@BackOfTheCAGE
For those that have been through this already;

Trying to keep my myself and daughter on firm ground, not in the "clouds".

As a middle schooler, entering high school next year, our daughter is a VERY SOLID player, not the stud of the team (on either school or travel teams).

We expect that she will continue as a very solid player and NOT be recruited as the next "big thing" and receive a full scholarship to a D! school. Maybe she will be offered a little money for lax??? Maybe a little for academics??? NOT COUNTING ON EITHER.

Her grades are exceptional, and she is fully rounded....

I do expect that because of Lax, and her grades she will have the opportunity to choose from many top colleges.....and that we can expect to foot the bill for these schools (we are ok with that).

My main question/issue is, What happens to a kid like this that is accepted to a top school based on grades and lacrosse ability (no lax scholarship $), that decides at some point that they want to pursue academics and additional social activities and no longer wishes to play lax? If there is no lax $, is this an issue?

I hear that you can only do two of the following three things well in college;

1)Academics,
2)Athletics or
3) Social activities. That it is absolutely unreasonable to think that you can do all three equally well.

Looking for thoughts from those parents that have been through this already.

Thank you

If there's no lax money, if he/she quits lax then I don't see any issue.

I have an older child who played a D1 sport and she and some of her teammates did very well athletically, socially and academically. It's very doable. I'd say it's kid-dependent though. You know some kids are going to go whole hog socially and everything else will suffer.

Talk to the athletic dept or the coach, some stress academics (my daughter's school did) and some will let you know in so many words that the athletics come first. I know a d1 lax boy who had to quit the team because a required class for his major (senior year) conflicted with the practice schedule so the coach made him choose.
I would think if you are accepted into a lacrosse program in a a top notch college it was because the coach plans on your daughter being a part of the team. Even if there isn't any scholarship funds for lacrosse, and even though her grades got her there as well, I would think it was a combination of both, and that she would not have arrived there other wise. I would think she has an obligation to be committed to playing lacrosse or move on, I don't think it would be fair to the coach if she quit as he or she could have given the opportunity to someone who wants to play. Why don't you ask the coach and then you will definitely have your answer.
Originally Posted by Anonymous
I would think if you are accepted into a lacrosse program in a a top notch college it was because the coach plans on your daughter being a part of the team. Even if there isn't any scholarship funds for lacrosse, and even though her grades got her there as well, I would think it was a combination of both, and that she would not have arrived there other wise. I would think she has an obligation to be committed to playing lacrosse or move on, I don't think it would be fair to the coach if she quit as he or she could have given the opportunity to someone who wants to play. Why don't you ask the coach and then you will definitely have your answer.


Attrition is part of the team landscape for a variety of reasons. Ask the coach? Why not just shoot yourself in the foot?

But I do agree that if the kid is on the fence about playing collegiate there should be more thought put into the decision. No point in wasting everyone's time.
© US Lacrosse Community Forum