The short answer is yes. It doesn’t matter if you’re new to the sport or the best in your high school league, there is an opportunity for you to play lacrosse. If lacrosse is an important part of your life, research lacrosse programs alongside colleges you’re already interested in to find the best fit for you. Figure out how much time you want to spend at practice and on training and how high the level of play you’d like. See all the different divisions that colleges offer. Doing a little bit of research will go a long way towards helping you answer the question of, “Am I good enough to play lacrosse in college?”
Different levels of lacrosse leagues
There are three levels of leagues. There’s division one, two, and three. If you played lacrosse more for fun in high school rather than as a serious endeavor, division two and three might be a good fit. These levels have less pressure and can be a fun extracurricular activity to add to your schedule.
Division one lacrosse is highly competitive, and they will often recruit players themselves instead of holding tryouts. D1 practice demands a lot of time and effort; you can expect to dedicate a few hours each day to training and practice. D2 and D3 still have weekly practice and travel on some weekends, but the amount of effort that is expected from you is lower than that of D1.
You should know that some teams at the D2 level will also be a lot more intense and require a lot more time and commitment than others. For instance, some schools at the D2 level are actively trying to get into the D1 level, and the atmosphere of those teams will be a lot more rigorous. Definitely look into each school closely, and email some coaches as you start to narrow down schools to make sure you find the right fit.
My experience in a Division II lacrosse league
Personally, my experience with a D2 team was great! We had morning practice a couple of times a week and games were on the weekends. During the season there was travel, sometimes across state lines; however, whether or not you’ll travel or practice that often simply depends on your specific conference and team. There was no strong sense of pressure or stress, but the players definitely took the games seriously. It was a lot of fun and scratched the team sports itch that I had in college.
The experience and skill level that I brought from high school wasn’t, in my opinion, extremely high. Our team wasn’t the best in our league; however, we worked hard, and we did get better as the years went on. I was able to make the all-league team as well, but it’s definitely not a requirement to play after high school.
I felt very comfortable with the level of talent of my college team. By the end of the season in the D2 league, I had made my way to the top 6 in terms of stats. Of course, every team is different, and this was simply my experience, but hopefully, it sheds a little bit of light on the college level.
Playing women’s lacrosse in an intramural league
If you’ve never played lacrosse, have no fear! Many colleges have opportunities for purely recreational team sports, these are called intramural leagues. Sometimes they’re also referred to as club sports. Intramural leagues are restricted to the same university or college, so you’ll be playing against your classmates. The programs are usually run by the players themselves and can be co-ed or gender-based.
If there is neither an official lacrosse team nor an intramural or club team, make one yourself! Chances are if you’re interested in playing lacrosse, there are probably others interested too. Put together a pickup league and just have fun with it!