Share your DDs Recruiting Journey

[Anonymous]

Coaches believe they can project a player’s ceiling. My guess is they’ll take a bigger, more athletic girl with mediocre lacrosse skills from the west versus an average athlete who plays on an elite team on the east coast- with all other things being equal of course (work ethic, grades, family, lacorsse IQ etc)

[Anonymous]

Ever hear the saying "you can't teach tall"? It's that (plus strong and/or fast).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Coaches believe they can project a player’s ceiling. My guess is they’ll take a bigger, more athletic girl with mediocre lacrosse skills from the west versus an average athlete who plays on an elite team on the east coast- with all other things being equal of course (work ethic, grades, family, lacorsse IQ etc)

A larger, stronger, or more athletic player would obviously be considered more desirable than one with average athleticism. Geography would not appear to be a relevant factor in this calculation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coaches believe they can project a player’s ceiling. My guess is they’ll take a bigger, more athletic girl with mediocre lacrosse skills from the west versus an average athlete who plays on an elite team on the east coast- with all other things being equal of course (work ethic, grades, family, lacorsse IQ etc)

A larger, stronger, or more athletic player would obviously be considered more desirable than one with average athleticism. Geography would not appear to be a relevant factor in this calculation.

It actually is very relevant. You are far more likely to find a kid on the east coast that has been playing since they were 5 or 6 as opposed to further out west. Typically, coaches deem players that started later as kids with higher ceilings. They also are less likely to burn out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coaches believe they can project a player’s ceiling. My guess is they’ll take a bigger, more athletic girl with mediocre lacrosse skills from the west versus an average athlete who plays on an elite team on the east coast- with all other things being equal of course (work ethic, grades, family, lacorsse IQ etc)

A larger, stronger, or more athletic player would obviously be considered more desirable than one with average athleticism. Geography would not appear to be a relevant factor in this calculation.

It actually is very relevant. You are far more likely to find a kid on the east coast that has been playing since they were 5 or 6 as opposed to further out west. Typically, coaches deem players that started later as kids with higher ceilings. They also are less likely to burn out.

I agree a coach might be willing to take a gamble on an exceptional athlete with upside, but all else being equal—athleticism, work ethic, grades, family, lacrosse IQ—a highly skilled player would be chosen over someone who still needs years to develop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coaches believe they can project a player’s ceiling. My guess is they’ll take a bigger, more athletic girl with mediocre lacrosse skills from the west versus an average athlete who plays on an elite team on the east coast- with all other things being equal of course (work ethic, grades, family, lacorsse IQ etc)

A larger, stronger, or more athletic player would obviously be considered more desirable than one with average athleticism. Geography would not appear to be a relevant factor in this calculation.

It actually is very relevant. You are far more likely to find a kid on the east coast that has been playing since they were 5 or 6 as opposed to further out west. Typically, coaches deem players that started later as kids with higher ceilings. They also are less likely to burn out.

Excluding Steps and Alliance, which are established California clubs active on the East Coast tournament circuit, only 2 girls (3 if you throw a bone to Syracuse) from California and its 40 million people were recruited to top 10 D1 programs in the 2026 class, and one of these was from Atherton and will attend Stanford. What you are saying could be happening, but it is not happening that much.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone gone through the process for Div3 recently? My dd is interested in smaller schools but from her club and high school, most girls who have played recently have gone to div 1 or 2, so she is having trouble finding local girls to chat with.

[Anonymous]

Our recruiting director once said the following.

Coaches evaluate kids on 3 things

1) Size
2) Speed
3) Everything else (Stick skills, lax IQ)

If you want to play for a top 20 team, you need to be elite in one of these thing and very good in another.

In other words, if you have average size and speed, going to a top program is going to be tough regardless of your lax specific talent.

Tons of coaches will take a chance for a strong fast kid who may be behind in lax specific skills.

[Anonymous]

For those getting into the journey I have many takeaways but here are two. And these are just my observations, opinions and experience. Understand others may disagree.

1. Be a ball hog. You will be told constantly you have to stand out to get recruited. This is so true. So if you are on offense hog the ball because that is the way to stand out in nonstop games coaches watch. DD was told the opposite but my observation is that ball hogs get recruited not team players. Coaches most of the time aren’t looking to see how great you are off ball. And if you’re a diva they don’t care if you score.

