Empower the Athlete Advisor Blog

 

Many of our lacrosse players and their parents have been asking us about campus visits.  How do we plan a trip?  What colleges should we visit?  What do we do when we are there?

Going on campus visits is one of the most important steps of your recruiting process.  It gives you a glimpse into what your college experience will be like, helps prioritize the schools on your college list and crystallizes your lacrosse recruiting goals.  Campus visits come in many forms: unofficial visits, official visits, junior day, attending a game, etc.

Talk to your Athletic Advisor about your specific campus visits, but here are some general items that can help you get the most out of visiting colleges:

Plan In Advance:

For unofficial visits, call the head coach and the admissions office at least two weeks in advance to let them know you are coming to campus. An admissions counselor can tell you the dates and times for campus tours, information sessions with Q&A, and open house events that are aimed at prospective students that occur a few times each semester. The counselor can also recommend classes to observe, help schedule individual meetings with faculty, provide a campus map, a parking permit and even nearby lodging.

When to go:

The best time to visit is on a weekday in the fall or spring semester – not too close to the beginning of the semester and definitely not during finals week. That way, you’ll see students and teachers going about their regular routines. For some families, however, a weekend, summer, or winter break visit may be easier to schedule. While you obviously won’t see an average day during those off times, you can still get a sense of the campus and the area. On a blitz tour of schools in a particular region, don’t try to cram in more than two schools a day. It takes at least a half day to get an accurate feel for a campus.

Before Your Visit:

Before your arrival, learn everything you can about the school. Read the school catalog and browse its website. Think of questions to ask that are not answered in published materials. In other words, don’t ask, “How many students go to school here?” Instead, ask questions such as “What percentage of incoming freshman graduate in four years?” and “What resources are available for students who may need extra help in a particular class?”

Decide beforehand what’s important to you – anything from a strong business program to on-campus housing to a main quad for students to gather. Make a list of priorities with your Athletic Advisor and parents and investigate them during your visit. Keep notes and try to ask the same questions at each school so that you have a means to compare them against each other.

What to Do on Campus:

Here is a list of a things you should definitely do while on campus:

Begin your visit with an information session and a campus tour. This way, you will be able to have a better feel for the school and be able to ask the coaches more thoughtful questions when you meet with them afterwards.

Sit in on a class.

Check out the dorms.

Eat in the cafeteria.

Read the bulletin boards.

Meet a faculty member and the coach.

See the athletic facilities.

Read the student newspaper.

Visit the library. You will be spending a lot of time here.

Remember to check out the surrounding campus, too. What restaurants, stores, and recreation attractions are nearby? How close is the bus or train station? Think about what you’d need to live around there. A bike? A car? Warmer clothes?

If you visit with your parents, split up at some point so that you can roam the campus alone for a taste of what it would be like on your own in this new place. Parents can use this time to meet with the financial aid officer or grab a coffee at the student union.

Learning about the Lacrosse Program:

Make sure to check out the athletic facilities. This includes the game field, the practice field, the locker room and, depending on the school, the athletes-only cafeteria, weight room, and academic support resources. Do they excite you? If you can, watch the team practice or play a game, and see if you can visualize yourself as a member of this team. How does the coach interact with his players? For more information about evaluating a specific lacrosse program, speak with your Athletic Advisor.

Interviews:

For high school seniors, some schools offer an interview with an admissions counselor as part of the campus visit. When you call the admissions office, ask if a personal interview is an option. If possible, schedule the interview on a different day than your initial visit to campus. At the very least, try to schedule the interview at the end of the day. This allows you to collect more information about the school, why you want to go there, why the school should want you there, and ask more intelligent questions.

If you have an interview, don’t be nervous. The interview is mostly just a chance for you to ask questions of a school official and show you are interested. It’s also an opportunity to make a positive impression on someone who may decide to go to bat for you in the application process, so make sure you are prepared, respectful, and ask lots of questions. You may want to practice for the interview with your parents, friend, or Athletic Advisor.

Keep a Notebook Just for College Visits:

Take notes while you’re on campus, jotting down the name of the dorm you walked through, the class you visited, the names of professors and students you met. This allows you to follow up with them if you have any specific questions as you continue your due diligence in the months to come.

