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Post by gapshoot76 on Apr 12, 2012 10:41:22 GMT -6
I've never had the opportunity to coach a kid who would be a possible scholarship athlete... until this year. By far the best player on our team as a JR, and to this point has done nothing but get bigger, faster, stronger. Plus the kid is a class act so I want to see this kid go somewhere! He's getting general letters from a few places... you know the general letters that go out to any athlete worth a darn from a few D-1 places.
What do I as a head coach have to do to get him recruited. He has a Hudl highlight film, but do I need to put that on Youtube, or is there any information I need to send out. Just wondering so I can do the best for my players.
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Post by airraider on Apr 12, 2012 10:49:01 GMT -6
Get him registered with the clearning house.. make sure his ACT/SAT scores and GPA are in order.. Get him to some summer camps for the schools he would like to go to... Get him exposure.. plenty of exposure.. here is a kid who has had little exposure.. no offers.. just recently qualified.. and you can tell by the video that his a pretty dang good player.. www.t-hawk9.com |
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Post by cqmiller on Apr 12, 2012 11:01:42 GMT -6
I am finding out that no matter how much film you send out or talk to coaches about your kid, if he doesn't go to Jr. Days and Camps, these colleges don't have the time to go look for a player. With all the restrictions on time, phone, text, etc... the NCAA puts on the college guys, it has quickly become the players responsibility to get himself recruited by attending these events.
Obviously if you have a kid that could start at almost ANY school in D1, they will come looking for him, but I have noticed that all the schools around here that get multiple recruits to sign each year are in the areas where parents can afford to send them to camps and clinics all spring and summer.
I know 7on7 is not "real football", but we should have beat a team that had all 3 of their safeties (3-3-5 defense) sign D1, because their 6'5" TE (also a D1 signee) caught a TD on the last play over my 5'10" FS. They weren't the "WOW kinda kids, but all 3 of them signed D1 this year. We had a DE go to a D3 school from last years team.
The coaches that have been around longer than I have definitely have the experience. This year will be my first true go-around with my own kids. I have a MLB that has grown and matured into a great player and I'm looking at pushing his name to anyone who will listen
Also have a WR who will be a 3-year starter this upcoming season and is getting some D2 and 1-AA (I still call it that) attention.
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Post by jgordon1 on Apr 12, 2012 11:26:43 GMT -6
I would echo what DC says but it is real important they have film to back it up...using DC's analogy..a car could look like a Corvette, but drive like a dump truck when other cars are around it...If you have HUDL its real easy to send film now...I always call the school before i send it so they know it's coming..I know for a fact that some coaches just delete some of the emails they get
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Post by coachcb on Apr 12, 2012 12:07:52 GMT -6
Be smart about the film you send out as well...
I have seen some highlight cut-ups that just show the athlete playing in one or two games a couple of terrible teams. I talked to a recruiter about this two weeks ago and he said it really turns the colleges off to the kids when they do that.
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Post by wingtol on Apr 12, 2012 15:38:02 GMT -6
To add about being smart on the film you send, those first 3-4 plays of a highlight reel better have that WOW factor. If your emailing it out and a coach sits down to watch it you better grab his attention right away because they aren't gonna waste time watching a guy catch a slant for 5 yards or 10 yard gain until the good stuff starts.
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Post by coachd5085 on Apr 12, 2012 19:26:58 GMT -6
To add about being smart on the film you send, those first 3-4 plays of a highlight reel better have that WOW factor. If your emailing it out and a coach sits down to watch it you better grab his attention right away because they aren't gonna waste time watching a guy catch a slant for 5 yards or 10 yard gain until the good stuff starts. Agreed. Particularly if you are sending out unsolicited tape. You need to really catch the interest of the coaches quickly. If he has trouble finding the player, or if the first few plays don't really jump out at the coach, and he hasn't seen him in person yet...they will just move on. |
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Post by 4verts on Apr 12, 2012 19:31:01 GMT -6
Some hints that I've found get highlights looked at. Put music with it. If a coach likes the song he will watch more clips just to hear the song. You may laugh, but I've done it and seen a whole staff room get up to watch a highlight because a good song pops up. A legendary D2 coach in Alabama makes his staff turn off the sound when watching recruiting tape, because he realizes this effect.
