Question for people who've been down this road or are on it now: What kind of camera did/do you use if you shot any of your own highlights? Through his school, we have access (I think) to video from an elevated game camera for those games, but the quality of the competition in some will be so poor that I'd guess those highlights are of little value. So I plan to shoot my own from the two clubs my son plays for (one fall and spring, the other winter only). I have a DSLR and am comfortable with it for stills, but shooting video is a different experience -- humongous files, a limit of either 15 or 30 minutes of shooting time before you have to restart, autofocusing that doesn't always respond right away, ... If I do have to buy a video-only camera, I don't want to spend a fortune. Recommendations?
I'm using a Sony HD-CX260 that I had at work and we were no longer using. What you will want to look for: Ability to shoot HD (1080i minimum, 1080p preferred). I don't think 4k is needed. OPTICAL zoom. Mine is a 30x and I haven't used it all. A digital zoom is NOT a good substitute. Tripod, preferably with a fluid head. Ability to shoot on an SDHC card (internal memory is a bonus for when you forget your card). A 1TB hard drive (either internal or external) to copy the games onto. My camera creates a new file every 10-12 min. So I use editing software to put complete games together (upload to Hudl for school and YouTube for club). One thing I've started doing is stopping after every goal (continue shooting for 5-10 seconds after the goal, then stop, then start before the kickoff. That makes it easy to find the goals when editing. Our HS games are usually in stadiums, so I get some height. Club games can be stadium or field. I'm trying to get money to build one of these : https://www.instructables.com/id/Video-Pole-for-Sport-Videos-Design-Logic/. If you think this might be something you want to do in the future, make sure your camera offers some kind some remote control (preferably wired) and a video output. I will say, I shoot video for the TEAM, I'm not focused on my son.
Are you so sure you even need a highlight video? DD had success emailing and inviting coaches to tournaments, doing a campus tour and stopping by to meet coach and then going to an idcamp.
I don't think you know whether you need one until you do. At that point, it's too late. I also am getting the feeling there is a large difference in recruiting on the boys side vs the girls side.
Really appreciate the input. Re the need, I'm not sure about much of this process, honestly, and mostly know what I read. And a lot of that is conflicting -- I'm open to advice from those who've been there, for sure. I do know one college coach on the men's side who works at a small school, doesn't have a big staff or recruiting budget, and to some degree relies on highlight videos and his own time spent watching games online for players skilled enough to play at a level where they might have a game streamed (youth national teams for smaller countries, US players in HS state-title games, ...). His in-person scouting is all within easy driving distance of his school, from what I can tell.
General advice we were given (for players that aren't wanting to go pro) - Pick a school that D/S would go to without soccer. Make sure the school has a strong faculty in their area of study. Don't be caught up with the Div 1 hype. Northeast South State University could be located in a small town with no internship opportunities. - Go and visit, meet the coach. Go to a camp. Talk to people. Not all coaches are good and build positive environments. - If you want a coach/team that plays a good style of soccer - pick a team that's consistently top of their conference. - Go somewhere where the coach is excited about having them and where you think that they will play as a freshman. Match fitness is a different kind of fitness. Teams are playing 2 games a week so the training sessions aren't that intense. You need to play games to not regress. - Play summer 2nd division pre-league so you're fit and ready to go for fall season. - Play in big tournaments where there are well-know teams to get noticed. My D played against a U15 national-ranked team. She knew the game would attract college coaches so she invited a few that she had already met to this game. They got smashed, but the coaches she invited were impressed with how well she defended. - Always be aware at tournaments that coaches could be watching you and your child at any time. They may watch how they interact with teammates off the field or how they warm up. This is most important for keepers because in some games they don't have a lot of action. One coach that came to watch her play stood just behind me. He came up to me after the game to say hello. - Grades and how they act in school in important. A coach contacted my child's school's head PE teacher for a reference. The team had film on Hudl, but no coaches seemed interested in that. But perhaps it's different for boys.
Having a highlight video (or more than one) I can't imagine will ever hurt. NOT having one might. Lets say you find a school you're interested in... sure, you can invite the coach to come see you play, but there are plenty of factors on whether they show... their budget, their schedule, location of the games, what other teams/players they want to see, time, etc. A highlight video could "tip the scales" and prompt the coach to stop by for a game (or a half). Now, I'm not saying a video HAS to be made. I'm sure one can get recognition from college coaches without it, but I say it could be beneficial.
