Anonymous
12/08/2025 07:43
Subject: Recruiting for athletics...how does it work?
Anonymous wrote:Going through it this year with my 8th grade lacrosse player... plays on a good club team and a national team.
In one case, HS coach has been at regional tournaments watching and evaluating high skilled players. For another school, my kid had gone to their summer lax camp more than once and the coach was familiar with them. For another school, the coach reached out to me from word-of-mouth of another parent of a lax player that already attends the school. However, I then followed up by sharing film of my kid for them to review.
In all three cases, the coaches invited us on a personal tour of the school that lasted between 1-2 hours. The conversations were focused on academics and partially on lacrosse. Most of the coaches suggested they had strong influence with the admissions office, but my child still needed to have decent grades and not bomb the HSPT.
The exam just took place and we don't yet know the results but my child was prepared and believes they did well.
While none of the schools are a lock, having this connection for sure gives the impression that it's a strong step up from a general applicant in a similar but not recruited situation.
Like college…the sport matters. Coaches have more leeway with basketball and football with respect to grades and HSPT scores at the top athletic WCAC schools.
Anonymous
12/08/2025 07:30
Subject: Recruiting for athletics...how does it work?
Different leagues have different rules around when a coach can contact a family and some schools follow that more closely than others. At our school, family needs to make the first contact and the AD does a pretty good job holding coaches to that. At others, not so much
Anonymous
12/08/2025 07:21
Subject: Recruiting for athletics...how does it work?
Going through it this year with my 8th grade lacrosse player... plays on a good club team and a national team.
In one case, HS coach has been at regional tournaments watching and evaluating high skilled players. For another school, my kid had gone to their summer lax camp more than once and the coach was familiar with them. For another school, the coach reached out to me from word-of-mouth of another parent of a lax player that already attends the school. However, I then followed up by sharing film of my kid for them to review.
In all three cases, the coaches invited us on a personal tour of the school that lasted between 1-2 hours. The conversations were focused on academics and partially on lacrosse. Most of the coaches suggested they had strong influence with the admissions office, but my child still needed to have decent grades and not bomb the HSPT.
The exam just took place and we don't yet know the results but my child was prepared and believes they did well.
While none of the schools are a lock, having this connection for sure gives the impression that it's a strong step up from a general applicant in a similar but not recruited situation.
In one case, HS coach has been at regional tournaments watching and evaluating high skilled players. For another school, my kid had gone to their summer lax camp more than once and the coach was familiar with them. For another school, the coach reached out to me from word-of-mouth of another parent of a lax player that already attends the school. However, I then followed up by sharing film of my kid for them to review.
In all three cases, the coaches invited us on a personal tour of the school that lasted between 1-2 hours. The conversations were focused on academics and partially on lacrosse. Most of the coaches suggested they had strong influence with the admissions office, but my child still needed to have decent grades and not bomb the HSPT.
The exam just took place and we don't yet know the results but my child was prepared and believes they did well.
While none of the schools are a lock, having this connection for sure gives the impression that it's a strong step up from a general applicant in a similar but not recruited situation.
Anonymous
12/06/2025 07:37
Subject: Recruiting for athletics...how does it work?
Anonymous wrote:The coaches for high schools are coaches for travel teams.
They know the talent
Or they play against the talent in games or tournaments.
Anonymous
12/06/2025 07:34
Subject: Recruiting for athletics...how does it work?
My son plays baseball and I’ve seen local scouts at the higher level tournaments at patriot park.
Anonymous
12/06/2025 02:12
Subject: Recruiting for athletics...how does it work?
Call us crazy… When applying, we simply asked for the admissions team to please introduce us to the coach.
An email exchange became a phone call became a meet up. Some video was also provided by us.
Then child was accepted. If tour child is talented, don’t be shy. But do be humble. Coaches like kids who are coachable and parents who stay politely in their lane.
An email exchange became a phone call became a meet up. Some video was also provided by us.
Then child was accepted. If tour child is talented, don’t be shy. But do be humble. Coaches like kids who are coachable and parents who stay politely in their lane.
Anonymous
12/05/2025 16:44
Subject: Recruiting for athletics...how does it work?
If you're on a high enough travel team it also says a lot.
For girl's soccer this would be ECNL-1 level teams. For baseball it's whatever the top clubs of the moment is (which tend to switch around every few years) but most are not even in the DMV. For basketball it's various AAU teams (i know nothing about this).
Basically athletes have value to high schools when they can: 1)play on their rosters 2)become college recruits. There are only certain elite teams/leagues for each sport that are going to produce college offers. Hence the high school wants players on these teams/in these leagues.
