Lacrosse players wait patiently for Sep 1. of their junior year, anticipating a call, a text or anything that gives them the satisfaction of receiving a collegiate offer. For some, that relief is instantaneous, hearing from their desired school right from the jump. For others, the process takes painful patience, waiting years and delaying the gratification until the stars align in their favor.
For seniors Rocco Renda and Weston Chance, that unsettling doubt lasted for months, itching for an eye-catching performance that made the scouts turn their way. Junior Matthew Weir’s experience was quite the contrary.
For Weir, his early offer from Marquette University was simply an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. Only two months after he could be contacted by coaches, Weir announced his verbal commitment to the university on social media. When visiting the school, he fell in love with the school’s culture, the city of Milwaukee and, most importantly, the coaching staff. After Marquette Lacrosse Head Coach Jake Richard gave Weir a month-long window for a decision, Weir knew it was time to pull the trigger. On a Tuesday night, three days after visiting campus, Weir decided to give him a call.
“I called him in my room and it was a really cool experience,” Weir said. “I was like, ‘I have good news for you. I would like to announce my commitment to play at Marquette University.’ It was a very genuine interaction.”
Originally, lacrosse was simply a sport to play during the spring, and with the assistance of a teammate’s dad Ralph Saye, Weir signed up. However, the sport quickly became more than a pastime, as Weir began waking up early to practice on the school’s field, rapidly improving.
With impressive performances over the summer with his club team, ADVNC, and good connections through his coaches, Weir soon realized that lacrosse was an avenue for his collegiate future.
While Weir’s recruitment journey was fast paced, Chance’s and Renda’s paths had more meanders. Despite their longer decision process, both Renda and Chance began playing lacrosse much earlier, being introduced to the sport in Lower and Middle School.
Renda first heard about lacrosse through his friend Michael Jimenez then joined the school team and a club team. After joining the Texas Nationals and rising to the third-ranked team in the nation, Renda knew lacrosse was what he wanted to do.
When offers opened in September, Renda was tempted to commit to a college that he didn’t see himself attending, but through the guidance of his previous coach Aiden Herman, Renda waited for better opportunities to come. That wait went from months to over a year, watching other players get the relief he desperately wanted.
“I was one of the latest guys to get recruited,” Renda said. “I was ready to fire off a commitment on September 1st and my coaches thought I could get something better. I’m super thankful that I did, but, looking back, that was the hardest part, not just getting that weight lifted, but going somewhere that I actually deserved.”
After improving his ball-handling skills over the school season, Renda went into his senior summer with a point to prove. During the Grade 8 Lacrosse Tournament, his first of the summer, Renda proved his skill, gaining attention and being called the best overall player in the tournament, committed or uncommitted. With one stellar performance, Renda’s recruitment swayed completely.

“Recruiting is very on and off,” Renda said. “It’s almost lucky. If you have a great game and coaches see you, they’ll say, ‘Okay, this could be our guy.’One game can change the outcome of your college decision.”
One school that took note of Renda was Dartmouth. For Renda, Dartmouth was everything he had been looking for: Ivy League academics, other four and five-star recruits from his class and newly-hired head coach Sean Kirwan from University of Virginia.
When Kirwan called Renda and asked if he’d like to join the Dartmouth lacrosse program, Renda said yes on the spot.
“Right when I hung up that phone, a weight lifted off my shoulders,” Renda said. “All the time I spent just paid off right at that moment, and it felt like a high, like I was the king of the world.”
Like Renda, Chance’s summer club performances presented him with the opportunities he wanted.
Chance’s love for lacrosse stemmed from his brother, Will Chance ’21, who started playing in fifth grade.
“I have good and bad memories of playing in the front yard against my brother,” Chance said. “Sometimes I emerged victorious. Other times I found myself submerged in the bushes. Starting my lacrosse career playing someone who was older, bigger, and stronger than me helped me to be a more aggressive and confident player.”
Chance began traveling for club lacrosse elementary school, realizing he wanted to play collegiate lacrosse only in 7th grade while also playing for the Texas Nationals. Although he loved lacrosse, Chance had another passion: basketball, which presented him with a challenge.
“There’s definitely pressure to just do one sport,” Chance said. “Looking back, I actually wish I could have stayed with basketball as well as lacrosse, even though I do think quitting allowed me to spend more time on lacrosse, especially for a sport where you have to travel all year.”
Like Renda, Chance also felt the fickle nature of the lacrosse recruiting process, recognizing the importance of summer tournaments and club play. In fact, Chance was prepared to apply to colleges through the regular application process until one tournament changed the playing field.
“I played really well at a local tournament called the Texas brawl,” Chance said. “The Williams College lacrosse coach was there. He texted me, we had a good call, and I went up to visit.”
Chance was drawn to Williams College because of its similarities to St. Mark’s and their balance of academics, sports, and student life. After talking to former teammate and Williams freshman Matthew Hoffman, Chance’s mind was made up.
Although their journeys varied, all three players felt the immediate happiness of announcing their commitment to their family, friends, and community.
“That was the most exciting part,” Renda said. “I could not sleep the night before I posted my commitment post. The feedback really excited me, seeing how many likes I got on my commitment post. All the comments congratulating me and all the parent texts made me look back at the journey, and how I was supported by so many people.”