Saturday, July 25, 2009
New Blog Address!
Thank you for following LacrosseRecruits.com's blog. We have decided to switch to another blog application through our homepage. To follow new updates, please visit www.lacrosserecruits.com/blog.
Monday, February 2, 2009
As Seen on InsideLacrosse.com's Recruiting Blog
Chris Meade, co-founder of LacrosseRecruits.com, reports on this past weekend’s Nike SPARQ lacrosse combine from Long Island
The first run through of The Lacrosse Combine featuring Nike SPARQ testing was a great success. Thirty-one participants from Long Island’s top high school and travel programs congregated at Fast Edge’s Training Facility in Hauppauge, N.Y. to see how they compare to elite players and their peers in lacrosse specific training events and to learn more about the recruiting process.
The testing consisted of four Nike SPARQ tests: a 20-yard sprint, a vertical jump, a 5-10-10-5 shuttle run with a stick and a rotational powerball throw. These tests were developed by Nike SPARQ to accurately gauge the athletic ability of lacrosse players in lacrosse specific movements. The times and scores were collected and sent to SPARQ headquarters in Beaverton, Ore. and will eventually produce a SPARQ score that will allow each player to see how he or she stacks up against players in their age group. The group was impressive as a whole, with results in the range of top Division I recruits who have completed the tests.
As the game of lacrosse grows, more combine events are popping up on the recruiting calendar and should become more and more important as college coaches look for new ways to gauge talent. An integral part of The Lacrosse Combine was a seminar ran by LacrosseRecruits.com’s founders, Matt Wheeler and me. The seminar focused on how to use the LacrosseRecruits.com tools and Combine results to differentiate you from other recruits. The Lacrosse Combine provided players and their parents with a unique experience that blended a “Combine event” with recruiting insight.
Below are the top results for boys and girls in the four different events.
Boys Participants
20-Yard Sprint
1. Kevin Nasionski, Ward Melville 2.56
2. Brian Fischer, Garden City 2.63
3. Matt Xirinachs, St. Anthony’s 2.66
Vertical Jump
1. Brian Fischer, Garden City 30”
2. Brett Miller, SWR 28”
2.. Charlie Raffa, St. Anthony’s 25”
30-Yard Shuttle
Leftside
1. Sean Mahon, Chaminade 6.44
2. Christian Bernardo, St. Anthony’s 6.47
2. Greg Danseglio, St. Anthony’s 6.48
Rightside
1. Joe LoCascio, St. Anthony’s 6.42
2. Brett Miller, SWR 6.44
3. Christian Bernardo, St. Anthony’s 6.50
Rotational Powerball Throw
1. Charlie Raffa, St. Anthony’s 42’7”
2. Joey Leonard, Hicksville 42’7”
3. Ryan DeSimone, Smithtown East 39’
Girls Participants
20-Yard Sprint
1. Makenzie Hommel, Ward Melville 2.94
1. Lauren Schwalje, St. Anthony’s 2.94
2. Kelly Nasionski, Ward Melville 2.97
Vertical Jump
1. Kelly Nasionski, Ward Melville 17”
2. Alyssa Handel, Patchogue-Medford 16”
2. Betsy Holland, St. Anthony’s 16”
2. Lauren Schwalje, St. Anthony’s 16”
30-Yard Shuttle
Leftside
1. Kelly Nasionski, Ward Melville 6.95
2. Lauren Engelke, Garden City 7.20
3. Kerrin Mauren, St. Anthony’s 7.22
3. Lauren Schwalje, St. Anthony’s 7.22
Rightside
1. Alyssa Handel, Patchogue-Medford 7.21
2. Lauren Engelke, Garden City 7.32
2. Lauren Schwalje, St. Anthony 7.32
Rotational Powerball Throw
1. Betsy Holland, St. Anthony’s 33’4”
2. Lauren Engelke, Garden City 29’10”
3. Kelly Nasionski, Ward Melville 29’6”
Meade is Co-Founder of LacrosseRecruits.com, an innovative online application developed to help streamline the recruiting process for high school players, their parents and college coaches.
