Real Question - I have been getting a bunch of emails about College Prospect Camps, for parents that have gone through this before is this a good way to be really seen by those coach's or is it just another money grab? Thanks.
Great question. For the uninformed, you or your kid may think he is being recruited because he received the email. It is more likely the school got your email from a prior registration of a tournament that your club team played. Prospect days are a good way for a school to see your son play but don't just go there without having ever contacted the coach before. Your son should send an email with as much details as possible e.g. why he is interested in the school,grades, honors, what events he will be at in addition to the prospect day and highlight video. Unless your kids is an absolute stud the coaching staff will need to see your son play 4-5 times to get a good feeling for him as a player. That said, it is a money grab but only because it helps to supplement the assistant coaches income which can be as little as nothing. My personal opinion is only go to the ones you absolutely know he would want to go to school and play lacrosse. Don't do them too early which means you should go the summer before his junior year in HS if you want to have the most impact. You can do 1-2 earlier than that if you have the time and resources just to get a feel for the process. Prospect days are like 1 day showcases and can be hit or miss. We have been to ones where there is only one FOGO and the other teams offense barely gets the ball. You can also have situations where there are no lefty attack or 3 lefty attack. Be prepared for anything and have your son play true to his game as coaches will notice the flashy play but are really after the player that shows what he can do away from the ball and how he reacts after he makes a mistake. Does your son go after the ball or put his head down. Apologies for long winded explanation and others may differ in their opinion but this has been what I have seen over the past few years. Good luck.
