Perfect Your Lacrosse Skills and Get Noticed
So you want to turn your passion for lacrosse into a career? With the sport’s popularity on the rise, there are more opportunities than ever to get paid doing what you love. But landing your dream lacrosse job takes more than just enthusiasm – you need the right skills and experience. Follow these insider tips to help you get noticed and hired by lacrosse organizations:
Master the Fundamentals
Whether you want to coach, referee, do marketing, or work in lacrosse operations, you need a strong foundation in the sport’s fundamental skills. Work on improving your passing, catching, shooting, dodging, and defensive techniques. The better your stick skills, the more attractive you’ll be to potential employers. Attend camps and clinics to sharpen your abilities. And be sure to stay in top athletic shape – lacrosse requires speed, agility, and endurance.
Get Playing Experience
Nothing boosts your lacrosse resume like hands-on playing experience. Compete on school and club teams at the highest level possible to showcase your talents. Strive to take on leadership roles like captain or make all-star teams. The more time you spend on the field against top competition, the more you’ll grow your skills and demonstrate your dedication.
Volunteer to Gain Coaching Experience
Coaching and refereeing are common entry points into lacrosse careers. Volunteer to assist with practices, camps, and youth league teams in your community. Working with developing players will build your leadership abilities while allowing you to give back. And it’s a great way to network and meet others involved in the sport. Just make sure to learn coaching best practices if you want to do it long-term.
Get Licensed and Certified
Certain lacrosse jobs require specific credentials beyond a standard resume. Referees need to pass officiating exams and get certified by sanctioning bodies. Coaches are expected to hold valid certifications demonstrating their knowledge. Even marketing and ops roles may want to see you take courses in relevant skills like analytics or social media. So research what licenses or certifications could boost your hiring potential.
Build Your Lacrosse Network
As the saying goes, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Networking allows you to make key connections and find unadvertised job opportunities in the lacrosse world. Join professional associations, attend conventions, connect with former coaches – any chance you get to interact with insiders is valuable. And leverage social media by following key lacrosse organizations and figures.
Create a Lacrosse-Focused Resume
When applying for lacrosse jobs, you need a resume tailored specifically for roles in the sport. Highlight all relevant playing, coaching, officiating, volunteer work, certifications, and other lacrosse experiences. Quantify achievements when possible – describe how you improved team performance or grew the program. This shows the unique value you brought. And customize your resume for each application.
Apply for Lacrosse Internships
Internships provide hands-on professional experience while allowing you to demonstrate your abilities. Look for openings with pro teams, equipment manufacturers, leagues, camps, and lacrosse media outlets. College athletic departments often take interns too. Internships can lead directly to entry-level lacrosse jobs or help build your network. Even unpaid positions can be worthwhile early in your career.
Stay Passionate About Lacrosse
Your enthusiasm for the sport should come through loud and clear during the application and interview process. Share what drew you to lacrosse, key lessons you’ve learned through the game, and your vision for growing it. Talk concretely about how your skills make you a great fit for the role. When employers sense your passion, that positivity is contagious.
Don’t Get Discouraged by Setbacks
The road to a lacrosse job can be full of twists and turns. You may face rejection or have to start in a part-time or junior position before advancing. With perseverance and a willingness to learn from mistakes, you can achieve your goal. Stay ambitious but patient and persistent. Keep working hard to improve yourself while seizing every opportunity to get your foot in the lacrosse door.
With the right mix of skills, experience, connections and passion, you can turn your love for lacrosse into a rewarding career. Believe in your dream job and work diligently towards making it a reality. The exciting world of professional lacrosse is waiting for talented, dedicated people like you to come onboard. So keep leveling up your game, and go all out until you score the lacrosse job you’ve always wanted!
Build an Impressive Lacrosse Resume
If you want to get hired for your dream lacrosse job, having a standout resume is a must. Your resume is often the first impression employers get of you, so it needs to showcase your skills, experience and passion for the sport.
