Field Hockey Video Guidance
Having the right video is key to the recruiting process. Coaches want to learn everything they can about an athlete before recruiting them and the best way to do this is by watching their videos.
FieldLevel has spoken to multiple college field hockey coaches about what they want to see AND what they don’t want to see in an athlete’s video.
Here are the most important things you can do to impress college coaches and have the best video possible.
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 an introduction slide listing your name, grad year, and identifying attributes such as your number, hair or headband color, and/or stick color. – Show your best plays and strengths as a player early in the video. – Use a variety of clips showing multiple phases of the game to show you have a full understanding of the sport. – Include the context of what led up to the highlight and the results after. – Show your ability to react quickly and make decisions under pressure. | – Only include you doing one type of skill — try to show you are more than a one-dimensional player. – Include clips that are cut too early — make sure you show the full story of a play. – Be too long — try and keep concise. – Include any clips where you’re standing still — field hockey is a dynamic game and you should always be on the move. – Include unnecessary edits or music. |
“Everyone has highlights, coaches want to see what led up to that highlight … how the play developed.”
Have Game Footage Readily Available
Coaches will also want to study your game tape to verify the talent they saw in your highlights is consistent throughout a game. They will use your game video to see how you move, interact with your teammates, improve from game to game, and to evaluate your attitude and leadership abilities. It’s important to have game-footage readily available in case college coaches request it from you.
| Your game videos should… | Your game videos shouldn’t… |
| – Be compact — cut out any dead periods to save time. – Include off-the-ball movement and spacing. – Prove you’re aware of your surroundings and that you’re always anticipating the next play. – Show that you are engaged, energized, and actively involved and helping your teammates. – Show you making things happen on the field — how you react and recover if a play doesn’t go as hoped. | – Be filmed from too far away – give coaches a clear view of you and the field. – Have unnecessary music or edits —- coaches need to see plays in real-time and hear communication on the field, if possible. |
“Game video is essential for coaches, especially if they can’t see you in person.”
Showcase your skills
Coaches might also be interested in seeing clear videos of you going through drills or showing your skills. These videos capture game-like situations from clear angles and help showcase fundamentals and athletic ability.
| Your skill videos should… | Your skill videos shouldn’t… |
| – Show a variety of skills that replicate game-like situations as much as possible —- emphasizing your ability to work in a small space and react under pressure. – Be dynamic and explosive, and showcase your ability to accelerate, change direction, and change pace. – Showcase passing and receiving skills, first touches, and ball control on the move. – Involve teammates in a scrimmage or include another person to show your one-on-one offensive and defensive skills. | – Showcase the same skill repeatedly. – Include drills or skills that will not translate to game-like situations. |
“Be creative in staying active and prove your resilience during this time by simply doing what you can with what you have available.”
Feature your athleticism
The way you play in a match always speaks the loudest, but proving your athletic ability is important in the evaluation process. Take videos that highlight your athleticism.
| Your videos should showcase … | Your videos shouldn’t include… |
| – Good footwork. – Your speed with the ball. – Explosiveness on the field during a game or participating in full-speed drills. – Elimination skills. – Dynamic movement and change of direction. | – Any plays where you are not actively participating — these will not help a college coach evaluate you. |
“If you fake your athletic metrics, you will be exposed once on the college-level field.”
These things will likely impress any field hockey 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
