College Lacrosse Recruiting Series: Lacrosse Networking

Photo from the 1983 championship game, the first one for SU. Right, Hopkins Hall of famer John Detomasso covering SU's Tim Nelson left.  

As compared to my days as a high school player, today recruiting camps create high pressure scenario for very young high school freshmen and sophomore athletes. The sad reality is if you don’t have coaches showing you love (letters, emails, phone calls, etc) by your junior year, you are not on the anybodies admission support or scholarship radar. The other thing is you never know who is watching you so give your best effort during practice, at camps, summer league games, leagues games, etc. Coaches use their networks of friends, coaches, players, and alum to evaluate a player as well as alumni. As in my own case, many players that have come through Syracuse over the years were spotted obscure venues and recruited in non-traditional way by members of the Syracuse network that like most universities is extensive. For example, I contact the SU coaching staff when I see talented players because I want them to help Syracuse to continue to win national championships! Hopkins, UNC, and Cornell alum do the same thing and they should. Coaches generally trust the recommendation of alum because they have come through the system and know what it will take to play at a Syracuse. I’ve also had the experience of people contacting me to get my endorsement and help and give them an honest assessment of their ability and if I can help them. Any lacrosse player who has played in college can do that for you. I suggest programs other than Syracuse where a player can have an enjoyable college lacrosse experience. There is a place in college for most people play including some great Club teams at major universities like Michigan and the University of Texas etc. If a player is Syracuse material I will tell them so.