At this point of the summer, my son has done several tournaments with his club lacrosse team and has attended a “recruiting” camp…Top 205. At all of these venues, there are always 8-15 college coaches watching each game. Personally, I have no idea how these guys can really differentiate between all of the 6’0, 175 pound middies who are fast, shoot well on the run, and play great defense. As you scan the sidelines, it’s easy to recognize some of the top D1 coaches at these venues…they all have their polo’s…usually UnderArmour…hat, folding chair and clipboard. By this time of the summer they have been on the road for 4 weeks at various tournaments and camps… and they look exhausted! But as you scan the sidelines you’ll also see many coaches you don’t recognize, from colleges that you may not have heard of…primarily the D2 and D3 coaches. Chances are this is where your son or daughter will end up playing so don’t dismiss the fact that these coaches are interested just because they are D3.

With a little over 50 schools that play D1 men’s lacrosse and each school able to give a maximum of 12.6 scholarships…usually split into halves or quarters… we’re talking 1000-1600 players that are awarded a D1 scholarship of some value. So in any given year, there are maybe 300 HS players that might get a scholarship to play lacrosse. So unless you’re one of these top 300 who want to play at the D1 level, most HS players will be playing at the D2 and D3 level.

Let’s face it… every parent and player wants to be considered a D1 prospect. It helps the social status of the player, it helps the “cocktail party” status of the parents…it strokes everyone’s ego. But the actual college experience of being a D1 athlete may not be in every player’s best interest. Many of these players don’t realize the amount of work and commitment involved with playing a D1 sport. Just because you have the ability to play D1, doesn’t mean that you should. For many top athletes, playing D3 might actually be a better option.

Playing at the D3 level enables the athlete to have a better balanced college experience. According to Anne Phillips, head women’s lacrosse coach at Franklin & Marshall, D3 schools allow for players to be fully focused on their academics while being able to play sports at a competitive level. To see all of Anne’s thoughts about the benefits of D3, check them out at the Kudda library.

http://video.kudda.com/clinic/Benefits_of_Going_D_III

According to Matt McGinnis, head coach at Denison, many of the liberal arts schools are more academically demanding and may do a better job of preparing students for grad school, law school or med school. (I got to spend time with Matt, as we were both eating at a pizza place outside of Gettysburg)

For many of the D3 colleges, the financial aid available may be more than a partial scholarship from a D1 program. It may be a more attractive situation overall…more affordable, better balance between academics and athletics, and more flexibility in doing pursuing other extra-curricular work.