The first run through of The Lacrosse Combine featuring Nike SPARQ testing was a great success. Thirty-one participants from Long Island’s top high school and travel programs congregated at Fast Edge’s Training Facility in Hauppauge, N.Y. to see how they compare to elite players and their peers in lacrosse specific training events and to learn more about the recruiting process.
The testing consisted of four Nike SPARQ tests: a 20-yard sprint, a vertical jump, a 5-10-10-5 shuttle run with a stick and a rotational powerball throw. These tests were developed by Nike SPARQ to accurately gauge the athletic ability of lacrosse players in lacrosse specific movements. The times and scores were collected and sent to SPARQ headquarters in Beaverton, Ore. and will eventually produce a SPARQ score that will allow each player to see how he or she stacks up against players in their age group. The group was impressive as a whole, with results in the range of top Division I recruits who have completed the tests.
As the game of lacrosse grows, more combine events are popping up on the recruiting calendar and should become more and more important as college coaches look for new ways to gauge talent. An integral part of The Lacrosse Combine was a seminar ran by LacrosseRecruits.com’s founders, Matt Wheeler and me. The seminar focused on how to use the LacrosseRecruits.com tools and Combine results to differentiate you from other recruits. The Lacrosse Combine provided players and their parents with a unique experience that blended a “Combine event” with recruiting insight.
Below are the top results for boys and girls in the four different events.
Boys Participants
20-Yard Sprint
1. Kevin Nasionski, Ward Melville 2.56
2. Brian Fischer, Garden City 2.63
3. Matt Xirinachs, St. Anthony’s 2.66
Vertical Jump
1. Brian Fischer, Garden City 30”
2. Brett Miller, SWR 28”
2.. Charlie Raffa, St. Anthony’s 25”
30-Yard Shuttle
Leftside
1. Sean Mahon, Chaminade 6.44
2. Christian Bernardo, St. Anthony’s 6.47
2. Greg Danseglio, St. Anthony’s 6.48
Rightside
1. Joe LoCascio, St. Anthony’s 6.42
2. Brett Miller, SWR 6.44
3. Christian Bernardo, St. Anthony’s 6.50
Rotational Powerball Throw
1. Charlie Raffa, St. Anthony’s 42’7”
2. Joey Leonard, Hicksville 42’7”
3. Ryan DeSimone, Smithtown East 39’
Girls Participants
20-Yard Sprint
1. Makenzie Hommel, Ward Melville 2.94
1. Lauren Schwalje, St. Anthony’s 2.94
2. Kelly Nasionski, Ward Melville 2.97
Vertical Jump
1. Kelly Nasionski, Ward Melville 17”
2. Alyssa Handel, Patchogue-Medford 16”
2. Betsy Holland, St. Anthony’s 16”
2. Lauren Schwalje, St. Anthony’s 16”
30-Yard Shuttle
Leftside
1. Kelly Nasionski, Ward Melville 6.95
2. Lauren Engelke, Garden City 7.20
3. Kerrin Mauren, St. Anthony’s 7.22
3. Lauren Schwalje, St. Anthony’s 7.22
Rightside
1. Alyssa Handel, Patchogue-Medford 7.21
2. Lauren Engelke, Garden City 7.32
2. Lauren Schwalje, St. Anthony 7.32
Rotational Powerball Throw
1. Betsy Holland, St. Anthony’s 33’4”
2. Lauren Engelke, Garden City 29’10”
3. Kelly Nasionski, Ward Melville 29’6”
Meade is Co-Founder of LacrosseRecruits.com, an innovative online application developed to help streamline the recruiting process for high school players, their parents and college coaches.
Friday, January 30, 2009
The Lacrosse Combine - Preview
We have been working hard in advance of the first "The Lacrosse Combine." We will be the first group in the country running the Sparq Lacrosse Assessment. Nike Sparq just finished the tests that comprise the Sparq Lacrosse Assessment and we will be running 30 of the best players on Long Island through the test on Saturday, Jan. 31st.
