Subscribe to the NCSA BlogWhat Should I Do With My Highlight / Skills Video?
February 23rd, 2009 - byHopefully you have taken our advice over the last two weeks and you now have a winning highlight / skills video that is bound to impress every college coach that lays eyes on it. All you have to do is pick a list of schools that you like, package the DVD, send it out in the mail, and then sit back and wait for the scholarship offers to pour in. Sounds easy enough, right?
If only it were that simple…
Over the last two weeks, you were privy to expert information from our talented Video Department, and this week I sat down with NCSA Recruiting Coaches to talk highlight distribution. For those of you who are unfamiliar with NCSA, our Recruiting Coaches are responsible for not only guiding thousands of families through the recruiting process every year, but also building and maintaining relationships with college coaches at more than 1,700 colleges around the country. All of them have played collegiate athletics and in some cases also coached. It’s safe to say that they know a thing or two about the process. First, let me introduce you to this week’s contributors:
Lisa Strasman – Recruiting Coach Director
Andrea Emmons – Senior Head Recruiting Coach / Assistant Director
Rick McDole – Senior Head Recruiting Coach
Brandon Liles – Head Recruiting Coach
Joyce Wellhoefer – Head Recruiting Coach
Jeff Schlict – Head Recruiting Coach
CK: Once a student-athlete has finished filming and editing their highlight or skills video, what’s next in the process?
AE: The immediate next step, before anything is sent out, is that a student-athlete needs to create a target list of schools. It sounds logical enough, but make sure you are targeting schools where you meet the coach’s criteria athletically and academically…basically schools that might be interested in you!
RM: Also, before sending anything to the coaching staff, initiate contact through email or phone first. Ideally the coach will know who you are and be expecting the film based on a request. However, if they have not asked for the film, contacting that coach before sending any video will be imperative if you hope to receive an evaluation.
CK: So once a student-athlete has put together a list of schools and has made contact with the coaching staff, who should they actually address the package or send the online video to? I mean some staffs have 10 coaches…should they all get a copy?
LS: Unfortunately there is no universal answer for this question. It depends on the sport (some sports with larger 
budgets employ more coaches) and it also depends on which coach the student-athlete has a relationship with. The word “relationship” is stressed here because you never should send video blindly without talking to the coach first and confirming that they would like to see you play. Coaches, especially those at popular schools, can receive hundreds of videos a week and if they are not specifically looking for your video, or if it is not sent by a reliable source, it may get lost in the shuffle. In fact, back in the days of VHS (those days have passed – do not send a coach a VHS video!) coaches used to use unsolicited videos to record practice sessions. Once you have a relationship with a coach you should ask him or her how you should send your video and who it should be addressed to. Long story short, sending a highlight / skills tape should not be the first contact you have with a college coaching staff…
RM: Lisa is 100% right. With football, there is typically a position or assistant coach who is in charge of recruiting a specific region or a recruiting coordinator who the initial video should be sent to. Student-athletes should rarely send the first video to the head coach of a program.
BL: As Lisa mentioned, this does vary based on the sport, and for baseball, I actually suggest student-athletes send their video to everyone on the coaching staff.
AE: While there is no universal answer, a good rule of thumb to follow is that for a DI school, I recommend sending the video to your position coach or the Recruiting Coordinator for most sports. The head coaches are rarely the first line of defense in recruiting. Their job is to make the final cut. At a DII, DIII, or NAIA program, you may want to include the head coach or assistant coach in the initial distribution.
CK: From my experience, families tend to make a lot of mistakes during the distribution portion of the process, what are some of the most common that families should avoid?
JW: A few that I have come across commonly are:
- Sending unsolicited video without any warning to the coach.
- Sending the wrong type of footage. For example in a sport like softball, most coaches do not want to see your game footage, but rather the proper skills as the Video Department talked about last week.
- Sending video that is too long. The highlight /skills video is usually evaluated to validate the information the coach already has about the student-athlete and ideally motivates a more thorough evaluation.
LS: One of the biggest mistakes families make is lack of follow through. Once you send a video, you can not just sit back and wait for the coaches to contact you. You must wait the appropriate length of time and then contact the coach directly 
to confirm that it was received, that they were able to view it, and to request some feedback. Remember, even if a coach tells you that you are not a fit for their program that is actually a good thing because you can cross that school off your list and move on to other colleges. Feedback, even when harsh, is much better than sitting back waiting and wondering.
