It’s that time again…summer club season.

By this point in the year, most high school lacrosse players have sifted through the multiple club teams, showcases, prospect days, and tournaments to which they have been invited, and tough decisions are being made. Likewise, college coaches are finalizing their plans, allocating precious recruiting resources to various tournaments and events throughout the country.

In this installment of our College Game Plan Education series, we’ll provide a basic overview to get the most out of your summer investment.

So let’s stay at a high level and get started with a few questions:

Have you narrowed the list of schools that you’re interested in?

There are over 350 colleges with NCAA Men’s Lacrosse programs, but only a few schools that align with your academic, athletic, social, geographical, and financial goals. Taking the time up front to focus only on best-fit schools will save you and your family tremendous amounts of time, money, and frustration. We call this developing a “target list” of schools. Factors such as what academic programs are offered (and their rating), school size, location, social aspects, level and culture of the lacrosse program, and the coaching staff must be considered to make an informed final decision and should be part of developing your target list.

What coaches from your target list committed to attend your events?

The questions I most hear from families in late spring revolve around one topic: the BEST teams/camps/showcases to attend this summer to be seen by college coaches. The answer to “which is best?” comes down to how many of your targeted schools will be at an event and whether you can interest them enough to come see you play. For example, a showcase heavily attended by Ivy League schools would likely not be the best use of resources for a player with a 2.5 GPA. If you have the grades, the desire, and the talent to attend Harvard or Princeton, however, it would likely be a great event to attend.

Have you contacted any coaches to let them know where you’ll be playing?

Many players believe that if they’re on the right team or at the biggest showcase, they’ll simply get noticed. NCAA rules limit the amount and type of contact a coach can have with an underclassman (currently 2018 and below), so you can’t expect to have meaningful conversations with them when you see them or meet them in person at events. While accolades like all-star teams and all-tournament teams on your resume can certainly have an impact, a college coach usually arrives at an event with a list of names they’ll be evaluating and those players’ schedules, so it’s important to make personal contact and begin to establish relationships with coaches in the weeks leading up to your events.

Do you have an effective online presence?

Lacrosse is quickly growing into a nation-wide sport, with more and more new players picking up a stick each year. College coaches are flooded with emails and phone calls from high school players that desperately want to attend their school and be a contributor in their program. It’s wise to make it as easy as possible for a coach to evaluate your potential as a recruited player rather quickly. In today’s recruiting landscape, a highlight video, your academic information, and your measurable statistics (height, weight, speed, etc.) are a bare minimum. It is a good idea to also include references and their contact information, your upcoming schedule, a copy of your transcript, and even a personal statement or a list of college goals you’re looking to achieve. Your goal is to establish a relationship with these coaches, so the more you set yourself apart during the initial evaluation phase, the more likely you’ll be recruited by multiple coaches and programs.

Steps to Maximize Your Summer Game Plan

1. Develop a target list of potentially best-fit schools and lacrosse programs
2. Create/Update/Maintain online presence that markets YOU
3. Establish contact with college coaches, interest them in your information
4. Be yourself, ask questions, and learn all you can from the coaches you meet
5. Have fun playing lacrosse
6. Conduct follow-up with interested coaches after each event

Other tips for success:

1. Stay hydrated and have a nutritional plan at summer events
2. Play hard all the time, you never know who may be watching
3. Play smart- it’s still a team game in the summer
4. Always display sportsmanlike conduct
5. How you look & act between games matters

The common thread in everything we do in the recruiting space is that it’s all about relationships. Choosing a college is an extremely personal and emotional decision for every family, and the investment is likely the largest any parent makes in their child’s future. As such, every player and parent feel the need to be personally comfortable with the school, the campus, and the lacrosse program before committing to attend. Likewise, college coaches earn their living based on how their team performs on and off the field, and the stakes are high, so they have to truly get to know the young men they invite to play for their program. Developing relationships with college coaches should be one of the main goals of your summer, and will require you to formulate a plan to make the best use of your summer lacrosse schedule and the opportunities you will have to be seen and evaluated by your best-fit programs.

1. Why did you decide to sign with Stevens Institute of Technology?

It has a great reputation for engineers everywhere and it is a prestigious school to play lacrosse, with a chance to win a national championship. Coach Peluso and Coach Madalon and Coach Koch are very great teachers of the game.

2. Describe the excitement you feel about becoming a college student-athlete?

I’m one of a very special group that gets to continue their dream of playing sports in college; I am absolutely excited to have this opportunity.

3. What advice would you give to other athletes looking to get recruited?

The game of lacrosse and recruiting is speeding up; there are sophomores committing left and right. Every opportunity you have, visit colleges and call coaches. It can only help and may be the difference between your dream school and settling.

