What Is a Lacrosse Prospect Day? Camps vs. Showcases
By Andy Hauck, CEO & Co-Founder | Product & Platform · Reviewed by the Recruit Plan team
Numbers derived from the Recruit Plan dataset as of 2026-09-24.
A lacrosse prospect day is a short event, usually one day, that a college program runs on its own campus so its coaches can see high school players they might recruit. You pay to attend, you play in drills and small games run by that staff, and you usually get a look at the school. Some programs call the same thing an ID clinic or a prospect clinic. The Recruit Plan camps directory lists 309 upcoming prospect days and ID clinics as of 2026-09-24: 282 open to girls and 56 open to boys.
What happens at a prospect day
Most follow the same outline. Check-in and warm-up, then position work, then small-sided games and full-field play where the coaches spread out and watch. Many end with a campus tour or a short talk from admissions. Group size matters more than the schedule. A clinic with 40 players and four coaches is a different evaluation from one with 150 players and the same four coaches.
The staff running the event is the staff that recruits for that program. That is the main reason to go. A coach who has watched you play for three hours has more to go on than a highlight clip, and you get to see how they coach.
Prospect days vs. ID clinics, showcases and summer camps
The names overlap and hosts use them loosely, so read the event page rather than the title. The practical difference is who runs the event and how many college coaches are there.
| Event | Run by | College coaches there | Typical length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prospect day | One college program | That program | Half day to one day |
| ID clinic | Usually one program; some are multi-school | One to several programs | Half day to one day |
| Multi-school clinic | An event company or host school | Several programs, listed in advance | One to two days |
| Showcase | An event company | Many programs, attendance varies | Two to four days |
| Summer camp | A program or its camp business | Mostly the host staff | Several days, often overnight |
Showcases give you the most coaches per dollar, but you are one of hundreds of players and no coach is there only for you. The directory currently lists 87 upcoming showcases and multi-school events. Summer camps lean toward skill development and younger players. A prospect day is the narrowest option: one staff, one campus, a smaller group.
What coaches can and can't say to you
In NCAA Division I lacrosse, coaches can't hold recruiting conversations with you at their own camp or clinic before September 1 of your junior year. That rule has been in place since 2017 (NCAA proposal M-2017-3). They can still run the session, coach you and form an opinion. What waits is the personal conversation about recruiting you.
Division II coaches can begin communicating with you from June 15 after your sophomore year, and Division III rules are looser still. So a freshman or sophomore at a D1 prospect day is being seen, not recruited yet, and should expect that. See the recruiting timeline by division for the full calendar.
What prospect days cost
Across the 173 upcoming prospect days and ID clinics in the directory that list a price, the median is $120. The middle half fall between $75 and $175. Travel and a night in a hotel often cost more than the entry fee, which is why the list of events you pick matters more than any single price.
| Division | Upcoming events | Median listed price |
|---|---|---|
| D1 | 76 | $155 |
| D2 | 62 | $110 |
| D3 | 116 | $100 |
How to choose which ones to attend
Start from your school list, not the calendar. A prospect day is worth the most at a program you would attend and where your level of play fits the roster. A weekend at a reach program where you would not see the field is an expensive campus tour. If you don't yet know where you fit, look at the program tiers and build a balanced list first.
Email the coach before you go. Say who you are, your grad year, position, club and high school, and that you're registered. Coaches plan who to watch. After the event, send a short follow-up with anything new, such as updated film or grades. Before September 1 of junior year a D1 coach may not be able to reply personally, but your email still reaches the staff.
Multi-school clinics are the efficient choice when you want several programs to see you in one weekend. Single-school prospect days make sense for the programs already near the top of your list, where you want that staff's full attention and a real look at campus. For when they are worth the money and when to skip them, see are lacrosse prospect days worth it.
Where to find them
The Recruit Plan camps directory lists upcoming prospect days, ID clinics and showcases for girls and boys, filterable by division, state and date, and each program's page links to its own camps. Most programs announce fall prospect days in late summer and summer camps over the winter, so check back or sign up for alerts on the directory page to get new events by email.