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Writer's pictureMike Brooks

Make Effective Recruiting Videos - Best Practices for Production and Presentation

Updated: Dec 9, 2023



Recruiting Video on Cell Phone

Videos have become critical sources of information for today's recruiters and scouts. Well-prepared game and skills videos create a great first impression and will give recruiters a good look at your athleticism and skill set.



TIPS FOR CREATING EFFECTIVE RECRUITING VIDEOS:

You can make a high-quality effective recruiting videos for little or no cost! Coaches will value a simple homemade video as much or more than a video with pounding music and fancy edits. All you need is a smartphone (or video camera), a tripod, internet, and a parent or teammate.


Coaches prefer to see shorter videos of each skill rather than one long video with all skills running together. One to three minutes per video is best. See Video Examples Here

 

Game action videos can be effective IF done correctly and can highlight your game approach, energy, and competitiveness. It is ineffective if the camera is not close to the action and you are unidentifiable. Coaches like skills videos because they can see several reps (swings, pitches, ground balls, throws, etc.) up close in a short video. If you have extensive game footage, that’s great! Put together some of your better clips and let coaches know you have it if they want to see more.

 

Wear your game or practice uniform in a skills video. Videos are often a coach’s first chance to see you, and you don’t want to make a wrong first impression. Look professional; tuck your shirt in, wear your hat straight, and wear a belt. Show energy and make it obvious how much you love your sport.

 

Videos are an excellent way for coaches to get a general sense of your skills and movement patterns. Highlight your athletic movement patterns from good feet to soft hands, clean throwing mechanics, and a fluid swing. It allows a coach to judge if you pass the eye test. Video provides a great starting point and helps a coach decide if it’s worth their time to dig deeper.

 

DO NOT add music to your video. It's all about first impressions; this is a recruiting video, not a music video. Coaches watch many videos, and making them listen to music they might not like may cause them to turn off your video or, worse yet, cross you off their list.

 

If you put text in your video, add your Diamond Profiles Recruits profile page URL address. This will make it easy for the coach to find all of your details if they download your video to their computer.

 

If you include analytics, measurements, or stats, make sure the information is verifiable. Recruiters have been burned by parents, kids, and others who say, “So-and-so throws 91 mph,” only to show up with a radar gun and find out that So-and-so is 81-83, touching 85. When you do this, you cannot rebuild the recruiter’s trust.

 

Don’t tell them - show them. Include a radar gun reading in the video showing your arm strength or catcher’s pop times. If you have exit velocity readings or Trackman/HitTrax/Rapsodo data, include them. Coaches now use advanced metrics in their recruit evaluations for pitchers (spin rate, spin axis, etc.) and hitters (launch angle, exit velocity, attack angle, bat speed, etc.). Your Diamond Players Recruits Profile allows you to include analytics information with dates, locations, and references for verifying information.


Player Introduction Video

Create and edit a separate player introduction video. Write a script introducing yourself. Include your name, grad year, school (city and state), and primary position. Practice and do as many takes as you need to make it right. The video should show you from the waist up in front of an appropriate background. Speak with confidence and show some personality.


This video will display near the top of your Player Profile with your Personal Bio.

 

Pitching Skill Videos

Side Mechanics View:

Video of all your pitches from the open (arm) side with a complete view of your delivery mechanics.


Behind the Pitcher View:

Take video of all your pitches from behind the pitcher, slightly offset to the pitcher's arm side so that you can see the delivery and the flight of the pitch. If possible, include a radar gun reading in the frame for each pitch.


Behind the Catcher View:

Also include a view from behind the catcher that captures the delivery and the flight of the ball. Video all your pitches from this view and include a radar gun reading in the frame for each pitch, if possible.


Record 4 to 5 pitches of each pitch type from each view.


Catching Skill Videos

Front View:

Video from about halfway between the pitcher and catcher offset to one side. Record receiving 5 or 6 pitches in and out of the strike zone and 3 or 4 pitches in the dirt (blocking). Also, show at least four throws to second base. Show POP time and throw velo.


Rear View:

From behind the catcher, record 3 or 4 throws to second (show POP time), fielding bunts, and throwing to first base.


Pop-Up:

From near home plate, record catching 3 or 4 foul pop-ups.


Third Base Skill Videos

Fielding Ground Balls:

Video from foul territory halfway between home and third base.

  • 4 Ground balls - throw to first base. Mix in backhand fielding.

  • 4 Ground balls - throw to second base (DP). Mix in backhand.

  • 1 Slow roller - charge and throw to first base on the run.


Field and Throw:

Video from behind the third baseman.

  • 4 Ground balls - throw to first base. Mix in backhand. Show throw velo.


Shortstop and Second Base Skill Videos

Fielding Ground Balls:

Video from near the pitchers mound.

  • 4 Ground balls - throw to first base. Mix in backhand fielding.

  • 3 Ground balls - throw to second base (DP). Mix in backhand.

  • 1 Slow roller - charge and throw to first base on the run.


Double Plays:

  • 3 Turn double plays - show footwork and quick release.


Field and Throw:

  • Video from behind the player.

  • 4 Ground balls - throw to first base. Mix in backhand. Show throw velo.


First Base Skill Videos

Fielding Ground Balls:

Video from foul territory halfway between home and first base.

  • 4 Ground balls - throw to third base. Mix in backhand fielding.

  • 2 Ground balls - throw to second base (DP) from the backhand side.

  • 2 Ground balls - throw to second base (DP) then get back to 1B to take the return throw.

  • 1 Slow roller - charge and throw home on the run.


Field and Throw:

Video from behind first baseman.

  • 4 Ground balls - throw to third base. Mix in backhand. Show throw velo.


Outfield Skill Videos

Fielding Fly Balls and Ground Balls:

Video from the outfield grass - leave room to run.

  • 3 Fly balls - throw to third base.

  • 3 Ground balls - throw to third base.


Field and Throw:

Video from behind the third baseman.

  • 3 Fly balls - throw to third base - show velo.

  • 3 Ground balls - throw to third base - show velo.


Other Skill Videos

Running:

  • If you're a good runner, make a quick clip of sprint (20 yards for softball or 60 yards for baseball) or from home to first-show Velo.


ADDING VIDEOS TO YOUR DIAMOND PLAYERS RECRUITS PROFILE:

Your Diamond Players Recruits Profile lets you add up to eight videos of skills and game action, plus a player introduction video. You can change and update videos as often as needed.


Upload your separate videos to YouTube, Hudl, Vimeo, Wistia, or any other video hosting site that creates a sharable URL link to your video. Enter the video links in the appropriate field on your profile input form. Each video will play in a separate window. Add a title identifying the content and date, etc.

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