CK: Talk a little about the process a coaching staff goes through when they actually receive the video that will help a family coordinate an effective distribution plan.
JW: Generally they will have someone on the staff go through all the videos initially and then pass them along to the right person whether it is the assistant or head coach. As we have mentioned a number of times, they generally watch the videos of the student-athletes they are aware of first. For softball, coaches typically only need to watch one or two minutes of skills before they determine if that prospect is worth pursuing.
BL: Baseball is very similar. A lot of coaches will know after a few swings or pitches if that is someone they want to recruit. Rarely will a baseball coach watch more than 3 minutes of a skills video.
AE: One thing to be mindful of is that most coaches do not view the video immediately upon receipt, so it’s important to be patient and give them time.
JS: I hate to sound redundant, but I think most families would be surprised by how quickly coaches make evaluations of a student-athlete based on their video.
LS: Some coaches only need 30 seconds to make a determination about a student-athlete! This can be frustrating for 
student-athletes and families because they have spent years getting ready for this evaluation and if it does not have that “wow”factor, it might hurt the student-athlete’s chance at a scholarship. That also emphasizes the importance of having the video done correctly to begin with.
CK: How will a student-athlete know if the college coach has seen their video?
JS: Unfortunately, the response of the coaches to a video will vary quite a bit. The best advice I can give would be to follow up proactively with the coach to find out if they received and evaluated a video and not wait around.
BL: Jeff is right, the responses will vary quite a bit. Some coaches will go in-depth with an evaluation of what they saw while others will provide a short, canned response of, “You would be a possible recruit for our program, please fill out our online questionnaire.” They might even ask the student-athlete to follow up with a call if they are interested in the program. From my experience, every coaching staff has a different follow-up method.
RM: It also depends on what the coaches are allowed to do based on what part of the process they are in. Remember, they are not always able to call or write a prospect, but that does not mean they do not watch the video. Ideally they will respond but to avoid being left in the dark, make sure to be proactive like Jeff mentioned.
CK: Almost all of you mentioned how important it is for a student-athlete to follow up after they have sent the video to further the relationship. Any suggestions for a recruit who has recently sent out their video?
LS: Give the coach about 10 days or so and then follow up with a phone call or email to the coach you sent the video requesting feedback. Be prepared to accept the truth from the coach even if it’s not what you had hoped to hear!
BL: Make sure to ask where you sand on the coach’s recruiting list for that position based on their evaluation.
RM: Take advantage of any feedback you receive. If they didn’t not like your skills, which is entirely possible, use that input and start focusing on other schools that might be a better fit for your skill set.
AE: Have your video available to re-send easily. Sometimes coaches never receive a video and the recruit assumes the lack of response is due to a poor evaluation when in reality the coach never even watched it. When you are following up, the first question should be whether or not they received the video and if not, send it again!
CK: Any final advice for our readers?
LS: Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression. Make sure the footage you share with coaches highlights your best plays, is well organized and professional. If a coach can’t find you on the screen, or the footage is blurry, they will not waste much time trying to find you. Have your parents start recording your games/meets/matches as early as freshman year. In most cases, you will not want to send freshman footage to college coaches, but practice makes perfect.
JS: Be persistent, follow up, and get answers! Often, student-athletes are worried about “annoying” a coach, but the successful student-athletes have a relentless approach to the process. In 10 years, you will not remember the one or two coaches you might have bothered, but you will never forget the coaches who want you on their team!
A big thanks to our Recruiting Coaches for taking time away from talking to families and college coaches to help us out this week! If you would like to send your video to NCSA’s Scouting Headquarters to be reviewed by an expert and possibly included in our Recruit-Match Database accessible by more than 30,000 college coaches, send it to:
Attention: Adam Diorio
1415 North Dayton St. 4th Floor
Chicago, IL 60642
Be sure to include your name, position (jersey number if needed), phone number, email address, and parents’ names. NCSA will contact you once we receive the video to let you know what we think!
February 24th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Great comments, very helpful.
February 24th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Do you recommend sending youtube links prior to sending video to coaches?