Here are tips to build an impressive lacrosse resume that will grab hiring managers’ attention:
Highlight Relevant Lacrosse Experience
Employers want to see concrete examples of your hands-on lacrosse work. Include any playing, coaching, officiating, volunteering, internships, or other relevant experience. Focus on showcasing quantifiable achievements like championships won, players recruited, improvement in team performance, programs built, etc. This quantifiable data proves the impact you made.
Tailor Your Resume for Each Application
Avoid submitting a generic one-size-fits-all resume. Customize your resume for each lacrosse job, emphasizing the skills and qualifications that match the role. Study the job description carefully and include relevant keywords throughout your resume. This shows you have the specialized background they seek.
Use Metrics and Data
Back up your lacrosse accomplishments with hard numbers and data. For example, note lacrosse camp attendance numbers increased 30% under your leadership. Statistics like winning percentages, budget amounts, scholarship dollars awarded make your achievements more impressive. Quantifying your contributions this way packs a punch.
Structure with Relevant Headings
Organize your resume with clear, targeted headings like “Lacrosse Playing Experience” or “Lacrosse Coaching Accomplishments.” This enables employers to quickly scan for the most relevant parts of your background. Prioritize lacrosse-focused headings over general ones like “Work Experience.”
Spotlight Lacrosse Skills
In your skills or summary section, include proficiencies like “Comprehensive knowledge of lacrosse rules and regulations,” “Excellent lacrosse stick skills including passing, catching, shooting,” or “Strong leadership and motivational skills honed through lacrosse team captain roles.” This quickly conveys your specialized abilities.
List Lacrosse Certifications
Certifications related to lacrosse like US Lacrosse coaching credentials, referee licenses, sports management courses demonstrate your dedicated training. Be sure to include the certifying body and date received to legitimize them.
Showcase Lacrosse Passion
Convey genuine enthusiasm for the sport through your descriptions. Use active verbs like “led,” “coached,” “built,” and “spearheaded” when detailing your lacrosse experience. This passion will give you an edge over other applicants.
With a polished, targeted resume specifically tailored for lacrosse jobs, you’ll prove you have the right stuff to contribute to any lacrosse organization. So take the time to make your resume as compelling as an intense lacrosse playoff game!
Network and Make Connections in the Lacrosse Community
They say it’s not just what you know, but who you know. This is especially true when trying to break into the competitive field of professional lacrosse. Taking time to network and build connections within the lacrosse community can be a game-changing move for landing your dream job.
Attend Lacrosse Conventions and Events
Conventions like the US Lacrosse Convention or FIL World Lacrosse Championship are prime networking opportunities. You can connect face-to-face with lacrosse insiders from pro teams, manufacturers, media outlets, and more. Come prepared with business cards, resumes, and an elevator pitch about your skills.
Get Involved with Lacrosse Associations
Join relevant lacrosse associations like the National Lacrosse League Coaches and Officials Association or your local league’s board. Volunteering provides visibility and a chance to demonstrate your abilities to key decision makers.
Connect with Former Teammates and Coaches
Leverage your alumni network from college, club teams, camps, and youth leagues. Former teammates and coaches can provide insider job tips, recommendations, and introductions to their networks. Keep these relationships active.
Do Informational Interviews
Contact lacrosse professionals at organizations you’re interested in and ask for informational interviews. This gives you insight into their career paths and creates a powerful impression. You may even uncover unadvertised opportunities.
Follow Lacrosse Companies and Influencers on Social Media
Follow relevant lacrosse accounts on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Commenting and engaging can get you noticed. Social media also allows you to stay on top of industry news and job openings.
Get References from Lacrosse Insiders
Secure written references and recommendations from coaches, teammates, employers, or anyone else who can vouch for your lacrosse skills and experience. These testimonials carry a lot of weight.
By actively networking within the lacrosse world, you’ll develop the relationships and visibility needed to achieve your dream job. So get out there and make strategic connections – they can open career doors you never imagined!