This may sound awful, but the truth isn't always pretty; a white skill kid has 3 maybe 4 clips to get a coaches' attention, where a black skill kid has 5 to 6. It is what it is. If you have a black QB DO NOT have the 1st 2 or 3 clips be scrammbles or called runs. This gets him shoved into the athlete category right away and that may not be his selling point.
Past that if they do not get at least one offer at a summer camp before their senior year the odds are they are not going to get a D1 offer. Not saying it won't happen, but highly unlikely. Another very honest, but nasty truth is that if you have never sent them a player or you don't know the college coach personally, they are not going to listen to what you say to sale the kid. They have to have a realistic standard of comparison from a previous player that you have sent to a D1 school to get their attention.
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Post by silkyice on Apr 12, 2012 19:45:58 GMT -6
Some hints that I've found get highlights looked at. Put music with it. If a coach likes the song he will watch more clips just to hear the song. What if they don't like the song? Can you provide a list of good songs? |
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Post by jlenwood on Apr 12, 2012 19:55:38 GMT -6
I started our recruiting program 2 seasons ago. I am not the HC, just a lowly assistant who got tired of our HC doing nothing, and I started doing this blind with no idea of what to do. We have had 4 kids sign NAIA over the last 2 years from our efforts, and we expect to send 4-5 kids this year (2 possible D1, and the rest 2&3).
Here are a few things that have really started to work for us.
-The kids HAVE to get involved. Have them fill out every recruiting questionnaire on a schools web site they are interested in. Do not do all of the work, make them an integral part of the process.
-Have a team web site that you can upload video and stats to every week. The recruiters we have spoke with love this feature of our site. If we have a kid they are looking at, they can check Monday to see how he did over the weekend.
-Camps. Camps. Camps. Be realistic, if a kid has D3 potential, have him go to D3 college camps.
-Don't rule out NAIA, D2 or D3. If he has a good enough ACT, and is someone they need, any school will find creative ways to help the kid financially.
-Get yourself known to as many college recruiting coordinators as you can.
-Let the recruiters know of any other players in your area they may be interested in. This goes a long way to creating a relationship with the recruiters as someone they can trust.
-Get a list of all colleges in your state from the NCAA website, or wikepedia (they list by division) and start your email contact list.
Good luck, and remember that you have a tremendous opportunity to help a young person out here. If they can continue to play ball, and help mom and dad with some of the finances you will be a hero.
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Post by 4verts on Apr 12, 2012 19:59:42 GMT -6
Just hit or miss. Last staff I was on was the youngest staff in the country. So lil wayne or something along those lines at 1 AM when you are delirious seemed to get the room stirred back up. You never know when that video is going to get looked at. At 1 or 2 AM if two kids are equal the coaches I've been around tend to remember or even like the one with music better. Absolutely no logic to this. Just something that I have noticed and fallen victim to myself.
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Post by 4verts on Apr 12, 2012 20:00:50 GMT -6
Just hit or miss. Last staff I was on was the youngest staff in the country. So lil wayne or something along those lines at 1 AM when you are delirious seemed to get the room stirred back up. You never know when that video is going to get looked at. At 1 or 2 AM if two kids are equal the coaches I've been around tend to remember or even like the one with music better. Absolutely no logic to this. Just something that I have noticed and fallen victim to myself.
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Post by fballcoachg on Apr 12, 2012 20:48:49 GMT -6
What do you tell your kids about combines? I have seen some fly by night combines that have really turned me off but how do you find legit ones that are worth the kids time? We do the film and try to get our kids we think can be players to camps or college open days but it seems every one of our kids wants to go to these combines that are "going to have several college coaches/scouts." How do you help guide them to ones that aren't a waste of money and time and aren't setting them up for false expectations and perception?
