Over the last decade as a college coach, one of the most common questions I've received from recruits, parents, and coaches is: "What do college coaches actually look for in a recruit?"
On a recent First Class Lacrosse Podcast, Scott Stuber shared an interesting perspective from the film industry. When casting a movie, producers aren’t simply looking for the best actor available - they’re looking for the right fit for specific roles and their vision.
Lacrosse recruiting is very similar. Coaches aren’t always looking for the best player available - they’re looking for the right fit for their roster. While every program values different things, there are several traits that consistently stand out during the summer recruiting process.
What always stands out to me are those who can be multidimensional with and without the ball. What you can do with the ball on offense, or covering the ball on defense is relatively simple to evaluate as a college coach.
What becomes more complex is the off-ball piece. What is your skill set off-ball? Personally, I want to find offensive players who have excellent posture, love attacking open space, and can communicate and flow with their teammates. Defensively, I look for players with great posture, a low pad level, strong communication skills, and the vision and knack to knock down or threaten passing lanes.
Your ability to make great decisions will stand out to coaches as well. Your shot selection and feed selection are important evaluation tools for coaches. I’ve always walked away from games in the summer thinking more about the decisions a player made than how many goals they scored.
When I look at decision-making on defense, I think about slide-recognition. If a defender can recognize when to slide or when to hedge (fake slide), you’re going to stand out to coaches.
The decisions a goalie makes in the clearing game, and a faceoff specialist makes after the clamp, are vital to evaluations as well. It’s not just about saves or faceoff wins.
One of the former head coaches I worked under would always tell families that the first thing he looked for on the field was “Hands & Feet.” Basically, he meant he was looking for athletes first and foremost. One of the terms I use consistently in what I look for offensively is players with “shake.” To me, shake is the bounce and explosiveness a player has on their initial dodge.
When I see players with great shake, I associate it with their athleticism. I can envision that same player making plays in the slot as a receiver in football or off the dribble in basketball. While the lacrosse skill-set is critical, athletic traits can give coaches more confidence in a player’s ceiling over the course of their college career.
I emphasize under pressure because that's what ultimately translates to game performance. What does your stickwork look like when you have to escape a slide and make a play? Offensive players who can bounce, escape pressure with either hand, and continue the offense always stand out to me because they create opportunities for their teammates. Defensemen who can roll away to their off-hand in the clearing game or escape pressure out of a ground-ball scrum stand out as well.
As coaches, we're looking for players who can maintain crisp, consistent stickwork when the game gets difficult. Lots of players can make plays without pressure. The players who stand out are the ones who can execute when pressure arrives.
One of my favorite coaching quotes is from college football coach Chip Kelly, who said, “Wherever you’re coaching or playing right now is the Big Time.” You want coaches to trust that you'll compete the same way in a high school playoff game as you will on a hot day in Maryland during your third game of the day.
Ground balls, riding effort, and competing for possessions are often the plays that reveal a player's true competitive edge. Those habits don't become important in college—they're important right now, and college coaches are evaluating them every time they watch you play.
Something I’ve always noticed during the summer circuit is the clear difference between those who are focused and want to be coached versus those who are distracted. When I’m coaching at a camp or showcase, the player who stood out on the field with his skill set often stands out again when he’s at the front of the huddle, attentive to what coaches are teaching.
One of the best traits you can have is curiosity. As a coach, you know that the players who embrace coaching and seek feedback are those who are likely to continue to improve once they reach the next level.
Your mindset after both great plays and bad plays is something coaches can evaluate from the sidelines. Summer recruiting events involve a high volume of games, and with that comes the opportunity to form habits. Your ability to move forward, control your emotions, and maintain consistent effort is an intangible that coaches notice.
OFF THE FIELD EVALUATION
Your grades are going to allow coaches to understand if it’s realistic to recruit you or not. The better your grades are, the more flexibility you give yourself and the schools recruiting you. When identify a player to move forward with, it’s always better when a recruit is organized with his transcripts, test scores, etc. so that we can be efficient in the admissions process.
Your interactions matter. Showing respect for your high school or club coach, and your teammates on the sideline and on the field, is something that can stand out to a coach. How you interact with others is a daily habit that will transfer to the next level.
Lacrosse recruiting is a much smaller world than most people realize. As coaches, we’re going to speak with club and high school coaches we trust. Your relationships, both as an individual and as a family, become part of your reputation during the recruiting process.
Your social media should reflect someone that a college coach will be proud to bring into their program, not something they should be worried about. Be mindful about what is out there on your social media, it matters greatly.
As coaches, we are constantly evaluating highlight tapes. Put your best plays early in the highlight! Coaches are looking for what your identity is as a player early on in the highlight. Try to present the best version of that to coaches.
consistency
Summer recruiting isn’t about making a few highlight plays. You want to show coaches that you’ve established consistency with these traits over the course of an entire event, weekend and summer circuit.
Ultimately, while you can’t always control what every college program is looking for, you can control the qualities that will give you the best opportunity to stand out to coaches.
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