Winning the Recruiting Game, Vol. 3

I am continuing the series of how to win the recruiting game with this third writing in the series. Today I wanted to write about the importance of a good evaluation video. I have been passed many videos by college prospects that fail to show their skills and abilities. This can be very detrimental to the athlete. Having a proper evaluation video might be the most important aspect of recruiting, from a promotion standpoint. It's simple, college coaches are extremely busy and will either like what they see or discard the kid as a potential prospect.

The video is all about showcasing what the athlete can do. College coaches have very little time so when they see the video, that will most likely decide whether or not they want to look into a kid further. If the evaluation video has content that is grabbing and showcases skills well, then the coach is much more likely to pursue the athlete, or at least try to gather more information on the athlete. A good evaluation video should include a skills portion that is filmed with very specific drills for the sport, and of course good game film. The video should be ten minutes or less. If you have more then that, that is great but have one video for initial viewing for coaches and if they ask for more, then you can send it.

I like to share examples based on my experience and this blog will be no different. I am currently working with an athlete that had passed along a video to a college coach, prior to me working with them. The video wasn't done poorly, it just didn't showcase the skills to the athletes' skills. The coach responded to the athlete, "thank you for the email but based on our evaluations we don't feel you would be a fit for our program." After starting to work with the athlete I shot a skills video and put together the game film to go along with it. In total it was a nine minute video that was completely different then the previous one. I contacted the coach and sent the video again. It was a completely different outcome, they loved the athlete and eventually offered the athlete a scholarship. There are many steps after the video that need to take place in the recruiting process. Without a good evaluation video, the interest from college coaches will be minimal. 

Winning the Recruiting Game, Vol. 2

In the last blog I talked about the importance of developing a plan that is based on merit and credibility. As I continue with this series I would be foolish not to discuss simple things that may seem obvious. Based on my experience, there tends to be a difficult balance of looking into the future and being able to enjoy the journey in getting there.

Yesterday I sat down with a college football prospect I am working with, and his dad, as he was preparing to head off to a camp. I gave him many pointers on what to expect and how to handle himself while he was there. The last thing I asked him was "why are you going to this camp?" The real answer to that question is he is going for several reasons. He wants to get in front of coaches that are very interested in him playing for their program, he is going to work on his skills and fundamentals, and he wants to gain experience feeling pressure while he is performing, to build mental toughness. Knowing him well, the one thing I reminded him was that he is going to this camp because he loves to play football and simply wants to be playing football over the weekend. It's that basic, he loves to play football. That's really the bottom line answer to that question. He thought for a moment and completely agreed.

This balance is difficult. There is so much looking into the future at schools, the big dreams, and ultimate goals. It is crucial to enjoy the journey. If you aren't enjoying the recruiting journey then something needs to change. There are challenges and difficulties in most recruiting journeys but if the kid is starting to look more into the future then what is taking place presently, they most likely aren't going to be able to enjoy the ride. Enjoying this once in a lifetime experience also allows kids to relax and they tend to play better. One thing I often say to kids when I first start working with them is, "it's going to be a fun ride." I really believe it should be.

Winning the Recruiting Game

I am starting a series of blogs on what it takes to win the recruiting game for high school athletes. I first wanted to discuss the intitial steps on how to get to the next level. I work with many families and the first thing I always advise on is developing and laying out a specific plan. This cannot be overstated. Going blind into a challenging and strategic process puts you one step behind, in a competitive environment that you need to win. There is too much at stake, in this once in a lifetime opportunity, to lose.

I am asked over and over again, "what is the most important thing a high school athlete can do to get to the collegiate level." That is a tough question and has multiple answers. The first thing is perform. College coaches want kids who have proven they can play at a high level. If the performance isn't there, nothing else matters. There might be opportunities at a smaller school or a junior college, but even those opportunities will be slim.

If the performance and desire is there for the athlete, it is crucial to develop a plan early. I have worked with kids that are clearly going to play at the next level and it is known at a young age. Some of them developed plans their freshman year high school, or even earlier. What camps they are going to, what off-season workouts they will be doing, what teams they will play for apart from the high school teams, etc... Planning is everything, and that makes an advising role like mine very crucial. A devised plan that is off track is a big gamble. Find resources that can help you devise an educated plan.