After each visit, write down your impressions – what you did and did not like about the school. If you complete an extensive college search, the campuses, academic programs and athletics programs may blur together if you don’t document your impressions and information you collect. You can even take pictures to help you remember each campus months later when you’re deciding where to apply. The pictures can inspire you when writing your application. Make sure to write thank-you notes to any school official or coach you met with individually.

A Few Warning Signs:

Most college coaches have your best interest at heart. However, you should be aware of improper recruiting tactics. Think twice if a coach does any of the following:

Tells you that your scholarship commitment is four or five years. Even though most coaches will renew your scholarship each year, they can only promise it one year at a time.

Promises playing time or a starting position.

Guarantees you an easy academic schedule and shows little interest in you as a student.

Puts you in a contact with a booster from the athletic department.

Speaks negatively about other colleges you’re considering

Offers you a monetary inducement, including college shirts or souvenirs. Be sure to speak with your high school coach if you are concerned about any awkward situation. Do not jeopardize your eligibility by ignoring an incident or sweeping it under the rug.

 

This is a reminder that July 1 has recently passed and D1 college coaches can now contact you. Be prepared!

Have your answers to common questions already mapped out. This is an opportunity for coaches to begin getting to know you on a more personal level.

Be honest with your answers and let the coach know how you feel. Be comfortable talking about both athletics and academics. This is also an opportunity for you to gain valuable knowledge about them and their program. Have questions ready to ask in return. ETA’s scripts for talking to coaches on the phone

Virginia goalie Lauren Benner answers all your most important questions about summer camps and tournaments.

1. What’s the appropriate follow up with coaches after camp? E-mail coaches within the first couple of days after returning from a camp. Let them know how much you enjoyed the camp and specifics on what you learned and thought you improved on while attending. If you met and enjoyed a certain one of the team’s players mention how much you benefited from working with that specific player. This is also a good opportunity to let the coach know your upcoming tournament schedule if it applies and tell them how you can’t wait to see them again soon.

2. How do you become a better player and improve your skills at camp? Be open to learning. You have skilled players and coaches helping you at these camps. After a session if there is still something you don’t understand or something you want to work on, ask someone to give you a little one on one attention. Just a couple of minutes of attention can make a difference in you kind of understanding a concept or you dominating it. In between session right down things that you learned, drills that you think can help you in the future and other information you received and find valuable. It is so important that you do not forget what you have learned. By doing this you will be able to go back and pick and choose which techniques you liked or what drills you can work on to help a specific area of your game. After a couple of camps you will have pages of information you can refer back to. This can really make a difference in improving your game.

3. Is it too late to add additional camps or tournaments to my summer schedule? Look at your schedule. You don’t want to get burned out but if you feel you can handle the time commitment and that it will benefit you in exposing yourself to coaches go ahead and take advantage of the opportunity. The normal number of camps high school student-athletes trying to be recruited should attend are between somewhere between 2 to 5 camps. (2 being the minimum and 5 being the maximum.) Choose camps wisely based on what schools you are looking at and what other schools will be attending the camp. Camps are also a great way to get to know the team’s players and coaches and also an opportunity to see their campus and surrounding area.

4. Are my recruiting chances at and advantage or disadvantage because of the number of camps I am attending? This really depends on what camps you are attending. You need to look at both your camp and tournament schedule. If there are events that overlap decide which will benefit you more. Take into consideration what coaches will be at each camp or tournament. Talk to people who have attended the camps in the past. You may be looking to go to camps for more educational and skill development purposes rather than exposure purposes. Talking to former camp attendees will help you decide which camps will help in what areas. Also, very importantly and something that can’t be stressed enough is don’t get burned out! You want to perform at your highest level at these camps and you need to be open to learning. In order to do so you need to give yourself time to rest and be involved in something other than lacrosse. If you sign up for eight camps in a summer by the time camp five or six rolls around you probably have exhausted your energy. Camps take a lot of energy. You are up early, going to bed late and playing a lot of lacrosse during the day in some very hot weather. Like said before attending between two and five camps in a summer should give you the right amount of exposure. Talk to you advisor to find the right amount that will maximize your recruiting opportunities.

