The college recruitment process represents the culmination of the hard work and dedication put forth by a young athlete throughout his or her middle and high school years. Although the process is extremely exciting, the thought of choosing a college can be quite overwhelming, as there are several factors to consider, both athletically and academically. Furthermore, there are many rules and regulations put forth by the NCAA, such as when an athlete can begin to speak with college coaches and when coaches can begin contacting recruits via email or phone.
To help athletes and parents better understand the process, FLG hosted its inaugural recruiting night at LIU post on December 18, 2013. There, a panel of ten FLG alumni, who currently attend Division I, II, III and MCLA schools, discussed their personal recruiting experiences, answered questions and offered valuable advice to a crowd of over 250 people.
“College decision-making is more than just choosing what coach you will play for or what jersey you will wear. It is important to talk to former student-athletes with first-hand experience to gain further insight,” said Corey Winkoff, program director of FLG Lacrosse.
The panel answered various questions about lacrosse, college programs, the decision-making process, recruitment and much more. Parents and players listened as each panelist shared his or her experience. Among them was FLG alumnus and HarvardUniversity sophomore Stephen Jahelka, who gave the audience insight into what to consider when choosing a college.
Jackie Jahelka, Marie Christoforo and Jackie Ferri all spoke on the FLG Alumni Panel during FLG’s Inaugural Recruiting Night
“There were so many factors that weighed on my college decision,” said Jahelka. “Although lacrosse is an important part of the college experience, it is critical to consider a school’s academic programs as well. You want to select a university that suits both your athletic and academic needs.”
Jackie Ferri, FLG alumnus and AmericanUniversity freshman, also shed some light on this topic. “Above all, it is important to find a good balance between your athletic and academic needs. You should never lower your academic standards just to play lacrosse in college,” said Ferri.
The audience also shared their questions and thoughts on the role of college coaches when it comes to recruitment. Aside from sifting through video footage, it is common for college coaches and scouts to attend lacrosse games/tournaments. Players often become nervous and, as a result, do not display their true talent.
“College coaches can sense when you are trying too hard to impress them. Stay calm, trust in your training and, as coaches typically preach, play within yourself,” said David Murphy, junior at Weslyn University.
Following the panel presentation, parents and players were invited to participate in a meet and greet session with an additional 20 FLG alumni. There, they were given the opportunity to talk one-on-one with FLG alumni and ask more in-depth questions about the recruiting process.
“As a high school student, there is so much pressure to choose the right college, team, and academic program,” said Kevin Mack, current FLG player. “Hearing former FLG Select players speak about their experiences really helped me put the process into perspective and gave me better insight into how I should move forward.”
“We enjoyed having our alumni come back to share their experiences and guide our current players along the road to recruiting success,” said Mike Winkoff, FLG Lacrosse president and CEO. “It was great to see the alumni reunite with the FLG Lacrosse family. We had an overwhelming positive response to this event and we are looking forward to making this an annual tradition.”