4. Who has been the biggest influence in your sports career and why?

My first ever coach, John Gendron. He has introduced the game to me and all my friends that lived on my street. Without him and his teaching of the fundamentals, I wouldn’t be the player I am today.

5. What would you like to accomplish during your college sports career?

I would like to enhance my skills on defense and make a true name for myself. Also I would like to start many long-lasting friendships with my teammates and fans. My hopes for the team are to win conference, as well as contend for a national championship.

Over the last five years SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.

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1. Why did you decide to sign with Piedmont College?

From the beginning in my college selection process, I wanted to go to a school that would allow me to play lacrosse, but also give me the best education I could get. Piedmont wasn’t even on my original list, but a few emails were shared and before I knew it, they came from Georgia all the way to New Hampshire to see me play. After realizing that they were interested in me, I looked at the school in-depth and realized that it would be a perfect fit for me.

2. Describe the excitement you feel about becoming a college student-athlete?

Unbelievable. I never thought I would ever get to this point in my lacrosse career. I always looked at collegiate athletes as these majestic, superior players and when I got my first email from a college coach, I realized that I was among those elite players. Being able to say that you’re playing college lacrosse is literally one of the coolest things ever.

3. What advice would you give to other athletes looking to get recruited?

My advice would be to not get discouraged. I know it may sound cliché, but it’s true. Many underclassmen in high school don’t realize that they are not a top priority to a college recruiter. They are looking for players who will be able to help them as soon as possible. I remember playing my freshman year for a summer team and all of the older players were being talked to by recruiters but I wasn’t. I talked to my coach and he told me my time will come, and sure enough, it did. Continue to work hard even when you’re younger; because even if a coach doesn’t come up and talk to you, you might still be on his list of future recruits.

4. Who has been the biggest influence in your sports career and why?

Hands down my dad. He has always been there throughout every sport I played, whether I liked it or not. He believes that there is always room for improvement. Yeah, the pressure gets to me sometimes, but in the end I understand that he is helping me and that’s what keeps me going. He is a great mentor and a huge motivator. He was definitely a big part of me getting scouted.

5. What would you like to accomplish during your college sports career?

By the end of my college career, I would like to be able to look back at all four years and feel accomplished. I want to know that I made an impact on my team, whether I was the leading scorer, the leading feeder, or the kid on the team with the most spirit. Regardless, I want to leave college, knowing that I will be missed.

Over the last five years SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.

Learn How We Help Families

As you may know from our earlier posts, SportsForce Athlete Eric Sanschagrin committed to Princeton Lacrosse over the summer. Mavericks Lacrosse Goalie Eric and his family put a lot of thought and time into the decision, from researching to visits to just gut feelings. Eric was extremely helpful when we asked him what advice he had for athletes looking to accomplish the same thing he did and be just as successful in their recruiting journey. See what Eric had to say in his own words below.

1. Stay on top of your grades! Also, freshman year shouldn’t be taken lightly! The pace at which many top Division I colleges are moving along with their recruiting processes only continues to speed up and schools are actively recruiting when only freshman and Sophomore grades are available. Don’t limit your options because of laziness freshman year!

2. Start early and be proactive. It’s hard enough for Western (lacrosse) players to get recruited as it is, make sure to you give yourself plenty of time to get noticed by the schools where you truly belong. No one wants to be left with their last choice, or no choice, because they didn’t move along fast enough in the process.

3. Make sure that you organize and prepare everything you need in advance of your Junior year and add to it as you go along. Don’t waste a coach’s time with half-ready emails. For emails this includes: Name, School, Position, Hand, Class (Year), Team Success (Highlights), Personal Awards, Upcoming Events you plan to attend (Team and Recruiting), GPA, Test Scores (ACT,SAT and even PSAT if you haven’t taken the ACT or SAT), Game Film (3 to 5 minutes of highlights and 2 of your best uncut game halves which can come from different games), A link to your SportsForce page, NCAA Clearinghouse ID #, High School Coach’s Phone # and email, Club Coach’s Phone # and email, and provide your phone # and email. Also, list that your transcript is available to be faxed to them if they want it from your school. Put the best parts in the title! Most coaches get hundreds of emails, so put your best foot forward with the title. Example: Eric Sanschagrin-All-American Goalie-Class of 2011‏‏-Lefty-La Costa Canyon High School-Attending California Gold‏‏‏‏‏. If no representatives from a school that you emailed respond within a few days, keep sending it periodically until they do. I’ll attach the email I used as an example!

4. Don’t be afraid to reach for the sky. Sending out emails to top schools is something everyone should consider, but be realistic. If you aren’t sure where you stand then ask your coaches for help. Even if you aren’t sure, send out a few recruiting emails and test because it can’t hurt.

