With today’s technology, you can send your highlight reel to a coach across the country in seconds. That’s good news — but it also means coaches are flooded with videos from hundreds of athletes. So, how do you make yours stand out? These updated tips will help you create a video that gets noticed and remembered.

1. Show the Right Content — and Keep It Tight

Coaches are busy. You have seconds to grab their attention before they decide to keep watching or move on.

• Lead with your strongest plays — not a warmup, not a handshake line. Your first 30 seconds should convince them to keep watching.
• Keep it short: 3–5 minutes is a sweet spot for most sports. If they want a full game, they’ll ask.
• Know what coaches want to see: Talk to your own coach or former players who’ve been recruited to find out what skills matter most for your position.
• Show variety: If possible, highlight different skills — speed, awareness, technical ability, decision-making — rather than repeating the same type of play over and over.

Pro tip: If your sport has key stats or times (40-yard dash, vertical leap, goals scored), flash them briefly on screen to provide instant context.

2. Make It Effortless to Watch

Don’t make a coach work to find or watch your video.

• Use online hosting: YouTube and Vimeo are still great, but also consider a simple one-page website through Wix or another free website service.
• Share a clean, direct link in your email — no giant attachments, no passwords unless specifically requested.
• Include your info in the video description: name, graduation year, position, contact info, and a quick bio.
• Optimize for mobile: Many coaches will first see your video on their phone between practices, so make sure it plays well on smaller screens.

Pro tip: Keep an updated version of your video linked on your social profiles and recruiting platforms so it’s always easy to find.

3. Invest in Quality (It’s Worth It)

A great play is only as good as how clearly it can be seen.

• Clear footage: Use HD video at minimum. If possible, hire a sports videographer for games where you know you’ll have strong performances.
• Identify yourself quickly: Use a highlight circle, arrow, or brief freeze-frame before each play. Make it easy for a coach to follow you instantly.
• Avoid shaky footage: A tripod or gimbal makes a huge difference.
• Good audio and music: Music isn’t required, but if you use it, keep it clean and at a volume that doesn’t overpower the action.

Pro tip: Start with a quick title card: name, sport, position, grad year, and contact info — so even if the video gets passed around, your info stays with it.

4. Add a Professional Touch

This is where you can stand out from the crowd.

• Personal intro clip: A 10–15 second intro of you speaking directly to coaches can make you more memorable.
• On-screen graphics: Simple overlays with your name and jersey number at the start help with identification.
• Game context: A small caption like “State Semifinals” or “Ranked #3 Opponent” gives weight to a big play.
• Consistency: Use the same font, style, and colors throughout your video to look polished and intentional.

Final Thought

A recruiting video isn’t just a highlight reel — it’s your first impression. Coaches watch hundreds of them, so make yours short, clear, and easy to watch while showing who you are as an athlete. Combine strong content with professional presentation, and you’ll have a video that not only gets watched, but remembered.

Post your video so it is easy to view

Being able to send a physical disc of a game is good, but sending a video in an online format is better. For example, a YouTube or Vimeo link is a great way to send your video to coaches quickly. You can send many coaches an email in a short amount of time and include your information and video. But physically mailing a disc would take a greater amount of time. Also, using the Internet is a quick way to get your video out to the public and viral. Other coaches may stumble across the video without meaning to and become interested as well.

Make sure your video is high quality

We are not talking about the highest quality out there, but making sure that your video at least looks the part is half of the battle. If a video is lacking in quality it may look poor right off the bat when a coach views it. Good quality videos are available through many services, and spending a little money on a sports videographer service to improve your quality of the video may be worth it in the long run. What’s a little money when it can get you a spot on a college team for 4 years and a life-changing experience? Good quality also means clarity. Clarify which player you are in the clips up front, whether that means a circle around you before each play, or a number in the beginning of the video for what jersey you are wearing, be sure that it is obvious you are the one making the plays in each highlight. Having a proper zoom is also important as it makes it easier to identify players.

Coaches watch many videos, so following some of these tips and adding your own personal flair to a video will make it stand out in the end. Having some personal music or interesting graphics are always something that could make a video different than the rest. We hope these tips help to get your video project going!