College volleyball recruiting is a massive job. Coaches keep their eyes open to thousands of players to find athletes that potentially fit their volleyball programs. You really only have seconds to catch their attention and a well executed recruiting highlight video is a key to your success. Once you’ve decided to pursue playing volleyball at the next level, the first step is to start capturing all your games.
Here are a few common practices when capturing game film for recruiting video purposes.
• Record in high resolution (tablet, phone, or camera are all fine)
A phone/tablet can be more convenient, but a video camera will give you better zoom, storage, and battery options.
• Use a tripod (Avoid moving the camera, zooming in/out, or following the action.)
• Set up your device on the end line of your team’s side of the court
Place the tripod far enough back to capture the whole court, but zoom in close enough to be part of the action without interference from the crowd.
• Shoot continual footage for each set in the match (We can grab highlight clips later)
• Be mindful of what you say near the camera microphone
Most highlight videos use actual game audio and parent conversations can make it impossible to use certain plays.
• Upload your game footage and take note of key matches
VolleyVideo can receive footage from YouTube, Hudl, Cloud storage, or any link.
Like any other skill, shooting good video takes patience, planning, and a lot practice. You’ll want to have your equipment ready to go and arrive earlier to stake out a good vantage point on the end line. Whether you’re using a phone or video camera, you want to be very familiar with your equipment. Also, plan for enough memory and battery to capture all the games of the day. Remember to be patient with yourself on the first few attempts. You may not be perfect on your first day, but it won’t take long before you have all the kinks worked out. Now that you have some direction for capturing video, it’s time to get organized.
“ You just need a well executed plan, a little guidance, and a quality highlight video to get seen by volleyball coaches.”
I started VolleyVideo to help players simplify the college volleyball recruiting process. I assist athletes with optimized highlight videos, easy steps, and individualized consultation. Get volleyball specific insight and take the guesswork out of making your best first impression.