 for this level as each year the state matures as a lax state and our club’s alumni reputation continues to thrive.

Level Two: 75 programs recruiting an average of eight players each. 600 players will commit or sign to play with these programs from the class of 2010. That is the middle 50% of all 2010’s at the IWLCA. From our club’s two teams and from other Florida prospects, the majority will find programs in this strata to continue their education. If you look at yourself as a good player in the LaxManiax club program and you have game and instincts and speed, you should find a home in this area. But this area is for girls who have lax on their mind just as much as the Level One players. Not much separates the recruits of the two levels. Sometimes it is just a missing element in your game that can be worked out in college. Maybe you have not been dedicated enough to lacrosse because of other extra-curriculars that spread your life far too thin to excel in anything to the top level. Many in our club suffer from “spread me too thin so I can be more ‘well rounded’” syndrome. The over-scheduled kids are the ones who never truly achieve greatness in any one thing because as 16-year olds they are still trying to figure it out in stead of pursuing their passion with, well, passion! But that is another BLOG on another day. Of the roughly 50 kids from Florida at the IW’s from the class of 2010, expect roughly 15-20 commitments and signees from Florida this year. This could fluctuate based on the geography of these schools. Many of the schools are not within a 5-hour drive of kids from Florida, so as proximity would have it, the kids decide on other schools in level 3, 4 or 5.

Level Three: 90 programs recruiting an average of eight players each. 720 players will commit or sign to play with these programs from the class of 2010. If you are doing the math right now, do not scratch your head. You are correct, the 600 level 2 players, 420 level 1 players, and 700 level 3 players add up to 1,700+ total players and the IW’s had a little over 1,200 players who will play in college. There are more spots open for college student-athletes than there are actual players on the club level at this time. It is a BUYERS market. There are some kids who are attending other tournaments and others who are just high school kids. These players will inevitibly find a home somewhere, just maybe not at a Level 1 or 2 program and most likely not a Level 3 program. But all of our club members can play at Level 3 somewhere. They need to be committed to the distance factor as mentioned above. Proximity is a key factor in the decision making process – every bit as much as academic major. Level 3 has been a successful home for the majority of our alumni from 2007 and 2008. As of 2009 a shift to level 2 started to occur and now our 2010 class is shifting to the top end of level 2 for many prospects. This is GREAT for Florida lacrosse.

With more slots available than club players to fill them, LaxManiax players of all ages need to 'stick' with their program to realize the greatest rewards in the process. Over the next seveal years, Florida lacrosse will become a hot bed. As an old cliche' goes "It's not a matter of 'if' it's a matter of 'when'".

Level 4 and Level 5: These programs are looking for more players. Most are looking for 8-12 players on average. For this we will estimate 10 players to keep the math simple. 110+ programs searching for 1,100 prospects to fill their rosters. 2,800 total members of the class of 2010 are “wanted” and only 1,400 of them were competing at the IW’s this year. You can see why ‘limiting’ tournaments at any level is like the college coaches chopping off body parts – they need more players than are available. This was one of the prime rationales for LaxManiax starting out and then expanding to grow more players and more ability levels. Helping as many Florida kids as possible find a college home AND develop into all-stars is what makes the program unique.

Now that we know there is a home for everyone in our club, lets now talk about the variables that create more opportunities and the factors that go into making a decision:

Variables include – Club prestige and reputation. The LaxManiax has been around and attended 6 IWLCA tournaments and over time has placed more than 60 players in colleges nationwide. This year and last year’s senior ‘A’ teams competed against the top programs in the country and found success and a roughly .500 record against hot bed teams. In other words, we are just like them. Therefore, colleges know we have players and they come to see us play. Add in the connections that 100+ years of playing and coaching experience on the NCAA level add up to and you are a part of one of the hottest things going in lax. The reason why Inside Lacrosse and members of the IWLCA are so interested in the ‘rise of Florida’ lacrosse on the national level.

Our 2011 class has some very high level recruits. The effect of their recruitment and the success of our alums playing in college so far will tweak more and more interest in our club’s 2012, 2013 and younger classes. The more they stick together, grow together, and play together as a club, the better they will be as time goes by!

With a dozen Level 1, or Level 2 prospects, the class of 2011 is on its way to becoming more storied than the 2010 and 2009 classes. Many of the 11's have played together since their 8th grade season, helping them to progress and develop together and learn the club's complete curriculum.

Performance at the SAT by the TFG programs was huge. None of the TFG teams fell to another outside club. This shows that the teams are as good as it gets in the South. Playing against some great southern clubs in grad year competition also raises the level of the club and the other clubs as well. The coaches at that event talk to other coaches and the reputation builds.

The Bolt sisters and Melode Adolphe strike a pose at the Southern Alliance Tournament. The Maniax teams played very well and established themselves as one of the south's top club programs for the forth consecutive year.

Vero Beach High School’s trip to Maryland (which ended up pushing them over the limit for games vs. Out of State opponents) this year helps as well. The trip may end up costing them a state title, but they played well at the Maryland based Centennial tournament. No matter what your opinion is of the men of Vero Beach, their players are very good and when one program in Florida performs well, everyone benefits. We should always seek to build up and not denigrate other Florida lacrosse people, like them personally or not, we cut our nose to spite our face when we look down on other programs, whatever the reason.

