Recruiting Classes

[Pinball]

I pulled these off of Laxpower.com so blame them. Last year it got a little hostile when discussing recruiting, so keep it civil and keep Sonny happy.
To view lst years cat fight about recruiting http://forums.uslia.com/viewtopic.php?t=1737&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=20

Duluth
Ethan, Nick Mound MN Defense/LSM
Bielski, Andy Apple Valley MN
Eckstein, Alex Apple Valley MN Attack
Hansen, Brett Apple Valley MN Midfield
Whiteis, Kevin Cooper Defense
Pitzl, Daniel Totino Grace MN Midfield
Nesser, Charlie Totino Grace MN Defense
Becker, Garrett Eden Prairie MN LSM
Radice, Mark Annandale VA Pius VI VA Midfield/Att
Vanderbeek, Chris Hill-Murray Defense/LSM
Probably More.........

SJU
Gregory J Bailen Roseville Def
Ryan Bailey Mounds View Mid
Nick Blanco Southwest FOGO
Brandon Brinkman St. Louis Park/Hopkins Mid
Mattew Davis St. Benedicts (Essex County, NJ) Att
Dylan Decker Shattuck St. Mary's 04'/Alexandria Blizzard Mid
Sam Farrington Bloomington Jefferson Att
Jeremy Iverson Champlain Park HS Def
Andy Kintop Southwest HS Mid
Brian Kubovec Totino Grace Def/LSM
Joe Nelson Mounds View HS Goal
Ryan Peterson James O'Neill HS (Montgomery, NY) Mid
Kevin Pointdexter Holy Angels Mid
Weston Poucher Totino Grace Att/Mid
Tony Sadder Totino Grace Mid
Michael Short-Cieslak Bishop Kelley HS (Boise, ID) Mid/Def
Chad Stanton Chaska HS Goal
John Stanton Marin Catholic (Kentfield, CA) Def
Stuart Van Ess Gilmour Academy (Gates Mills, OH) Goal
Benjamin Vanderheyden Wayzata HS Mid
Vince Wheeler St. Cloud Tech/Lake Superior State Goal/Mid

To be honest I have seen like 2 of these guys play, not too sure who will be a factor. Odds are some won't even play, but this is the list we have.

I think UST has a solid crop of guys, probably with lots of Totino and Montahmedi influence....

Please post names

[DwinsChamps]

Kevin Pointdexter Holy Angels Mid

Ha, I'm willing to laugh at that name.

[UofMLaxGoalie11]

I think UST has a solid crop of guys, probably with lots of Totino and Montahmedi influence....

Let's all say it together, Mah-to-me-di. If im not mistaken, Jason King (Attack from Mahtomedi) will be attending St. Thomas. I havent heard anything else of Mahtomedi players.

[SotaLax53]

So...What does everybody actually think the definition of recruiting is (in this case, recruiting to a club team)??? I guess I am just kinda unclear as to what can be deemed as recruting...

Because I see recruiting as: a coach or some other authoritative figure on a certain team talking to Player X and asking him/her to come to the institution to play a sport as well as get an education. All while, they are giving the athlete something, i.e. even if that is dinner with the team or otherwise offering something to that player.

I don't think it is necassarily recruiting when a current player talks to a former teammate, most likely HS, and says, "Hey, you should come to so and so. They have your major, and "conveniently" have a decent program."

[LaxRef]

So...What does everybody actually think the definition of recruiting is (in this case, recruiting to a club team)??? I guess I am just kinda unclear as to what can be deemed as recruting...

Because I see recruiting as: a coach or some other authoritative figure on a certain team talking to Player X and asking him/her to come to the institution to play a sport as well as get an education. All while, they are giving the athlete something, i.e. even if that is dinner with the team or otherwise offering something to that player.

I don't think it is necassarily recruiting when a current player talks to a former teammate, most likely HS, and says, "Hey, you should come to so and so. They have your major, and "conveniently" have a decent program."

See http://www.answers.com/recruit&r=67

Nothing about inducements being offered; the most apt definition is "to enroll or to seek to enroll." The coach calling up a good player and saying, "Hey, we'd love to have you play lacrosse for our club at Distinguished University" meets that definition.

And the coach is offering something: his program. He's trying to convince the players that they'll like the program and they'll like the school.

Of course, I don't believe every coach in the UMLL contacts every lacrosse player who ends up going there and playing before they enroll (like they probably do at NCAA schools). Thus, the term "recruiting class" may be stretched slightly to include all players who will be going there, regardless of whether the coaches actively recruited them. But that makes sense, because what people are really asking is, "What teams are getting good players next year?"

[Pinball]

I will tell you our "recruiting process" is at SJU. When a student marks on the application or postcard thing, it asked what they are interested in. The ones that mark lacrosse we are alerted too. Early in the year Admissions gives us the printouts and we have a night where a few players will call the people on the list, admissions orders us pizza and everyone has a grand old time. From that we learn if students are actually interested in SJU and their playing level, position etc. As the year progress Coach Hellenack will normally call them and check up and see where they are at in their decision.

Since Coach Hellenack knows a lot about high school lax/has too much time on his hands, he talks to some of the better players and encourages them. Normally he likes to check out a game, or drops an email to the coach discussing their abilities. Kids that aren't local we have had success with some Alumni or friends of Marks checking out the kid to see if he is worthwhile or his role on the team. As we try to get the best player possible that fits SJU, we also get many role players that aren't really the best players, Maybe we could call them "club walk on's". We all know the players I am talking about. Or maybe the kid who didn't play too much in high school or never had proper coaching we put them on the list too.

