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Essential Recruitment Tool

Create a Winning
Highlight Video

Learn how to create compelling highlight videos that showcase your athletic skills to NCAA coaches. A professional highlight reel is essential for recruitment success.

Step-by-Step Guide
Sport-Specific Tips
Free Tools
Why It Matters

Your Video Opens Doors

College coaches receive hundreds of recruitment inquiries. A well-crafted highlight video is often the first impression they'll have of your athletic abilities.

First Impression

Coaches watch videos before reading emails or resumes. Make those first seconds count.

Time Efficient

Coaches can evaluate 100+ athletes quickly. A great video gets you noticed faster.

Showcase Skills

Highlight your best plays and abilities in a format coaches can easily review.

Technical Specs

Video Requirements

Follow these specifications to ensure your video looks professional

Technical Requirements

Length: 3-5 minutes (max 6 min)
Resolution: 1080p HD minimum
Format: MP4, MOV, or AVI
Frame Rate: 30 or 60 fps
Audio: Optional music (no profanity)

Where to Host

YouTube Recommended

Free hosting, easy sharing, set to "Unlisted" for privacy

Vimeo

Professional appearance, good privacy controls

Hudl

Sports-specific platform, coaches are familiar with it

Never send large video files via email. Always use a hosted link.
Video Structure

How to Organize Your Video

Follow this proven structure to create a professional highlight reel

1

Opening Title

5-10 seconds
Full Name Class of [Year] Position(s) Current Team Email Phone
2

Main Highlights

2.5-4.5 minutes
Include
  • Best plays from recent competitions
  • Variety of skills specific to your sport
  • Game situations (not just drills)
  • Different camera angles when possible
  • Plays showing decision-making
  • Athletic movements (speed, agility)
  • Team play and leadership moments
Avoid
  • Long setup shots or dead time
  • Plays where you're barely visible
  • Low-quality or blurry footage
  • Too much celebration footage
  • Repetitive plays
  • Plays against weak competition only
  • Excessive slow-motion
3

Closing Title

5 seconds

Repeat your contact information so coaches can easily reach out:

Name Email Phone Profile Link
By Sport

Sport-Specific Tips

What coaches look for in each sport

Basketball

  • Shooting from various spots
  • Ball-handling in traffic
  • Defensive plays and rebounds
  • Court vision/passing ability
  • Fast break situations

Soccer

  • Both feet skills
  • Passing accuracy (short & long)
  • 1v1 situations
  • Shots on goal
  • Defensive positioning

Volleyball

  • Serving (different types)
  • Attacking from multiple positions
  • Blocking technique
  • Passing and setting
  • Defensive digs

Football

  • Position-specific skills
  • Speed in open field
  • Blocking/tackling technique
  • Route running (receivers)
  • Arm strength (QB/DB)

Baseball/Softball

  • Hitting from both sides
  • Fielding at primary position(s)
  • Throwing accuracy and arm strength
  • Base running speed
  • Pitching (if applicable)

Swimming/Track

  • Include race times on screen
  • Multiple events/distances
  • Start and finish technique
  • Turns (swimming)
  • Split times if available
Production

Filming & Editing Tips

Create professional-quality videos with these techniques

Filming Tips

  • Film from elevated positions for better view
  • Use a tripod or stabilizer for steady footage
  • Follow the action - keep yourself in frame
  • Film multiple games for variety
  • Ensure good lighting - avoid backlit situations

Editing Tips

  • Start strong - open with your best 2-3 plays
  • Pace: 3-5 seconds per clip average
  • Use smooth transitions (simple cuts work best)
  • Add text overlays for context when helpful
  • End strong - save a great play for the finish

Recommended Editing Software

Free
Free Options
  • iMovie (Mac/iOS)
  • DaVinci Resolve
  • Shotcut
  • CapCut
Pro
Professional
  • Adobe Premiere Pro
  • Final Cut Pro
  • Filmora
  • Vegas Pro
Mobile
Mobile Apps
  • Hudl Highlight
  • InShot
  • CapCut
  • iMovie (iOS)

Tips for International Athletes

Include competition level context (national team, premier league, etc.)
Add text noting level of competition if not obvious (e.g., "vs. National Team")
Include both metric and imperial measurements (height, speed)
Ensure contact information includes country code for phone number
Foreign language commentary is fine - coaches focus on your play
Final Check

Pre-Upload Checklist

Make sure you've covered all the essentials before sharing your video

Video is 3-5 minutes long
Opening title includes name, year, position, contact
All footage is high quality (1080p minimum)
Best plays are at the beginning
Variety of skills and game situations shown
You are easily identifiable in each clip
No inappropriate music or content
Closing title repeats contact information
Video tested on multiple devices
Link is shareable and tested

Ready to Create Your Highlight Video?

Start filming your best plays and build a video that will catch coaches' attention.

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