Month: July 2019

Recruiting Video: 5 tips to make a solid recruiting video

Posted on by eliteathletesrecruiting

When making highlight video, keep in mind that the purpose is not to show you top plays as each game unfolds. Instead, the goal should be to have the recruiting video tell the story of why you are a legit prospect. This is done putting in center-focus the highlight plays showcasing best position specific skills and athleticism. So here are 5 tips for assembling a solid recruiting video.

  1. Always make sure the video is appropriately timed. Typically, a good video is between 4 and 5 minutes long. Even though you may have 20 minutes of season highlights, sort through to pick the best plays. Why? Because college coaches have limited time to view video so impress them with the best.
  2. Next, make sure that your best plays are in the first 30 to 60 seconds. Think about it like a movie trailer. How often have you watched a movie trailer then immediately thought to yourself that you are going to go see that movie!  Coaches like to be impressed at the beginning. If the video doesn’t hold their attention then they move on to the next athlete.
  3. Then make sure to highlight position specific skills. For example, in football, running backs are supposed to score touchdowns and out-run defenders. Running backs then should highlight touchdown runs and showcase speed separation. The guys in the trenches, like defensive lineman, are supposed to wreak havoc at the up and down the line of scrimmage as well as in the opponents backfield. So show sacks, tackles and quarterback hurries.
  4. Most importantly, highlight videos should feature you, not other players. I’ve heard stories of coaches finding an recruit while viewing the footage of their teammate. This happens frequently.
  5. Lastly, know the difference between a clean hit and a cheap shot. Coaches want aggressive players not dirty players. Keep out questionable plays. Cheap shots cause penalties, penalties cost yardage, and lost yards can ultimately be the difference in winning or losing games. Coaches want disciplined players, not players that keep  them from winning games. 

Because highlight videos carry a lot of significance in your recruiting I’m glad to review your highlight videos before you send them to a coach or post them online.  You want some outside help with your recruiting video. If so, schedule a FREE recruiting video consultation where I will take a look at your highlight or skills video to provide you helpful tips and feedback. Schedule your free recruiting video review here:  https://mlwoosley.wixsite.com/website/book-online

Class of 2020 Final Year of Recruiting Underway August 2nd

Posted on by eliteathletesrecruiting

Congratulations Class of 2020! Its is officially your year. Soon classes will begin but before the first bell rings your final year for college recruiting will start winding down. All that you have been working for as student- athlete has reached it pinnacle.

According to the NCAA, August 2nd marks the beginning of the final recruiting year for 2020 seniors. The recruiting period, as noted by the chart below, begins the day after the  final day for class of 2019. 

What should 2020 prospective student athletes anticipate? During this final year of recruiting seniors can take official visits, recieve scholarship offers and sign their official national letter of intent. For many scholarship seeking student-athletes, these benchmarks are the culmination of dedication and determination. 

August 2nd marks the beginning of the final recruiting year for 2020 seniors
Photo by Aron Visuals on Unsplash

When can seniors begin official visits? According to the NCAA, official visits can begin opening day of classes for Seniors. The NCAA allows prospective student athletes one official visit per college and up to a maximum of five official visits to Division I colleges. In contrast, prospective student athletes official visits to DII colleges are unlimited. 

So, now that the final year has arrived, Seniors should remain diligent with their recruiting. Continued communication with college coaches by checking in by phone at least once a month. Also, it is vital that seniors maintain, and if possible seek to improve their cumulative GPA.  It is also recommended that early Senior year prospective student athletes retake college entry exams (ACT or SAT) in order to improve on previous scores that meet or surpass college admission requirements.  

Finally, if your recruiting isn’t going according to plan and you feel the pressure of the recruiting clock ticking down, you may want to get some outside help. Comment below or contact me via twitter (@michaelwoosley) or text “GAMEPLAN” to 480-605-4050 a free recruiting consultation where I help you create a gameplan toward success in your final year of recruiting.

3 Tips To Get Noticed at Camps, Combines and Showcases

Posted on by eliteathletesrecruiting

Are you exhausted from all the camps, combines, showcases and other “recruiting events”? Have you become frustrated by the promise of exposure only for to get minimal reps and very little exposure?

Collegiate recruiting events can be a great way to showcase skill in competition against some of the nation’s top high school talent. But they can also become burdensome and ill-effective.

Trying to rely solely on college showcases, camps and combines to get recruited and receive an athletic scholarship is not a very sound strategy by itself.

Photo by Christopher Campbell on Unsplash

However, I have learned from past experience that trying to rely solely on college showcases, camps and combines to get recruited and receive an athletic scholarship is not a very sound strategy by itself. Most college coaches that attend these type of events developed recruiting lists of athletes they plan to watch well before they arrive.

So, if college coaches at the showcase are there to watch some other athlete how do you get their attention? What do you need to do to get noticed while hundreds of other athletes are at the same event trying to do the same thing at the same time as you?

The goal is to get on their recruiting list before the event. So, how do you do this?

So, here are 3 tips you can use to help assure you get some attention at the next camp, combine or showcase.

  1. Email college coaches scheduled to attend the event.
  2. Create a student athlete profile including academic information as well as athletic metrics that you can send to colleges coaches. (A free one is available at bit.ly/2vqZjH9)
  3. Connect with college coaches through social media outlets like Twitter or Instagram.

Again, the goal is to be seen by coaches who want to see you. Following this 3 tips before attending the next camp, combine or showcase are you are sure to get some attention.

The importance of finding the best college fit

Posted on by eliteathletesrecruiting

In the midst of the summer offer season social media is inundated with pictures and posts pronouncing the latest offers. Undoubtably, these announcements are great! Great for the student-athlete, great for the parents, great for the college and great for the sport. But, after reading these announcements do you ever wonder about the story behind why a student athlete chooses a particular school?  

Finding the best fit in collegiate sports combines quality academics with quality athletics.
Photo by Jose Morales on Unsplash

So, what is the primary reason an athlete chooses a college? As a parent and coach, my hope is for the student-athlete has found the best possible college fit. Finding the best fit in collegiate sports combines both quality academics with quality athletics.  This becomes an ideal scenario where the student-athlete has the opportunity to excel at the next level in both academics and athletics. 

In addition to choosing a school based on the outstanding academic programs often, recruits will choose a college because they feel that the coach, or coaching staff, will help them become a better player. Great players always want to improve. In turn, great coaches will help motivated players achieve more than what the athlete is capable of achieving on his/her own.

In regards to making athletes better in the classroom and within the game, the wise and well admired Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz once said, “I won’t accept anything less than the best a player’s capable of doing… and he has the right to expect the best that I can do for him and the team!”

The key to finding the best fit then is to look for an opportunity to excel academically and athletically. A good fit should not only be comfortable, but should offer enough challenges that will create lasting positive change throughout the life of the student when they are no longer an athlete.