5. Should I still go to a camp even if I might miss a day? Absolutely. If you are strongly looking at a school but can only attend their camp say two out of the four days e-mail the coach expressing this. Tell them that you would love to come to camp but can only make if for half of the time for an important reason. More than likely coaches may give you a pro-rated camp fee. Also by telling coaches in advance you give them the heads up on what days you will be there so they can focus on looking at you during that time. Coaches will recognize the effort you are putting in to dedicating yourself to their program and the potential you could have as a member of their team.

6. How do I bring up the subject of admissions support or a scholarship to a coach if they have not made an offer yet? This can be an awkward subject to introduce but is a critical one also. You may want to begin by asking some general questions about admissions support or scholarships. For example, how many athletes do you support in admissions? How many athletes on your team are on scholarship? Or do you give out both athletic and academic scholarships to your players? This will give you an idea of how the coach tends to spread out his or her scholarship money. If you are an exceptional student you may want to further the conversation of receiving an academic scholarship from the school rather than an athletic one. You never know, I’ve seen many cases where athletes receive more financial support this way. A good time to bring up scholarship is when you feel you are ready to make a decision as to what school you would like to attend. Do not set your expectations too high but rather work with the coach to receive the best offer. This does not mean you have the right to negotiate but for example if the offer is less than you expected you may want to ask if there will be an opportunity for the amount to go up the next year based on your player development after the first year.

7. When should I commit? What should I say if I don’t want to commit right away? Deciding to commit is a personal choice and you should not feel pressured to do so right away. Weigh your options, talk to important people that are helping you make the decision and imagine your future down the road based on which decision you make. Once a coach makes an offer he or she will more than likely give you a time line as to when they need to know your answer. More than likely coaches will want to know sooner rather than later but feel no need to give an answer right away. Politely express that you would like time to discuss it with your parents and high school coach. College coaches respect this and will allow you to do so. Click here for more information regarding this topic.

8. What happens if I commit and second guess my decision? You may have anxiety whether you made the right decision after you commit to a school. In avoiding this situation it is so important that you explore all options. Talk to your friends, family, coaches and any one else who may be able to give you valuable information on your decision. Visit the campus and meet with player and coaches of the team multiple times so you truly have a fell of what it will be like if you were to attend that school. By taking these precautions you minimize the chances of second guessing your decision. In unique cases however athletes reconsider where they commit to. Be open with your coach. Express that you are having these feeling and they may be able to help for example by inviting you down for another visit. You may get there and have a blast with the team and are able to put aside all ill feeling you were having before. If you do come back from the visit and feel that this is not the school for you must weigh the pro and cons of de-committing. De-committing can hurt your high school and club programs in future recruiting. However, you must think about yourself and do what you think is best for your future. Athletes have done it in the past and more will do so also in the future.

Written by Sara Hairfield.  Please email me with comments or questions at sara@empowertheathlete.com

One of the high school lacrosse players I work with gave her verbal commitment to Harvard last month. As you can imagine, it was a huge accomplishment for her. Her parents and friends are so excited. All of our hard work has paid off!

So how did she get to this point? She did a number of things extremely well.

First, she was dedicated. She worked hard even though she was always busy with school, sports, and life.  She was proactive and took initiative when it came to staying in touch with coaches. She never let a lead die which allowed her to gradually build relationships with coaches.

Second, she was always focused on finding the right fit academically and athletically. She continually reevaluated her top 5 schools based on the major she wants to pursue, the lacrosse program, the school’s reputation, location, and team dynamics.Lastly, she made smart decisions. She worked hard in school and on the field. School remained her number one priority and because of that, she was able to leverage herself as both a great student and excellent lacrosse player (which coaches love!).

Thanks to all of the hard work she put in this year, she will not have to stress about college admissions next fall and will be able to enjoy her senior year.  More importantly though, she will get an amazing college education and make an excellent member of the Crimson Women’s Lacrosse team!

Congratulations Christine!!