If you’re like most young athletes, it’s likely you have considered the question, “Do I really need to make a highlight video?”
Well, let me leave you with no doubt in your mind that the answer to the question is a resounding yes!
Every serious young athlete seeking to be recruited by colleges and hoping to receive a student/athletic scholarship needs to have a well-made highlight video in his or her portfolio.
In the age of the ever-present Internet and 24/7/365 social media networks, a well-made, properly deployed highlight video is the most efficient and effective tool an athlete can use to showcase his or her abilities and potential. Because a well-made and correctly deployed highlight video serves the athlete in the following three ways:
- Entices coaches, recruiters, and scouts to take a closer look
- Provides sports recruiting ranking services and sports media outlets with easily accessible video
- Creates more awareness and buzz among fans and members of the media.
Each of the above-listed reasons is critical, especially in a recruiting environment where hundreds of thousands of high school athletes compete for a very limited number of student/athletic college scholarships.
Click the following link to see the NCAA’s research chart showing the probability percentage of high school students participating in their chosen sport at the college level: NCAA Research: Estimated Probability of Competing in College Athletics.
Please note that the above-linked NCAA chart merely shows the participation rate for each sport from high school to college, not whether a high school student actually received an athletic scholarship. The percentage of high school students who actually receive athletic scholarships is much lower than the already low participation rate.
Recruiting business experts know the importance of a highlight video
Based on my more than fourteen years of experience making sports highlight videos—I know the power of a well-made and correctly deployed highlight video in helping athletes garner scholarship offers. And If you need more validity—I’m certainly not the only one that understands the importance of a highlight video during the recruiting process.
Many parents/guardians looking to get student/athletic scholarships for their sons and daughters will pay a sports recruiting service—thousands of dollars—for their assistance. Interestingly enough, among the very first things a sports recruiting service wants their client to have is a highlight video of their son or daughter.
So, are you still wondering whether or not you need to make a good highlight video?
Everybody wants to see a video of a college prospect in action
Let’s be real. Most college sports programs are already aware of the top high school athletes in their regions. But what about the rest of the more than 90%-plus athletes that remain? Well, the cold hard reality is that it’s up to each individual athlete to convince the college coaches to take a closer look at them. And since a coach’s time is valuable, the quickest and most efficient way to entice them to want to learn more about an athlete is by providing them with a well-made highlight video of their best plays. Then—maybe—a college coach will ask you to visit their camp and/or to see your game film, which is the no. 1 tool they use to evaluate a prospect’s talent and potential to play at the next level.
But the influential effect of a highlight video doesn’t stop here.
Think about the sports recruiting prospect ranking services like Rivals, MaxPreps, and your local sports media outlets. What do these folks do when they want to learn more about an athlete to determine how high to rank him or her or decide whether or not they should be a member of their various all-star teams?
Oftentimes, when these recruiting ranking services and local media don’t have anything on an athlete, they simply google their names in the web search bar, hoping they can find some video. These are the instances where an athlete has a strong online presence, and an easily accessible, well-made highlight video can really come into play.
Never forget the power of the fan when it comes to your highlight video
After seeing your video, you never know what fan may get excited enough that they share it with others, creating a buzz and even more interest in you. For those of you who participate in college sports message boards, you know how often you’ve seen links to a high school prospect’s highlight video.
Don’t underestimate the power of a well-made highlight video that is correctly deployed for maximum effect.
In fact, outside of a prospect’s actual demonstrated talent and perceived potential—nothing else can possibly have more influence on the recruiting process than his or her highlight video.
So, treat your highlight video as a wise investment in your future. Ensure that it is made for maximum impact and correctly deployed for its intended targets and purposes because you can bet that a lot of your competitors have already invested wisely in their future success.
Related Links
Ultimate Guide: How to Make a Sports Highlight Video for Free
How to Manage the College Football Recruiting Process
Odds of Receiving a College Football Full Scholarship
NCAA FBS College Football Coach Contacts
May 23, 2019 @ 10:43 am
I recommend using a pro all day long. Had I done this in the first place. I would have saved a lot of valuable time. I like how your company makes the video shine with hardly any wasted time between plays. Hudl does not do highlights all that good and a lot of athletes who subcribe to it go on to use companies like yours anyway. I personally will pass this link on to parents with middle school and high school kids. Keep up the good work!.