Scouting out potential players for Cabrini’s athletic teams is a very big task. The coaches need to make frequent visits and watch the students play at their high school to see if they would be beneficial to Cabrini’s team. Coaches also visit camps during the summer to try and recruit players who may be interested in coming to Cabrini.
Associate Director of admissions Steve Colfer dedicates his time to not only being an admissions counselor but also to being the lacrosse coach. Being a coach takes a lot of time to guide the players and also help them improve their skills on and off the field, Colfer said.
There is also a great deal of pressure for the coach. He has to balance office life and being able to give the “guys” 100 percent support. Colfer is able to do both.
In addition to going out to recruit players, Colfer is also approached by potential students who want him to watch their tapes to see if they have enough talent to be a part of the lacrosse team.
Afterwards, Colfer will invite the student and/or parents to the campus for a tour by a student ambassador. After meeting with an ambassador, they will meet with a counselor to discuss any questions regarding their decision to enroll or not.
Colfer also sets up for the student to come up to campus and stay overnight. The student will room with a lacrosse player and be able to get a true sense of what it is like to be not only a lacrosse player at Cabrini but also a typical college student. They will eat at the cafeteria, go to study hall, social events, or even just for a daily workout.
After the overnight visit, Colfer will continue to keep in contact with that student throughout their school year. Colfer said he follows up with them during the early spring of their senior year of high school.
Cabrini’s lacrosse program has come a long way since the beginning, Colfer said. Before, the coaches had to do a lot of recruiting work to get students to come here to play, but now it seems things have changed. Students are now taking the initiative to see what needs to be done so that they can be a part of the lacrosse team. Colfer attributes the change to the success the lacrosse program has had. “More students are starting to identify themselves to Cabrini,” Colfer said.
Cabrini is now in the top 25 of Division III larosse programs in the country. Each year, however, the program is raising its standards more and more so that the college can have the best lacrosse team possible. At Cabrini, the sports teams are not just about sports, but also academics too. This is why all of the coaches, no matter what sport it is, stress the importance of getting a good education first. They assign study halls throughout the week so that they can make sure their players are keeping on top of their studies so that they are able to play when it comes to game time.