When the prospective student/recruit comes up to campus the admissions office will let us know, and quite frequently set up a meeting or to have a little lunch with him and his parents. Admissions will always pay for lunch, which is always nice for the upper classman with no meal plan. Sometimes if the timing is right we will invite the recruit up to practice, and once and a while throw them a t-shirt or something.

This does not happen every time as SJU reputation with its alumni is pretty amazing. Many times kids will decide on coming to SJU without even talking to us. Many of the kids coming to SJU decide before we even contact them, so the word "recruiting" is maybe a little overused.

We probably "recruit" more then anyone else cause Hellenacks life is lacrosse/Hostess Snack Cakes- both at the high school and college level.

Recruiting really isn't that hard because SJU sometime sells itself as it fits a unique nitch of person. SJU is definitely not for everyone, and we understand that.

How much different would our team be without recruiting?? I have no idea, but honestly we don't spend that much time on it, and it seems to be paying off. There is a reason why the top lacrosse players are choosing either to hit up the NCAA or going to one of the top UMLL teams and shying away from the lesser teams.

So a 3rd line middie for an average MN High school team decides to come to SJU, we would talk with him, maybe throw him a t-shirt if he comes and visits. Is he a "recruit", sure!, he isn't a Mikey Powell, but if he is a coming and wants to try college lax, we will place him in the recruit, is that the true definition i don't know. Should we only list the Top 5 players as recruits??

[LaxRef]

We probably "recruit" more then anyone else cause Hellenacks life is lacrosse/Hostess Snack Cakes- both at the high school and college level.

Dude! They have college-level Hostess Snack Cakes?!

[jayp4757]

wow, sju has a pretty impressive recruiting program.

i don't believe minnesota has the ability to recruit. adam would know the answer to this question much better than i though.

[DanGenck]

As much as I love St. John's, if you ask the administration point blank, they will tell you that this lengthy process is not because they love lacrosse, but rather they love the idea of getting full-pay kids who come to St. John's (no matter what sport they play). If the school can dominate in a market that brings in 10-15 kids each year at 20 grand a pop... that can be big money. That was a big part of how our program became organized is that we showed the school that our program makes them money. The old, "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours".

It really is a big business, as sad and corrupt as it sounds considering the Division III/MDIA level we are at. No one cares about the development of the game other than the Coaches and Players. The brass of the school cares about money and how they can bring in kids who will pay full tuition. If dangling lacrosse can bring them in? Then the school will put money behind lacrosse. If not? They'll put money in something else.

[LaxRef]

As much as I love St. John's, if you ask the administration point blank, they will tell you that this lengthy process is not because they love lacrosse, but rather they love the idea of getting full-pay kids who come to St. John's (no matter what sport they play). If the school can dominate in a market that brings in 10-15 kids each year at 20 grand a pop... that can be big money. That was a big part of how our program became organized is that we showed the school that our program makes them money. The old, "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours".

It really is a big business, as sad and corrupt as it sounds considering the Division III/MDIA level we are at. No one cares about the development of the game other than the Coaches and Players. The brass of the school cares about money and how they can bring in kids who will pay full tuition. If dangling lacrosse can bring them in? Then the school will put money behind lacrosse. If not? They'll put money in something else.

Which makes the idea of SJU becoming a DIII school sound less likely than some people make it sound. Not that I'm rooting against you, but it's a different perspective than I've heard before.

[DanGenck]

It can go both ways. They like the idea of pandering to the club sports world, but at the same time, if no one in Minnesota has DIII lacrosse, then St. John's can dominate in a market that will include every lacrosse player in Minnesota and Wisconsin, with potential growth in the Chicago-Land, Michigan, Denver and St. Louis recruiting markets. That is a lot of space with a lot of kids to cover and St. John's knows that they could end up with a cash cow.

Consider that schools like Denison in Ohio are dressing 40-50 kids for away games (I witnessed this personally in a game at Gettysburg) and that has St. John's administration interested. 40-50 kids who are paying full-tuition? More kids from places like Chicago, Denver, Michigan and Ohio? Being the only school in the state with varsity lacrosse? That can sell... and it can be a big profit maker for quite awhile...

[LaxRef]

It can go both ways. They like the idea of pandering to the club sports world, but at the same time, if no one in Minnesota has DIII lacrosse, then St. John's can dominate in a market that will include every lacrosse player in Minnesota and Wisconsin, with potential growth in the Chicago-Land, Michigan, Denver and St. Louis recruiting markets. That is a lot of space with a lot of kids to cover and St. John's knows that they could end up with a cash cow.

Consider that schools like Denison in Ohio are dressing 40-50 kids for away games (I witnessed this personally in a game at Gettysburg) and that has St. John's administration interested. 40-50 kids who are paying full-tuition? More kids from places like Chicago, Denver, Michigan and Ohio? Being the only school in the state with varsity lacrosse? That can sell... and it can be a big profit maker for quite awhile...

Please forgive my sad and pathetic mental disconnect. I was thinking, "Why would they go DIII if they're looking for kids paying tuition; they'd have to spend too much on scholarships!"

You're right: getting a bunch of kids paying full tuition could offset the cost of a DIII program (which I'd guess would be mostly travel plus coach fees).

[DanGenck]

Yes, I believe St. John's would laugh in our faces if scholarships were requested. But hey, I could win powerball tomorrow and it could be a completely different story (Can we say "Brandon Carlson Lacrosse Strength and Conditioning Facility"?)

I have a feeling that coaching costs will be offset by hiring the coaching staff to jobs that are already budgeted on campus, at least to begin with(Admissions Counselor comes to mind).