Lacrosse Scholarship Strategy
April 7th, 2009 - byCoaches ask players to switch positions all the time. Many times players fear that switching positions will hurt their ability to be recruited. Lacrosse is typically not one of those sports. The Ithica Journal took some time to look at the Cornell Lacrosse program and their team philosophy.
Cornell’s recruiting philosophy has been largely founded on finding the best combination of character, student and athlete — not necessarily the best lacrosse player — and steadily developing them, regardless of high school positions.
The philosophy may not produce top ten recruiting classes, but it has produced a Final Four appearance and consistent top-25 rankings.
Senior George Calvert is the latest example of that philosophy bearing fruit. A standout left-handed attackman at 
Lawrenceville High School in New Jersey and during a post-graduate year at the Hotchkiss School, Calvert was converted into a shortstick defensive midfielder in 2006-07, where he started for two seasons alongside 2008 graduate Danny Nathan. The position is akin to an offensive lineman’s in football — you get noticed only when you get beat, with the added nuance that opposing offenses specifically pick on you.
The rationale behind the move was pure math. In Calvert’s freshman year, Cornell was stacked at attack with the likes of David Mitchell, Derek Haswell, Henry Bartlett and Eric Pittard, so Calvert saw virtually no playing time. But when shortstick defensive midfielders Dave Bush and Cam Marchant graduated in 2006, there was an opening.
Calvert took it.
It was easy to embrace, he said, because as a former football and hockey player, he loved to hit.
“Coming in, they preach team and family and character,” said Calvert, an athletic 5-foot-10, 170-pounder. “And kids with character don’t mind playing different positions. Look at Ethan. He was a stud goalie, he’s still a great goalie, and to go out there and play longstick and have such a great attitude, he was a great example for all of us.”
My advice to any player asked to switch positions is simple; Accept your assignment, gain new skill sets, and impress college coaches with your versatility and team play.
