Recruiting

[Seacoaster(1)]

Dad of a 2025 recruit, new to the forum. This is the only place I've found with deep knowledge of D1 WLAX.
Appreciate everyone sharing their inside laxer perspective, it's been very helpful!

Current thoughts and future outlook on the Ivies, specifically Yale - Brown - Dartmouth?

Three young up-and-coming coaches. Can’t really go wrong with any of them. Best of luck.

Agreed and thanks so much NULax! That's what is making the tea leaves so hard to read! On paper they are all trending in the
right direction but thats why I'm asking the group, just trying to peel the onion back a few layers and see if anything noteworthy turns up.

Not sure I would describe Yale coach as “young and up and coming”. She did fight through some significant culture issues and has some momentum now. Dowd has a great track record as an assistant, but unproven as a HC (I am ignoring Oregon) and will have to adjust to the ivies. Alex frank is “young and up and coming”.

The three schools could not be more different in culture and atmosphere. Good luck to your daughter in finding the right fit

Agreed. Brown could become something great but right now it’s tough, who knows if Dowd will stick around there for the long term. The ivies are very different than any conference she has coached in before.

Yale had a good year last year but didn’t end up really achieving much after all the hype. The last time they were Ivy champions was over 20 years ago. New Haven can be a little sketchy too. Plus side is nice new facilities but a drive away from campus if I remember correctly.

Dartmouth had the most success in recent years and I would guess will be back up there again soon. They would be my pick if I had one, but as others have said culture and atmosphere very different in all three. Good Luck!

I will add here that the Dartmouth alumni network is really second to none. I work with about a dozen or more Dartmouth alums, and the fervor of these folks for their school is developed right away and continues throughout their careers and in their family lives. Of the three head coaches, moreover, I think Alex is maybe the best — no disrespect for the others.

[LiveLaxLove]

The portal is changing all of college sports and not for the better for HS players. For example Coach Prime at Colorado has Sanders, whose success is drawing massive attention, has pushed an instant rebuilding strategy. He calls it his 40-40-20 formula. His goal, he said, is to recruit a team with 40% undergraduate transfers, 40% graduate transfers and 20% from high schools. I cant find the link but i believe he only offered 4 scholarships to HS players on his 85 man roster. Watching athletes who have already made the transition to the college game, whose maturity at 21-22 vs an 18 yr old is staggering and a no brainer when recruiting. Other sports will follow this trend, especially with coaches pressured to a win now.

Agree, but the coach prime way might not look so good after they play some teams with a pulse.

Football and women’s lacrosse are completely different and will remain so forever. I know there are posters on this website who think differently, but they are wrong.

The demographic and aspirations of the athletes are very different. And women’s lax will never generate any real money on its own. No boosters, because women don’t donate money to their schools or as boosters at anywhere near the same rate that men do.
I love women’s lax. But it has more iI common with squash than it does football

I'm not disagreeing with anything in this response. BUT, I will say WLax has now adopted things that have been done in football for years, and continue to peak over the fence at how business is done.
Example: "stealing" commits isn't a common thing in WLax right now. We ALL know it's coming... but no one wants to be the first to do it.

[8meterRip]

Dad of a 2025 recruit, new to the forum. This is the only place I've found with deep knowledge of D1 WLAX.
Appreciate everyone sharing their inside laxer perspective, it's been very helpful!

Current thoughts and future outlook on the Ivies, specifically Yale - Brown - Dartmouth?

Three young up-and-coming coaches. Can’t really go wrong with any of them. Best of luck.

Agreed and thanks so much NULax! That's what is making the tea leaves so hard to read! On paper they are all trending in the
right direction but thats why I'm asking the group, just trying to peel the onion back a few layers and see if anything noteworthy turns up.

Not sure I would describe Yale coach as “young and up and coming”. She did fight through some significant culture issues and has some momentum now. Dowd has a great track record as an assistant, but unproven as a HC (I am ignoring Oregon) and will have to adjust to the ivies. Alex frank is “young and up and coming”.

The three schools could not be more different in culture and atmosphere. Good luck to your daughter in finding the right fit

Agreed. Brown could become something great but right now it’s tough, who knows if Dowd will stick around there for the long term. The ivies are very different than any conference she has coached in before.

