I would caution against equating early commitments with being a better player. That perception can put unnecessary pressure on a player to make a hasty decision.
While it makes sense that top schools will offer their top guys early… I think its better to encourage the kids to take their time with the process. Take visits to multiple schools, even multiple visits to the top schools on your list as you narrow it down.
No matter when you commit, everyone will arrive on campus the same day (and at the bottom of the team “pecking order”)
Other than bragging rights, not much value to jumping on an offer unless it was your absolute first choice and you have done your due diligence on the school, the lacrosse program and the coach. It is a very stressful and difficult process for high school junior to manage, the more time they can spend evaluating their options, the better. While some may think that it is better to just get the commitment over with early, the truth is that the stress is still there until you kid signs a NLI (if they are going the D1 route). The college they commit to will be constantly tracking them throughout the year. There were several D1 commits on my son's team, and the college coaches attended many games this past summer. While it is unlikely that a school would pull an offer, the thought is always in the back of your head.
