Natick Coaching Legend Helps Local Athletes Navigate College Recruiting

Local coaching legend Tom Lamb from Natick High School was on hand to speak with local athletes and parents at the Bay State Conference Recruiting Night at Wednesday evening. The session aimed to help all those involved in the dynamics and intricacies of college athletics.

Local athletes such as Norwood’s Tommy Munro, Dedham’s Mike Ryan and Emily Mosca were on hand to listen to coach Lamb’s 40 years of experience in the college recruiting process, financial aid packages, and how college coaches evaluate athletes.

Lamb told the hundred or so in attendance that kids need to, "study, study, study, every mark is going to count and its going to be just as competitive for you academically as it is athletically."

Munro, who hopes to play football at the next level, said that the evening, “was helpful in that he made everything clear," and that, "coach Lamb clearly knows what he is talking about.

As a former athletic director as well as a multi-sport coach, with four state football titles on his resume, Lamb outlined the importance of the evaluation process and how students are considered to be apart of a "sports family" at the next level.

Parents were also informed in how to “negotiate” the financial aid packages and how their son or daughter could get noticed, from creating a highlight sports video to attending college sponsored sports camps, as well as the need to develop a relationship with the institution the student-athlete is interested in.

"I believe strongly in college sports-related camps, where colleges have a camp, where coaches from other colleges are there to evaluate," added Lamb.

Dedham junior Mike Ryan, who is looking to play baseball in college, said that coach Lamb, "made everything simple, outlined all the important things you need to know, financial aid, contacting coaches and making videos."

College Planning Strategies, a Medway company that sponsored the event, is geared around helping today’s student overcome the challenging cost of college.

Ron Foisy, a planning advisor for the company, lauded Lamb for his contribution to the team. "The body of knowledge that is there is something you can’t re-create."

"The obstacle families are facing today, the escalating cost of college is so over the top, anything that we can do to help families afford the right type of college, and athletics is just one way to do it," Foisy said.

 Lamb finished by addressing the students, "go where you are going to go and enjoy it, and be the best you can be and have a good experience, that’s what we want."