Kids need to find the right club to play for...summer clubs. Frankly that is critical to the recruiting process. It's the clubs job and mission (should be) to put their kids in a position to get exposure. A good club will be run by guys that have multiple connections at high levels in D1...and frankly at all levels. There are great D3 opportunities out there for kids as well. As a priority, your friend should be pressing his club coaches about how they are helping him get exposure to help them get opportunities in the recruiting cycle.
The entire process is very tricky and you can waste thousands of dollars playing in meaningless all star prospect days, showcases, etc...in most cases, those events are a waste of money.
Play for the better clubs that play in events that have strong attendance from college coaches...that is really how you get noticed.
The final idea and I'm not huge on this, but it can work...if your friends kid has a school or two he is very interested in, I would suggest they attend the prospect day at that school. In many ways, these are also money grabs, but it could be a way to get noticed...
One final point...if you are really getting recruited...you (the kid) will know it...coaches will get the cell number, email and you will get personal notes...not form letters...I mean real notes and texts...
A guy that really knows about this is
@rufamily I would trust his thoughts on this subject as well.
With all that said...my biggest comment or tip is that you should align with a club program that promotes kids, has connections and plays at the best events....that's how you get noticed
My two boys played for Juiced Cherries out of Michigan (run by two Long Island guys with massive connections)...they were instrumental in my two sons ending up playing for Rutgers and Loyola...Rutgers now has three Juiced Cherries products on the roster
Cherries did a nice job of helping kids navigate the process...they made kids fill out school profiles, asked them early on to look at schools specifically for academics, then location, and then for the overall lacrosse program...this helped kids narrow down schools that were aligned with the reality of skill level, location, and what they wanted to study...this is the kind of stuff good clubs do for their kids....clubs cost a lot of money...that's what you're paying for IMO