Recruiting is in our DNA and Seattle Starz is your best resource for navigating the process

Make no mistake - getting recruited to play college lacrosse is a process.  It won't happen without a carefully calculated plan.  College coaches don't have the bandwidth to see every player - you must reach out to them.

Starz can show you how. 

The four most important points we want you to understand are:

 

  1. Work hard in the classroom and study hard for the SATs / ACTs.The better your grades and the higher your board scores, the more schools that can recruit you. The more schools that can recruit you, the more options you have. The more options you have, the less stressful the recruiting process will be.

 

  1. Be realistic about your ability. The number of players that play at the top Division 1 schools is a very small percentage of the number of college lacrosse players across Division I, Division II, Division III and MCLA (club). Being realistic about your ability from the beginning will make the recruiting process a lot less stressful and ultimately more rewarding.

 

  1. Do not pick a college just because you can play lacrosse there. Choose a college or university that is a good fit for you academically. Use lacrosse as a vehicle to get you into the best college possible.

 

  1. Be proactive in the recruiting process. Just like anything else, the harder you work, the better your results will be. STARZ can help you with the step-by-step methodology you need to follow to draw the attention of coaches.

RISING FRESHMEN

  • Focus on academics!! Start your high school career off right by doing well in school. When the time comes and you are recruited, grades are VERY important. You can be the best player in the country but with poor grades, top tier academic institutions will not be able to recruit you. By working hard in school, the number of schools able to recruit you increases exponentially, giving you more options.
  • Improve your lacrosse game. Keep a stick in your hand in the off-season and try to play a lot of lacrosse in the summer. Be sure to stay in shape if lacrosse is your only sport. If you are a multi sport athlete, that is terrific. College coaches like well-rounded athletes, but if lacrosse is your main sport, try to hit the wall during the off-season to stay sharp.

RISING SOPHOMORES

  • Continue to work hard in school. Mistakes made sophomore year academically can really hurt your chances of being recruited by top academic institutions. The harder you work in the classroom, the more options you will have when being recruited. You do not want a coach that is interested in your athletic ability to not be able to recruit you because you did not take pride in your academics.
  • Begin thinking about college and what kind of college you are looking for. Do you want a big school? Small school? Eastern, New England? Mid West? Speak to your teachers about schools you are interested in and do research online.
  • Work with STARZ Director Lewis Ratcliff to build an online profile. Profiles typically include your stats, academics, video and contact information.   We can guide you to where to post it for maximum visibility.
  • Create your first highlight video.  Starz can help direct you on what footage to include, what is important to coaches, how to produce high quality production value and where to post it so coaches can view your skills.

RISING JUNIORS

  • Again, keep working hard in school! This year is critical when you are applying to college. Take challenging classes. If you can take Advanced Placement classes, take full advantage.
  • Make a list of 15-20 schools you are interested in. Be realistic about your lacrosse ability. Talk to Coach Ratcliff about what level you should be focusing on. Having a realistic list of target schools will make your life a lot easier when the recruiting season starts. Lacrosse should be used as a vehicle to get you into a better academic institution. Get the best education possible! We cannot stress this enough.
  • College coaches are under a lot of pressure and giving them a convenient way to evaluate your talent increases your odds of being recruited. Instead of just sending a letter / DVD and crossing your fingers, Starz will work with you on your online profile which makes it easy for the coach to see you play and see your grades.
  • We will show you how to gain visibility to where the coaches from the schools you are interested in will be during the summer recruiting season.

RISING SENIORS

  • Create a list of your top 15 choices. Work with Coach Lewis Ratcliff on the best ways to contact coaches.  There is a way to do this for maximum success.
  • If a coach contacts you and you are not interested, tell the coach. Coaches respect honesty.
  • Again, be realistic about your ability. If you are not receiving letters from the top DI schools, do not take it personally. Play hard during the summer and focus on the schools that have shown interest in you. By the end of the summer, you will know where you stand recruiting wise.
  • Update your game video with current footage.   Consider cutting down the game to only the plays you are involved in. Highlight tapes are important to show the coach your most athletic plays, but every coach is interested in seeing how you play over the course of a game. Everyone looks like a star in his or her highlight tape!
  • Study hard for the SAT / ACT. Just like poor grades can keep you from being recruited, poor SAT / ACT scores can close doors from a recruiting standpoint. Do the best you can on these tests.