Find Open Lacrosse Job Positions
The job search process starts with identifying open positions in your lacrosse career field of interest. Here are some of the top ways to find the latest lacrosse job openings:
Check Lacrosse Association Job Boards
Organizations like US Lacrosse, National Lacrosse League, Major League Lacrosse, and your local leagues have job boards listing opportunities with teams, events, camps, and more. These niche sites should be your first stop when searching.
Network with Lacrosse Insiders
Let your contacts in the lacrosse community know you’re job hunting. Networking is invaluable, as many positions are filled via word-of-mouth before being officially advertised.
Follow Lacrosse Companies on Social Media
Often companies will post job openings on their social accounts first. Following pro teams, equipment brands, media outlets, and relevant professionals can help you find opportunities.
Attend Lacrosse Job Fairs
Job fairs at major lacrosse events like tournaments and conventions provide face-to-face contact with hiring reps. Come prepared with resumes and your 60-second elevator pitch.
Search College Athletics Department Sites
School athletic departments regularly have openings for coaches, trainers, marketing, and lacrosse operations roles. Browse college employment pages focused on sports jobs.
Look for Local Lacrosse Club Postings
Youth organizations and regional club teams need qualified coaches, trainers, program directors, and more. Check their websites or call for unadvertised openings.
Browse General Job Sites
Mainstream job boards like Indeed, LinkedIn, and TeamWork Online also post lacrosse positions. Use lacrosse-targeted keywords in your searches to filter relevant results.
Cast a wide net using these strategies to discover the latest lacrosse job opportunities. The key is persistence – check sources regularly, as new positions are constantly being added.
Tailor Your Application to Each Lacrosse Job
When applying for lacrosse jobs, resist the temptation to blast out a generic resume and cover letter. To stand out, you need to customize your application materials for each specific role. This extra effort can be the difference maker in landing your dream job.
Read the Full Job Description
Closely analyze each job posting to identify must-have requirements, responsibilities, and preferred qualifications. Note keywords to strategically incorporate in your materials. This shows direct relevance.
Match Your Experience to the Role
Highlight your background that directly relates to the position. For example, if applying for a youth coaching job, feature your experience running clinics for developing players. Make it easy for the employer to see you’re a perfect fit.
Use Keywords from the Description
Incorporate the exact terms and phrases from the job ad throughout your application. Many organizations use ATS screening that scans for these keywords. Including them boosts your chances of getting noticed.
Emphasize Relevant Skills
Every position requires specific competencies. Your cover letter and resume should spotlight your skills that align with their needs, like “motivating and developing athletes” for a coaching role. Quantify and provide examples of these abilities.
Research the Company
Knowing details about the lacrosse organization demonstrates sincere interest. Reference company facts and metrics in your cover letter. And discuss how you can contribute to their goals and needs.
Convey Passion for the Role
Let your enthusiasm shine through. Use active verbs to vividly describe how you would excel in the position. This passion will capture the hiring manager’s attention and set you apart.
Applying a custom approach requires more effort but delivers superior results. Show you’re 100% committed to each lacrosse job by tailoring every part of your application.
Highlight Your Lacrosse Experience and Achievements
When applying for lacrosse jobs, you need to showcase the skills, experience, and accomplishments that make you stand out. Proving you have the right background for the role is critical.
List Your Lacrosse Playing History
Include details on any high-level teams you competed with, key contributions you made, honors received, and lacrosse skills developed. This demonstrates you understand the game from first-hand experience.
Quantify Your Coaching Results
Did your coaching improve shooting percentages or assist totals for players? Note measurable impacts like “Increased sophomore goal scoring by 30% through focused shooting drills.” Statistics strengthen your record.
Emphasize Lacrosse Program Growth
If you grew a team, camp, league or other program, quantify it. For example, “Grew local youth lacrosse clinic from 50 to 200 participants over 3 years.” Impressive growth shows valuable leadership abilities.
Detail Lacrosse Content You Created
Creating lacrosse videos, books, blogs, podcasts, camps, clinics demonstrates your expertise. Share specifics like content topics, audience reach and engagement.
Spotlight Lacrosse Awards and Recognition
Being an All-American, All-Conference athlete, Coach of the Year, Community Service recipient or any lacrosse honors show you’re respected in the field.
