Moving to Michigan: Tisdale uses past experience to recruit lacrosse players from across North America
Twenty-five freshmen from California to Canada — including five from Michigan — arrived on Central Michigan’s campus in August 2015 to build the foundation for women’s lacrosse.
The roster has players from 15 states and one Canadian province.
CMU announced the addition of women’s lacrosse in 2012. Once CMU named Sara Tisdale as the head coach in July 2014, she recruited her first class from August 2014 through January 2015.
“They all committed within a couple of weeks after visiting (campus),” Tisdale said. “It was really exciting to know we were getting quality student-athletes from across the country that thought CMU was a great place to continue their education and playing career.”
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Adjusting to Mount Pleasant
Fellow freshmen midfielders Anna Schoonover, Logan Halvorson and Riley Huda chose to leave their home state of Minnesota to start their collegiate athletic careers at CMU. Huda and Halvorson attended rival schools, Lakeville North and Lakeville South.
“The biggest adjustment is the town-like atmosphere,” Huda said about Mount Pleasant. “I’m a city person, so that was the one thing I was the most skeptical about.”
It’s a 12-hour drive from Huda’s hometown in Apple Valley, Minnesota to Mount Pleasant. Apple Valley is 20 miles south of the Twin Cities and has a population of 50,201 as of 2013.
Kimble said conditions in Minnesota are harsher than Mount Pleasant. Florida native Kaitlin Kimble noticed major differences in how the weather affects playing the game.
“In Florida it’s very hot all the time,” she said. “You could easily get overheated while playing. Here, it’s so different because you get the wind chill and can’t even feel your hands.”
Building team connections
Because the athletes represent cities from coast-to-coast, the bond they share is unique. Kimble said she feels a special connection with her teammates and CMU.
“Any team I’ve been on, we’ve always formed a bond,” Kimble said. “Something seems special about this one. Especially being 24 hours away from home, it just feels like this is where I’m supposed to be.”
The opportunity to play for a Division I one program was a major influence during the recruiting process.
“We’re all trying to figure it out together,” said California freshman Clare Laughery. “There isn’t someone who’s been here for years that will show us what to do. We get to build whatever we want out of it and set the tone for this program as the first team.”
Trusting the coaching staff
During the recruiting process, Tisdale’s previous coaching experience and desire to build a successful program drew her to CMU lacrosse. Her connections with lacrosse programs across the country helped her find potential recruits.
Tisdale was the first women’s lacrosse coach at NCAA Division III Augustana College in Illinois in 2010. She led the Vikings to a 19-1 record in 2013 when they won the Midwest Women’s Lacrosse Conference regular-season and tournament championships.
“She came from building a successful program from the ground up,” Laughery said. “She definitely has a very set plan for what she wants from us.”
While recruiting, Tisdale relied mostly on pre-existing relationships with club coaches around the country to find potential players.
She attended tournaments showcasing hundreds of teams, where she evaluated potential recruits in one location. Tisdale said she looked for intangible things like hustle plays in the midfield, running through ground balls or causing turnovers.
“We saw Sam Cannon stop a shot with her stick as a field player,” Tisdale said. “We saw Logan Halvorson run through ground balls in front of three or four people and she came out with it every single time. We bring a lot of energy to the program and I believe we’re fun to play for. What (the team) saw in us, we saw in them.”
