Daughter was recruited by several coaches for lacrosse. It’s pretty much one of the main reasons why she decided to apply to boarding schools. Lots of interest has been expressed but when asked if they have definite spots for her on the team we aren’t getting much in the way of answers at this point. Not sure what to make of this. Either they’re no longer interested and have decided it’s just easier to not say anything or maybe they just can’t say anything official til after march 10? Anyone on here who might have some experience with this or some insight? Thanks!
This isn’t college recruiting where students declare their choice before applying, often on a binding basis. At many BS, they can’t talk to students during a certain window.
When you get your decisions next Friday, you can initiate conversations with coaches again. You may want to ask if your D can attend a practice. Perhaps you can attend a game together (which is a wonderful way to connectwithother player parents as well as observethe culture.). I have known students who were invited to join practice on a revisit day. You can ask how tryouts work, how playing time gets worked out, whether - and how - kids play club in the off-season, etc.
But for now, sit tight. You don’t want to be “that parent”!
It can definitely be both and it can also be neither. There is no specific answer. It varies by school, sport, coach, year. Sometimes contact means something, sometimes it doesn’t. Silence doesn’t mean good or bad. Most athletes (99.9%) have to wait until M10 like everyone else to know what it means.
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Interesting. Is that a general boarding school policy? Or just randomly some have that policy? I guess we will just have to wait. Weird though because a few definitely were communicative just a few weeks ago. Oh well we will see how it turns out I guess!
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At most BS there’s no such thing as a guarantee. My kids were both recruited 4 year varsity starters but they had no guarantee coming in in 9th grade - they had to try out like everyone else.
If you’ve heard “your athlete will make an immediate contribution” that’s the closest to a guarantee that Ive heard.
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My understanding WAS that everyone has to try out, but that for recruited kids it’s basically a formality as opposed to kids who weren’t recruited. Maybe it depends on the sport and the school? I could have been totally wrong of course.
My guess nobody will ever make a 100% guarantee and that it is usually a formality. I wouldn’t have kids go into tryouts feeling like is a formality though, that seems like a recipe for not good things.
why no guarantee? What if coach changes? What if a new student shows up and is remarkably good and nobody knew somehow? What if a current JV player spends tons of time this summer getting private coaching and jumps levels of play? (Admittedly the latter 2 are not at all likely, but who knows).
Have you seen the level of play of the teams? If so you can probably judge how much a formality it is…
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There are spots on the team, and a spot in the school on M10.
I’ve never heard a coach guarantee a spot on the team. Everyone has to try out, and that is best for team chemistry. Usually top recruits know where they stand on a team anyway.
As for an admission spot - coaches are generally supposed to be quiet in the time leading up to M10. Also, they often don’t know what admissions will do.
Your coach probably ranked your kid according to their ability and importance to have, and also gave admissions some insight into how likely they felt they could yield the athlete after M10. Sometimes the best athletes are WLd because the school is doubtful they can get them. This is why it is important to communicate one’s interest in a school, if genuine.
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It doesn’t work like college.
I’ve never heard of a kid being promised a spot on a team as part of BS admission. If your sport is quantitative (like T&F, swim, XC) then it’s fairly easy to see where your kid fits in the rankings; but they still have to try out! Team sports its slightly more nuanced.
Assuming that your daughter is a lacrosse player, she will have to try out in Spring as part of Varsity lacrosse tryouts along with everyone else trying to make the team. There are no guarantees. You might be able to get a good idea of where your daughter fits by watching film of past games. You should have your daughter watch a practice to see coach and team dynamics, preferably during a revisit day. You’ll have to be organized though, you’ll only have a couple of weeks once students get back from spring break before April 10th.
Again, assuming you have a lax player, a crucial question is asking the coach how they handle club practices. See if you can talk to a player on the BS team who plays club lacrosse, preferably for the same club as your daughter.
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One question about Lacross team in boarding schools - the season is short with only about less than 20 games. What the athletics do in the off season? I feel it is not enough to keep competitive to play only 20 games per season for a student who wants to get recruited by college.
There’s no such things as an ‘off’ season in boarding school.
Bored kids with nothing to do at BS get into trouble!
Schools have very specific requirements as to extra curricular activities. You may have lacrosse as your main focus where you will be on the Varsity team, but in the fall and winter you get to choose from other options which could include community service, dance, theater, basketball, skiing, cross county or whatever other options the school has.
I have seen a number of schools offer ‘strength and conditioning’ where Varsity athletes work with a school sports trainer on a specific program tailored to your sport, typically in the season leading up to your sport. So if you are a lacrosse player you could do Strength and Conditioning in the winter but would have to choose a different activity for the Fall.
Make sure that you read the school handbook carefully to see what’s allowed. Some schools have requirements for PHYSICAL commitments as well as TEAM commitments.
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Disclaimer: I have no idea how Lacrosse works…this is the perspective of a hockey mom…sharing only because you might want to look into something similar for lacrosse
Most girls who play hockey play on a non-school split-season team in the fall (along with whatever sport they are playing for the school). They have Sunday morning practices and afternoon/evening games. This ends in November when the school season starts. Some go back to continue on to state and national tournaments in March and April, when the school season ends. Spring, most will play lacrosse for the school and others play softball. Again, I have no idea if they have anything similar for lacrosse players, but it might be worth looking intol
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Also want to add…regardless of sport…even though it is a short season, you are playing (games or practices) 6-7 days a week in season.
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I have heard of a student athlete guaranteed a spot as a senior at a HADES school before she even applied. That person is a star player and already recruited by one of the HYPSM as an 11th grader at her local public school.
If your daughter is 2025 (per your handle) it would be hard to see her not on the team if recruited. Junior recruits are expected to step up immediately as they likely only get 1-2 spots with admissions. Sophomores get a few more spots. At a minimum she would be on varsity though playing time less certain. Coaches don’t recruit for JV.
For boys, they had captains practices during the fall and winter. He played a few tournaments in the fall with his club team if the timing worked out. I’m the summer he will return to his club team.
In the fall he did strength training and in winter played another sport
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Yeah this is kind of what I figured. At least initially. I guess maybe there is a certain level of quiet now bc it’s so close to decision time that they just can’t really say much til after next Friday.
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Boys lax you will have captains practices throughout the year. At most BS you will need to play at least 1-2 other sports and often a strength and conditioning “sport” is offered for a season which is great for a lax player or most any other athlete. A lot of kids still belong to their club team or one closer to the BS (often most of the kids on the team can belong to a few of the same ones) that they usually are able to get a ride to practices although tournaments would often be your responsibility. Thus, you are getting your club practice during your lax downtime at BS and then do lax in the spring at the BS. My son is looking forward to doing strength and conditioning and also play perhaps on a 3rds soccer or basketball team to keep on top of his cardio!
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Coaches in the ISL can’t talk to your daughter in the blackout period of F10-M10. Other schools can like in the Lakes Region for NH BS. I am not sure of CT and RI schools however. Coaches should have reached out to your daughter if they were ISL and interested in her to let her know of the blackout period (at least that is what happened in our case). Good luck
Don’t think any of my daughters schools are in ISL from what I can gather online
Once you hear M10 (hopefully have a lot of schools 
to choose from ) you can ask the coaches at each school these questions
We had these types of questions answered by them when we did our visits or by Zoom or email.
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