Lacrosse powerhouses hold distinct recruiting advantage

The Daily Collegian STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (U-WIRE) Blue Jays, Orangemen and Tigers. Although they may seem unrelated, these mascots represent teams that have a stranglehold over the rest of men's college lacrosse: Johns Hopkins, Syracuse and the new kid on the block, Princeton. They are the powerhouses. Because of their tradition for being excellent lacrosse schools, they are able to recruit top-notch players and remain powerhouses. Virginia coach Dom Starsia said these schools have a lot of tradition because they make lacrosse a priority. Whereas other colleges may solely promote sports such as football or basketball, these schools set aside money for their lacrosse programs. "It's a commitment by the institution," he said. However, there are a number of other factors involved that influence recruiting. For instance, Princeton and Hopkins are able to recruit a lot of very talented players partly because of their strong academic rankings, said Princeton coach Bill Tierney. "Ivy League schools attract bright kids who want an education," he said. "That's what we sell kids when we recruit them." Loyola coach Dave Cottle also said a university's endowment plays a role in the recruitment of high-caliber athletes. Because these schools have huge endowments, they are able to offer their players tremendous financial aid packages, he said. But Tierney said a university's location and facilities also play a significant role in the recruitment of its players. For example, Syracuse is able to recruit a lot of talented high school lacrosse athletes because of the Carrier Dome, Cottle said. "It may be the finest place in the country to play lacrosse," he said. Yet, what may be the most important factor in terms of recruiting is that many colleges are located in areas where lacrosse is popular. Although lacrosse's popularity may be growing in other areas of the country, high school lacrosse programs primarily exist in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states of the country such as New York and Maryland, as these suburban areas have enough money to support their lacrosse programs, Tierney said. "That's where the heart and soul of lacrosse comes from," Starsia said. Lacrosse is an expensive sport to play, said University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill coach Dave Klarmann. Not only is the equipment expensive to pay for, but lacrosse adds to the wear and tear on the football field, he said. "I think that one of the things about lacrosse is the socioeconomic climate in itself," Tierney said. Many private school athletes play lacrosse at the college level, Cottle said, which causes a tendency for them to play at the Ivy League schools. "We're not the first-call school," he said. "We have to find guys that people overlooked and develop a different niche." Because football is the more popular sport in many areas of the country, high schools do not sponsor varsity lacrosse teams, Klarmann said. Although this will be the first year since 1992 that the NCAA Lacrosse Champions hips takes place outside of the University of Maryland at College Park, the game encourages youth in that area to pick up the sport, Starsia said. In addition, the climate of these areas also plays a factor in where high school programs decide to play lacrosse. Cottle said some areas of the country are more favorable for lacrosse. "You can't play baseball in March in upstate New York."

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