Mythbusters: Making a College Recruiting Video Is Easy and the Same as a Few Years Ago
Most high-school aged kids who are thinking about playing collegiate tennis have heard about the hyped college video. Who needs the video? What should be on the video? When should prospective schools be sent? These are always amongst the first questions people ask me when I meet with them. Hopefully, this article will clarify some of the information.
Myth: Everyone college prospect needs a college video.
Fact: With almost everything online now, most coaches do ask for a video of almost anyone who they have not seen play. If they think the prospect is a potential candidate and have yet to see them play, they will request some sort of video. Only a couple of years ago, if you were in the top 100-175 in the country and playing in national tournaments where D1 college coaches were attending, you did not necessarily need a video.
Myth: Videos should be sent out as soon as possible or as late as possible.
Fact: Even though many of the D1 schools are trying to get kids to commit early, you should really hold off on sending your video until the first six months of your junior year of high school and by the end of your junior year at the latest. You do not want a long period of time to elapse after a coach requests the video before he/she actually receives it. The lapse comes off as being unmotivated in attending the school, and the coach may not remember much about your correspondence. You also don’t want to shoot the video too far in advance because you will probably improve after the making of it. Don’t plan on doing the video after being asked for one. They take longer to put together than expected!
Myth: When playing points, you should dominate!
Fact: Losing an intense 15-shot rally is more impressive than an opponent dumping a second serve return into the net. What I recommend is to film an hour of points and take the two best serve games and two best return games “as is.” This will be a positive and realistic portrayal of you as a player. Never make it look like the other person is trying to make you look good. If you can edit professionally, I recommend playing with someone who you would lose 6-2, 6-2 to on an average day.
Myth: Play in the video with your coach. They know you best.
Fact: This is a half-myth. I see no problem hitting with your coach during the “hitting segment.” A coach will probably be better at keeping the ball in your strike-zone and making rallies cleaner. However, college coaches want to see points against a peer in a situation where it looks like the other player is trying to beat you. Play points with someone who is slightly better than you and not looking at the same schools. Anyone who fits this category, is the same gender and is also in high school or college, is okay.
Myth: Post the video on TennisRecruiting.net.
Fact: As a junior coach, I do not love doing this. A future opponent who is looking you up can get a full scouting report this way! If you do the college search correctly, the coaches who see your video are the ones who you are interested in. Not the other way around. Post your video on a private YouTube page and send a link to the video to those you contact. If time and money allows, I would also suggest getting your video on CD. First, sending the video directly, gives a personal touch and shows interest to a college coach. Second, the quality of a CD is always going to be better than what appears on YouTube. Don’t forget to include your contact information on the video as well!
Myth: Just send a video of a match.
Fact: A coach will be too busy to watch an entire match. Chances are, they will just watch the first 10 to 15 minutes. Instead, send a video that is about 15-minutes long. The first five to seven minutes should be of you hitting, volleying and taking serves. The last eight to 10 minutes should be of you playing points against another high school-aged child of the same gender.
Myth: Time your video the best by filming and editing the video after one is requested.
Fact: Trust me … it takes longer than you think to organize court time, arrange for practice partners, coordinate a videographer, etc. Then, you have to edit your video. After this is done, you may want to re-edit a portion. If you are going to make DVDs, this takes time as well. The whole process will take you longer than expected (at least two-weeks.) At this point, the coach may either forget your correspondence, see you as unorganized or see you as unmotivated.
Myth: Music and sound effects can really make my video stand out.
Fact: Remember, this is a video to impress college coaches. Not a video to show your children when you are older. Music and sound effects are distracting, and I’ve been told by a couple of college coaches that they are actually a turn-off.