InsideLacrosse.com just posted the article below previewing the event.
http://blogs.insidelacrosse.com/2009/01/30/recruiting-roundup-long-island-combine
A full post to come in the coming days. Chris will also be a contributing blogger for InsideLacrosse.com's recruiting coverage.
Have a great weekend!!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
LacrosseRecruits.com's January Update!
As always, my favorite thing to do while traveling is writing posts to update visitors and members about what is going on at LacrosseRecruits.com.
The past 19 days have been a constant push to get our year off to a great start.
1. Working with Long Island Express to offer memberships to their 2010, 2011 & 2012 boys and girls teams.
2. Working with Lacrosse Unlimited to institute referral programs through their store managers – Effectively increasing our salesforce from 2 to 23. (Well our current salesforce may be 3, if my dad continues to sign people up in the grocery stores of Long Island)
3. Locking down camp and tournament appearances for the upcoming summer – our full schedule will be finalized in the upcoming weeks. It looks like we will be putting another 12,000 miles on the company car.
4. Attending USLacrosse Convention and getting the chance to personally walk hundreds of players, parents, coaches and industry insiders through the features of LacrosseRecruits.com. By the end of the weekend, Matt Wheeler could have given a site tour in his sleep.
5. Finalizing our print campaign for Lacrosse Magazine. We are running full page and third page ads adjacent to the Recruiting U. series in the February, March, April and May. We are excited about the ads and are grateful to our friends who helped us through the process. As well as Kira Muller as USLacrosse!
6. SEO! At the beginning of December, we were getting crushed in google searches. Crushed! LacrosseRecruits.com would show up somewhere between the 36th and 59th result. Search lacrosse recruiting… 9th! Thanks Fruition! We are on our way to number 1.
7. Last but not least, we would like to thank Connor Prescott, Endicott 2012, for being our intern for the month of January. Connor plays on the lacrosse team at Endicott and did a tremendous job for us. We wish him and the Endicott lacrosse team luck this upcoming season. Unless, of course, they cross paths with Wesleyan at some point.
The past 19 days have been a constant push to get our year off to a great start.
1. Working with Long Island Express to offer memberships to their 2010, 2011 & 2012 boys and girls teams.
2. Working with Lacrosse Unlimited to institute referral programs through their store managers – Effectively increasing our salesforce from 2 to 23. (Well our current salesforce may be 3, if my dad continues to sign people up in the grocery stores of Long Island)
3. Locking down camp and tournament appearances for the upcoming summer – our full schedule will be finalized in the upcoming weeks. It looks like we will be putting another 12,000 miles on the company car.
4. Attending USLacrosse Convention and getting the chance to personally walk hundreds of players, parents, coaches and industry insiders through the features of LacrosseRecruits.com. By the end of the weekend, Matt Wheeler could have given a site tour in his sleep.
5. Finalizing our print campaign for Lacrosse Magazine. We are running full page and third page ads adjacent to the Recruiting U. series in the February, March, April and May. We are excited about the ads and are grateful to our friends who helped us through the process. As well as Kira Muller as USLacrosse!
6. SEO! At the beginning of December, we were getting crushed in google searches. Crushed! LacrosseRecruits.com would show up somewhere between the 36th and 59th result. Search lacrosse recruiting… 9th! Thanks Fruition! We are on our way to number 1.
7. Last but not least, we would like to thank Connor Prescott, Endicott 2012, for being our intern for the month of January. Connor plays on the lacrosse team at Endicott and did a tremendous job for us. We wish him and the Endicott lacrosse team luck this upcoming season. Unless, of course, they cross paths with Wesleyan at some point.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Lacrosse Recruiting Camp Guide
PLEASE VISIT OUR UPDATED CAMP GUIDE ON LACROSSERECRUITS.COM/RECRUITINGCAMPGUIDE.PHP
We field daily calls from parents and players asking about the following camps, so we thought it would be beneficial to provide write ups for the top summer recruiting camps. Each camp write up consists of a "summary" from the camp's website, an "overheard" section quoting players and coaches and an "our take" section which gives the LacrosseRecruits.com's perspective on what players should attend each camp.