February 24th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
I’m a sophomore, started on the varsity football team and had a really good year with lots of post season honors. I sent out a bunch of highlight video’s and want to know if, because of my grade, the coaches are able to have a conversation with me. Or do they have to wait until I’m a junior. If they can’t talk to me, should I still follow up directly with them to see if they got my video?
thx.
February 24th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
I got limited play as a Junior, but did very well with my opportunities(running back). NCSA edited my highlight video, which only had a couple of touchdowns and a couple of good runs. While I hope to be starting this year, will it hurt my chances sending a short video that may not have all the touchdown runs that a starting senior running back may have on their highlight tape? Considering first impressions and all.
Thanks.
February 24th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Jeremy every athlete can only show what you have on tape. Obviously every athlete would like to have a long highlight tape, but remember many schools recruit on potential. The important thing is that you prove to a college coach that you can contribute to their program!
February 24th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Dylan, You can actually call a coach at any time. The only restrictions are coaches calling you.
February 24th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
YouTube links can be helpful, but they usually don’t have a high open/success rate.
February 24th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Dylan:
Coaches are not able to talk with athletes as freshman or sophomores. As a sophomore, programs are only able to send you information on the school, and any camps they may be hosting in their off seasons. It is violation of NCAA rules to have direct contact with you at this stage.
If you have hopes of playing in college, remember, you must register with the NCAA Clearing House in order to be eligible. The Clearing House is a division within the NCAA that acts as a one stop shopping for coaches/colleges to get grades, SAT/ACT scores, etc.
Good luck.
February 24th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
I am ending the recruiting process with my son and the one thing that is common was that my son had great season stats, combine stats, and academic stats but the major college coaches said that because he did not fit the “template” for that position (specifically as it applies to height) he was ruled out and not even given a look. This has been the common answer, at least among D1, D1AA, and D2. Is it possible I could be made aware of what this “template” is so that I can spend my time focusing on the colleges that look at heart and not a prototype. It would also serve a purpose for me as a High School coach to put players in positions where they would play in college based on this template.
February 24th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Paul: My son is hearing exactly the same thing. He’s a 6′2 245 left tackle in a wide open no-huddle spread offense. He has a state championship ring and 1st team all conference and all region awards. Doesnt matter. He’s too small. If he were 30 pounds heavier and had puffy cheeks and a gut he’d be getting a look. But he also would be slower and less mobile. Why would a college coach prefer a fat slow lineman? Defensive ends eat those slow guys for lunch.
February 24th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Hello,
I have several games on video playing Girls’ Varsity Basketball. We have heard from our coach that some college coaches prefer “entire game’ film and others highlight video. What is your recommedation on the best video to send? Should either one be a maximum amount of minutes?
Thanks!
February 24th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Dylan: To reiterate what Brian advised, you can call college coaches. They can’t return your call. They can send you camp brochures and questionnaires freshman and sophomore year. Those usually have phone numbers attached. College coaches CAN talk to you if you initiate the phone call. There are plenty of talented sophomores who have regular phone conversations with college coaches because the student-athlete made the call. The NCAA Eligibility Center will not get you recruited. College coaches do not search there for potential recruits. They do go there to make sure a student-athlete who they are recruiting is academically qualified to play at their level.
February 24th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Susan: A college coach will want to watch a full-game video only if they like what they see in the highlight video. As mentioned in the article, college coaches make their evaluation as fast as 30 seconds. If you leave them a good first impression, they’ll want to see the full game video to confirm that impression.
February 24th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
R – Those linemen that college coaches look are are heavier and may have a gut and puffy cheeks. But they are also faster, have a quicker first step, and have the potential to get even bigger and faster. That’s why college coaches recruit those kids.
February 24th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Take a look at NCSA’s Recruiting Guidelines:
http://www.ncsasports.org/recruiting-tools/football/recruiting-guidelines
February 24th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Susan, we were told that basketball coaches would actually like to see a whole or half game rather than a skills tape as our high school coach said, he could take the worst player on the team and make them look like a star with good editing. He stated that coaches want to see the reaction to mistakes, the hustle all 40 minutes, the small nuances you cannot see in a highlights tape. My daughter is a sophomore and coaches have requested entire game or half game tapes, not highlights..
