Allison Kwolek is starting a sports program from scratch at Clemson, and she often mentions the success of one that recently did the same when trying to sell hers on the recruiting trail.
“I talk about softball a lot in recruiting,” Clemson’s lacrosse coach recently told The Clemson Insider. “Not just as an example of them just starting out but winning and playing at the highest level.”
Kwolek was hired as the school’s first-ever lacrosse coach in August. The program won’t play its inaugural season until next spring. In the meantime, Kwolek, who came to Clemson from Richmond, has been busy hiring a coaching staff and trying to sell a vision to prospective student-athletes, which is where softball comes in.
Clemson softball is in just its third season of existence, though that hasn’t stopped John Rittman’s program from being among the ACC’s best almost immediately. The Tigers won a regular-season conference title last year, have played in back-to-back league tournament championship games and will host their first-ever regional this week as the No. 10 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
“For our recruits to see that, to see that with the funding and resources at Clemson, you can be very good very quickly,” Kwolek said.
As for those resources, the lacrosse program will have its own on-campus stadium as well as a 9,000-square foot operations complex that will house locker rooms, coaches offices and other amenities. A 10,000-square foot training and recovery center for lacrosse, rowing and gymnastics is also part of a $27.5-million facility expansion plan for women’s sports the school announced earlier this year.
Construction on those facilities will begin later this year and are projected to be completed late next year, according to the school.
“I think just the funding and resources that are being poured into the sports is incredible,” Kwolek said. “To have a facility that’s dedicated just to women’s lacrosse, from our ops building to our stadium, it’s one of a kind and really special.”
So what about recruiting?
Kwolek signed the program’s inaugural recruiting class late last year, which included seven players. She will get a chance to ink one more before the Tigers play their first-ever lacrosse game early next year.
So far, Kwolek doesn’t have any complaints when it comes to attracting talent to Clemson.
“Recruiting has gone really well,” she said. “People want to go to Clemson, and people want to play lacrosse at Clemson. My inbox is full, so it’s been really great. I’m excited to see some top classes that are coming to Clemson to play lacrosse.”
Photo courtesy of Clemson Athletics
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