 Our goal at Blue Chip 225 is to help players connect with colleges through showcasing their individual and team skills against top competition. We do all we can to ensure that the results of players' performance is shared with college coaches on staff, those who attend, those who view games via archived video, and those who watch our live streamed all star games.
Beyond the value of the showcase are the steps YOU take to prepare for being recruited and for college and post high school lacrosse. This newsletter and others during the course of the year are tips on how to maximize your own efforts toward the goal of making the most of your athletic skill and goals.
If you're going into your freshman year:
Find a Fall team if you can.
Check out Fall tournaments in your area. Click here for search
Check out and get registered for indoor /Winter lacrosse
Grades - you must graduate with at least a 2.0 in your core subjects to be considered eligible and the better your grades the more positive coaches will be toward you.
Recruiting:
It is also permissible for you to receive a maximum of three complimentary tickets to a college sporting event.
You can talk with college coaches but this must be on campus.
You can call a college coach but he cannot call you or return your call.
If you're going into your sophomore year:
Grades --- Grades --- Grades -- Keep them high.. Don't make it difficult for the college coach to clear you through Admissions. He may decide not to try.
Think about what you want out of college: size, location, academics, and make a list of the schools that seem to fit. You can find lists of schools in each division at the NCAA Eligibility Center .
You may also want to subscribe to College Coaches Online. This is a searchable database so you can enter the criteria that apply to you and find schools that fit.
Get fit and stay fit - Sounds obvious? Don't spend the season reaching peak condition. Develop a reasonable work out plan and stick with it. There are many good online training programs, and
Recruiting:
You can make unofficial visits to a college campus.
It is also permissible for you to receive a maximum of three complimentary tickets to a college sporting event.
You can talk with college coaches but this must be on campus.
You can call a college coach but he cannot call you or return your call.
If you're going into your junior year:
School starts about the same time as coaches are allowed to contact you. Give your best work and attention to both. Respond right away to any communication from coaches.
The quality of EVERYTHING you do with coaches is part of how you are evaluated. This includes the questionnaires you received from colleges and any notes you write to them. In reviewing your material, the number of spelling mistakes (including misspelling the names of the colleges themselves) is of concern. If you aren't serious enough to get the spelling and typing right a coach will wonder how serious you are about your sport.
Many colleges will send you questionnaires. Fill them out and return them quickly and accurately.
Sign up for Fall tournaments and email coaches in the schools you're thinking about your tournament schedule.
Make visits to colleges and begin to narrow your list to maybe a dozen that seem to be a fit for you and that seem within your ability range. As with your choices of colleges, pick some "safe bets", some good choices, and some "reach" schools. Find the balance between selling yourself short and being a 5'2" guard in the NBA.
Grades - Grades - Grades - As you go through school it becomes more difficult to recover from low grade point average. Be as serious about your academic achievements as your are your athletic ones.
Get registered for SAT (SAT info - Register)
Recruiting:
Junior year from September 1
College coaches are allowed to send you information about their athletic program and about their school. this can include: media guides, schedule cards, personalized letters, photocopies of newspaper clippings and official university admissions and academic publications.
The college coach is now allowed to answer your emails and send emails to you as well.
Junior year from July 1
A college coach is only permitted to contact you in person off the college campus only on or after July 1st when you have completed your junior year of high school. If the coach meets with you or your parents and says anything to you or them then this is considered a contact. Anything more than a very basic hello is a contact.
College coaches are permitted to make one telephone call each week to you or your parents. You can call the coach as often as you wish.
If you're going into your senior year:
You can make up to five Official - expense paid visits to college campuses. the visit to the campus cannot be longer than forty eight hours in duration. you are are not allowed to have an official visit until after your first day of classes of your senior year.
College coaches need to have an official ACT or SAT score and a copy of your official high school transcript before you can make a visit.
Coaches can make telephone calls and send written correspondence as per the rules for your junior year.
if your at a tournament and the coach does not talk to you don't take it personally. The National Collegiate Athletic Association has specific recruiting rules that puts limits on communication at tournaments.
A college coach can sit down with a guardian or parent at a competition site. This is counted as one of the three in-person off-campus recruiting contacts a coach is permitted
Do your official visits to your schools and consider what each one offers, where your academic and athletic goals are most likely to be realized.
In early November the National Letters of Intent are sent and it is decision time. Consider carefully with focus on the things that will matter in years to come. Ask yourself if you are permanently injured is this the place you want to be. Know what the National Letter of Intentmeans for both you and the college.
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RISING SOPHOMORES
RISING JUNIORS
RISING SENIORS
As the end of your sophomore or junior year of high school approaches, you are facing a series of challenges and decisions which will determine the course of the rest of your life.
Step 1:
the college site, click on athletics, then teams, men's lacrosse. Look at the roster - how many players are there in each class at your position? If you are a goalie and they have three sophomore goalies, there might not be a spot for you as a major recruit. Look at the coach biography. Is this someone who seems positive for you? Review the team record over the past season. If you the school is of interest, be sure to fill out the Prospective Student Questionaire to let the coach know of your interest.
Plan Your Summer - If you're playing for a tournament summer team, list your schedule. Line out your camp dates. Then schedule visits to your top college choices.
Secure your video highlights. This has become almost required by colleges for reviewing players. Having quality video showing you against top competition in challenging situations is key. 
each visit. 
