Recruiting guide
How to get recruited as a lacrosse midfielder
The deepest position in every recruiting class rewards the players who do the unglamorous things on film.
Midfield is the most competitive position in lacrosse recruiting because every roster carries more middies than anything else and every class is flooded with them. Coaches recruit two-way midfielders who win ground balls, defend without fouling, and push transition. Show both ends of the field on film, highlight your athleticism, and email coaches with film, grades, and graduation year.
Why midfield is the hardest position to stand out at
A college roster carries more midfielders than any other position, which sounds like good news until you realize every other recruit knows it too. Midfield is where high school coaches put their best athletes, so the recruiting pool at the position is the deepest and the most interchangeable. Coaches can find another 5 foot 11 righty dodger in any tournament bracket.
What they cannot find easily is a midfielder who plays both ends at full speed. The fastest way to separate from the pile is to be genuinely two-way, and to prove it on film rather than claim it in an email.
Build film that shows both ends
Most midfield reels are offense only. That is exactly why a reel with real defensive clips gets remembered. Structure yours so a coach cannot watch two minutes without seeing you influence the game away from the ball.
- Ground balls in traffic, especially ones where you pick it up, take a hit, and make the right outlet decision. Ground ball clips are the most trusted athleticism evidence coaches have.
- Defensive stands: footwork on a slower dodger, a lift check that separates ball, or a slide that arrives on time. Fouls and gambles do not make the cut.
- Transition both directions: sprinting back to stop a fast break, then pushing one the other way. Transition is where college middies earn their minutes as freshmen.
- Your offense, sequenced honestly. Dodges from up top against a pole or short stick, catch and shoot on the run, and time and room shooting with both hands.
Versatility is a recruiting asset, not an insult
High school players sometimes bristle at being projected as a wing player or a short-stick defensive midfielder. That is backwards. SSDM, face-off wing, and man-down are the roles where freshmen actually get on the field, and coaches actively recruit players who embrace them.
If you take face-off wings, kill penalties, or run SSDM for your club team, say so in your emails and show a clip or two. A midfielder with three usable roles is a safer scholarship bet than a slightly better dodger with one.
Athleticism is the tiebreaker
When two midfield recruits look similar on film, coaches take the better athlete. If you have a verified 40 time, a shuttle score, or multi-sport credentials like football or track, put them in your email. They are not filler. At midfield they are often the deciding line.
The numbers coaches actually read
Goals matter less for midfield recruits than for attackmen. Ground balls per game, caused turnovers, and assist totals carry real weight, because they measure the parts of midfield play that survive the jump in competition. A 25 goal, 40 ground ball season reads better to most college staffs than a 45 goal season with nothing else on the line. Track those numbers yourself if your team does not, and report them with your schedule context so a coach can weigh them honestly.
Work the process at every level
Because midfield depth charts are long, do not anchor your whole process to a handful of Division I programs. Strong D2, D3, NAIA, and JUCO programs build their rosters around exactly the two-way midfielders D1 schools run out of scholarships for.
Email coaches across your full list with film, GPA, and graduation year, and keep the note short. If Division I is in your range, know that first contact now begins junior year on different dates for the men’s and women’s game, so check the current contact rules instead of assuming the old midnight September 1 rule. Then keep updating coaches every time you have new film or a new number worth reporting.
Common questions
Related guides
How to get recruited as a lacrosse attackman
Coaches are not counting your goals. They are counting your wasted touches.
Faceoff specialist recruiting: how FOGOs get to college
One stat, one skill, and rosters that only carry two or three of you. The FOGO market is brutally efficient.
What do college lacrosse coaches look for in recruits?
Athleticism and IQ first. Then the things you show when you do not have the ball.