2. Push your kid and lead the way. We were told that the player should lead the journey. My experience is that most (not all) kids who did well recruiting had parents who pushed them hard all the time and were in the drivers seat for recruiting. They did the video. Pushed nonstop playing and visibility. Handled their emails and social media. Talked to the coaches all the time (politely). Coaches say it should be the player but if the player is good they will put up with pretty much anything even though it’s annoying to them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those getting into the journey I have many takeaways but here are two. And these are just my observations, opinions and experience. Understand others may disagree.

1. Be a ball hog. You will be told constantly you have to stand out to get recruited. This is so true. So if you are on offense hog the ball because that is the way to stand out in nonstop games coaches watch. DD was told the opposite but my observation is that ball hogs get recruited not team players. Coaches most of the time aren’t looking to see how great you are off ball. And if you’re a diva they don’t care if you score.


Agree. A lot of coaches preach teamwork and unselfishness, but they gravitate towards ball hogs when they are out recruiting players.

[Anonymous]

I wish I could say you were exaggerating. But I can tell you being the "team player" does not bode well for high level recruiting.

I'm sure as the D2 and D3 colleges start to fill rosters, the team player concept might come in to play.

But if you want D1 coaches to notice you, you're going to have to be selfish.

[Anonymous]

Hate to say this is true but it is. Ball hogs particularly at camps win the day. If your player takes time to “warm up” to the idea of dominating at camp tell them to snap out of it. Coaches want to see you stand out asap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those getting into the journey I have many takeaways but here are two. And these are just my observations, opinions and experience. Understand others may disagree.

1. Be a ball hog. You will be told constantly you have to stand out to get recruited. This is so true. So if you are on offense hog the ball because that is the way to stand out in nonstop games coaches watch. DD was told the opposite but my observation is that ball hogs get recruited not team players. Coaches most of the time aren’t looking to see how great you are off ball. And if you’re a diva they don’t care if you score.

2. Push your kid and lead the way. We were told that the player should lead the journey. My experience is that most (not all) kids who did well recruiting had parents who pushed them hard all the time and were in the drivers seat for recruiting. They did the video. Pushed nonstop playing and visibility. Handled their emails and social media. Talked to the coaches all the time (politely). Coaches say it should be the player but if the player is good they will put up with pretty much anything even though it’s annoying to them.

#1 is true for A/M. Not for D/G. For goalies especially, being a team player (hustle, communication, etc.) is what yields offers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those getting into the journey I have many takeaways but here are two. And these are just my observations, opinions and experience. Understand others may disagree.

1. Be a ball hog. You will be told constantly you have to stand out to get recruited. This is so true. So if you are on offense hog the ball because that is the way to stand out in nonstop games coaches watch. DD was told the opposite but my observation is that ball hogs get recruited not team players. Coaches most of the time aren’t looking to see how great you are off ball. And if you’re a diva they don’t care if you score.

2. Push your kid and lead the way. We were told that the player should lead the journey. My experience is that most (not all) kids who did well recruiting had parents who pushed them hard all the time and were in the drivers seat for recruiting. They did the video. Pushed nonstop playing and visibility. Handled their emails and social media. Talked to the coaches all the time (politely). Coaches say it should be the player but if the player is good they will put up with pretty much anything even though it’s annoying to them.

#1 is true for A/M. Not for D/G. For goalies especially, being a team player (hustle, communication, etc.) is what yields offers.

Coaches love to see athletic defenders who not only can cause turnovers but can start a fast break. They love to see defenders who can easily outrun fast middies along the sidelines. Even better, they love to see defenders with both the stick skills and athleticism to run through re-defending middies and securely carry the ball up the middle of the field. In a showcase, they will remember you for those highlights, and they tend to discount mistakes (if occasional) because you didn't do the right thing because you tried to stand out.

[Anonymous]

Ivys are also a little different. You can sometimes nab a late offer with excellent academics once a coach has filled their admission preference slots (which vary per school and some have fewer), so they're looking to fill the last 1-2 slots (especially in a big class) with a kid who doesn't need admission preference to get in. They'll get an early read for admissions and then reach out 2-3 weeks later than for the admission preference slots.