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Post by sfvprop on Apr 12, 2012 22:56:50 GMT -6
I emailed this out to almost every school that has football in the country, 1-A thru NAIA: Citrus Valley Redlands CA class of 2013 top prospects 800 W Pioneer Ave Redlands CA 92374 Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/368164963214282/ Website with 2013 list, including HUDL.com and scout.com links, gpa's, contact info and downloads of transcripts at bottom of page: Here is a link to a list with GPA's and transcripts may be downloaded at the bottom of the page. sites.google.com/site/citrusvalleyfootball/recruiter Pete Smolin Head Coach, West Chester University PA. '94 cell 323-855-2781 petesmolin@gmail.com New school in Redlands CA with 2013 as our first full class, last year we finished 9-2 with 19 Junior starters. THE up and coming football program, and best kept secret in the Inland Empire. Pete Smolin Athletic Director Head Football Coach Citrus Valley Blackhawks 800 W Pioneer Ave. Redlands CA 92374 Office: 909-799-2300 x34111 Fax: 909-799-2348 |
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Post by pvogel on Apr 13, 2012 1:23:59 GMT -6
for the songs- I steer clear of expletives. Turn off for many. But I do think a video always looks better with music.
We're big on just instrumental beats. Its what we come out to on fridays. The kids know the songs anyways, and we dont have to worry about lyrics. So i do the same for highlight vids.
heres one if you wanna check it out- and then the 2 suggested ones at the top on the right are other films.
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Post by Chris Clement on Apr 13, 2012 5:55:57 GMT -6
I emailed this out to almost every school that has football in the country, 1-A thru NAIA: Citrus Valley Redlands CA class of 2013 top prospects 800 W Pioneer Ave Redlands CA 92374 Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/368164963214282/ Website with 2013 list, including HUDL.com and scout.com links, gpa's, contact info and downloads of transcripts at bottom of page: Here is a link to a list with GPA's and transcripts may be downloaded at the bottom of the page. sites.google.com/site/citrusvalleyfootball/recruiter Pete Smolin Head Coach, West Chester University PA. '94 cell 323-855-2781 petesmolin@gmail.com New school in Redlands CA with 2013 as our first full class, last year we finished 9-2 with 19 Junior starters. THE up and coming football program, and best kept secret in the Inland Empire. Pete Smolin Athletic Director Head Football Coach Citrus Valley Blackhawks 800 W Pioneer Ave. Redlands CA 92374 Office: 909-799-2300 x34111 Fax: 909-799-2348 You're allowed to put up their GPA's and transcripts all over Facebook? |
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Post by coachcb on Apr 13, 2012 8:42:12 GMT -6
Something else to bear in mind: if a kid is good enough to play college football (at any level) he'll get looks.
I coach(ed) a tiny 8-man team in a tiny town in the boonies, 120 miles away from the nearest college with football. Two of our juniors have been getting letters from D2, D3 and NAIA schools over the last year. Neither of them have attended any camps, even when I pushed them to do so. They are both good football players that have been seen by scouts at various games.I gave them copies of every game film we had and the number of a guy that puts together quality highlight tapes and told them to have fun with it. They looked at the cost and asked who was going to pay for it and I shook my head. They then asked me to do it and I smiled and shook my head.
I am only saying this because I think we sometimes further the idea that we, as coaches, need to get the kids recruited. That it is some how our responsibility to do the leg work and that it's our fault if they don't get a scholarship. I make phone calls and talk to coaches but that's about it.
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Post by fantom on Apr 13, 2012 9:22:33 GMT -6
About the music- are you sure?
Would you put decorations on a job resume? Maybe younger coaches will watch the video longer because they like the music but doesn't that work both ways? Wouldn't that mean that a coach who doesn't like the music night stop watching sooner? A few weeks ago I watched some recruiting film with an older coach. He couldn't hit the Mute button quickly enough. Personally, I don't think the music adds much and could be a turn-off if you pick the wrong music.
I would agree with those who said to make sure that you start the video with the best plays and make sure that you show what the coaches want to see. We were looking at LB's. The first kid opened up with a blitz. Pretty good. But all of the clips were blitzes so you start wondering if the kid can actually play the linebacker position.