List Relevant Lacrosse Certifications
US Lacrosse coaching credentials, NASM certifications, CPR/first aid qualifications and any other official certs related to lacrosse make you more marketable.
By spotlighting your top lacrosse accomplishments, you prove you have what it takes to excel in the role and advance the organization.
Prepare for the Lacrosse Job Interview Process
You’ve landed an interview for that perfect lacrosse position. Now it’s go time to prepare and make a stellar impression. Follow these tips to ace the interview process and boost your chances of getting hired.
Research the Lacrosse Organization
Learn as much as possible about the team, league, company or group you’re interviewing with. Study their website, social media, news mentions and any other sources you can find. This shows sincere interest in joining them.
Practice Responding to Common Lacrosse Interview Questions
Prepare clear, succinct yet detailed answers to likely questions about your experience, skills and passion for lacrosse. Have specific examples ready that prove you’re the ideal candidate.
Review Your Credentials and Qualifications
Closely re-examine the job description and refresh yourself on how your background is a perfect match. This ensures you can fluidly discuss your fit for the role’s requirements.
Prepare Lacrosse-Specific Questions to Ask
Your own thoughtful questions for the interviewer demonstrate engagement. Ask about their goals for growing the program, challenges they want to overcome, ideal team culture, etc.
Bring Extra Copies of Your Resume
Have clean, up-to-date resume copies ready to share. This saves you scrambling if they ask for one on the spot and keeps your qualifications top of mind.
Dress Professionally
Appearances matter, so dress appropriately in business or business casual attire. You want to look sharp and make a polished first impression.
Arrive Early
Leave extra time to get organized, settle in, and review your notes. Rushing in frazzled right on time creates needless stress.
Taking time to prepare will help you present your best self and land the lacrosse job opportunity you’ve worked so hard for.
Show Your Passion and Knowledge for Lacrosse
When interviewing for lacrosse jobs, you need to demonstrate genuine enthusiasm and expertise for the sport. Employers want to see you have the passion and knowledge to thrive in a lacrosse-focused role.
Share How Lacrosse Shaped You
Tell stories of the life lessons, confidence and personal growth you gained from lacrosse participation. Talk about key coaches or players who inspired you. This gives insight into your passion.
Discuss Lacrosse Trends and Developments
Exhibit your knowledge by discussing trends like increasing athleticism, rising youth participation, rule changes, gear innovations, etc. This shows you stay closely connected to the sport’s evolution.
Provide Examples of Helping Others Through Lacrosse
Did you use lacrosse to raise money for charity, coach disadvantaged youth, or volunteer in other ways? Giving back displays your passion for positively impacting lives.
Ask Thoughtful Questions
Inquire how you can help grow the game and best utilize your abilities in the role. Smart questions show your engagement and interest in making significant contributions.
Highlight Your Competitive Spirit
Share how you strive to continuously improve as a player, coach, or in other lacrosse pursuits. Discuss your motivations and what fuels your competitive fire.
Convey Excitement About the Position
Enthusiasm is contagious. Express genuine excitement about the opportunity to pursue your purpose and make a difference in the lacrosse field.
Let your passion shine through. Lacrosse employers want to see you have the knowledge, dedication and spirit to thrive.
Explain How You Can Add Value to the Lacrosse Organization
During a lacrosse job interview, employers want to understand the unique value you can bring to their team or organization. Be ready to explain the tangible ways hiring you would pay off.
Share Ideas to Improve Their Programs
Suggest new drills, recruitment tactics, camps, partnerships, gear, or anything else that could take their offering to the next level. Come with creative ideas tailored to their needs.
Discuss How You Would Develop Their Athletes
As a coach, detail how you have helped athletes maximize their talent through training techniques, skill building, film study, nutrition, and more. Give examples of players you’ve developed.
Explain How You Would Promote Lacrosse Growth
Share strategies for growing youth enrollment, building women’s participation, improving fan engagement, generating media buzz and expanding the sport’s reach if hired.