5. Don’t rush into anything. It takes some time to decide which school best fits you for the next four to five years. Talk it over with your parents and coaches.

6. Have a plan and ask for help. It was nice to have my coaches, SportsForce, and my parents to help guide me through the process. Make a checklist to help manage what you have done and what you want to get done.

For more recruiting resources, visit our Education Page.

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Congratulations to La Costa Canyon Mavericks Boys Lacrosse goalie Eric Sanschagrin who committed to Princeton Lacrosse over the summer. We caught up with Eric and asked him a few questions to see how he made his decision and what he is most looking forward to. See what he had to say in his own words below, and check back later this week for his great advice for other athletes in the recruiting process.

What factors made you decide on Princeton?

– My main priority was to attend a top academic school, regardless of how good the lacrosse team was. Yet, like many aspiring lacrosse players, I had my heart set on playing Division I lacrosse. I decided early on that I wasn’t going to travel back east for school if it was just for athletic pursuits. I’d have rather played MCLA Lacrosse at an excellent academic school out west than at a lower level Division I school where I wouldn’t have fit academically. So, I sent out my emails to coaches whose schools fit my requirements. I emailed every coach or staff member listed on each school’s website. Thankfully, I got some responses and I was fortunate enough to hear from Princeton! Luckily, they were going to be at Under Armour All America tryouts in Ohio which I had already planned to attend. They noted that they would make sure to have their coach watch me while I was there. After a few follow up emails, I visited Princeton unofficially in July and absolutely loved the feel of the campus and the town of Princeton. During my visit I met most of the coaching staff and toured the campus and facilities. The coaching staff is made up of truly amazing individuals and I couldn’t be happier to have them as my future coaches. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to commit in July and I wasted no time in saying yes.

Were there any other schools you were seriously considering?

– No other schools made it past the “We’re interested” or “What camps will you be attending?” emails. I decided against doing a giant summer recruiting tour and only attended three camps/tournaments. This limited which coaches could have seen me. So, I was extremely fortunate to have Princeton make it to two of them. I was interested in the University of Pennsylvania, where my former teammate Reid Tudor is now a Freshman, as well as the other Ivy League Schools. Honestly, I probably would have settled back west if I hadn’t found something I truly loved.

What are you most looking forward to most about playing for the Princeton?

– After recently visiting Princeton for my official visit, I finally got to meet the team for the first time. First off, I’m really excited to learn from Tyler Fiorito (future teammate and goalie) We are both left handed goalies and I cannot think of a more qualified current college player to learn from. He will be a senior for the 2012 season when I’m a freshman. It will be nice to learn from a player whose prep lacrosse path was so different from mine. He entered Princeton as the top recruit in his class while my light summer schedule has left me largely unnoticed by most talent scouts and recruit evaluators. Also, I met my recruiting class while on my official visit and I was impressed by how down to earth our “Class of 2015” truly was. Coach Bates dubbed 2015 the “Unheralded Class” because we aren’t all well-hyped recruits and we have a lot to prove. I can’t wait for more time with the team and the chance to attend the University!

See Eric’s full SportsForce profile here: http://www.sportsforceonline.com/athletes/esanschagrin

La Costa Canyon’s Mike Riis recently committed to the University of Denver to play for their Men’s Lacrosse Program. We caught up with Mike to do a little Q&A to see how he got where he is today and the advice he has for others on the same journey. See what he had to say below.

What factors made you decide on the University of Denver? First of all the academics, I plan on majoring in business and the program they have there is great. I also liked the location of it being close to home yet I am still playing big time Division I lacrosse. I was very impressed with Coach Tierney and his entire staff and I look forward to being coached by them over the next four years.

Were there any other schools you were seriously considering? The other schools that I was seriously considering were Drexel in Philadelphia as well as Air Force and Chapman University in California.

What are you most looking forward to most about playing for the University of Denver? The biggest thing that I am looking forward to about playing at Denver is the lacrosse games versus big time schools such as Syracuse and Duke. Those games will be huge for me because I have watched those teams play on TV all of my life.

What advice would you give to other student athletes looking to play in college? The main advice I would give is just to work hard. The main reason I am going to play lacrosse in college is from countless hours playing wall ball and shooting at the school nearby.

Congratulations again to Mike and his family! Check out Mike’s SportsForce highlight video below to see him in action.

We shared La Costa Canyon Lacrosse player, Alex Pardieu’s recruitment journey here. As part of catching up with Alex, SportsForce had a few questions for his coach, LCC boys varsity coach, Dallas Hartley. See what Dallas had to say about Alex, the FSU commit, below.

1. How would you describe Alex on the field (strengths, playing style, etc.)?

Alex hustles and his game translates well to full field situations. He can break down a defense and get his hands free for a shot or to get the offense moving. He plays great team defense on and off the ball. And he is great in transition where his speed really shows.
2. How would you describe Alex off the field (academics, leadership, etc.)?

