He is spot on and to piggyback a little on this. I say go where you're going to play. You're there to get a degree, so you might as well play and not sit. Does it make sense to go to a school with 60 kids and 5 or 6 goalies? I encourage kids to look around, look at low level D2 and mid range/low D3 schools for the reasons he states plus the playing time. (the high end D3 schools are notorious for having bloated rosters.) St John Fisher has a billion kids. Sage has 30.
You take a D3 school, whatever floats your boat, if they want you to play for them, they will get you through admissions and they will get you every penny in financial aid that is possible and if you have good grades 85+, 90+ they will throw all the available academic money at you they can. I think they make it up sometimes. It ends up being a lot of money. And the bonus is, if you can play, you're going to play and probably play as a freshman. A lower end school who has a good player interested will jump through hoops.
D2 schools get like 10.2 scholarship or whatever. I think kids average about 3K a year in athletic scholarship money. There are a lot of D2 schools down south if someone wants it and these schools will throw thousands at you in financial aid and merit based academic aid as well (same as the D3 schools). So it adds up with the extra 3 in athletic money. Plus have a better chance at PT.
Look at D2 schools (or D3) in the south who field football teams. They have money. Is Limestone or Lenoir Rhyne realistic? probably not, but schools like Tusculum are and Flagler is a startup. There are several dozen D2 schools like this, maybe more. Who cares how bad they are, you're there to get a degree. And if you're good, shoot you might start all four years and be All Conference. Same holds true for the low D3 and the bonus is maybe turn a program around. They love northern lacrosse players.
From a recruiting standpoint, if you're not playing for the elite clubs, the 'normal' player who wants to get recruited, it becomes a grassroots effort. You need to make film and email all the coaches at the schools you're interested in (get their emails off their website. Address the Head coach and CC the assistants.) Fill out their recruiting questionnaire and then follow that up with the email. Introduce yourself, where you're from, tell the coaches why you're interested in 'Nazareth', what you want to study (don't tell them a degree they don't have, even if the kid doesn't know what he wants just pick one from their list or programs), tell them your grades, your position, maybe some stats, attach your film and tell them where they can watch you play. If you know XYZ coach will be at the Orange Crush showcase you need to email them and tell them you'll be at the event. Tell them you'll be at their prospect day. Send them your summer event schedule and when you know the game times and field #s follow up with that information as well. You have to really sell yourself. D1, D2, D3 level (which by the way is loaded with great lacrosse players.) Most people don't know how to make this effort but it's what you have to do to make it happen.
For the NY'rs out there schools like Western Connecticut State (WestConn) and Castleton College in Vermont charge state tuition for NY residents. Castleton might be regional NY residents but still. Who knew? I only found out when their coaches were hitting me up about players. Do your research.