Yale had a good year last year but didn’t end up really achieving much after all the hype. The last time they were Ivy champions was over 20 years ago. New Haven can be a little sketchy too. Plus side is nice new facilities but a drive away from campus if I remember correctly.

Dartmouth had the most success in recent years and I would guess will be back up there again soon. They would be my pick if I had one, but as others have said culture and atmosphere very different in all three. Good Luck!

I will add here that the Dartmouth alumni network is really second to none. I work with about a dozen or more Dartmouth alums, and the fervor of these folks for their school is developed right away and continues throughout their careers and in their family lives. Of the three head coaches, moreover, I think Alex is maybe the best — no disrespect for the others.

My thoughts so far :

I agree completely. We see merit in all 3 schools and have made visits to each campus/coaches.
A ridiculous amount of effort has been made thus far to help gain clarity but I'm still looking for a little more input.
From a LAX prospective:

Yale #30 seemed to have some issues with the 6 seniors leaving a few years back but they are serious about winning and its definitely trending in the right direction in terms of wins and contending for IVY title. Yale has the nicest facilities of the 3 but its 10 mins away going through New Haven. All 3 coaches have been there 6+ years and are committed to the process. Yale name carries the most weight post undergrad.

Brown #46 has a great new fieldhouse located right on campus. Seem to be middle of the pack in recent years but new AD is committed to making lacrosse better. Bringing in Dowd is impressive and she definitely is one the brightest minds in the game and wins everywhere she goes. Gait is new and I'm sure will add value to the program and Scotton is the former UNC defensive coach.They just started in June 23' so this recruiting class might not be the best but they are the most exciting group in terms of ceiling/impact.

Dartmouth #63 seems to be slowly turning the ship around. Facilities are average but on campus, concerned someone said they had 5 girls with ACLs recently, turf might be an issue. Coaches are committed as well, Frank has a vision and based of their current 25 commits it is resonating with the recruits. They already have 1-5* and 3-4* recruits onboard. Super Impressive. They are on the ball from a recruiting prospective.

All 3 want to win and it could be a dog fight in 2-3 years for the Ivy Title.
Am I missing anything? Trying to connect as many dots as possible beforehand so we are ready if/when the moment arrives.

ANY and ALL FEEDBACK is appreciated!!!

[watcherinthewoods]

These schools have very different cultures ... on and off the field. Great that your daughter has visited them all and I hope she was able to get a feel for exactly how different they are. As others have said, in the end it is about the academic, lax, and culture "fit. Sometimes you just have to be honest with yourself (outside of all of the noise) and go with your gut. Where does your daughter "see" herself ... ?

[SoCal]

Like others have said, all 3 sound like amazing opportunities. Fwiw, this summer at the HHH Committed games the Dartmouth commits played VERY well.

[Kleizaster]

To be honest, sounds like you have done your research and have alot of information on all schools. But you're really splitting hairs here. Academically, Yale is the best. Lax wise, Dartmouth has the brightest future. In 3-4 years they will have the most talented team in their history. The Hapgood sisters committed there will be very good lacrosse players. They were key players on the number 1 girls high school team in the nation (Darien) and played the toughest schedule in the country. Dartmouth's 2025 class is very strong so far. I don't have much to say for the coaching but signing strong players despite not having the best season says something about the coach and her messaging about the future of the program.

Academics
1. Yale
2. Brown
3. Dartmouth


Lax
1. Dartmouth
2. Yale
3. Brown

Having followed recruiting and trends, I can't see Brown being better than a .500 team for the forseeable future. Yale will improve with Dowd but Dartmouth has the potential to be what Princeton was a few years ago. or very close to it.

But when it comes down to it, your daughter can't lose with any of these schools. I don't know how good she is as a player but that's also something to consider where she might have a bigger role on the team.

[lax410]

What are BC and NW doing? Fighting over the same girls? Waiting until they get everyone they want to announce?

[8meterRip]

You guys/gals are awesome! It's so great to get feedback on such a narrow subject, really appreciate the help.
We are truly blessed to be in this situation.

For what it's worth she is a ranked recruit on IL, of course we take that with a grain of salt, as these metric based
rankings have their flaws. But to your point, being surrounded by talented recruits/players will elevate everyone's game. Being a good
player on a mediocre team isn't very fun.

