How To Make a Highlight Video

Including a highlight or skills video on your NCSA profile can significantly increase your visibility to college coaches. That’s because highlight videos are one of the best ways to stand out since coaches rarely have the time or budget to watch every recruit in person. And the earlier you land on a coach’s radar, the better. 

Below you’ll discover how to make a highlight video that will attract the attention of college coaches. 

Pro Tip: Know the difference between a highlight video vs. a skills video

A highlight video features clips of your game footage that showcases your overall talent and how you perform in high-pressure situations.

A skills video demonstrates your mastery of your sport’s movements and fundamentals outside of a game or match setting. Skills videos aren't essential for every sport or position. However, demonstrating sport-specific actions can provide coaches with a clearer understanding of your potential.

How To Capture Footage For Your Highlight Video

It’s never too early to start collecting and categorizing footage for your highlight video. While you probably will not include footage from middle or early high school in the highlight reel college coaches see, we recommend filming early and often so you can get used to capturing the right kinds of video. Aim to have the first version of your highlight video created by the end of your junior year, provided it features varsity-level competition. You want to aim for the highest quality footage you can get, and the more video you have to work with, the more compelling your highlights package will be. There are a lot of different ways to capture video. Before the start of your junior season: 

• Ask your high school or club coaches if the team shoots video

• Reach out to your teammates for any game footage their families might have

• Find out if your school has a camera and tripod you can use, or look into renting or purchasing one so you can shoot video yourself

• Hire a professional videographer to attend one of your games

It’s important to ensure the best possible footage, so if you’re arranging to shoot video, make sure to follow these pro tips:

• Make sure the camera has a clear view of the action and that you’re easy to identify on the video.

• Capture footage from as many games as you can, so you have the most clips to choose from and coaches can see your consistency.

• Ask the person filming you to keep their cheering to themselves – loud sounds and herky-jerky camerawork will distract coaches from your play. 

Tips for How to Make a Highlight Video

While hiring a professional videographer/editor is an option worth considering, we have easy to follow tips on how to make a highlight video on your own. Here are some key features to keep in mind as you map out how your highlight reel will look. 

Want to take the guesswork out of editing? NCSA will make professionally edited highlight videos with a premium membership.

1. Take quality videos

Make sure your phone or camera provides high quality resolution so coaches can easily recognize you. Typically 720p or 1080p quality videos are best. Your videos should be recorded horizontally and with minimal shaking. We recommend using a standard video camera tripod or phone tripod for the best results. 

2. Identify yourself

Your contact information—including email, phone number and social media handles—should be clearly visible at the start of your highlight video along with your graduation year, position and jersey number. Showcasing your season averages, any awards and other notable accomplishments at the beginning of your highlight reel is also beneficial. 

Identify yourself before a clip begins by inserting an arrow/marker and freezing the frame so coaches can easily locate you. 

3. Best plays first

Make the first minute of tape pop. Within the first 30 seconds of your highlight video your best 4-5 plays should be placed within the first minute of your highlight reel. 

4. Include the right highlights

Coaches will be looking for different kinds of video depending on your sport. For example, it’s important for basketball and football highlight videos to show in-game footage. Conversely, baseball and softball players should showcase more of their technical skills.

5. Keep it brief

Aim for a highlight video that’s under five minutes, showcasing 15 to 30 of your top plays. Coaches who are interested in what you can bring to the table will follow up with you to ask for more game film. 

6. Update your highlight video regularly

You don’t want coaches to only see old plays. Strive to update your highlight reel quarterly with fresh film, stats and accolades in order to grab their attention. 

7. Keep it simple

There’s no need to include special editing effects or put music into your highlight video. The fewer the frills, the better. Video editing is tricky, and while the software that makes creating highlight videos is easily accessible, something this important is often best left in the hands of professionals. There’s skill and technique involved, and the stakes are high as a recruit. 

Once you’ve put the finishing touches on your highlight video, it’s time to post it online and in your NCSA athletic recruiting profile.

Sharing highlight videos on social media

Highlight videos, workout clips and top play clips are a great thing to share to get coaches’ attention on social media.

You should engage with a coach’s or program’s social media by sharing, liking or commenting on their posts to let them know you’re interested in their school. Along with posting highlights to your recruiting profile and emailing college coaches, sharing your highlight reels on social media is a great way to land on a coach’s radar.

Pro Tip: Learn more about how college coaches use social media in recruiting here and review our social media do’s and don’ts.

Showing off your athletic ability and key skills in a short period of time with a highlight video is one of the most important aspects of the recruiting process that you control. A highlight reel that follows the tips outlined above will be one of the best ways to stand to college coaches. So start filming and posting your athletic progress as your recruiting journey unfolds!

NCSA’s video editing team can create premium highlights videos for you. Get started today and take your recruiting to the next level with professionally edited highlight reels by letting our professional team showcase your talents, top plays and peak performances. We’ll make it easier for college coaches to see you!

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should your highlight video be?

Your highlight video should be between 3-5 minutes long. You want it to be long enough to showcase your skills, but short enough to keep a coach’s attention. 

Do college coaches only watch video from varsity competition?

Is it worth it for a student-athlete to put together a highlight video when they’re not on a varsity team? Absolutely! While a highlight reel featuring your best performances as a varsity athlete is most valuable to college coaches, some want to see how you have developed. Record your performances starting your freshman year so coaches can see your progression from season to season.

Do coaches actually look at all of the highlight videos sent?

College coaches use highlight videos to get a snapshot of your athletic skill and level to see if it’s a good fit for their program. Having a bigger sample size of quality film is helpful for a coach’s evaluation, though the strongest footage should be at the beginning to capture their interest.

What do I do if I don’t have good highlights for a video?

Consider creating your own skills video to showcase a few of your key strengths as an athlete. Adding a skills video can help your NCSA profile page get more attention from college coaches while you continue to gather more in-game footage.

Where should I post my highlight video?

Your NCSA profile is the best place to post video to be discovered by college coaches - it’s the one-stop destination for over 40,000 active college coaches. You can also post your highlight video on your social media accounts.