Pursuing a College Career

To Help You Get Started
First and foremost, remember:

• NCAA guidelines dictate when coaches can be in contact with athletes - for example, high school students may not be contacted by college coaches until July 1st after their junior year. Refer to www.ncaa.org for more information.
• Coaches are busy! They may not be able to respond or meet with you as quickly as you would like them to. Just because you don't hear from the coach right away does not mean he or she is not interested in you as a player.
• If the team is playing in your area you should go to see them play. This will show you their level of competition and you may even be able to meet and interact with some of the coaches or players.
• Being persistent is one thing, being overbearing is another. Be considerate.

With these in mind, here are some tips to help you get started:

• Make sure to be cleared through the NCAA Clearinghouse.
• Write the coaches. Make sure that you have the correct coach's name, address the letter to the coach and be sure to sign your name. If you have a player profile you may want to include that with the letter.
• Make sure that you indicate what year you are in school.
• Forward season statistics and results from all sports that you play.
• Forward game schedules and invite the coaches to attend.
• Have your games and skills videotaped and available by request, and remember to indicate what number you are wearing (or something else specific to distinguish you from the rest of the team).
• Participate in summer camps offered by colleges in which you are the most interested (see the March issue of Lacrosse Magazine each year for a full listing of camps).

Good Luck and Best Wishes for a Successful Season of Lacrosse!