Every year, thousands of student-athletes send recruiting videos to college coaches across America.
Unfortunately, many of those videos fail to make a positive impression.
Not because the player lacks ability.
But because the video makes it difficult for coaches to properly evaluate them.
The reality is simple:
Your recruiting video is often your most important marketing tool.
Before a coach watches you live, speaks to you on a call or offers a scholarship, they will usually watch your video.
The quality of that first impression can significantly impact your recruitment opportunities.
Let's look at how to create a video that college coaches actually want to watch.
College coaches recruit hundreds of players every year.
They don't have time to watch full matches for every athlete who contacts them.
Instead, recruiting videos allow coaches to quickly assess:
A good video encourages coaches to ask for more information.
A poor video often ends the evaluation process immediately.
Many athletes misunderstand the purpose of a highlight video.
The goal is not to show every touch you have ever taken.
The goal is to make a coach want to watch more.
Think of your video as a trailer rather than a full movie.
Your objective is to generate interest.
One of the biggest mistakes athletes make is saving their best actions until the end.
Coaches may only watch the first 30 to 60 seconds.
That means your strongest moments should appear immediately.
If you score an exceptional goal, deliver a brilliant assist or make an outstanding defensive play, don't hide it halfway through the video.
Lead with quality.
Before the highlights begin, include a simple information screen.
This should contain:
Keep it clean and professional.
The coach should immediately know who they are watching.
One of the most common complaints from college coaches is:
"I don't know which player I'm supposed to be watching."
Before each clip, briefly highlight yourself.
Methods commonly include:
The marker should disappear before the action begins.
This allows coaches to follow your movement naturally.
The best recruiting videos focus on qualities relevant to the player's position.
Show coaches what they are recruiting.
Recruiting videos should primarily consist of real match footage.
Training clips can occasionally add value, but match situations provide much stronger evidence.
Coaches want to see:
Match footage is king.
Most recruiting videos should be between:
3-5 minutes
Longer isn't necessarily better.
If a coach likes what they see, they will ask for additional footage.
Focus on quality rather than quantity.
Many coaches will request full matches after viewing highlights.
Whenever possible, have full-game footage available.
Highlights show strengths.
Full matches reveal consistency.
Both are important.
Coaches need to clearly see the action.
Many coaches mute videos immediately.
Your football should do the talking.
Transitions, animations and effects rarely improve evaluation.
Keep things simple.
Be selective.
Only include clips that support your case.
Never assume coaches know which player you are.
Ultimately, coaches are looking for players who can help their programme.
They want evidence of:
Your video should answer one question:
"Can this player help my team?"
If the answer is yes, the coach will want to know more.
Ideally between 3 and 5 minutes.
It's not necessary.
Most coaches focus entirely on the football.
No.
Clear footage and strong content matter far more.
Primarily use match footage.
Training clips should be supplementary. In the case of goalkeepers, an additional training video is encouraged. Allow for successful completion of reps and sets to show the coaches your consistent ability in various different training exercises.
Generally yes, although some players create position-specific versions.
A recruiting video is often your first opportunity to impress a college coach.
Done correctly, it can generate significant interest and open doors to scholarship opportunities.
Done poorly, it may prevent coaches from ever seeing your true ability.
Keep your video simple, professional and focused on the qualities that make you valuable to a programme.
Remember, the objective isn't to tell coaches everything.
It's to make them want to see more.
Written by Lyle Gifford
Director, Scholarship Sports USA
"Lyle has helped hundreds of student-athletes from the UK, Ireland and Europe secure opportunities at universities across the United States. He specialises in NCAA eligibility, scholarship recruitment and university placement."
Written By
Lyle Gifford, Director
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