Blue Chip 225
Bryant College, RI
Summary:
It is the premier recruiting camp for high school lacrosse players in the Northeast. You can expect to be coached during the week in both practice and game situations by college coaches, and to be observed by other college coaches who attend camp as observers and evaluators. You can expect to learn about the college recruiting process from the people who do it. What are the recruiting rules; who to talk to; what to expect on visits, how to communicate with coaches and a whole lot more.
Overheard:
"This camp is the best of its kind in the Northeast. If you aren't going to Jake Reed's Blue Chip and you want to play up North, you better be going to this Blue Chip."
Our Take:
It is on point to say that this is the best recruiting camp in the Northeast. Coach Spencer does a great job drawing top talent to the camp along with loads of D1, D2 and D3 coaches. This year, he joined forces with Coach Pressler to host the camp at Bryant. The new location secures its spot as a Northeast destination. Blue Chip 225 is one of the best options for players who do not attend Jake Reed's camps and want to attend college in the north.
Elite 180 Lacrosse Camp
Keene State, NH
Summary:
As the Head Coach of the Amherst College Lacrosse team, Coach Tom Carmean found it to be ineffective to travel to each and every recruiting venue looking for that small faction of student/athlete who could meet the academic and athletic demands of the Northeast's most prestigious colleges. In turn, Elite 180 seeks to bring together the nation's best student/athletes with the some of the nation's best colleges.
Overheard:
"We found that your camp allowed our players to get that early look from these highly competitive schools that they might not gotten elsewhere. This exposure no doubt, allowed our players to get a better handle on the recruiting process as it relates to these schools." Ken Miller, Owner Long Island Sting
Our Take:
Elite 180 focuses on exactly what Coach Carmean set out in his camp's mission statement. Giving players the opportunity to be seen by coaches from high level academic schools (Ivy, NESCAC, Patriot) in a competitive atmosphere. Unlike some of the larger camps, like 205 or Peak 200, Elite 180 keeps their limit of campers low. If you visit their website, they provide a unique list of camp alumni, schools where players move on include, Kenyon, Dartmouth, Haverford, Bucknell, Providence, etc.
Jake Reed's Blue Chip
UMBC, MD
Summary:
It is the premier recruiting camp for high school lacrosse players. 2009 will be the first year of Jake Reed's Nike Blue Chip camp for rising Sophomores. Just like the Junior and Senior camps, the rising Sophomore camp will be held at UMBC. Invites are sent by the camp in the fall to players that pass a strict referral process. Acceptances are due by November 22nd, 2008. There is a 120-player limit for each session of the camp. If the invites are not accepted, additional invitations will be sent to alternates. All current invitees accept by November 22nd.
Overheard:
"If you think your son or player is good enough to play at the highest level, do everything you can to get them at this camp. Be proactive, try to get as many respected coaches as possible to lobby for your son's spot at this camp."
Our Take:
If you get an invitation to this camp… go. It is that simple, if you want to play at the highest level of college lacrosse, this camp is your best opportunity to impress top tier coaches by showcasing your skills against the highest level of competition. The number of total players is kept to a manageable level, so coaches are able to get a good look at each player.
New England Top 150 Lacrosse
Portsmouth Abbey, NH
Summary:
The New England Lacrosse Camp Top 150 provides the experienced high school player with excellent competition and advanced coaching techniques. Each player will have the opportunity to improve their individual techniques and tactical knowledge and to compete against strong competition. Over 50 Colleges are in attendance providing student/athletes an opportunity to meet college coaches.
Overheard:
"The camp has the best corral of Ivy and NESCAC coaches out there. They aren't just scouting, they are getting players better. And you will see lots of high level, intelligent lacrosse players."