For girl's soccer this would be ECNL-1 level teams. For baseball it's whatever the top clubs of the moment is (which tend to switch around every few years) but most are not even in the DMV. For basketball it's various AAU teams (i know nothing about this).
Basically athletes have value to high schools when they can: 1)play on their rosters 2)become college recruits. There are only certain elite teams/leagues for each sport that are going to produce college offers. Hence the high school wants players on these teams/in these leagues.
Anonymous
12/05/2025 14:49
Subject: Recruiting for athletics...how does it work?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The coaches for high schools are coaches for travel teams.
They know the talent
Basically this. Or they have contacts with travel teams or the high end sports teams (thinking football) and communicate with the coaches and directors of said sports.
Most parents with kids on travel teams are well aware what coaches coach on what travel teams.
In cases where the travel team coach is also a high school coach at a particular school, it's easy.
But where there isn't this kind of direct relationship, oaches at high schools may not see the travel team coaches as completely trustworthy as they have an interest in getting their players (customers) into the local privates especially as athletic recruits. So, the high school coaches may not believe everything they are told.
This is sometimes a longer-term symbiotic relationship between the two coaches. And in that case the travel team coach's recommendation may have weight.
Anonymous
12/05/2025 09:57
Subject: Recruiting for athletics...how does it work?
All sorts of ways:
Relationships with coaches of youth programs. ("Who do you have that you would recommend to us?")
Relationships with certain Middle schools where these schools tell high school athletic coaches who they have that has exceptional level of skill.
For decades Youth football programs like Maplewood in Bethesda has sent a range of players to Gonzaga, Prep, St Johns, etc)
Inputs from parents, alums, boosters who see talented kids who play with their kids on youth teams. (These people may also talk to you and encourage you to investigate a school or apply) This effectively skirts the "No First Contact" rule that Conferences have.
Catholic high schools have 8th grade CYO basketball tournaments in their gyms which allows them to see a large group of potential applicants.
Relationships with coaches of youth programs. ("Who do you have that you would recommend to us?")
Relationships with certain Middle schools where these schools tell high school athletic coaches who they have that has exceptional level of skill.
For decades Youth football programs like Maplewood in Bethesda has sent a range of players to Gonzaga, Prep, St Johns, etc)
Inputs from parents, alums, boosters who see talented kids who play with their kids on youth teams. (These people may also talk to you and encourage you to investigate a school or apply) This effectively skirts the "No First Contact" rule that Conferences have.
Catholic high schools have 8th grade CYO basketball tournaments in their gyms which allows them to see a large group of potential applicants.
Anonymous
12/05/2025 08:58
Subject: Recruiting for athletics...how does it work?
Many schools have summer camps that are open to the public - going to one of the sports camps is a way to audition for the coaches.
Anonymous
12/04/2025 15:37
Subject: Recruiting for athletics...how does it work?
Anonymous wrote:The coaches for high schools are coaches for travel teams.
They know the talent
This.
Anonymous
12/04/2025 14:41
Subject: Recruiting for athletics...how does it work?
Anonymous wrote:The coaches for high schools are coaches for travel teams.
They know the talent
Basically this. Or they have contacts with travel teams or the high end sports teams (thinking football) and communicate with the coaches and directors of said sports.
Most parents with kids on travel teams are well aware what coaches coach on what travel teams.
Anonymous
12/04/2025 14:40
Subject: Recruiting for athletics...how does it work?
For basketball, there are AAU tournaments that coaches know to attend and also some of the top basketball coaches run travel programs that go down to the 12u age.
For baseball, if you are a decent player, you reach out to the high school coach and write up a summary…height and weight, what 13u/14u travel team you were on, if a pitcher your speeds, provide video links, etc. If you look good on paper, the coach will ask for your travel schedule and then usually try to make it to a local tournament game (where he may also identify other prospects on his own).
For baseball, if you are a decent player, you reach out to the high school coach and write up a summary…height and weight, what 13u/14u travel team you were on, if a pitcher your speeds, provide video links, etc. If you look good on paper, the coach will ask for your travel schedule and then usually try to make it to a local tournament game (where he may also identify other prospects on his own).
Anonymous
12/04/2025 14:25
Subject: Recruiting for athletics...how does it work?
The coaches for high schools are coaches for travel teams.
They know the talent
They know the talent
Anonymous
12/04/2025 14:22
Subject: Recruiting for athletics...how does it work?
Sincere question. Do HS coaches hang out at little league games and soccer fields on Saturday mornings and look out for literal children who stand out? I know it happens somehow (standout athletes being recruited to schools at young ages) but I can't imagine how the actual process works. I don't have kids who I think are worthy of recruitment (yet, too young), that's not what this is about. Genuinely curious how it happens.