The following is a response on the Verona Lacrosse bulletin board to the question of how to go about getting recruited, or finding a school. The response, by Verona's Kevin Bice, sums up what it takes.

Obviously, before you're going to get scouted, you need to be a good enough player that you can play at the college level. This is the hard part.

Even if you know you aren't at this level yet, but know that you're interested in playing after high school, it all comes down to exposure. The best way to get better and get scouted at the same time is to go to camps. Being a player from Wisconsin, you're not going to grab the attention of any big name schools i.e. most of the East Coast schools. I'd suggest going to some camps run by teams from the Great Western Lacrosse League (such as Denver, Fairfield, Notre Dame, Butler, Ohio State, etc.) Now I'm not necessarily saying that you'll get recruited by these schools - to be honest, it's extremely improbable unless you are truly above and beyond everyone else around here - but these coaches have an eye for potential, not skill level.

The reason for this is that these schools haven't made names for themselves, therefore they struggle to recruit any top-notch East Coast players. Instead, the coaches look for true athletes, kids who have the potential to be great players, but just haven't developed to that level yet.

Like I said, even so, you're chances of getting scouted to play at a D1 school are minimal. But these coaches always have connections with other schools. For me, Coach Torpey at Denver referred me to Coach Hannan, who coaches Goucher College (D3).

Even after going to camps, it's still very likely that nothing will happen in the way of getting scouted. This is the proactive stage of the college search. First, choose an area you're interested in going to college in (for me, it was Maryland or Virginia). Research about 20 schools from that area, and narrow it down to 10 or less that you feel might be a good match for you. Fill out recruiting forms for these schools, contact the coaches, send film, etc. Basically, just let them know that you're interested.

The great part is that these schools have decently liberal budgets (especially if it's a private school). They will almost always cover all the costs of your visit. Talk to the coach about getting in a campus visit. Seeing the campus and meeting people from the school and team can make or break your decision (I was very interested in Lynchburg College, but when I met the coach, he was rude to me, and I decided not to go there). If possible, stay overnight with a host player. It helps you get a feel for the school, and most importantly, the people.

After you've made your campus visits, narrow it down to your top 2 or 3 choices. Write to the coaches, letting them know your level of interest. If the coach still seems interested in you, then be persistent.

Keep sending film! If you send the coach only one game, he watches it, and is most likely unimpressed with it or mildly impressed. But when he sees your game from a month later, he can assess how much you've improved in the short period of time. If he sees that, in that month, you've suddenly gone from an all-righty player to a proficient ambidextrous player, he'll realize that you have potential for development. This is when they'll begin to truly recruit you.

When it all comes down to it, the decision is most likely going to be a tough one. My only advice on making the final decision is to go with your gut instinct, and remember that in the end, you're going to college to further your education, not to play 4 years of lacrosse and then find yourself unemployed.