Lacrosse Recruiting

It can’t start early enough.

No matter how tough a season might be going for a college sports fan’s team, the recruiting process can always bring hope for the future. When a top football player signs his letter of intent in February, he’s just a few short months away from landing on campus. Occasionally, he might even enroll early. Good times are ahead.

The timeline is longer for lacrosse prospects. Now and then, it’s a lot longer. 

It’s not unusual to hear that a high-school freshman has committed to a college program, sometimes before he or she actually plays a minute of high-school lax. Sophomores and juniors routinely pledge their allegiances to big-time teams at the next level, despite that college coaches aren’t allowed to initiate contact with prospects until September of junior year. 

- Advertisement -

But that doesn’t mean they can’t watch—even at the middle-school level—talk to prep and club coaches, and encourage players to call them. “A college coach will reach out to a coach at the high-school or club level and say, ‘Have Joey give me a call tonight at 8 o’clock,’” says Malvern Prep coach John McEvoy. “As long as that kid calls the coach, it’s no holds barred.”

The Main Line provides colleges with plenty of talent, and a lot of players declare their intentions quite early in the process. But just because they’re committed doesn’t mean they’ll be getting a lot of money to attend the school. Division I lax programs (except for the Ivies) have, at most, 12.6 scholarships to divide among 40-50 players. Most freshmen don’t receive any money, and even top seniors are unlikely to get full rides. Contrast that with D-I football and basketball standouts, whose scholarship offers are all full boats. 

Still, the prestige of being committed to a top school helps a high school’s status and gives players security early in their lax careers. Very early. “I think it’s a little early,” says Villanova University coach Michael Corrado, a Wildcats alum who’s now in his 10th year directing the program. “I’m not too sure why it’s happening. Some schools recruit really early. Others wait a little.”

They better not delay too long. Somewhere, there’s a sixth grader ready to announce where he’s going to college.

Our Best of the Main Line Elimination Ballot is open through February 22!