We look at the next kid and here's the first play that we see: offense runs a sweep, LB sees it quickly, takes a great angle while staying in a good fundamental position, beats a blocker, pops through a hole, and clocks the runner for no gain. Well, show me more! Did he have music? Didn't notice.
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Post by 4verts on Apr 13, 2012 9:42:19 GMT -6
About the music- are you sure? Would you put decorations on a job resume? Maybe younger coaches will watch the video longer because they like the music but doesn't that work both ways? Wouldn't that mean that a coach who doesn't like the music night stop watching sooner? A few weeks ago I watched some recruiting film with an older coach. He couldn't hit the Mute button quickly enough. Personally, I don't think the music adds much and could be a turn-off if you pick the wrong music. I would agree with those who said to make sure that you start the video with the best plays and make sure that you show what the coaches want to see. We were looking at LB's. The first kid opened up with a blitz. Pretty good. But all of the clips were blitzes so you start wondering if the kid can actually play the linebacker position. We look at the next kid and here's the first play that we see: offense runs a sweep, LB sees it quickly, takes a great angle while staying in a good fundamental position, beats a blocker, pops through a hole, and clocks the runner for no gain. Well, show me more! Did he have music? Didn't notice. Like I said it is hit or miss. Just telling you what I've noticed. I haven't been recruiting for 30 or 40 years. Just everyday for 5 years. If the kid can flat play then it doesn't really matter if the coach doesn't like the music or if it has foul language either. I know there are two different ways to look at it. But yes I have seen 3 different staff rooms come to a computer because they liked a song. Some of those guys were in their 40's some 30's some 20's, but noticed it everywhere I've been. Only reason I mention it. |
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Post by fantom on Apr 13, 2012 9:46:30 GMT -6
About the music- are you sure? Would you put decorations on a job resume? Maybe younger coaches will watch the video longer because they like the music but doesn't that work both ways? Wouldn't that mean that a coach who doesn't like the music night stop watching sooner? A few weeks ago I watched some recruiting film with an older coach. He couldn't hit the Mute button quickly enough. Personally, I don't think the music adds much and could be a turn-off if you pick the wrong music. I would agree with those who said to make sure that you start the video with the best plays and make sure that you show what the coaches want to see. We were looking at LB's. The first kid opened up with a blitz. Pretty good. But all of the clips were blitzes so you start wondering if the kid can actually play the linebacker position. We look at the next kid and here's the first play that we see: offense runs a sweep, LB sees it quickly, takes a great angle while staying in a good fundamental position, beats a blocker, pops through a hole, and clocks the runner for no gain. Well, show me more! Did he have music? Didn't notice. Like I said it is hit or miss. Just telling you what I've noticed. I haven't been recruiting for 30 or 40 years. Just everyday for 5 years. If the kid can flat play then it doesn't really matter if the coach doesn't like the music or if it has foul language either. I know there are two different ways to look at it. But yes I have seen 3 different staff rooms come to a computer because they liked a song. Some of those guys were in their 40's some 30's some 20's, but noticed it everywhere I've been. Only reason I mention it. Well, you said it. If the kid can't play the music doesn't matter. |
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Post by 4verts on Apr 13, 2012 9:48:43 GMT -6
Like I said it is hit or miss. Just telling you what I've noticed. I haven't been recruiting for 30 or 40 years. Just everyday for 5 years. If the kid can flat play then it doesn't really matter if the coach doesn't like the music or if it has foul language either. I know there are two different ways to look at it. But yes I have seen 3 different staff rooms come to a computer because they liked a song. Some of those guys were in their 40's some 30's some 20's, but noticed it everywhere I've been. Only reason I mention it. Well, you said it. If the kid can't play the music doesn't matter. But it will draw attention to your highlights, and I believe that was the question the guy was asking. |
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Post by fantom on Apr 13, 2012 9:53:18 GMT -6
Well, you said it. If the kid can't play the music doesn't matter. But it will draw attention to your highlights, and I believe that was the question the guy was asking. Well, you do this for a living and I don't so, OK. I do think that making sure that the kid really shows something in the first plays on the tape is more important. |
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Post by 4verts on Apr 13, 2012 10:01:34 GMT -6
But it will draw attention to your highlights, and I believe that was the question the guy was asking. Well, you do this for a living and I don't so, OK. I do think that making sure that the kid really shows something in the first plays on the tape is more important. I totally agree with that. That was the overall point of my origional post. You literally have 3 to 4 clips to sale yourself. I'm not saying for any reason that I have ever signed a kid because of the music on his highlight tape. But I have noticed that if two kids are equal for whatever reason, not saying it is right, that the coach will remember that kid better. |
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Post by spos21ram on Apr 13, 2012 10:24:21 GMT -6
Some hints that I've found get highlights looked at. Put music with it. If a coach likes the song he will watch more clips just to hear the song. What if they don't like the song? Can you provide a list of good songs? "It's Raining Men" will grab their attention |
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Post by John Knight on Apr 13, 2012 10:32:08 GMT -6
Hudl has its own music, no words. Works fine. I email links to every coach that I can find an email for. Most of the time if a kid has no offers by jr year he is not going to get a d1 look. I still send out as much video as possible and send entire games as well. Mostly it comes done to 2 things size and speed.
