Update Your Highlight Film

The recruiting process starts before the club season starts. As athletes switch clubs and join new ones at the start of the high school season, I usually begin working with a number of new athletes and families. Once they starting copying me on emails, I am able to go watch their highlights, see the schools they are emailing and figure out where they are in the process. Typically I will click on the film link they are sending to college coaches, so I can get an idea of what they are sending to college coaches. I will also give the email a quick run through and take a look at who this athlete is trying to contact.

I think film is really important. You can go back and read through my blog posts, but it is probably one of the topics I have talked about the most over the years (film and emails). Because I think it's so important, it is important that when you reach out to college coaches, you have something to show them. Now, you CAN send an email without new film. In fact, I often encourage it. But you should have something to show them. You should have something specific to present them with.

If you send a college coach your link to Hudl or SR, that's fine. They will click on the first video that they see, give it a quick watch and then go from there.

What if the first video on your profile isn't necessarily something you want them to watch?

What if it's not even a highlight?

What if that video doesn't really put forth any of your best touches or efforts?

Then we have a problem.

It's one of the biggest reasons that I encourage athletes NOT to use the auto-generated highlights from Hudl. Those "highlights" aren't showcasing you at your best. It might show 1 of 3 swings at your best, but usually not all 3. If you're a setter it will only show them your digs and aces. Those are good, but college coaches want to see setters set the ball.

My suggestion during the high school season is to make as many highlights from your matches as you can. That means you might be able to make a quick highlight after each of your matches. Yes, I said after each match. If you do it often enough you'll be able to do it quickly AND you won't have as much film to comb through every time you sit down to make an updated highlight. It might seem like MORE work at the onset, but really you'll end up saving yourself time in the long run.

Be sure that you are pointing college coaches to the film you want them to be focused on - because you are typically making a first impression here. Your best highlight should be what they are clicking on. Make it the first link they see!

You can definitely share your entire profile page with multiple video links in it. Your SR or youtube page link is perfectly fine to share. Add that to your email signature so they can get access to all of your film. Remember, if they like the highlight film you send them, they are going to WANT to watch more. Be sure you have MORE for them to watch.

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