Kleizaster, your rankings are spot on. I know we are splitting hairs here but this is the stage of the game we are in. My daughter goes
with the flow and will fit into anyone of these schools, its more about information gathering to help her make the right decision.

God knows I'm bringing very limited Ivy league info to the table, it takes a village!

[Brownlax]

To be honest, sounds like you have done your research and have alot of information on all schools. But you're really splitting hairs here. Academically, Yale is the best. Lax wise, Dartmouth has the brightest future. In 3-4 years they will have the most talented team in their history. The Hapgood sisters committed there will be very good lacrosse players. They were key players on the number 1 girls high school team in the nation (Darien) and played the toughest schedule in the country. Dartmouth's 2025 class is very strong so far. I don't have much to say for the coaching but signing strong players despite not having the best season says something about the coach and her messaging about the future of the program.

Academics
1. Yale
2. Brown
3. Dartmouth


Lax
1. Dartmouth
2. Yale
3. Brown

Having followed recruiting and trends, I can't see Brown being better than a .500 team for the forseeable future. Yale will improve with Dowd but Dartmouth has the potential to be what Princeton was a few years ago. or very close to it.

But when it comes down to it, your daughter can't lose with any of these schools. I don't know how good she is as a player but that's also something to consider where she might have a bigger role on the team.

Katrina Dowd coaches Brown not Yale.

[LaxDadMax]

To be honest, sounds like you have done your research and have alot of information on all schools. But you're really splitting hairs here. Academically, Yale is the best. Lax wise, Dartmouth has the brightest future. In 3-4 years they will have the most talented team in their history. The Hapgood sisters committed there will be very good lacrosse players. They were key players on the number 1 girls high school team in the nation (Darien) and played the toughest schedule in the country. Dartmouth's 2025 class is very strong so far. I don't have much to say for the coaching but signing strong players despite not having the best season says something about the coach and her messaging about the future of the program.

Academics
1. Yale
2. Brown
3. Dartmouth


Lax
1. Dartmouth
2. Yale
3. Brown

Having followed recruiting and trends, I can't see Brown being better than a .500 team for the forseeable future. Yale will improve with Dowd but Dartmouth has the potential to be what Princeton was a few years ago. or very close to it.

But when it comes down to it, your daughter can't lose with any of these schools. I don't know how good she is as a player but that's also something to consider where she might have a bigger role on the team.

All Ivy League schools are great academically. In terms of what is best really comes down to fit and intended major.

For instance, if you want to work on Wall Street, Penn and Columbia are the clearly tops, followed then by Harvard. If you are looking for entrepreneurship, Harvard is probably tops.

[hmmm]

You guys/gals are awesome! It's so great to get feedback on such a narrow subject, really appreciate the help.
We are truly blessed to be in this situation.

For what it's worth she is a ranked recruit on IL, of course we take that with a grain of salt, as these metric based
rankings have their flaws. But to your point, being surrounded by talented recruits/players will elevate everyone's game. Being a good
player on a mediocre team isn't very fun.

Kleizaster, your rankings are spot on. I know we are splitting hairs here but this is the stage of the game we are in. My daughter goes
with the flow and will fit into anyone of these schools, its more about information gathering to help her make the right decision.

God knows I'm bringing very limited Ivy league info to the table, it takes a village!

If Ivy is the goal, and she’s a ranked recruit, can I asked why you’ve eliminated the two programs with the most historical success? Princeton and Penn aren’t on the list?

[masshole7]

What are BC and NW doing? Fighting over the same girls? Waiting until they get everyone they want to announce?

I have heard that BC only has three commits right now, many of those that they had their eyes on appear to have committed elsewhere.

[8meterRip]

You guys/gals are awesome! It's so great to get feedback on such a narrow subject, really appreciate the help.
We are truly blessed to be in this situation.

For what it's worth she is a ranked recruit on IL, of course we take that with a grain of salt, as these metric based
rankings have their flaws. But to your point, being surrounded by talented recruits/players will elevate everyone's game. Being a good
player on a mediocre team isn't very fun.

