One of the biggest points of contention between recruiting pros and parents is the proper recruiting video length. As someone who makes a living on creating these highlight reels, this might sound like a bad business model, but please stop asking me to make you a 5+ minute long video.
Why, you might ask, is this person telling me to limit the length of the video I send to coaches? Doesn’t he like more money? While making money is important to me, giving you the best advice is the most important goal. That’s not something you will hear with every recruiting video company.
However, when I ask coaches for feedback on creating the perfect recruiting video, they overwhelmingly tell me one thing: The videos they’re sent are way too long.
I’m often approached by excited and zealous parents and athletes who immediately want to order the largest video package I offer to send out to coaches. It’s understandable. An athlete has worked their tails off in high school to improve their play, and they want to showcase as much of that progress to coaches as possible.
However, they’re forgetting one key component to the recruiting process. There is etiquette involved in recruiting, and how you approach coaches. When you send them a recruiting video that’s too long, you tell the coach that you have no respect for their time.
Will sending a recruiting video that’s too long annoy a coach to the point they won’t consider signing the athlete? Probably not. However the coach could turn the video off early, meaning you’ve paid someone to create a video that no one ever sees.
When you start the recruiting process, consider the coach’s perspective. Coaches receive hundreds of recruiting videos. Most coaching staffs do not have recruiting coordinators (outside D1 basketball and football). That means the person viewing your video is likely the head coach, or a very low-paid assistant. In either scenario the person viewing your video has an untold amount of other daily duties. Sending them a video that’s an appropriate length gives them the message that you understand those responsibilities. It’s the little things like this that help you stand out from the hundreds of other athletes being considered.
A recruiting highlight video should be in the 3 minute range, ideally. This depends on the length of the clips. There is a fine line to walk. You don’t want to send a video that’s too long, but coaches do want to see play development. That’s why working with a professional is the best way to ensure your video stands out in the never-ending pile.