LaxDadMax wrote: ↑Sat Aug 03, 2024 12:31 pm
As a parent of someone who has gone through the process 3 times and has a 27 about to formally start it, I wanted to share some tips I’ve picked up along the way. I posted something similar last August and it was well received so I thought I would add a bit and repost
I am only writing this as a way to help those who are going through this for the first time. This is by no means exhaustive, but some notes I jotted down which I think could help. Please keep in mind that these are my opinions and several folks who have been through the process may have other thoughts.
If you want anything further, my DMs are always open.
For 2026s
In no particular order, except for the first one
1) Before 9/1, get with your recruiting director and level set expectations. They should not know most, but not all, colleges with a high level of interest. Some interested may not reach out, and you will likely get some who were completely off your radar
2) Before 9/1, make sure to email out and update on recruiting intake forms, yours latest grades and if you have taken them SAT and PSAT scores. Also grade reports and transcripts are different things. Make sure to upload your transcript to sportsrecruits and individual college questionaires. If possible, load one with your junior year classes.
3) Don't stay up till midnight on 8/31 waiting to see who reaches out. Not worth it. Also, the first emails you get will likely be big form letters from schools who are reaching out to almost everyone.
4) Not all schools who indicate interest, will follow up with a phone call. It happens. Most schools are reaching out to 80-120 kids on 9/1. They will have phone calls with 35-45 and end up offering around 15-20 over time to fill 8-10 spots
5) Don't read much into who reaches out to you, whether it is the head coach or a coordinator, every school works their own process. Some schools want their DC reaches out to all defensive recruits. Doesn't mean they love you less.
6) PREP for your first call. Before you talk to a coach, you should know
a) what you would major in in that school (its ok to have a couple different ideas, its not ok to say "huhhh... I don't know")
b) what type of offense/defense that school runs
c) their level of success from past season
d) where the school is located.
e) their home football schedule (more on this for #7)
If possible go to ESPN+ and watch film of the school. Even if it means pushing the call back a day or two
7) Most schools schedule recruiting visits to align with football weekends. In case you get invited for a visit, you should know these dates. It also means chat with your top schools first so don't fill up your calendar.
8) Many schools don't do official visits until you commit. This means you will be paying for everyone for a fall visit.
9) If you get an offer, 1) Congrats, not many people get to this level. 2) Make sure to ask when the coach needs an answer by 3) Make sure to know academic expectations for maintaining the offer post commit and most importantly 4) understand that timelines are fluid. A coach may give you 5 weeks, but then press for decision at 3 weeks if one of their "backup" prospects is ready to commit elsewhere
10). I've never had a goalie, but I understand their process is crazy. Not unheard of to get less than a week to decide on an offer since they are only recruiting one and don't want backups to go elsewhere.
11) End everyone call with, "what are the next steps in the process"?
12) Some coaches will ghost you. it happens. Its not you, its them
13) Try to keep an open mind and don't have your heart set on any one school -- this may end up having your pass on good opportunities.
14) Everyone's process is a bit different. remember the goal is to find your best fit, not get committed faster than others.
15) When a coach asked you who else is recruiting you, be honest. Coaches talk. Remember the goal of this question for them is to understand if they have a chance with you. For instance, if you are talking to Lehigh and you mention that the other schools you are talking to are UVA, Duke, Northwestern and BC, they will likely think they have no chance and probably stop the recruitment.
16) Some offers will give you a range of $$, but not an exact amount until recruiting class is full. Others will have exact amount. Everyone works differently
17) Make sure your parents have a recent FAFSA or other financial info from parents. Most schools, especially well-endowed ones, will try to get your merit or need based money before athletic $$.
18) Don't go to any fall prospect days if you aren't actively speaking to coach. Otherwise, just a waste of $$
19) Most of the girls who commit in the first 2 or 3 weeks of September are either 1) legacies 2) aren't getting any athletic $$ or 3) Both. Don't let seeing who else is committing impact you too much. (The exception is goalies-- you need to monitor every commit since there are so few spots available).
20) If you aren't getting a clear indication of level of interest or where you stand from a coach, get your recruiting director involved. Quite frankly, this is what you have paid tens of thousands of $$ of club dues for over the past 3-8 years.
21) Recruiting visits are job interviews for both the player and the parents. Parents, don’t say anything about pretty much anyone. Stay in the back and don’t ask questions except in the 1:1 meeting if/when an offer is made. For athletes, you are being evaluated on fit as much as anything else. Getting along with existing players and future teammates is as important as lax skills at this point. If you have a former girl from your club at the school, this is a big advantage.
22) If you have trouble fitting in multiple visits, don’t be afraid to ask for a mid-week visit. This is also a good way to see how serious a school is about you. If they don’t want you on a mid-week visit, you aren’t a top target.
23) Coaches love talking Xs and Os. Watch their game film and ask detailed questions. This is also a way to segue into where you may fit within their scheme.
For 2027s and younger
1) Before October of your sophomore year, get with your club director and develop a realistic target list of schools. This will evolve over time, but you need a solid list to start with. The girls who don’t find a spot tend to be ones who don’t target the right level of play. Lots of club directors will tell girls what they want to hear to keep them on their club.
2) Reach out to targeted schools, but don’t do it during August and September. Coaches are focused on 2026s at this point. Send a note in early October before fall showcases showing your interest and including last summer’s film
3) Club games and showcases in the fall are VERY important, especially if you aren’t on a top 40 club. If the first time a coach sees you play is in June, it could be too late. (There are exceptions here, but coaches especially top 50 want to see consistency)
4) Presidents Cup in the fall is critical if you don’t play in the other top tourneys (NE Showcase, Fall Draw, Lax For the Cure, Chesapeake). If you play in those, you will likely have fewer coaches at Presidents Cup than some team who don’t play in any major fall tourneys
5) Focus on showcases/prospect days for school on your list. This list will evolve over time but prevents you from waste $$ blindly.
6) If you are on a top 40 club, don’t go to more than 1 of the following – Juniors Open, BIC, UA 150. You will already have enough good film out there. Save $$
7) After November, don’t go to a prospect day until your recruiting director has talked to a college coach. Doesn’t make sense if you aren’t on their list.
8) Showing interest via email is most important for schools outside of the top 25. Each of my girls had top 25 schools who they never reached out to reach out to them in early September, but few schools will serious interest outside of the top 25.
9) During club games, coaches are watching more attitude and composure than technical skills. They can tell if you can play in 5 minutes, they need to watch you 5 times to see if you are someone they want on their team.
10) If you are targeting high-academic schools (esp Pat League/Ivies), make sure to share PSAT scores. Very few schools are test-blind anymore. Scores matter. If you kid didn’t get a good score on PSAT 8/9, consider taking a prep class.
11) If you aren’t strong on both ends of the field, don’t go to prospect days/showcases as a midfielder. Your bad plays on one field of the field likely outweight good ones on the other. There are VERY FEW two-way players in the modern game. Most middies are recruiting on attack or D.