Our Take:
Coach Brown puts together one of the best camps in the country for players who want to improve their game and compete at a high level. This is one of the rare recruiting camps that teach players how to become better. It also boasts a full roster of coaches from the top programs in the Northeast. Every level, D1 to D3. From UMASS, Yale, Tufts, Providence, Bryant, Vermont, Middlebury, Bates, to name a few. The coaching staff is excellent, and they care about the players and helping their game. The experience is more personal than most camps out there.
Peak 200
Springfield, MA
Summary:
The Peak 200 Lacrosse Camp is a focused, competitive program designed to provide the best possible advanced coaching and playing experience for the nation's most exceptional secondary school players. Each player will be on a team with its own complete coaching staff and will be exposed to individual, position and team training. Emphasis will be placed on advanced techniques, tactics and strategies from some of the top coaches in the country.
Overheard:
"It is a fun camp that has good competition, good numbers and a number of scouts."
Our Take:
Having a college coach as the coach of your team at Peak 200 gives you an opportunity to be exposed to great coaching for the entire week. Not only are you getting better, but as you play all the other teams at the camp, it also gives you the opportunity to play in front of a lot of coaches. Peak 200 also has a great “College Fair” night where each school in attendance sets up a booth and you are given time to speak with all the coaches.
Showtime Recruiting: National Recruiting Showcase
WCSU, CT
Summary:
160 of the top rising sophomores (Class 2012) and juniors (Class of 2011) with college lacrosse aspirations will compete from July 13th - July 16th, 2009 at Western Connecticut State University, in Danbury (Fairfield County), CT. Participants will have the opportunity to showcase their skills while being individually assessed during position specific instruction and game sessions. CT. Many top DI, DII, and DIII coaching staffs will be in attendance. In 2008, some of the nation's top coaching staffs were in attendance, headlined by Johns Hopkins and Syracuse.
Overheard:
"The camp is still in its second year, so if you can go to Blue Chip, Top 205 or Blue Chip 225, you may be better off there. But Paul, Joe and Mike have lots of coaching connections and will be able to build their camp into a first choice camp for upcoming players."
Our Take:
This camp is run by former Syracuse standouts, Paul Carcaterra, Joe Ceglia and Mike Springer. They offer invite only spots to rising Sophomores and Juniors. The camp is in its 2nd year at Western Connecticut State University. Last year's camp drew a wide range of top-notch players from throughout the country. The lowdown on this camp is that it is a great place to be seen by some big time programs. Word is that Syracuse found 4 or 5 players who are high on their recruiting lists for the upcoming season. As mentioned above, Hopkins was also patrolling the sidelines. The camp also drew a number of D1 and top D3 programs in the tri-state area. Since the camp is only open to rising sophomores and juniors, this camp is for top players that want to play at the highest level.
Texas 99
Summary:
The camp covers the Top 99 players in the state selected by the HS coaches. Over 50 colleges were represented. Top 20 D1 schools like Harvard, Notre Dame, Yale, Towson, Ohio State, Navy, Army, Air Force, Maryland, Dartmouth and Penn State as well as developing programs like Hartford, Bellarmine and Manhattan College. Additionally, top D2 and D3 programs like Washington and Lee, Salisbury State, Merrimack College, Bates College, Bowdoin, Limestone, etc attended.
Our Take:
Coach Byrne from ND runs a very well attended camp. You can see by the schools that they list above on their website. The camp is a lifeline for strong high school players from Texas who might not have the opportunity to attend camps on the East Coast.
Top 205
College Park, MD/Towson, MD
Summary:
The original recruiting camp. It is still regarded as one of the best opportunities to be seen by the top-level coaches. They offer three sessions for players, rising juniors and two open Top 205 camp sessions. The 4 days provide players with the opportunity to go from unknown to on the tip of the coaching communities tongues with an impressive couple of days of play.
Overheard:
"Do not expect to get much individual instruction, this camp is almost all playing, but coaches are camped out on the sidelines."
