Jeremy Koren is a standout defender on the ADVNC ‘22 team who is committed to realize his dream of playing DI lacrosse at Lafayette College.
Where it all began, Jeremy Koren at Atherton Lacrosse Camp.
Jeremy first started playing lacrosse in Kindergarten, when he attended the Atherton Lacrosse Camp. “I just remember that I was having a great time and I wanted to keep going back,” Jeremy said.
“I remember picking him up at the camp after the very first day, and he just loved it,” said Jeremy’s mom, Amy Traum. “He was describing to me how he learned about dodging and faking guys out. He intuitively understood lacrosse more than other sports. He loved the intellectual aspect of lacrosse, and the athletic side grew with time.”
Jeremy comes from a lacrosse family. His grandfather played at Brown University, his uncle played at UC-Davis and his older sister Audrey plays at Oberlin College. His younger brother Peter also plays for ADVNC.
Jeremy became a defenseman when he was 11 year old, and it was around that time that his dream of playing in college was born. “I thought I wanted to play in college, but every kid thinks that,” said Jeremy. “By my Sophomore year that dream started becoming more of a reality. I was playing with and against better players, and I realized that I belonged on that level.”
“We’ve been watching Jeremy on this steady progression of improvement,” said Jeremy’s dad, Neil Koren. “He’s never needing to be the star on every team, or win every game. He’s enjoying the process of getting better. He likes practicing as much as he likes playing in games. It’s really fun watching the journey.”
Jeremy joined the ADVNC ‘22 NDP team during the pandemic. That team has 23 players committed to play DI or DIII lacrosse. “When I’d go to a NDP practice, I’d notice how competitive and fast it is,” said Jeremy. “That would get me super excited to play with these guys that played so well. They pushed me to play well and keep up. It’s just a super fun team to play with.”
Koren v Joey Spallina at the ‘20 Fall Fray.
“I went to Delaware to watch Jeremy play with ADVNC NDP at the Fall Fray in the Fall of 2020,” said Neil Koren. “The first game, they played Team 91 and Jeremy was matched up with Joey Spallina, who was the top rated ‘22 in the country. I was so impressed with Jeremy’s confidence in that game. It was really a thrill to see him play against someone who was so highly regarded and do so well.”
It was around the same time that Jeremy’s college recruitment picked up pace. At the time, Jeremy was mostly getting recruited by DIII schools. He had visited Lafayette’s campus and knew a few of their players and reached out to their coaching staff.
The Korens credit ADVNC Founder & CEO, Chris Rotelli with aiding Jeremy in the recruiting process. “I know Coach Rotelli talked to a lot of the Lafayette coaches on my behalf,” said Jeremy. “He and I talked about what to send them and some things to ask them. It was good having him by my side.”
“We found Chris Rotelli to be very supportive,” said Amy. “Chris had a meeting with us and we went through Jeremy’s list of colleges and made sure it was a good list. Chris has a real understanding of the players, the game and where kids fit in at colleges. Chris supported Jeremy and advocated for him when coaches called.”
“Matt Bond (ADVNC SF Director and coach at Menlo-Atherton, where Jeremy goes to High School) has been part of Jeremy’s life since first grade,” said Neil Koren. “He has coached Jeremy in High School, with the Grizzlies and with ADVNC. He, along with Chris Rotelli had a belief in Jeremy’s ability to play high level college lacrosse. The recruiting process is a little vague to us in California, and we didn’t have a ton of experience with it. Getting back East and playing in big tournaments with ADVNC made a difference in getting better but also getting film against higher level players and being seen by college coaches.”
Jeremy is a standout player for the Menlo-Atherton High School squad.
After playing with ADVNC in the summer and fall of 2020, Jeremy was offered a spot on Lafayette’s team and he accepted. “The first time I went to campus I fell in love with it,” said Jeremy. “Their coaches put a huge emphasis on academics. Their team had the top grades of any team in the Patriot League. The opportunity to play DI lacrosse is an honor. It’s a smaller school, and I really like the opportunity to get a liberal arts education.”
“We are absolutely thrilled with Lafayette,”said Amy. “We learned through the college selection process with our daughter there’s real value in a smaller, liberal arts college and playing DI lacrosse is Jeremy’s dream.”
“The campus is incredible and the culture of the team is incredible,” said Neil. “We feel like it’s a great academic and social fit for Jeremy and we love his opportunity to play really high level lacrosse for a team that we feel is on the rise. I think Jeremy will leave Lafayette having had a really fun time and be ready for the next phase of his life.”
Jeremy looks back on what has gotten him to this point and has this advice for young players who want to follow his path to DI lacrosse. “Do the extra work,” said Jeremy. “Put your head down and keep pushing forward. It’s not always going to go right. You might mess up, but you can’t let that get to your head. Master the small things, build off the basics. Don’t be the flashiest all the time. Just get it done and keep going forward.”