Dear potential Michigan Lacrosse player:
Choosing the college you are going to attend is one of the most important decisions you will make in your life. There are hundreds of colleges and universities to choose from, with each one offering a vastly different academic, social and athletic experience. As you narrow down your choices, be sure you are using all of the resources at your disposal to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each one. Have a realistic picture of the kind of school that will accept you and what you and your family can afford. Research financial aid opportunities if necessary. Visit as many of your chosen schools as possible. Speak to professors, admissions counselors, coaches and players. Understand where you would fit into the lacrosse program at each school, and how that involvement would effect the rest of your college experience. I encourage you to involve your family in the process, but ultimately, the choice should be up to you.
Congratulations on selecting Michigan as one of the schools you are considering. Whenever I speak to kids about choosing a college to attend, I always talk about the "four A's." There is no other university in the country that provides a better combination of Academics, Athletics, Atmosphere and Alumni opportunities. At Michigan you will be able to take classes from some of the leading professors in any field of study, attend football games at the largest stadium in the country, live in one of the last true college towns in America, surround yourself with a diverse university community of students and faculty from around the country and around the world, and play lacrosse for one of the top USLIA programs in the nation. And after Michigan, you’ll have the advantage of the largest alumni network in the country as you proceed with your career. Keep those four A's in mind as you research the schools you are interested in attending. The school that offers the best combination of those factors is probably the right place for you.
If you choose Michigan, I guarantee the highlight of your college experience will be your involvement with the lacrosse team. You’ll make the best friends you’ll ever make in your life – friends you’ll keep in touch with forever. Michigan players come from traditional hotbeds of the sport like Long Island, Upstate New York and Baltimore, as well as growing areas like Detroit, Chicago, Ohio, St. Louis, California and Florida. Many of our student-athletes had great varsity opportunities, but chose Michigan because of the total package the University and Ann Arbor provide. I should point out, however, that as a USLIA program, we are not in a position that enables us to provide scholarship support and we rarely influence admissions to the University. Our student-athletes gain admission to Michigan based on their own academic merits - something we take great pride in.
Michigan lacrosse allows the standout lacrosse player the opportunity to continue to play very competitive lacrosse on a national level, without dedicating their entire college life to the sport. Our team is full of serious student-athletes in tough courses of study like engineering, business and the sciences. The time commitment involved is demanding, but it is not at quite the same level a major varsity program would require. It's much more like playing in a strong Division III program, with the inherent philosophy of academics first, within a Division I structure, facilities and support services. Thus our players can focus on academics and other activities and still perform and compete at the highest levels. We expect that academics will be the number one priority for all of our student-athletes, with lacrosse coming in a strong second. To that end, our team managed over a 3.4 GPA last year despite the time commitment and tough courses they were taking.
Because of their successes in school and drive from athletics, many of our graduates end up in influential positions on Wall Street or in Chicago or numerous other places. They are only too happy to help current players with summer internships and job connections after graduation.
Varsity-club sport or not, Michigan Lacrosse has one major benefit (other than the ones I’ve already mentioned) that no other school can boast. There is nothing like putting on the winged helmet and representing the Wolverines around the country. With the largest alumni body in the country, and one of the most fervent, our team is supported no matter where we go. As one of the top USLIA programs in the country, we will always be in the running for a conference and national championship. If you play here, you will be striving for excellence, never mediocrity.
I’m happy to answer any questions about the team or the University that you our your parents may have. The lacrosse office phone number is (734) 622-9942. I hope to hear from you. Go Blue!
John Paul
Head Coach