Kleizaster, your rankings are spot on. I know we are splitting hairs here but this is the stage of the game we are in. My daughter goes
with the flow and will fit into anyone of these schools, its more about information gathering to help her make the right decision.

God knows I'm bringing very limited Ivy league info to the table, it takes a village!

If Ivy is the goal, and she’s a ranked recruit, can I asked why you’ve eliminated the two programs with the most historical success? Princeton and Penn aren’t on the list?

Not an option for us from a recruiting standpoint

[Kleizaster]

Duke with a disastrous recruiting class. In the past they've been able to float by with talent despite poor coaching. That talent is drying up. They have 2 commits this cycle.

BC should get a couple more. They got Jordyn Krafchick today but even with that, they also only have 2 commits. Still a little odd and nervy if i was a BC fan.

[Lax832s]

I am an unranked player in the class of 2025. I live in the Philadelphia area and have played with and against many of the ranked 5 star recruits in my class. I haven’t really attended any prospect camps or showcases besides AU futures and UA underclass all- American games or gotten any exposure besides tournaments my club team has attended. I consider myself a skilled player but have yet to be contacted by any coaches. I send emails to my target list of schools once every one to two weeks and have received little to no response. I am very realistic with my talent and understand that i’m most likely not going to a top 25 program but I am confident enough that I could potentially fit in at a division 1 program. Does anyone have any advice to get myself out there.

[lax410]

Duke with a disastrous recruiting class. In the past they've been able to float by with talent despite poor coaching. That talent is drying up. They have 2 commits this cycle.

BC should get a couple more. They got Jordyn Krafchick today but even with that, they also only have 2 commits. Still a little odd and nervy if i was a BC fan.

Duke has at least 4. Not big names but that’s all I can say.

[laxmenow]

I am an unranked player in the class of 2025. I live in the Philadelphia area and have played with and against many of the ranked 5 star recruits in my class. I haven’t really attended any prospect camps or showcases besides AU futures and UA underclass all- American games or gotten any exposure besides tournaments my club team has attended. I consider myself a skilled player but have yet to be contacted by any coaches. I send emails to my target list of schools once every one to two weeks and have received little to no response. I am very realistic with my talent and understand that i’m most likely not going to a top 25 program but I am confident enough that I could potentially fit in at a division 1 program. Does anyone have any advice to get myself out there.

Sorry to hear about no contact yet. First I would work with your club coach on mutually agreed target schools (from a lacrosse level). You are likely going to need to be seen at fall lacrosse camps on campus and at November tournaments. While a bunch of commits are happening now, there are about 200+ so far, there are well over 1200 2024 D1 commits. SO there is an awful long way to go at most schools. Good luck!

[GratefulRed]

I am an unranked player in the class of 2025. I live in the Philadelphia area and have played with and against many of the ranked 5 star recruits in my class. I haven’t really attended any prospect camps or showcases besides AU futures and UA underclass all- American games or gotten any exposure besides tournaments my club team has attended. I consider myself a skilled player but have yet to be contacted by any coaches. I send emails to my target list of schools once every one to two weeks and have received little to no response. I am very realistic with my talent and understand that i’m most likely not going to a top 25 program but I am confident enough that I could potentially fit in at a division 1 program. Does anyone have any advice to get myself out there.

Hey Lax832s, you are already displaying important skills that will help you advance in lax and life--continuous self-evaluation and persistence. Once this chaotic first wave of recruiting crashes, coaches will be refocusing on the fall/winter circuit to find the players to round out the class. You could gain a little more traction with/attention from your target schools and also the luxury of a little more time to consider your options.

Generally, I think it is better to attend camps at your target schools rather than bigger showcases, but I will leave it to the folks here who are more current to recommend specific events, etc.

Stay patient, persistent and open-minded. Keep hustling in the classroom/community and prioritize your college choices according to how well they will help you meet your life goals. You have a ton of time to find the right fit.

Please keep us posted!

[Lax1316]

In the past Richmond and Villanova have not been fully funded programs. Does anyone know if that has changed in recent years?

[Kleizaster]

Spallina to CUSE. Had to sweat it out there for a while..things got nervy but family was always going to win out. HUGE get for KT

CUSE now with their best class in History. On a normal year they would have been by far the biggest winners and this class would have been best in the nation by a good margin