Our Take:
The camp is known as a stronghold for colleges from the South. The opportunities are there to be seen. It is the best alternative to Jake Reed's Blue Chip camp. If you make the All Star team you are guaranteed looks from top 10 Division 1 programs.
If you have any suggestions for additions, please feel free to email me directly at chris@lacrosserecruits.com.
We field daily calls from parents and players asking about the following camps, so we thought it would be beneficial to provide write ups for the top summer recruiting camps. Each camp write up consists of a "summary" from the camp's website, an "overheard" section quoting players and coaches and an "our take" section which gives the LacrosseRecruits.com's perspective on what players should attend each camp.
Blue Chip 225
Bryant College, RI
Summary:
It is the premier recruiting camp for high school lacrosse players in the Northeast. You can expect to be coached during the week in both practice and game situations by college coaches, and to be observed by other college coaches who attend camp as observers and evaluators. You can expect to learn about the college recruiting process from the people who do it. What are the recruiting rules; who to talk to; what to expect on visits, how to communicate with coaches and a whole lot more.
Overheard:
"This camp is the best of its kind in the Northeast. If you aren't going to Jake Reed's Blue Chip and you want to play up North, you better be going to this Blue Chip."
Our Take:
It is on point to say that this is the best recruiting camp in the Northeast. Coach Spencer does a great job drawing top talent to the camp along with loads of D1, D2 and D3 coaches. This year, he joined forces with Coach Pressler to host the camp at Bryant. The new location secures its spot as a Northeast destination. Blue Chip 225 is one of the best options for players who do not attend Jake Reed's camps and want to attend college in the north.
Elite 180 Lacrosse Camp
Keene State, NH
Summary:
As the Head Coach of the Amherst College Lacrosse team, Coach Tom Carmean found it to be ineffective to travel to each and every recruiting venue looking for that small faction of student/athlete who could meet the academic and athletic demands of the Northeast's most prestigious colleges. In turn, Elite 180 seeks to bring together the nation's best student/athletes with the some of the nation's best colleges.
Overheard:
"We found that your camp allowed our players to get that early look from these highly competitive schools that they might not gotten elsewhere. This exposure no doubt, allowed our players to get a better handle on the recruiting process as it relates to these schools." Ken Miller, Owner Long Island Sting
Our Take:
Elite 180 focuses on exactly what Coach Carmean set out in his camp's mission statement. Giving players the opportunity to be seen by coaches from high level academic schools (Ivy, NESCAC, Patriot) in a competitive atmosphere. Unlike some of the larger camps, like 205 or Peak 200, Elite 180 keeps their limit of campers low. If you visit their website, they provide a unique list of camp alumni, schools where players move on include, Kenyon, Dartmouth, Haverford, Bucknell, Providence, etc.
Jake Reed's Blue Chip
UMBC, MD
Summary:
It is the premier recruiting camp for high school lacrosse players. 2009 will be the first year of Jake Reed's Nike Blue Chip camp for rising Sophomores. Just like the Junior and Senior camps, the rising Sophomore camp will be held at UMBC. Invites are sent by the camp in the fall to players that pass a strict referral process. Acceptances are due by November 22nd, 2008. There is a 120-player limit for each session of the camp. If the invites are not accepted, additional invitations will be sent to alternates. All current invitees accept by November 22nd.
Overheard:
"If you think your son or player is good enough to play at the highest level, do everything you can to get them at this camp. Be proactive, try to get as many respected coaches as possible to lobby for your son's spot at this camp."
Our Take:
If you get an invitation to this camp… go. It is that simple, if you want to play at the highest level of college lacrosse, this camp is your best opportunity to impress top tier coaches by showcasing your skills against the highest level of competition. The number of total players is kept to a manageable level, so coaches are able to get a good look at each player.
New England Top 150 Lacrosse
Portsmouth Abbey, NH
Summary:
The New England Lacrosse Camp Top 150 provides the experienced high school player with excellent competition and advanced coaching techniques. Each player will have the opportunity to improve their individual techniques and tactical knowledge and to compete against strong competition. Over 50 Colleges are in attendance providing student/athletes an opportunity to meet college coaches.
