For aspiring US college soccer players, a recruitment video is your digital handshake, your first impression, and in many cases, your most powerful tool. While most coaches would prefer to watch a player in person, the international landscape of college soccer recruitment means video content is the next best thing.
In a space where coaches are inundated with potential recruits, a compelling video can be the difference between a scholarship offer and a missed opportunity. But what exactly makes a "good" recruitment video? It’s more than just showcasing your skills; it's a well-constructed presentation of your abilities, personality, and potential.
If you choose to work with FirstPoint USA, our expert team will guide you in the right direction to ensure your athlete profile is as good as it can be, but our latest blog will help you get off the mark and shooting in the right direction.
A Winning Video – Component Parts
The Full Match Segment (4 - 5 Minutes):
- Why it's important: Coaches want to observe you in the context of a full game. Highlight reels, while they can look great, don't show positional awareness, work off the ball, tactical nous, general work rate, or how you interact with your teammates.
- Choosing your match: If your club or school team regularly films your matches, using VEO or something similar, you will have access to a few different games. It sounds obvious but choose a game where you played well and were actively involved. Show a continuous segment, and not just isolated clips. Choose a competitive game rather than a one-sided game, as coaches are not only looking at you as a player, but also the overall level of who you are playing with/against.
- Structure: Ensure the video quality is clear and stable. Jittery footage is distracting. Use a camera with wide-angle view to capture the flow of the game and your positioning. Annotate the video with your name and jersey number.
- Technology: VEO cameras are highly recommended. They provide a wide-angle, AI-powered tracking view, allowing coaches to see the entire field and your movement. Other wide-angle high-resolution cameras work well also.
The Highlight Reel (2 - 3 Minutes):
- Why it's important: This can be your "wow" factor and while it doesn’t show you in the fullness of a match, it can supplement your main game footage. A reel showcases your best skills and technical abilities in a concise and engaging format.
- Content: Include a variety of skills: passing, dribbling, shooting, defending, heading, set pieces. Lead with your strengths, and tailor the highlights to your position. For example, a defender might emphasize tackling and interceptions, while a striker might highlight shooting and hold up play.
- Structure: Use clear, well-lit footage. Keep clips short and impactful. Use slow-motion sparingly to emphasize key moments. Add text overlays to identify yourself and the date/opponent of the clip. Avoid excessive editing or distracting effects and let your skills speak for themselves.
The Skills Showcase (1 - 2 Minutes):
- Why it's important: This section allows you to demonstrate specific technical skills in a controlled environment.
- Content: Show a variety of drills that highlight your strengths. Include elements such as first touch, passing accuracy, shooting technique, and dribbling skills. Consider position-specific drills. For example, a goalkeeper might showcase diving saves and distribution.
- Structure: Ensure the drills are relevant to your position. Focus on accuracy and consistency. Use a tripod to stabilize the camera where possible, and ask a friend, family member or a videographer to film it for you.
Overall, a good total length of video should be between 4 and 8 minutes, incorporating some of all of the above.
Breaking It Down by Position:
· Defenders: Empasise your ability to effectively defend in various scenarios, including 1v1 situations, small group defending, and aerial challenges during crosses and corners. Show your ability to chase down players, block shots, and intercept passes. Highlight your capability to run forward, contribute to the attack and distribute the ball effectively. Showing your timing, and defensive shape. For wing backs, showcase dynamic runs forward and crossing ability.
· Midfielders: Illustrate their proficiency on both sides of the ball, demonstrating your ability to block passing lanes and initiate attacks. Showcase your reading of the game with intelligent off-the-ball movement and strong work ethic defensively. Wingers should showcase your ability to beat opponents down the line, turn corners, and deliver accurate crosses with both feet. Display a high work rate, making well-timed and creative runs, and demonstrate changes of pace. Defensive centre midfielders should emphasize your consistency and reliability, winning aerial duels and distributing the ball effectively. Clogging up the middle and disrupting opponents' attacks, along with a clean first touch, are key attributes coaches are looking for. Attacking centre midfielders should highlight your playmaking abilities, technical control in tight spaces, speed of play, and clean first touch.
· Strikers: Feature goals and assists, showing your ability to get beyond the backline, dribble effectively, combine with teammates, and timing of your runs. Showcase your finishing abilities in different situations, getting on the end of corner kicks and crosses, and reading the play to create outlet passes. Additionally, show your ability to play with back to goal and build the play for your teammates.
· Goalkeepers: You should present a combination of skills footage and match footage, highlighting any elements that may not have been featured during games. Shot stopping, extension and collapse, diving to both sides in varied situations are key. Highlight collecting, parrying, and punching. Demonstrating proficiency in breakaways, angle play, and sliding saves Distribution skills are increasingly important, so include back passes, long kick-outs, drop kicks, throws, and rolls. When filming long kicks, the camera should follow the ball to accurately show distance.
What is a College Coach Looking for?
College coaches are evaluating more than just your technical ability - they're looking to identify different aspects of your all-round game and contribution to the team. They want to see tactical awareness, decision-making, work rate and effort throughout the game, your ability to cope under pressure, your character and attitude and how you communicate with your teammates. They want to assess your physical attributes, such as speed, agility, strength and endurance, and glean what you can add to their team that will a difference.
Beyond the Video: The Importance of In-Person Observation
While a recruitment video is essential, it's not a substitute for in-person observation. College coaches and agency scouts from the likes of FirstPoint USA attend tournaments, showcases, matches and trial events to evaluate players firsthand. Whether recruiting directly or doing it on someone else’s behalf, they want to see the following traits and characteristics:
- Consistency: Can you perform at a high level consistently?
- Adaptability: How do you adapt to different opponents and playing styles?
- Personality and Leadership: How do you interact with teammates and coaches?
- Real-time Decision Making: How do you react to events that happen during a game.
- Fitness: Can you last the pace for 90 minutes?
Our Tips:
It’s never too early to start and once you’ve kicked off your college soccer recruitment journey, start to build up footage where you can. If you’re doing it yourself or getting a friend involved, practice filming first to get it right. We recommend quality over quantity and focus on showcasing your best moments. Be authentic and let your personality shine through. Seek feedback from your coaches or teammates.
As you’re aiming to be involved in top level college program, present yourself professionally, both in your video and when you’re meeting a coach of recruitment agency in person. If you are working with a college recruitment agency such as FirstPoint USA, they will help your develop your athlete profile and ensure that your videos get promoted to the relevant college coaches.
As mentioned, many clubs and schools already use VEO, which provides automated tracking and wide-angle views. For close-up shots and skills showcases, Go Pros are great, or the latest iPhones will do an excellent job. If you can get access to a tripod, this will ensure stability and clarity, or if you can use a professional or good amateur videographer to film you, that’s an added bonus. For video editing software, we recommend Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or iMovie.
In Summary
By creating a well-structured and engaging series of recruitment videos, you can increase your chances of catching a coach’s eye and landing a college soccer scholarship deal. Remember, your video is your story, and it's your opportunity to show coaches how you can add value to their team and earn a spot on their roster.