Other variables include the success of our LaxManiax alums, which has been nothing short of miraculous. Our players last at college and they earn starting spots. Coaches come back for more players when they have a positive experience with one of them.

Mel Hicks '08 (Detroit), Mindy McCord (JU), and Katie Carbiener '08 (Longwood) are three examples of successful LaxManiax alumni who are now performing at the Division 1 level. Their success creates more opportunities for all kids from Florida. Hicks, who anchored the UDM defense as a freshman, was instrumental in recruiting/hosting Park Vista (FL) graduate Megan Cunningham this past Fall.

Now lets go into Factors of Making a Decision: For this I like to break it down using the term S.L.A.P. SLAP stands for “SIZE”, “LOCATION”, “ACADEMICS”, and “PERSONAL FIT”. These are in relative order, although “SIZE” is closely related to “PERSONAL FIT” insomuch as you would not attend a school that did not “FIT” because it was entirely too large or small. So, “SIZE” is relative to the size of the campus, and the interactivity of the student body and team. Some small schools have a big school dynamic and some big schools are essentially “Suitcase colleges” where kids go home every weekend, or the school was a community college in the state educational system and grew way too large so they added a couple of years on. Either way, “SIZE” does matter.

“LOCATION” is a key as well. Student-athletes will not go where they do not want to be. I asked one of my players who a major D1 had inquired about if she would like to stay in the South and she said, “NO WAY! I want OUT of the south!” No point in forcing that point! Find the location that is right for you. This is why so many of our kids slide from Level 2 to Level 3 – more level 3’s in the south making it a closer proximity!

“ACADEMICS” is also a huge factor in the decision making process. This is impacted by the maturity of the prospect and their families understanding of a few simple truths. If the prospect has it set in his/her mind that they are majoring in THIS, than super! Not to burst anyone’s bubble, the average state school prospect changes their major twice before graduating and the average private school prospect changes their major once. So, finding a school that is the right fit academically and has a variety of majors you would like to pursue is key.

So, in my advise, while every mother says that school is all about academics, I would have to disagree. It has as much to do with location as it does academics. How many kids who do not play lacrosse do you know who come home from school and don’t finish? A large number of these cases are because they went to school for a football team, or they went to the wrong location. Look around and visit schools the summer and fall going into your junior year. That is a key to knowing if the location is a fit for you.

Excluding or including schools at the various levels based on SLAP creates a better success rate in college decision making. There are lots of Level 1 players who choose to go Level 2 or 3. The choice is theirs. Occasionally there is a Level 3 player who tries to cram themselves into Level 1. The success rate of kids who do this is not very high. There are some clubs that live on the reputation of getting kids to Level 1 schools when the kids are not level 1 kids. This does a disservice to the kids they are supposed to be guiding in the process and is not the point of the club system.

It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. If kids get pushed Level 1 and only play one fall, you have not really helped the prospect. You may have ruined their chance of actually having a college career, or in fact limited their career to 1 semester.

Final thoughts: When to Commit?

IWLCA coaches struggle with the ethics of recruitment and dealing with legal minors making adult-level commitments. As a business person, nothing is legal until the guardian has signed with the minor and taking a minor’s word for it is not a position I, or any good business person, would want to be in. Pressuring the minor to follow through with their obligation made as a 16-year old gets even more problematic. While we cannot control the coaches and their ever changing whirlpool of recruitment policies and ethical dilemmas, we can control our behavior as prospects and club programs. Here are a few rules to be aware of:

1) YOU are the PROSPECT, not them. If they want you, they will respect you as a PROSPECT with options and a duty to investigate those options. If you are late in the investigation and have not seen all you need to see, explain this to the college. YOU are the consumer – they are the salespeople.

2) UTILIZE your PARENTS and CLUB COACHES. They are your adult advocates and can help you in dealing with adults who are trying to woo you. Do not allow anyone to pressure you, especially club lacrosse coaches who are wanting you to ‘commit’ to top-level schools so they can show you off. You are not a pawn in the marketing game of a club. The club works FOR you.

3) CALL the COLLEGES. They cannot call you until July 1st of your rising Senior year, but you can call them. Best time to start calling them is the summer of your rising Junior year as you are visiting campuses and attending tournaments and camps. Get to know them then so you feel more comfortable making decisions when you reach July 1st of your rising Senior season. Many colleges at Level 1 look for you to decide around the July 1st date, even though this date was established to allow colleges to call you (first call date for D1’s). Some Level 2’s are now looking at this as a date to have a lot of their recruits “committed” as well.

Kaylee Quint (Left), and Morgan Derner (Right) are 4th year LaxManiax members (they lasted thru the hiddeous pinnie stage of the club) who have used the club's prestige and their personal development and team relationships to become Level-1 Prospects are rising seniors. Their first year in the club (the club's 1st year) was their rising freshman year. Imagine how great the club players who started as 6th graders will be in a couple years!

For LaxManiax members, you have a great website and recruiting system and network that no other club can offer. And you have the benefits of playing with your fellow-prospects from middle school on through, providing you with more familiarity and experience than just playing on an all-star team. Follow your programs and know that the advise you receive comes from people who care about your individual decision and not their personal pride. We have won our Super Bowls and NCAA titles in life and now we want to help you all reach your goals.

Yours in recruiting, Coach Paul