The College Recruiting Video
A Guide for Volleyball Players

Part 1: Crafting the Perfect Video – It’s All About Presentation

When it comes to recruiting videos, the presentation can make all the difference. College volleyball coaches are bombarded with dozens of tapes every year, and your goal is to stand out. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to create a recruiting video that highlights your skills and grabs the coach's attention.
 

1. Introduction : Begin the video by having the athlete introduce herself. She should state her name, school, graduation year, and a quick overview of what skills will be showcased in the video. Keep it concise but confident.
    
2. Passing and Digging: For most college coaches, passing and ball control are top priorities. Start with footage of passing free balls, float serves, and spin serves. If she can dig a hard-hit ball, include that too. Show off any advanced skills like sprawling, rolling, or diving. If she has these moves, they will certainly impress.

Length: No more than 5 minutes.

1. Serving : Coaches want to see control over serving. Highlight both her placement serves and float serves, and if she has a powerful jump serve, showcase it. However, if it’s inconsistent, stick to what she can confidently execute under pressure. Consistency is more important than power.

Length: Around 2 minutes.

1. Hitting If the player is a hitter, focus on showing her attacking from various spots on the court (outside, middle, back row, etc.). Demonstrate versatility by including tips, roll shots, and other off-speed hits. This will show coaches that she’s not just a power hitter, but also a smart, adaptable player.

Length: 3 minutes
Note: Take breaks if needed to keep the player fresh. College coaches are fine with you recording across multiple days.
 

1. Setting (if applicable) If she’s a setter, show a complete range of setting skills. This includes setting high outside, quick sets, back sets, and even jump-setting. If she’s not a setter, it’s still good to showcase a few sets to demonstrate versatility.

Length: 3 minutes for setters, 1 minute for non-setters.
 

1. Blocking Show off footwork, timing, and penetration over the net. Even if your athlete isn’t a primary blocker, demonstrating solid technique is important.

 Length: Around 1 minute.
 

1. Game Play Footage Coaches want to see real-time game performance, but only include footage where the player is clearly visible. Make sure her jersey number is easy to spot, and avoid cluttered, hard-to-follow game tape. You can even zoom in for a few seconds to show her energy and communication on the court.

Length: 5 minutes max.

Part 2: Do’s and Don’ts of Submitting a College Recruiting Video

What Not to Do

• Avoid adding unnecessary effects like music, captions, or flashy transitions. College coaches are interested in the athlete’s skills, not a heavily edited video.
• Don’t include extra-long intros or filler footage. College coaches typically decide if a player is a good fit within the first few minutes of the video.
   

What to Do

• Always keep an original, high-quality version of the video on hand.
• Make as many copies as you need and send them to multiple schools. You may not hear back from every coach, but persistence is key.
• Follow up with the school your athlete is most interested in. Be proactive and check in regularly until you get a clear answer—whether that’s “Yes, we’re interested,” or “No, you’re not in our plans.”

When to Start Sending Videos

For athletes targeting Division I or Division II scholarships, it’s ideal to start sending out videos no later than the spring of their junior year. For smaller schools, the process can be more flexible, and coaches may still accept videos even after standard application deadlines.

Final Thoughts

The recruiting process can be overwhelming, but creating a strong, well-organized video can significantly improve your chances. Make sure the video is professional, highlights your athlete's best skills, and shows what they bring to the team. Always follow up and be proactive to ensure your athlete’s talent doesn’t go unnoticed.

Coach Luc Tremblay is the Founder and Head Coach of Volleyball Winnipeg. Luc has been coaching volleyball for 30+ years with athletes of all age classes and all abilities. He has developed most of the training techniques used by VISION coaches and is responsible for the coach development program at Volleyball Winnipeg. For more details on our Coach Resources, click here. 
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