💭 FCL Weekly Thought: 08/22/25

Hey everyone,

As September 1 creeps closer, one phrase you’ll hear over and over in recruiting circles is “the board.”

Parents and players often ask us what it really means and how much it matters. This week we’re breaking it down so you can better understand what coaches are doing behind the scenes and what it means for you.

Let’s get into it. Happy Friday ☕️,
Matt & Deemer

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THIS WEEKS CONTENT AT A GLANCE

• 🎬 Webinar Recording: Gettysburg’s Peter Toner on Invert Defense

• 🏀 Blog: 10 Reasons Basketball Is the Best Sport for Defenders in Lacrosse

• ✍️ Coaches Corner: Reading Pick Coverages

• 🔒 Deep Dive: The Unappreciated Benefit of Switching Picks

🔒 FCL Webinar - Premium
Adam Sear: “What You Don’t Know About September 1st”

💭 WEEKLY THOUGHT
🥍 What the heck is the “Board”?

If you are a parent or player near the recruiting process, you’ve probably heard about “the board.”

It’s the tool (typically spreadsheet) college coaches use to organize and tier recruits ahead of September 1 (ie, the date all non-academy D1’s can start reaching out). We get this question often from families in our athlete program, so today we want to pull back the curtain a bit.

It’s different by staff.
Every staff has their own version of a board. The format and criteria vary, but the goal is the same: get organized and set priorities before September 1. Needs shift from year to year, and what one staff values may not matter as much to another.

They are typically put together in August.
August is when coaches work hard to finalize their boards. They’re not just ranking talent, but also weighing the likelihood of landing each player. Once September 1 arrives, the board is a living document, constantly shifting as conversations happen, commitments are made, and evaluations continue.

How do you know where you stand?
You may not know. Embracing some level of uncertainty is a major part of the recruiting process for many. However, you can try to leverage your coaches and other trusted resources to try and gauge school interest. Oftentimes, a coach or mentor can serve as the in between to help shed some light on this process. There are some nuances between the men’s and women’s processes here as well.

If I’m on the board, do I get a call on September 1st?
Not necessarily. Once again, each program handles this differently. You need to take this information with a grain of salt. For example, one staff may have 5 defenders in “tier 1” of their board, another 5 in “tier 2” and another 5 in “tier 3”. The program may only need 2-3 defenders, so if they get the top 3 prospects, then defenders 4 and 5 in “tier 1” may not even get a call.

This is just an example, but each year and situation is different. Try to manage expectations and take in information as it comes in.

The process is dynamic and ever-changing.
The board is not the end-all. It’s a starting point. Players move up and down, new names get added, and momentum matters. Keep getting better and stay positive! We strongly believe people end up where they are meant to be. This may not be where you initially hoped to be, but there are a ton of great options out there.

Best of luck to everyone finishing summer strong.

Coach Dunn & Coach Class

🔥 RECRUITING COVERAGE

This week, we wanted to highlight a recent USA Lacrosse article on men’s and women’s 2027 prospects. All 11 of 11 girls players recognized attended BIC this Summer and 7 of 11 boys recognized have attended at least one BIC event.

• Women’s 2027s

• Men’s 2027s

Stay tuned for September 1 and commitments to come!

🎥 VIDEO OF THE WEEK
INVERT DEFENSE FILM BREAKDOWN

Check out a clip from Gettysburg head coach Peter Toner’s webinar on invert defense and click to watch the full webinar.

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