Are you scoutable? The Reasons Why Your Female Lacrosse Player May Not Be Getting Recruited




Lacrosse is spreading like wildfire!  Over the last 10 years, I have seen lacrosse grow as fast as my 10-year-old.  One minute I had two lacrosse players, then in the blink of an eye I was training 40 players, 6 teams in 4 different states.  Wow!  As I have grown to love this sport, I have also watched these high school players put their heart and soul into it week in and week out, in hopes of announcing they are signing a letter of intent to a Divison I program.  But when the emails, calls, or offers, don't come in, what could have gone wrong?  I mean as a parent, you've spent hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on equipment, club team dues, gas, hotels, and training, in hopes your lacrosse player gets into college.  Where's the return on investment?   For the lacrosse athletes, it's heartbreaking to love something (lacrosse) so much, that it seems to not love you back.  So what's the problem?  I am going to explore what I believe is the reason your female lacrosse player isn't getting recruited.  


SHOWCASES AND COMBINES

I started with this one because this is the one that really gets under my skin.  I see a lot of posts on Instagram about showcases and combines that you pay for your lacrosse player to attend in hopes of catching the eye of a college coach.  These posts pull you in by saying all of these college coaches will be there, and that you will get your chance to shine.  So you pay the money, you gas up the car, or take a flight and go.  Then when you and your athlete get there, here is what you will most likely see.  

First, you will see a million lacrosse players.  And out of those millions of girls, 999,999 will play the same position as your daughter.  This poses a problem because, in a three or four-hour event, your daughter will most likely get about 3 minutes to shine in front of these college coaches.  The other problem with these gaudy numbers will be that your daughter will get lost in the numbers unless the coaches already know who they will be scouting at this event.  (Segway to the second problem)

WHAT ARE COLLEGE COACHES LOOKING FOR WHEN RECRUITING?

This one I still do not understand.  In football, college coaches go off of two things, your film and your test numbers.  In lacrosse, it seems to be based solely on playing.  I've seen some of these showcases and combines conduct generic testing, like the 40yd dash or 5-10-5 (agility test).   However, if the college coaches aren't trained in what the combine test scores mean, then it is irrelevant.  This means they rely on their coaching eye when watching your daughter play to make a decision whether or not they are college material.  


SECRET SAUCE TO GETTING YOUR DAUGHTER RECRUITED

The first ingredient to getting your daughter recruited is SPEED!  The best way to stick out on the field and on film is for your athlete to show her speed.  And more importantly, an explosive first step.  If you can show college coaches you can immediately separate, or close in on your opponent, that will make your daughter stick out at any showcase and against any opponent.  If she doesn't doesn't have speed now, then make sure you find someone reliable to teach her! 

The second ingredient is to pick and choose your battles.  This is important when your daughter is a rising junior and has to go on the summer recruiting gauntlet.  Pick and choose which showcases or combines will give you the best return on investment.  One idea is to go to the showcases that actually do combine testing.  This way your daughter will be able to see her test scores and know where she will need to improve.  


FINAL THOUGHTS

Lacrosse is still growing.  As much as I love that this sport has created another way to get school paid, as well as the great feeling of your daughter announcing the university where she will be extending her playing career.  However, there is still room for improvement, and it's with how they recruit.  In the meantime, until they figure it out, increasing your athlete's athleticism, and choosing the right showcase or combine will be the best return on investment for you and your daughter. 









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