Volleyball Recruiting Videos

Hey Coach,

It was great running into you in Omaha.  Always appreciate your feedback and wisdom!

I am trying to put together a skills video for my daughter (junior setter).

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated (length, type of drills to include, etc.).

Also, do majority of coaches prefer skill video or game footage?

And as far as game footage, what should be the duration of video clip?

Hope you enjoyed the Holiday Season and Happy New Year!!

Best,

Grateful Dad

Thanks for coming to chat in Omaha, when I was speaking for NCSA Athletic Recruiting at the AVCA Phenom Program!

In terms of recruiting videos, take a moment to search the collegevolleyballcoach.com website, as I have written a few posts about the topic.

The biggest stumbling block I see with videos, is families get too hung up on the details; intro, music, graphics, etc.  The video is the prime tool for college coaches to make their first evaluation of a Prospective Student-Athlete.  Focus on showing skills and make it easy/quick for the coach to watch.

Some coaches prefer to see skills/highlight video first, while others prefer to see game film first. When I was a big time college coach, full of strong coffee and arrogance, I liked to see a skills/highlight video first, then if I was not able to see the player at an upcoming tournament/practice, then I would request a game video.

Skills Video - Make sure you are showcasing the skills that college coaches want to see.  College Volleyball is a position specific and specialized sport.  For instance, college coaches don't want to see a setter attacking or a middle blocker passing.  This video is the first evaluation, so college coaches want repetition after repetition after repetition specific to the player's potential collegiate position.  I suggest that the video be approximately 5 minutes of volleyball.

Game Video - Ensure that the coach can easily identify the player with an arrow or shadowing (nothing is more frustrating with videos, than trying to figure out what player the coach is supposed to be watching). Pick two of the most recent games (not matches; I guess sets is the correct term now), and then cut out the 'dead time'; side changes, time outs, delays, etc.  Make it easy for the college coach to watch the video and they will watch it; if you make it hard to watch, then they will move on to the next video.

One last thing about video, is that it has a shelf life - Old video (2+ months old) does not help an athlete.  In fact, it can hurt them.  College coaches are always recruiting in real time, and if they are looking at an older video, then that player will not look as good as the real time player the coach saw today at a tournament.

The Coach