Well mannered and easy going. Has a lot of friends and surrounds himself with good people who know their academics are the key to their future.

3. How do you think Alex will help a team at the college level (what should a college coach expect)?

Alex brings a strong work ethic, an infectious good attitude, and he wants to get better. He is very coachable.
4. How do you think Alex will develop over the next few years as a lacrosse player?

He has enormous potential. He will be one of the best players on his team and demand respect. Speed, team play, and the intangibles translate well to the next level.

5. Any final thoughts about Alex?
Pleasure to coach a kid who wants to be better every day.

See Alex’s Full SportsForce Profile at: http://www.sportsforceonline.com/athletes/apardieu

La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, CA), a perennial lacrosse powerhouse in Southern California won two early season games against top contenders to prove their continued strength in California. LCC met up with De La Salle High School (Concord, CA) earlier this month. LCC took control of the game from the start and held onto the game til the very end, defeating a strong De La Salle team, 11-5. Big performances came from Senior Middie Andrew Hayden and Sophomore Attack Brendan Gaughan and Senior Attack Timmy Andrews. See below for highlights of the game and be sure to visit the Lacrosse page at SportsForce.

Highlight Video courtesy of SportsForce – Home for college Sports Recruiting Videos, Tips, Tools and Premium Services – www.sportsforceonline.com

San Diego’s Summit Performance Group (SPG), a leading provider of conference planning, incentive travel, sports hospitality and event technology solutions announced the launch of PacificXPOSURE. SportsForce has partnered with PacificXPOSURE, which is a premier national lacrosse tournament and Southern California sports destination event, that will take place in North County San Diego at Del Norte High School (Headquarters), Rancho Bernardo High School, and West View High School. The event is scheduled for June 25^th-27^th 2010.

Doug Wheeler, co-owner and partner of SPG, said that his company decided to launch PacificXPOSURE because of the growth of lacrosse in the area and the need for quality travel tournaments for the sport. The company’s site (http://www.summitpg.com/pacificxposure/index.htm) explains that “the tournament is open to boys and girls and men and women Open Division lacrosse players from across the country and Canada. Attendees will come from as far as California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Canada and the East Coast. Divisions will be separated by age level including elementary and middle school youth U-11, U-13, U-15 groups, high school and club boys and girls teams, and Open Division Men’s and Women’s play (high school graduates and above).”

The tournament will be led by director Dennis Yeatman from Rancho Bernardo. Dennis was recently elected member of the US Lacrosse San Diego Hall of Fame and has been directly involved in the sport of lacrosse for over 40 years. In 1996 he founded Pacific Lacrosse and has been operating girls & boys, youth and High School programs since that time. Both he and his wife were recognized in 2006 as recipients of the A. Norman Webb Award for their volunteering efforts across the county on behalf of the sport of lacrosse.

There will be a PacificXPOSURE Vendor Village at Del Norte High School in 4S Ranch, which is located in Northern San Diego. The Vendor Village will showcase both youth and adult offerings, including lacrosse and sports products, entertainment and food and beverages. Other tournament locations will also offer exhibits and showcases. The event will offer coaches talks and parent/child meetings as well as evening events. PacificXPOSURE will also offer an exclusive boys and girls lacrosse combine June 25^th at Del Norte High School.

Wheeler explained that with today’s tough economy, PacificXPOSURE will offer the chance to attend an exceptional lacrosse tournament and event close to home. Taking place in June in San Diego County, PacificXPOSURE will also prove to be a great destination event for those traveling from out of the area.

PacificXPOSURE is a chance to give back to the community as SPG and the event work with Outdoor Outreach, a non-profit whose mission is to empower at-risk and underprivileged youth through outdoor programming and the Wounded Warrior Project that works to provide aid to and empower wounded soldiers.

LCC faced off against Coronado this week. The game was sure to be full of action as Coronado defeated LCC last season in the CIF Championship game. Arguably the two best teams in San Diego and among the top teams in the state, Coronado and LCC fought hard to establish each team’s dominance for the new season. LCC took an early lead with help from Andrew Hayden who helped secure possession for LCC in the majority of the game’s face-offs. Hayden scored a game high three goals in the match up that LCC won 8-5. Timmy Andrews had two goals and one assist, and Brendan Gaughan finished with goal and two assists. No. 2 ranked Coronado played strong with great performances from Kyle Runyon and Alex Bookout who each scored two goals. See below for highlights of the game and be sure to visit the Lacrosse page at SportsForce.

Highlight Video courtesy of SportsForce – Home for college Sports Recruiting Videos, Tips, Tools and Premium Services – www.sportsforceonline.com