Soccer Video Guidance
Having the right video is key to the recruiting process. Coaches want to learn everything they can about athletes before recruiting them and the best way to do this is by watching their videos.
FieldLevel has spoken to multiple college soccer coaches about what they want to see AND what they don’t want to see in an athlete’s video.
Here are 5 things you can do to impress college coaches and have the best video possible.
1. Create a Highlight Reel
Your highlight reel is a chance to showcase your best moments as an athlete. These are the moments that will catch a coach’s eye — without highlights, getting seen is nearly impossible. Post the highlights that you do have and continue to upload new ones as time goes on.
| Your highlight reel should … | Your highlight reel shouldn’t ... |
| – Include highlights that showcase your aggressiveness, strength, and decision-making abilities. – Show context — what happened prior to the highlight and what happens after it. – Include a lot of clips showing how you receive the ball and your first touch. – Feature clips from games against a variety of teams at different levels of competition. – Focus on your strengths as a player and showcase the impact you make at your position specifically. | – Include slow-motion clips or replays of the same clip. – Show too many highlights against the same team. – Just show one skill — try and show that you’re more than just a one-dimensional player. – Include any clips that were shot from poor camera angles. – Only feature you going up against multiple defenders — include clips showcasing how you play with your teammates as well. |
2. Have Game Video Readily Available
After watching your highlight reel, coaches will want to study your game tape to verify the talent they saw in your highlights is consistent throughout a game. This is where they will be able to see how you move, interact with your teammates, improve from game to game, and your overall attitude and leadership abilities. Even though you can’t upload a full game on FieldLevel, it is important to have it readily available in case college coaches request it from you — we recommend having at least three full game tapes at-hand.
| Your game video should … | Your game video shouldn’t … |
| – Be readily available. – Have information about the opposing team to help college coaches evaluate you compared to the competition. – Be shot from a good camera angle so coaches can actually identify you in the video. | – Have unnecessary edits and animations throughout. – Be blurry or shaky. |
3. Showcase your Positional Skills
Coaches might also be interested in seeing clear videos of you going through drills. These videos capture game-like situations from clear angles and help showcase your mechanics and range. Upload skill videos for each position you play.
| Your skill videos should … | Your skill videos shouldn’t … |
| – Demonstrate your ability to make the first touch and show that you can receive the ball in various ways. – Show that you can use both feet and pass the ball in a variety of ways. – Include clips where you make a variety of shots and strike the ball in different ways. – Replicate game-like situations as much as possible. | – Showcase the same skill repeatedly. – Be too long — try to keep it concise and edit out any unnecessary parts. – Only showcase your ability to do tricks — showing coaches your technical ability is much more important. |
4. Feature your Athleticism
The way you play in a game always speaks the loudest, but proving your athletic ability is important in the evaluation process. Take videos that highlight your strength and athleticism, and verify specific measurements.
| Your athleticism videos should … | Your athleticism videos shouldn’t … |
| – Include clips of you doing the following athletic performance tests and your times for each of them: *Yo-Yo test *Cooper test *Beep test *1-mile run – Show you doing the following: *Vertical jump – Include your times in track events if you are also a Track & Field athlete. | – Include false information — don’t inflate your numbers. |
5. Record Verified Measurables
Coaches will need to verify that your physical measurements are accurate. Measurable verification usually happens during visits or at showcases, but you can make it easier for coaches by verifying your measurables with video.
| Your verified measurables videos should … | Your verified measurables videos shouldn’t … |
| – Show footage that verifies your: *Height | – Include false information — video doesn’t lie. |
These 5 key things will likely impress any soccer coach you speak with during the recruiting process. Coaches and athletes — if you would like to learn more or share the information found in this article, you can download our worksheet below.
If you have any questions about video or the recruiting process, the FieldLevel team is here to help you and support you. If there’s anything we can do, please contact us in one of the following ways:
Phone: 888-908-7124
Email: support@fieldlevel.com
Demo: Schedule a Time
