By: Katie Murphy
For rising juniors in the Class of 2028, the summer is an important time in the college lacrosse recruiting process. Coaches are watching closely at tournaments, camps, and prospect days, and players should be prepared before they step on the field.
You don’t need to have everything figured out, but you should be intentional, organized, and ready to present yourself as a serious student-athlete. The checklist below highlights five steps 2028 lacrosse players should take now to put themselves in the best position to be recruited.
1. Update Your Highlight Video and Player Profiles
Before summer tournaments, camps, and showcases begin, rising juniors should make sure their highlight video and recruiting profiles are current, polished, and easy for college coaches to access.
Summer is a major evaluation window, and coaches often look up players before or after events to decide who they want to watch, contact, or keep tracking. If your information is outdated, you risk making it harder for a coach to consider you. Make sure your player profile is up to date and includes your:
- Club team name
- Jersey number
- Graduation year
- Academic information/GPA
- Event schedule/field information if available
Your highlight video should be current, too. Be sure it includes your best, most recent clips from high school and club play. Focus on game situations that show:
- Speed, athleticism, and effort
- Stick skills and decision-making
- Lacrosse IQ and field awareness
- Position-specific strengths
- Coachability, hustle, and team play
The goal is simple: make it as easy as possible for a college coach to know who you are, where to find you, and why they should keep watching.
2. Send Targeted Emails to Coaches
Before each summer tournament, camp, or showcase, rising juniors should email the coaches from colleges they are seriously considering. Avoid sending the same generic message to every program. Instead, make it easy for the right coaches to identify you, evaluate you, and know exactly where they can watch you play.
A strong email should be short, specific, and personal. Coaches receive hundreds of messages, so your email needs to quickly answer three questions:
- Who are you?
- Why are you interested in their school?
- Where can they see you play?
Include the most important information upfront:
- Your name, graduation year, position, club team, jersey number
- A sentence explaining why you’re interested in that specific school or program
- Your upcoming event schedule: dates, field numbers, game times, jersey number
- A link to your updated highlight video or recruiting profile
- Your GPA or academic information, especially if academics are a strength
- Contact information for you and your club or high school coach
The best recruiting emails feel thoughtful, not copied and pasted. Mention something real about the school, such as an academic program, location, team style, conference, or why the program seems like a strong fit.
Even if a coach cannot respond yet because of NCAA rules, they can still read your email, watch your video, follow your schedule, and evaluate you at events.
For rising juniors, this type of consistent, organized outreach can help you get on a coach’s radar before the busiest evaluation periods of the summer.
3. Attend Events at Schools That Are Realistic Fits
Prospect days and college camps can be valuable recruiting opportunities, but rising juniors should be strategic about which ones they attend. These events take time, money, and energy, so focus on schools that are realistic options academically, athletically, geographically, and financially.
A camp is most helpful when the school is one you would seriously consider attending even if lacrosse were not part of the equation.
Before registering, do your research. Look into the school’s:
- Academic profile
- Majors
- Location
- Campus size
- Roster needs
- Level of play
Be honest about whether your current grades, test scores, athletic ability, and position fit what that program typically recruits.
When deciding which prospect days or camps to attend, ask yourself:
- Does this school offer majors or academic programs I am interested in?
- Are my grades and academic profile in range for admission?
- Is the lacrosse level realistic for me right now?
- Does the roster have players at my position in my graduation year?
- Would I be excited to attend this school if I were injured or not playing lacrosse?
- Have I contacted the coach before the event with my video, profile, and schedule?
A well-chosen prospect day gives you a chance to experience the coaching style, campus environment, pace of play, and team culture while also giving the coaching staff a closer look at you. For rising juniors, choosing the right events can help turn general interest into meaningful recruiting conversations.
4. Continue Improving Your Skills and Game IQ
Even during the recruiting process, your main job is still to keep getting better. College coaches are not only looking for talent; they are looking for athletes who are improving, coachable, competitive, and able to make smart decisions under pressure.
For rising juniors, summer is a critical time to sharpen both fundamentals and advanced parts of your game.
The basics still matter at every level. Here’s what coaches are looking for:
- Stick skills: Catching, passing, shooting, dodging, feeding, and using both hands
- Footwork and athleticism: Speed, change of direction, balance, and body control
- Position-specific skills: Draw work, defensive footwork, goalie clears, attacking reads, midfield transition, or off-ball movement
- Game IQ: Knowing when to dodge, pass, cut, slide, recover, reset, or push transition
- Communication: Talking on defense, calling for the ball, directing teammates, and showing leadership
- Composure: Staying focused after turnovers, missed shots, bad calls, or tough matchups
The players who stand out are often the ones who do the little things well and make the game easier for their teammates. Keep asking coaches for feedback, watch college games to study movement and decision-making, and treat practices—not just games—as opportunities to improve.
Recruiting attention is important, but development is what gives you the confidence and ability to compete when the right coach is watching.
5. Prepare for Conversations With College Coaches
As rising juniors begin attending events and communicating with college coaches, they should be ready for more than just lacrosse questions. Coaches want to understand who you are as a student, athlete, teammate, and potential fit for their school. Being prepared shows maturity and genuine interest in the program.
Before a call, camp, visit, or in-person conversation, think through the topics a coach may ask about. You don’t need to have your entire future figured out, but you should be able to speak confidently about what you are looking for in a college experience.
Be ready to discuss:
- Academics: Your GPA, test scores if available, favorite subjects, and possible majors
- College fit: Size, location, distance from home, campus feel, and academic support
- Lacrosse goals: What level you hope to play, your strengths, and what you are working to improve
- Why their program: Specific reasons you are interested in that school, team, coaching style, or conference
- Financial needs: Whether cost, scholarships, merit aid, or financial aid will play a role in your decision
- Your schedule: Upcoming tournaments, camps, showcases, and any planned visits
Speaking with a coach shouldn’t be a one-way street. You should also prepare a few thoughtful questions of your own. For example, ask about:
- Team culture
- Practice schedule
- Academic expectations
- Player development
- Recruiting timeline
- What the coach is looking for in your class
Coaches are evaluating your athletic ability, but they’re also paying attention to how you communicate and whether you understand what it takes to be a college student-athlete. A good conversation should help both sides determine whether there is a real fit.
Show Coaches the Value You Bring
Ultimately, everything you do during this stage of the recruiting process should help prove one thing: you can add value to a college program. College coaches may be seeking different qualities depending on their program and style of play, but every coach wants players who will be an asset to their team.
Your updated video, emails, camp choices, skill development, and conversations should all work together to present you as a highly coachable, enthusiastic, skilled, diligent, smart student- athlete and team player. The goal is not just to get noticed; it is to help a coach how you could truly benefit their program.