The video that got over 100 coaches interested in me

A personal football highlight video in the modern age of high-speed internet and YouTube is essential to getting as much interest as possible in your playing career. Without one, your chances of getting a soccer scholarship/trial is significantly lower. This quick 5-step guide will show you exactly how to create a soccer scholarship video, as well as what to include, what not to include and what’s best to focus on from someone who’s been there. Good luck!

How to make a Highlight Video

1. Get a camera

Obviously, you will need a camera to get started making this highlight video of yours. We suggest using a HD camcorder with a tripod for stability, having good quality picture that can be shown in high-definition will set you apart from the rest and makes it easy for a coach to view your video. If you don’t have one, it’s very likely one of your friends or family do, so borrow a camera from them.

2. Make an outline

Write down what you’ll include in your filming. Film your training drills and games as coaches will like to see you right in the action. Coaches would like to see all major aspects of your game, so make sure you include: Passing, dribbling, finishing, volleying, heading and co-ordination. It’s recommended to make your strengths the most prominent part of the video. Mine was my shooting.  Make sure you film at least one game from start to finish, as sometimes coaches ask for a full match video when deciding whether or not to give you a scholarship or trial.

3. Create a 10 minute video

You can make the video yourself quite easily with free software such as windows movie maker or iMovie for Mac. I did mine with iMovie. You can add cool transitions and music if you like, but this doesn’t really add value to the actual ability you show in your video, plus the coach may get fed up with the music and effects and stop watching, so be careful! Just make sure the video is to the point, effective and doesn’t waste time. You could also use a professional video company to do it all for you if you feel uncomfortable with the technical stuff.

Your video should be around 10 minutes long. I would recommending including:

• 1 – 2 minutes of a introduction slide and testimonial (from a coach with good credentials)
• 3 – 5 minutes of training footage.
• 3 – 5 minutes of game footage.

4. Upload your video to YouTube

Once you’re done, upload your scholarship video to YouTube and/or Vimeo. However, before you upload it’s a good idea to get your video checked over by your coach, friends, football people you know that will offer feedback and advice on how you could improve the video. Only then will you have a truly good video you will be proud to show.

5. Start emailing coaches

The fun begins here…. well not really. Unfortunately, the process of finding email addresses and contact information of college soccer coaches is painstakingly long and time consuming. It’s also quite difficult to get in direct contact with them. I got offers by using a service called contactcoaches.com. They emailed my video to 1000’s of coaches across the USA and I got back over one hundred positive emails. The only downside is that their service costs a couple of hundred dollars. I found it well worth it though! You could also put your profile on berecruited.

6. You decide

When it comes to football scholarships, it’s a fun experience choosing which college to go to and what scholarship offer is best for you if you

At the end of it all I got over $120,000+ in scholarship offers from NCAA II and NAIA colleges (it was a little late in the recruiting season for NCAA I). It all starts with a good video!

Interested in improving your football skills with an individual training program? I can help you out.