Note Any Specialized Experiences
Spotlight unique experiences you bring like playing professionally overseas, developing proprietary drills, or leading diversity initiatives. Rare expertise stands out.
Highlight Leadership and Collaboration Skills
Discuss how you build strong team culture through communication, accountability, trust-building and inclusivity. Employers want leaders who unite.
Share How You Would Connect with the Community
Ideas for building partnerships with local schools and youth programs, running outreach clinics, engaging with media and growing fan affinity show how you can strengthen community ties.
Demonstrating the concrete impact you can make conveys you’re a strategic long-term investment who will advance their lacrosse goals.
Follow Up After Applying for Lacrosse Jobs
Submitting an application is just the first step. Effective follow up is key to standing out and landing lacrosse jobs. Use these tips to stay memorable after applying:
Send a Thank You Note
Email the recruiter, hiring manager or anyone you interviewed with to thank them for their time. Brief notes reiterating your interest and fit go a long way.
Connect on LinkedIn
Sending LinkedIn requests to your interviewers keeps you top of mind in their network. But personalize the request with a reminder of where you met.
Check Application Status
If you haven’t heard back within 2 weeks, politely follow up on the status of your application. But avoid pestering them excessively.
Address Any Lingering Concerns
If they highlighted areas needing clarification or improvement, proactively provide additional information addressing those points in a follow up message.
Update Your Application
If you gain new experience or achievements after applying, inform the company and update your application accordingly to strengthen it.
Reiterate Your Fit
Use follow ups to reemphasize how your skills, experience and passion perfectly fit what they’re seeking in a candidate.
Express Continued Interest
State directly how excited you remain about the position and organization in any communications. Enthusiasm can be deciding factor.
Persistently following up gives you an edge over less engaged applicants. So keep pursuing your dream job actively, even after hitting submit.
Consider Lacrosse Internships and Volunteering
Gaining hands-on experience through lacrosse internships and volunteering is invaluable preparation for full-time positions. Here’s how these opportunities can advance your career goals:
Develop In-Demand Skills
Internships let you build first-hand skills in coaching, officiating, operations, marketing, content creation and other areas employers want. You’ll apply classroom knowledge in real world settings.
Expand Your Network
Interacting with team/league staff, fellow interns and industry pros expands your relationships. You’ll establish contacts to learn from and leverage for future opportunities.
Gain Insights About Desired Roles
You’ll get an inside look at the realities of different lacrosse jobs by shadowing professionals and completing hands-on projects. This helps refine your career goals.
Showcase Your Abilities
Outperforming on substantive internship projects and responsibilities demonstrates you have what it takes to excel in a full-time capacity. Strong performances can lead to job offers.
Obtain Valuable References
Managers you impress are great future references to speak to your abilities. Their endorsements provide credibility.
Discover Untapped Passions
Exposure to new lacrosse-related areas through interning or volunteering may uncover unknown interests that shape your path forward.
Gain Entry-Level Experience
Even unpaid opportunities allow you to list substantive lacrosse experience on your resume and start moving up from the ground floor.
Lacrosse internships and volunteering let you hit the ground running. The knowledge and connections gained will pay dividends in landing your dream job down the road.
Be Persistent When Job Hunting for Lacrosse Jobs
The job search process requires patience and persistence. Landing your ideal lacrosse job won’t happen overnight. Stick with these strategies to stay resilient and motivated:
Set Up Lacrosse Job Alerts
Get notifications from job sites when new openings matching your search criteria are posted. This allows you to pounce on the latest opportunities.
Follow Up Diligently
Persistently follow up on all applications with phone calls, emails, thank you notes and LinkedIn requests. Repeatedly reminding employers of your interest can make you stand out.
Broaden Your Lacrosse Job Search
Look beyond your dream job or preferred lacrosse industry at first. Consider transferable roles that allow you to get a foot in the door and gain experience.
Learn From Any Rejection
If you don’t get a role, politely ask for feedback on why you weren’t selected. Use insights to improve before reapplying elsewhere.
