Field Hockey Recruits: How to Make a Quality Video for Coaches
April 30th, 2009 - byVideo is incredibly important for just about every sport, but in order for it to be beneficial to a coach, it has to be done properly. For field players, you always want to use game footage. Generally, combining one or two games will be sufficient for a highlight video. Skills footage will not be helpful for a coach to evaluate you. Keepers should have half game footage and half skills footage for coaches to be able to fully evaluate you.
How to Film you games:
- Tape from a high perspective when possible (at least several feet from the ground).We highly recommend the use of a tripod as well.
-Do not zoom in and out. The wider the angle the better; coaches want to see the start of the play, the full development and finish. If you are zoomed in so much that they can’t see all of this, the evaluation will be very difficult.
-Imagine the field separated into thirds (offensive, middle, defensive). When the ball is in the offensive or defensive third of the field, film the entire 18-yard box and beyond. When the ball is in the middle of the field, film the entire middle third.
-Show enough of the field so that we are able to see the player’s vision, runs with and without the ball, use of space, combinations with teammates, etc.
-Coaches want to see the progression of each play so you need a wide enough angle to capture multiple players, but they also want to see foot skills and technical abilities so do not lose focus on the primary player you are recording.
Position Specific:
For field players, you should focus on the following for your footage:
-Shooting: High, middle and low shots on goal, both stationary and driven shots
-Stick Skills: Handling the ball under pressure from another player as well as unguarded
-Passing: Show 5 repetitions of each lateral and forward passing, as well as 5 repetitions each of the player receiving lateral and forward passes
-Off-Hand: Repeat shooting and passing skills with your off hand (left hand for
right handed players and vice versa)
For goalies, coaches will want to evaluate the following:
Shots: Show someone shooting on you. Vary the shots and highlight your ability to cover shots on the ground, at the crossbar and in the corners.
Clearing: Show yourself clearing the ball from the goal and from outside the goal in the crease
Video is especially important in recruiting when a coach can’t see you play live. If you follow these tips, you will create a quality video and coaches will be able to give you a proper evaluation.