Overheard:
"The camp has the best corral of Ivy and NESCAC coaches out there. They aren't just scouting, they are getting players better. And you will see lots of high level, intelligent lacrosse players."
Our Take:
Coach Brown puts together one of the best camps in the country for players who want to improve their game and compete at a high level. This is one of the rare recruiting camps that teach players how to become better. It also boasts a full roster of coaches from the top programs in the Northeast. Every level, D1 to D3. From UMASS, Yale, Tufts, Providence, Bryant, Vermont, Middlebury, Bates, to name a few. The coaching staff is excellent, and they care about the players and helping their game. The experience is more personal than most camps out there.
Peak 200
Springfield, MA
Summary:
The Peak 200 Lacrosse Camp is a focused, competitive program designed to provide the best possible advanced coaching and playing experience for the nation's most exceptional secondary school players. Each player will be on a team with its own complete coaching staff and will be exposed to individual, position and team training. Emphasis will be placed on advanced techniques, tactics and strategies from some of the top coaches in the country.
Overheard:
"It is a fun camp that has good competition, good numbers and a number of scouts."
Our Take:
Having a college coach as the coach of your team at Peak 200 gives you an opportunity to be exposed to great coaching for the entire week. Not only are you getting better, but as you play all the other teams at the camp, it also gives you the opportunity to play in front of a lot of coaches. Peak 200 also has a great “College Fair” night where each school in attendance sets up a booth and you are given time to speak with all the coaches.
Showtime Recruiting: National Recruiting Showcase
WCSU, CT
Summary:
160 of the top rising sophomores (Class 2012) and juniors (Class of 2011) with college lacrosse aspirations will compete from July 13th - July 16th, 2009 at Western Connecticut State University, in Danbury (Fairfield County), CT. Participants will have the opportunity to showcase their skills while being individually assessed during position specific instruction and game sessions. CT. Many top DI, DII, and DIII coaching staffs will be in attendance. In 2008, some of the nation's top coaching staffs were in attendance, headlined by Johns Hopkins and Syracuse.
Overheard:
"The camp is still in its second year, so if you can go to Blue Chip, Top 205 or Blue Chip 225, you may be better off there. But Paul, Joe and Mike have lots of coaching connections and will be able to build their camp into a first choice camp for upcoming players."
Our Take:
This camp is run by former Syracuse standouts, Paul Carcaterra, Joe Ceglia and Mike Springer. They offer invite only spots to rising Sophomores and Juniors. The camp is in its 2nd year at Western Connecticut State University. Last year's camp drew a wide range of top-notch players from throughout the country. The lowdown on this camp is that it is a great place to be seen by some big time programs. Word is that Syracuse found 4 or 5 players who are high on their recruiting lists for the upcoming season. As mentioned above, Hopkins was also patrolling the sidelines. The camp also drew a number of D1 and top D3 programs in the tri-state area. Since the camp is only open to rising sophomores and juniors, this camp is for top players that want to play at the highest level.
Texas 99
Summary:
The camp covers the Top 99 players in the state selected by the HS coaches. Over 50 colleges were represented. Top 20 D1 schools like Harvard, Notre Dame, Yale, Towson, Ohio State, Navy, Army, Air Force, Maryland, Dartmouth and Penn State as well as developing programs like Hartford, Bellarmine and Manhattan College. Additionally, top D2 and D3 programs like Washington and Lee, Salisbury State, Merrimack College, Bates College, Bowdoin, Limestone, etc attended.
Our Take:
Coach Byrne from ND runs a very well attended camp. You can see by the schools that they list above on their website. The camp is a lifeline for strong high school players from Texas who might not have the opportunity to attend camps on the East Coast.
Top 205
College Park, MD/Towson, MD
Summary:
The original recruiting camp. It is still regarded as one of the best opportunities to be seen by the top-level coaches. They offer three sessions for players, rising juniors and two open Top 205 camp sessions. The 4 days provide players with the opportunity to go from unknown to on the tip of the coaching communities tongues with an impressive couple of days of play.