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Post by sfvprop on Apr 13, 2012 14:16:03 GMT -6
Their transcripts and gpa's are not on the Facebook page only on the website link that I only send to college coaches. The website link has PDF files of their current transcripts, it is only accessible to coaches that have think and the password.
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Post by gapshoot76 on Apr 13, 2012 14:58:35 GMT -6
Ok all good info on here fella's thanks so far...
Next question. I've seen several great looking highlight video's on youtube. Great music, player spotlights, text information. Is there a good cheap software somewhere I download to do that, or is able to be done in HUDL. I'm lost when it comes to making it look pretty.
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Post by silkyice on Apr 13, 2012 15:43:52 GMT -6
What if they don't like the song? Can you provide a list of good songs? "It's Raining Men" will grab their attention Great. I just added it to all my recruits highlights and sent it out. LOL |
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Post by John Knight on Apr 13, 2012 18:38:48 GMT -6
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Post by dc207 on Apr 13, 2012 21:22:17 GMT -6
I am no expert at getting kids in to D1 schools. In fact, we've never done it since I've been coaching. Here is what I have learned and applied, and we are certainly sending a lot of kids to play college football this year - just no D1. And that's ok. A college degree is a college degree. Some kids can get one from Stanford, others from Bethune Cookman. Both can be a success. 1) Like mentioned earlier, limit HL videos to 4-5 minutes tops, and make the first two or three plays be attention grabbers. HUDL makes this too easy. I made a no-name FB's HL video in three hours one night before a recruiting film expo, and the next day two DIII schools were all over him. Great blocker. 200 pounds. 4.8-4.9 40-yard dash. 3.4 GPA. He has his choice from those schools; I think the HL video helped, but all it did was show in succint fashion what he was able to do. 2) Include academic information on the HL video, or in an email. No reason to try to get a kid looked at to a school he can't go to. Which leads me to... 3) By the end of the kid's sophomore year, you know what type of school he is headed toward. Get him registered with the clearinghouse when you can, and make sure he already understands the core course requirements and is prepping for the PSAT or SAT right now. SAT Prep courses are invaluable, and there are a great many online SAT courses to help, as well. Typically kids experience at least a 100-point improvement from the first time they take the SAT to the second. 4) As mentioned, make sure the kid is going to camps and combines. I think the kids should be going the spring and summer after their sophomore year. They need to go to freshman combines if they are available. To see what is out there. 5) Make sure the kid doesn't fail a class. Don't let them. Whatever we've got to do to make sure they don't fail a class, because that zero hurts so much in determining their GPA. Or, you could just contact Azaar Abdul-Rahim at Friendship Academy in Washington, D.C., and ask him what he does to get kids in to school Dude just got 19 seniors scholarships. Kids in DC get a $10,000 deduction of some sort in their total cost of going to school, but either way NINETEEN! www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7710473/aazaar-abdul-rahim-rise-new-washington-dc-football-power-friendship-collegiate-academy |
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