Having a quality soccer recruiting video can prove quite helpful during the recruiting process. College coaches generally don’t have the time or budget it takes to see hundreds of soccer recruits in person each year. Video can be a helpful first step in getting the attention of a college coach or following up with one after an event. A well-done video and effective distribution strategy is an important step in the recruiting process.
To make a great highlight video you’ll first need high quality video taken from reasonably good camera and a camera stand (for stability). We can’t expect everyone to have access to a suitable camera for every game, but at the Rapids Youth Soccer Club we have the resources available to have your games filmed including use of hi-pods, and access to a professional videographer, Wesley Post, at Active Sports Video and [email protected].
Once you have video footage from a couple of games, the real work begins. Players need to sift through each video and identify moments in which they impacted the play (i.e. goals, assists, set pieces, connecting passes, intercepting passes, tackles, aerial wins, saves, etc…) Using a video program such as iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, or Video Builder on SportsRecruits, players can easily clip moments and save them as individual files to later add to the highlight.
For highlight video tips, please see the bullet points below. We believe that this information is important in helping to both make and effectively utilize video in the recruiting process.
- Keep it brief! Send 5-8 minutes of video highlights of your play. Coaches don’t have time to watch more than that. If for some reason they want more, they will contact you and request it. After reviewing the video, the coach may decide at this point if they are going to or not going to send staff to see you live.
- Film multiple games. Preferably from an elevated position and then clip the video down to include 5 seconds before and 5 seconds after you touch the ball. Do this until you have 5-8 minutes of video.
- Do not send full games unless a coach requests it. Coaches usually do not have the time or desire to look at entire matches.
- Make sure the video is clearly labeled with your name, phone number, school name, graduation year, jersey number, email address and possibly your SAT/ACT scores, and GPA. Include this information at the beginning of the video. Use editing software to highlight yourself in the film during each clip. Most common are a circle or an arrow pointing directly at you for 1-2 seconds immediately before each clip.
- Follow up! Sending a soccer recruiting video to a coach and then expecting a phone call to get recruited isn’t realistic. You need to follow up with the coach via email or phone and ask if they received and watched the video and what the next step might be in the recruiting process.
- Keep it simple! There’s no need for fancy background music, special effects, or special graphics.
- Quality matters. If at all possible, try and use a quality video camera on a wide enough angle with a tripod, so the camera is steady! High definition cameras are preferred and are relatively inexpensive.
- Post your SportsRecruits profile. It’s easy to post your soccer recruiting video on SportsRecruits and the platform allows unlimited videos!
SportsRecruits offers a webinar that outlines the importance of a highlight video in your recruiting process.
The College Soccer page on the CRYSC website offers a great starting point for parents and players interested in college soccer. For more information, visit our webpage here. For any questions or concerns, please contact CRYSC’s College Placement Director at [email protected].