Overheard:
"Do not expect to get much individual instruction, this camp is almost all playing, but coaches are camped out on the sidelines."
Our Take:
The camp is known as a stronghold for colleges from the South. The opportunities are there to be seen. It is the best alternative to Jake Reed's Blue Chip camp. If you make the All Star team you are guaranteed looks from top 10 Division 1 programs.
If you have any suggestions for additions, please feel free to email me directly at chris@lacrosserecruits.com.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
LacrosseRecruits.com hires Fruition.net for SEO Marketing Project
This week, LacrosseRecruits.com hired fruition.net , a full service internet marketing firm based out of Denver, to work on LacrosseRecruits.com's SEO Marketing project. Matt and I heeded the advice of numerous advisers to get our website in the top results for a variety of lacrosse recruiting key words. As we all know, it is increasingly important to create a search engine presence. Especially as we move closer to the upcoming lacrosse season. On average, lacrosse related key word searches increase between 250% and 325% during the spring months. Below, you will find Fruition's mission statement from their website.
Fruition’s Mission Statement
Fruition’s mission is to help companies get online, stay online, and use the Internet as a competitive advantage.
Fruition is a Denver web development and Internet marketing company that will help your company increase its online revenue in a cost effective manner. Fruition delivers the highest level of expertise in all aspects of online and off line marketing including Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay Per Click (PPC) ad management for Google, Yahoo, and others, as well as addition forms of online marketing. Fruition is also highly experienced in off-line marketing matters including print advertising campaigns, creatives, public relations (PR), radio, direct mail, and various other marketing arenas. This gives Fruition the ability to integrate your marketing initiatives to maximize your ROI.
We asked the Fruition team to tackle a number of key words, ranging from "lacrosse recruiting" to "lacrosse recruiting website" to "lacrosse recruiting tournaments." Currently, we are most concerned with "lacrosse recruiting." The first result that includes our site falls at #38 on the list. We feel that it is crucial to be improve our ranking as we try to draw more web traffic.
I love the idea of how important google searches are for the success of a web application like ours. If you think about the person who is searching a key word like "lacrosse recruiting," they are probably a person who would be interested in LacrosseRecruits.com. If our website is one of the top results for their search, they are being pushed towards our site by a trusted source. (the google rainmakers) Matt and I are excited to work with the Fruition team and develop our search engine presence.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Highlights From Darien HS/UNC Coaching Clinic
This past weekend, I attended the Darien High School/UNC Coaching Clinic in Darien. It was great to see the large amount of youth and high school coaches that attended the event. It goes to show how influential and respected Darien Youth Lax and Darien HS’s coaching staff are in the CT lacrosse community. There was lots of lacrosse philosophy focusing on everything from team drills to promote transition & unsettled situations to UNC’s offensive and defensive goals for the upcoming season.
We were fortunate enough to have Darien’s Head Coach Jeff Brameier say some very nice things about LacrosseRecruits.com. He explained to the audience that there isn’t a better tool out there to help a player through the recruiting process. Also, Coach Breschi from UNC commented on the changing recruiting environment.
“The recruiting process is so important to a program. Especially a program with a new coaching staff. We have players as early as 8th and 9th grade on our radar screen. You need to get your games taped, get yourself out there. Work hard to have your transcript in order, study for the PSAT, SAT and ACT. “
With ten Class of 2010 verbal commitments to UNC (including the #1 rated recruit), you have to listen to the man...
Outside of Lacrosse: From Tom Peters, the author of Thriving on Chaos
"Instant, mindless cutting of R&D or training or salesforce travel in the face of a downturn is often counterproductive-or, rather, downright stupid. Tough times are in fact golden opportunities to get the drop, and the longterm drop at that, on those who respond to bad news by panicky across-the-board slash and burn tactics and moves that de-motivate and alienate the workforce at exactly the wrong moment."
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