About FieldLevel
FieldLevel is the athletic recruiting network that leverages relationships and references to connect athletes to the right teams. Over 90,000 athletes have committed to play at the next level through FieldLevel.
High school coaches use FieldLevel to connect with college coaches, add athletes to their rosters, and promote their athletes to college coaches in their network. By keeping the coaches at the center of the recruiting process, athletes will be able to get seen by more colleges and find the right athletic and academic fit.
College coaches use FieldLevel to connect with high school coaches, post their recruiting needs, discover athletes and view their profiles — which include academic and athletic information, and video clips.
Create a free coach profile and start connecting with other coaches nationwide: Join FieldLevel.
Creating film college coaches will watch
Having the right video is crucial to succeeding in the recruiting process. Coaches want to learn everything they can about athletes before recruiting them, and the best way to do this is by watching their videos. Over the past few months, FieldLevel has spoken to multiple college football coaches about what they want to see AND what they don’t want to see in an athlete’s video. Here are 5 things your athletes can do to impress college coaches and have the best video possible.
1. Create a Highlight Reel
A highlight reel is a chance to showcase an athlete’s best moments. These are the moments that will catch a coach’s eye — without highlights, getting seen is nearly impossible. Encourage your athletes to post the highlights they do have and upload new ones as time goes on.
| The highlight reel should … | The highlight reel shouldn’t … |
| – Start strong and have the most impressive plays at the beginning.
– Include plays that showcase versatility and the ability to make big plays in challenging situations. – Have a title — it’s important for coaches to know what they’ll be watching before they even click on a video. |
– Include basic plays most players at that position should be able to make.
– Be choppy — don’t pause for an extended period to identify yourself, and don’t use distracting animations. – Have inappropriate music in the background. |
2. Have Game Video Readily Available
After watching a highlight reel, coaches will want to study the athlete’s game tape to verify that the talent they saw in the highlights is consistent throughout a game. This is where they will see how an athlete moves, interacts with his or her teammates, improves from game to game, and their overall attitude and leadership abilities. Even though athletes can’t upload a full game on FieldLevel, it is important to have it readily available if college coaches request it — we recommend having at least three full game tapes at-hand.
| Game videos should … | Game videos shouldn’t… |
| – Be readily available.
– Include accompanying notes on where highlights occur throughout the game. – Be as compact as possible — cut out dead periods to save time. – Include identifying information (i.e., jersey number). |
– Contain unnecessary edits and animations.
– Be blurry or shaky. |
3. Showcase their Positional Skills
Coaches might also be interested in seeing clear videos of your athletes going through drills. These videos capture game-like situations from clear angles and help showcase mechanics and range. Take and upload skill videos for each position an athlete plays.
| These videos should … | These videos should … |
| – Replicate game-like situations as much as possible.
– Feature drills that showcase explosiveness — coaches will want to watch how athletes move and change direction. |
– Include any drills that are unrelated to football — they should translate into game-like situations as much as possible. |
4. Feature their Athleticism
The way your athletes play in a game always speaks the loudest, but proving their athletic ability is essential in the evaluation process. Take videos that highlight their strength and athleticism, and verify specific measurements.
| These videos should … | These videos shouldn’t … |
– Show the following drills:
– Show the following strength exercises:
|
– Include false information — don’t inflate any numbers. |
5. Record Verified Measurables
Coaches will need to verify that an athlete’s physical measurements are accurate. Measurable verification usually happens during visits or at combines, but you can make it easier for coaches by verifying your players’ measurables with video.
| These videos should … | These videos shouldn’t … |
– Show footage that verifies the following:
|
– Include false information — video doesn’t lie. |
These 5 key things will likely impress any football coach you speak with during the recruiting process. If you would like to learn more or share the information found in this article, you can download our worksheet here.
If you have any questions about video or the recruiting process, the FieldLevel team is here to help you and support you.
If there’s anything we can do, please contact us in one of the following ways:
Phone: 888-908-7124
Email: support@fieldlevel.com
Demo: Schedule a Time
Twitter: @fieldlevel
Instagram: @fieldlevel
