Aidan Casias '19 Recruiting Profile

I started playing lacrosse when I was in second grade.  From a young age, I have had people around me playing lacrosse. My older cousin played Division III at Ferrum College in Virginia.  As I was growing up, he was my role model. In Summit County, there were never enough players to field teams in the proper age groups.  Since I started playing, I have always played with older kids. In third grade, I played with the 5th and 6th graders. In 6th grade I players with  8th graders. Despite the challenges of fielding multiage teams, we did have some success.  My U11 and U13 youth teams won the CYLA (Colorado Youth Lacrosse Association) Championship for the Blue division.

During my freshman year in high school, I started varsity and took 80% of the face-offs. During this year, I was converted to a long stick midfield player because of the shortage of defensive players on our team.  For about half of the season, I took face offs with a defensive pole.  Although it was tough because of the competition I faced, I learned a lot about a new position and technique for facing off with a long pole. Our high school program does not have a face off coach, so I learned the position from my  youth coach, attending a "Faceoff Academy" clinic, watching videos, and attending a Nike lacrosse camp in Park City, UT where I received instruction from Rich Levi.  Coach Levi was a faceoff midfielder at Brown University and the University of Utah.  I believe with specific coaching, my faceoff skills can become even stronger.  I scored three goals during my freshman year, one of them with a long pole.   

Travel teams are just beginning to form in the mountain communities of Colorado. I played with the Backcountry Lacrosse Program in Edwards, CO.   as a midfielder and faceoff player.  We participated in the Pumpkin Shootout in Denver, the 5280 Lacrosse  Tournament in Denver, CO, and the LXTC-DU Team Camp tournament in Littleton, CO. I was selected as an All-Star at the Pumpkin Shootout.  As the Backcountry Rising  fall season ended, I was the only Rising player asked to play for the Backcountry Elite team at the Sin City Showdown in Las Vegas, Nevada where I took faceoffs and scored a goal.

As an incoming sophomore, I played with the  Backcountry Lacrosse Elite team in the Denver Shootout and the Vail Lacrosse Tournament.  I was an incoming sophomore playing with and against juniors and seniors from high end programs at both tournaments.  I took faceoffs and played offensive midfielder. I scored goals in each tournament.  I was able to play with the Backcountry Rising team for their final tournament, the Boomtown Classic in Boulder, CO. I also scored goals in this tournament and took face offs.

As an incoming junior, I played with High Performance Lacrosse in some local Colorado tournaments.  High Performance was created when Backcounty Lacrosse shut down.  I expected to play for High Performance again in the summer of 2018, but the program folded late.  The timing of the closure was such that the central mountains did not have a summer travel team.

I am in Summit High School Leadership. To be accepted into the program, one must apply, be interviewed, and selected by the graduating seniors. My main goal is to attend college and get a bachelor's degree in pre law/business or criminology.  In high school, I am an International Baccalaureate candidate in Spanish.  I have been in a dual language Spanish program since kindergarten and am fluent in Spanish.   With our Spanish skills, my family traveled to Roatan and built a house for a needy family.  I was able to use my Spanish to act as a translator between my family and the family who was getting the house built.  After college, I may attend law school to get a juris doctorate or business school to get a graduate degree in finance.  I am considering becoming a federal law enforcement agent as well.     Both of my parents are lawyers.  My mom is also a Certified Public Accountant. 

Having grown up in the Rocky Mountains, I have been able to enjoy all the mountains have to offer.  I am part of a program called SOS Outreach ("SOS") . I started in this program in second grade. The main goals of SOS are to teach leadership qualities, community responsibility, and an appreciation for outdoor activities.  SOS works on teaching youth about six core values of:  courage, discipline, integrity, wisdom, compassion, and humility.  These are values that can help us be successful in life, not just in snowboarding.   This is the 9th year I have participated with SOS. I graduated from their Learn to Ride program and their University program.  I now in their Masters program.  In the Masters program, I have a leadership role where I help the adult Sherpas manage their groups of kids in the Learn to Ride or University programs during snowboard ride days and backpacking trips.  I just completed the summer program where I was in charge of a group of 10 year olds during the SOS day program.   I received the Jefte Flores Outstanding Masters SOS student. 

I have also been involved with Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA) since 7th grade.  I was a Young RYLA student in 7th grade and a RYLA student in 10th grade.  I have been a YRLA counselor for the last two summers.  I plan on being a RYLA counselor every summer I am in college if I am able.

My dad played Division III baseball at Colorado College.  He has told me about all the great times he had playing baseball and the friendships he made with his teammates. He has encouraged me to try and play a collegiate sport because of his experiences.  I have played high school football for past two season.  I have played linebacker and a fullback.  I earned a varsity letter the second year I played.  I have played basketball and soccer as well as lacrosse, but lacrosse is the game I love.  I have lived in Colorado my whole life.  I am a 6th generation Coloradan.  My dad attend law school at Ohio State and has told me living outside of Colorado for that time was a great experience.  I look forward to playing lacrosse in college.   Thank you for reading my profile.