February 24th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
California Mom and Susan – What coaches want to see varies depending on the sport. For some sports like softball and baseball in which a college coach cannot do much evaluating with game footage, since the individual plays such an irregular part of the game depending on when the ball is hit to them and when they come to bat in the lineup, etc. In other sports like football and basketball, the players on the court are involved in almost every play and from watching game footage, a college coach can make an evaluation. That being said, California Mom, coaches do not only look at a highlight tape, so to say your high school coach could take the worst player on the team and make him look like a star is doing the process a great injustice. That player would have never had film requested due to his size, lack of proven stats, or lack of experience (or whatever makes him the worst player on the team)….Film is requested when the interest of the college coaches is sparked by something on paper such as size, stats. The worst player on the team most likely never gets a request for film…
February 25th, 2009 at 12:27 am
So it was said in the article that someone needs to make contact with the coaches before the film is sent. My question is who should call them? Coach? Parent? Player? Thanks!
February 25th, 2009 at 9:38 am
The student-athlete should always be making the calls. That is why it is key that he/she is coached correctly on what to say.
February 25th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
if i send a tape to you could you make it to an highlight tape?
February 25th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Ok but what if the student-athlete is never home during business hours? Hes currently playing another sport and all spare time is in the gym. By the time he gets home most of the coaches are out of the office-is it ok for him to leave a message? or does he need to actually talk to them directly? Also, we are on west coast so time differences are a factor. Thanks!
February 25th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
It can be extremely difficult to find time, but it is critical that the student athlete make the calls to college coaches. The bottom line is they want to hear from athletes not parents.
February 25th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
What if my soccer season just ended and I could not get a video?? this is so frustating, What should I do?
February 25th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
I would plan on filming your upcoming indoor and spring seasons.
February 25th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
Hi Avery: We only make highlights for qualified student athletes. To see if you qualify to have a highlight video made, have your parents call 866-579-6272.
February 26th, 2009 at 9:35 am
GOOD STUFF,YOU GUYS KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!! P.S. I FORWARD YOUR INFO TO ALL MY PARENTS & STUDENTS!!!
February 28th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
My son is a sophmore he plays wide receiver, running back, corner, safety, and second string quarterback for the Varsity football tearm, point guard and shooting guard for Varsity basketball; leads in assists and steals and 3rd in rebounds. Academically he does very well and performs well in football and basketball. My question is how important is winning if the coach did not win any football games and basketball season the team was 8-14? Does the team’s season have an effect on recruting?
March 2nd, 2009 at 9:20 am
Naturally some to of the better teams receive more attention, thus their players have a better shot at being “discovered” at an age. However, this represents a very small set of college prospects. In reality most prospects are identified based on their talent. If your son hasn’t been identified yet, I would contact an organization like NCSA.
March 2nd, 2009 at 9:50 am
i like the offer but am from africa in a country called uganda am completely geen about the infomation please explain it to me more i am intrested please dont leave me out
March 14th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
hey, all of these posts have helped out a lot..i’m getting ready to be a junior for my high school and start on the varsity basketball team, but i haven’t started filming yet and was wondering if that could possibly hurt me in the long run..thanks
March 16th, 2009 at 8:45 am
Cory, you should start filming right away, however there are also some recruiting steps you can start taking right now. I recomend you get evaluated by an NCSA scout!
http://recruit-match.ncsasports.org/fasttrack/lead/preSAEFEntryV1.jsp?lnkSrc=SAEF-Blog
March 16th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
thanks !
July 9th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Hi, my son is a rising Junior this year. He played Defensive Tackle (a little linebacker) and Offensive Tackle last year as a Freshman and Sophomore. He goes to a 2A school and there weren’t alot of big kids on his team that could play line. This year he is moving to Fullback and Linebacker. He is 5′ 11″ 235 lbs. He was on JV as a Sophomore. Is there anything he should do since he has no Varsity tape yet and his JV tape is OT and DT? Do you have any suggestions? His highlight is on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq592b-cBgg He has been working on his speed and lifting since this highlight. Thank you.
July 10th, 2009 at 12:19 am
John:
College coaches want to evaluate only varsity video. But, before a college coach will view the video, they will ask for it. So there is preliminary work that your son has to do before a college coach will even ask him for a video. That work will take the next 8 – 12 weeks at least and your son should have varsity video by then.