NSR scouts 100-plus girls lacrosse prospects at President’s Cup

National Scouting Report representatives scouted more than 100 high school girls lacrosse prospects last weekend in the President’s Cup at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex outside Orlando.

More than 4,600 sophomores, juniors and seniors participated in the three-day showcase sponsored by the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association. About 500 college coaches attended the event, which coincided with the IWLCA’s Annual Meeting last week in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

NSR National Lacrosse director Brendan Kennedy, Charlotte Area Director Chuck Howard and Florida scout Kris Dunn scouted 2016-18 prospects from 25 states who submitted “Scout Me” forms to NSR. They also watched several prospects already enrolled with NSR.

All of the club teams participated in at least four games across dozens of fields. Each game consisted of two 25-minute halves.

“We scouted as many kids as we could,” said Kennedy, New England Area Director. “In some cases, we scouted a full game. In most cases, we scouted just a half. There were just so many kids to see on so many fields.”

Because the President’s Cup is one of the largest lacrosse showcases in the country, attracting the largest number of coaches, many prospects think they have a great opportunity to be recruited. Think again, Kennedy warns.

“Kids think they will be recruited because there are so many coaches there,” Kennedy said. “But there’s also a ton of kids, too. Coaches already know who’s on their radar. Those are the kids they go to watch. If a kid is not on the radar before the tournament, they’re not going to be noticed.”

In addition to scouting potential NSR prospects, Kennedy and Co. spent time meeting with college coaches.

“We’re building relationships with them and talking about what they’re looking for,” Kennedy said. “When NSR has kids who fit what they need, we have a relationship already built.”

A recent survey among IWCLA members revealed that 60 percent were still seeking 2016 prospects. Although there are very few opportunities remaining at NCAA Division I schools, there are still plenty at Division II and III schools. There are twice as many Division III lacrosse schools as Division I and II combined.

“If you’re a 2016 [prospect] and want to play college lacrosse, you can’t be too picky,” Kennedy said. “There’s probably a fit for you, but you may have to travel further than you wanted or you may not be able to attend the quality of school you wanted.”

Women’s lacrosse coaches are considering several rules changes that would slow down the recruiting process, Kennedy said. One rule would be that coaches couldn’t talk to prospects until their junior year – even if prospects call them. Another rule would restrict prospect evaluations to high school or college campuses – no tournament evaluations — during certain recruiting periods.

“Kids are being recruited so early that it’s not fair to the kids or the schools,” Kennedy said. “How can a freshman or sophomore know if a school is a good fit for them? How can they know if their skills translate to those schools? How can they know if their grades will pan out? The rules don’t benefit the kids or the coaches.”