Revamp Your Lacrosse Resume
Continuously update your resume with new accomplishments and skills gained through volunteering, education, internships or other opportunities.
Expand Your Network
Grow relationships with more lacrosse insiders who can offer advice and help circulate your resume to aid your search.
Celebrate Small Wins
Getting an interview or making a new industry connection are progress. Recognize milestones to maintain motivation during the process.
Persistence and tenacity pay off! With continued focus and effort, you can achieve your lacrosse job aspirations.
Use Lacrosse Job Sites and Resources
Your lacrosse job search should start with specialized sites and resources focused on opportunities in the sport. Here are top options to find openings:
US Lacrosse Jobs
US Lacrosse, the sport’s national governing body, lists positions with pro teams, leagues, events, camps, and college programs.
National Lacrosse League Careers
The professional indoor league highlights jobs across its 14 franchises and league office.
Major League Lacrosse Employment
Check the pro outdoor league’s site for team and head office jobs in cities across the U.S.
TeamWork Online
This sports job board lets you search lacrosse-specific roles like coaching, training, equipment management and more.
College Athletic Department Sites
University sports program sites post openings for lacrosse coaches, trainers, and operations staff.
Lacrosse Forums
Forums like LaxPower and Inside Lacrosse often list local club and youth league job openings.
LinkedIn Lacrosse Groups
Joining lacrosse-focused LinkedIn Groups surfaces job postings and discussions.
Lacrosse Association Job Boards
State and regional lacrosse chapters frequently post openings on their sites.
Consult these niche lacrosse job resources to get ahead of the competition and find the perfect position match.
Stay Up to Date on Lacrosse Industry Trends
The lacrosse landscape is constantly evolving. Staying current on the latest developments, innovations and issues shaping the sport is key for career success. Here’s how to stay in the know:
Follow Lacrosse News Sites
Check industry publications like Inside Lacrosse, NLL.com and US Lacrosse Magazine for breaking news and analysis.
Leverage Social Media
Follow key lacrosse organizations, thought leaders, journalists, coaches and players on social platforms to get real-time updates.
Read Lacrosse Blogs
Blogs offer commentary and insights on trends. Subscribe to must-reads like the Growth Blog, Terrier Lacrosse and Lacrosse Film Room.
Listen to Lacrosse Podcasts
Podcasts like The Lacrosse Commuter, Unbuckled and The Sideline View provide in-depth trend discussions.
Track Gear Innovations
New equipment developments like lighter cleats, improved padding and stick technologies impact performance and safety.
Monitor Youth and High School Lacrosse
Developments in youth and scholastic lacrosse shape the future talent pipeline and participation growth.
Watch Advancements in Technology
Lacrosse tech for training, statistics, video analysis, wearables and equipment engineering continues evolving.
Staying knowledgeable about emerging lacrosse trends shows employers your commitment to the sport and enhancing your expertise.
Don’t Give Up – Your Lacrosse Dream Job is Out There!
The job hunt can be grueling, but perseverance pays off. Stay motivated and keep going for that ideal lacrosse career. You’ve got this!
Remember Why You Love Lacrosse
On tough days, reflect on what drew you to lacrosse in the first place – the excitement, camaraderie, integrity of the sport. That passion will re-energize you.
Visualize Achieving Your Goal
Envision actually landing your dream job, doing what you love every day. Make that vision tangibly real through vision boards, playlists, affirmations or other tools to stay focused.
Celebrate Small Milestones
Acknowledge progress like networking contacts made, application materials improved, interview experience gained. Little wins maintain momentum.
Learn From Setbacks
If you hit roadblocks, use them to get constructive feedback, upgrade skills and reset your trajectory wiser and savvier.
Lean On Your Support System
Friends, family, mentors, fellow lacrosse enthusiasts – surround yourself with cheerleaders who believe in you and lift you up.
Stay Flexible and Open-Minded
Consider multiple lacrosse career paths and be willing to start in adjacent roles that build transferable skills and progress you forward.
Persistence and resilience will carry you to that lacrosse job. Trust the journey. You’ve got what it takes – just keep shooting for your dreams!