Lights, Camera, Action: Creating the Best Highlight Video for Athletic Recruitment

Brittany Clausman, University of Michigan ’15

Anyone who is planning on playing sports in college must understand the importance of creating a highlight video. Your highlight video is your ‘calling card’, and coaches will only really start to consider recruiting you after they have seen it. Parros College Planning has been working with student athletes for years now, and we understand that when it comes to playing at a college level, marketing yourself to coaches is of the utmost importance. Here’s some basics to get you started on making your high quality highlight video.

1. Make sure your games are getting taped. To make sure you are getting the best clips of yourself, you need to film, and film often. Most schools are already filming the games, and if they are you need to be aware of a few things. You need to know how they are filming and when or if you can access the film. Know if they are using quality equipment and how often they film. Plan ahead of your season, don’t just start at the end, know that there is at least one source capturing your games—be it the school or through your own resources.
2. Use a tripod. If your school is not filming or you are instead taking the initiative yourself, you need to make sure the games you play are being filmed in a proper and professional manner. Using a tripod is rule number one in making sure that your video looks the part. Shaky camera shots look unprofessional, and can take the attention away from you.
3. It’s a highlight video, so highlight YOU. If you play a team sport, make sure your video is edited in a way where it is obvious to the viewer which player is you. Show your jersey number and add techniques such as spot shadow or an arrow to point out exactly who you are.
4. Give your information in the beginning of the video and keep it short. Your highlight video will require you to showcase your athletic skills in a small amount of time (approximately five minutes) so it is best to get the essentials out of the way in the beginning. You’ll most likely need to introduce yourself in the beginning with your jersey number and measurements. You’ll also want to include your GPA and appropriate contact information, keep it short and to the point.
5. Put your best plays first, but keep it varied. When editing your final video, try to showcase that you are a skilled, well-rounded athlete. I know you’ll want to include some of your fancy plays, but coaches will want to see more. Start with your big, important plays in the beginning then move on to some less flashy but still important shots of you showcasing numerous other skills you have to offer as an athlete.
6. Keep it simple. I know adding a few flashy graphics and some music to your video might sound like a good idea on paper, but coaches really just want the basics from you. They are busy already, don’t distract them with added effects that may come off as silly or distracting.
7. Understand what the coaches want. If you are making a video to highlight your skills playing soccer, then your video will be different compared to a highlight video from a football player. Understand what types of shots, skills or other necessities coaches want in your video based on your distinct sport.
8. Put your video online. Make it easier on yourself by putting your video on YouTube or another video streaming site and emailing the link to coaches. This link will to the video in the beginning will lead coaches to contact you. Beware that if you are going to submit your video through an official recruiting website, they can (and will) make changes that they see fit to your video, without your final say.

All of these are great ways to get you started on the road towards becoming a college-level student athlete, but the journey is just beginning. At Parros College Planning, not only do we give you guidance on your highlight video, but as part of our Parros Student Athlete Package, we work with you through the whole process, from grades to recruitment. We’ve worked with plenty of students over the years, all with specific needs and goals in mind. With our expertise, you can be assured that you are on the path to find the right college and ‘team’ fit for you.