Grant Ament: The Journey from Recruit to Penn State Lacrosse Legend

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SYRACUSE, NY – FEBRUARY 20: Grant Ament #1 of the Penn State Nittany Lions passes the ball against the Cornell Big Red during the third quarter at Schoellkopf Field on February 20, 2016 in Ithaca, New York. Penn State defeated Cornell 8-7. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images) /

Recruitment

Grant Ament was a standout at The Haverford School, leading them to a 26-0 record during his senior season in 2015. During that year, Ament scored 37 goals and had 83 assists.

This production is what made him one of the most sought-after lacrosse players in the country. Luckily, Penn State was able to secure Ament’s commitment long before that, as he committed to the Nittany Lions back when he was a sophomore.

Other schools didn’t have much of a chance with Ament considering both of his parents are Penn State alums, leading to him growing up as a fan of the Nittany Lions.

"“I was looking at a few other schools, but Penn State kind of was the place for me,” Ament said. “Once coach (Jeff) Tambroni came to town, just because I watched Cornell for years and the way that they did things up there and knew how good of a coach he was and then combine that with always wanting to go to Penn State. It was a match made in heaven.”"

The attackman was not alone in attending Penn State, as two of his high school teammates, Chris Sabia and John Nostrant, also committed to the Nittany Lions.

Recruiting in lacrosse greatly differs from that of football and basketball. There are not recruiting services out there giving star ratings and hosting camps for lacrosse recruits to the same degree as for football and basketball players.

As Ament noted, lacrosse players need to maximize every opportunity they receive in front of college coaches.

"“You know, those big show cases where you know if you make the all-star game, that’s when the few 100 college coaches will be there and that’s where you get seen,” Ament said."

Not only is it more difficult for a lacrosse player to receive exposure, it’s also more difficult to receive a scholarship. Most lacrosse players aren’t battling for a scholarship, they’re just fighting for a spot on the team, and Ament was no different.

"“For the most part there’s 12-12.6 scholarships for a team,” Ament said. “So, you know you’re not getting the full ride, I committed with zero money on the on the table, I just was given a spot on the team.”"

Following his impressive senior campaign, Ament and his two high school teammates prepared to enroll at Penn State.

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