This is essentially my thinking. If you're not a DA-level talent, coaches' attention would seem to have to start somewhere, and I'm having a hard time imagining someone spotting him randomly at a Showcase tournament (does that ever happen?) or that an email alone would bring out a coach. The coach I mentioned earlier in the thread is the only one I know of who will ever be at my son's high school games (that coach is a regular at area games) without something to convince them there's a reason to be there. I'm curious about the possible differences between the boys' side and the girls. Maybe things do work that differently between the two.
We just got back from NL showcase (don't be too impressed, we lost all four games). The first game had seven college coaches, the second game had almost 20, then there was a dead period for the next two games, so no one showed up. I don't know if coaches will reach out to players via email/phone this week or how exactly it works (we did a brochure with everyone's name, picture, jersey, gpa, act, school, phone, and email). I would think if an athlete is interested in a school, sending an email, tweet, snapchat, facebook, whatever with either the video itself or a link a link to the video saying something like "I'm interested in your school and playing for the <mascot>. We have games in your area at <site> on <dates>. I play <positions>. Here's a video I've put together and I'd like to talk to you." OK, that's a very basic idea and would need to be jazzed up. I agree w/@superhypervenum that when you select a school, it should be one that they'd be happy to attend without soccer, but I think you might need to get a coaches attention somehow.
I was given the advice recently that for many kids, D1 soccer isn't even that desirable given the rigors the athletes are put through. A fine education at a significantly reduced cost is available at scads of lower-division schools that will show more loyalty to the athlete and burn much less tread over four years. probably easier to Snapchat the attention of their coaching staff as well.
True. Video wont hurt. Most coaches said they were happy with full games. Use ones against harder teams and put them on a YouTube channel. And send coaches link.
And there's a real good chance you'll actually play better soccer at a lower-division school; more technical and less frenetically "athletic." Some NAIA schools have excellent soccer teams.
Interesting. How my son and I did it; one season I just went to as many games as I could (both HS and club) and recorded the whole game. It's not a lot of fun to film rather than watch but you do what you gotta do. Then, we just made a highlight reel that was well under 10 minutes long. I left the final editing up to my son. The advice I was given--find a seat at or close to midfield, set the zoom so that it takes in roughly a third of the entire field, and then just keep your kid in the middle of the frame no matter what. Don't jerk around following the ball (hard to do if like me you actually enjoy watching the game). That means a lot of tracking him/her standing, moving, jogging up and down, etc. but you're guaranteed not to miss anything or cut to it too late. That may be outdated advice, to be fair. I don't know how much--if at all--either of the videos he and I made together helped, but tbh I do enjoy watching them now and then.
We did a few full game videos for my son and a handful of coaches did ask for the full games. A number of coaches also told us don't bother with the highlights-not enough info with those. No videos with my daughter(an entirely different animal with regards to recruiting on the girls side IMO) Because both of my kids are defenders we would ask coaches to come watch games against the strongest teams. This is pure hell for a parent but the coaches like to see your player under pressure. My daughter received the most interest from several coaches after a 4-0 beat down loss.
Can I just say I *HATE* the NCAA rule that coaches can't talk to athletes until June following their sophomore year. I felt DS played well at last weekend's showcase and a lot of coaches saw him. BUT, since he's only a sophomore, they can't contact him for another six months.
A family I know has two daughters playing college soccer locally...their approach was to secure a visit with the coach during their campus visit, and have D go through practice with the team. On one such occasion, the D got an offer on the spot.
That I would not have thought of. Maybe there's no one right way to do this. Great input all around, either way. I'm learning a lot. FWIW, I put the highlights question to a DI assistant (girls' side) I know through the grapevine, and he said he watches highlight videos but treats them and hears colleagues describe them as something like a movie trailer -- you might not ever see the movie without the trailer, but if you like the trailer, you'll definitely then need to go see the movie (watching multiple games in person, in his case).
I'm wondering a good deal about this. My son's not small and he is reasonably athletic, but his game is fairly technical. Coaches who want frenetic, run-all-the-time soccer would likely not be interested in my son.
If I am not mistaken, a new rule went into play on May 1st, 2019 stating NO contact between player and coach until June 15 of Sophomore year.
I would not use a DSLR, as they aren't exactly built to be shooting for long periods (a 45 minute half, for example). DSLR's can look great, more cinematic, but that's not important for you. I would recommend a decent camcorder like a Sony AX33 or AX100, or even a cheaper camcorder, if money's tight, like a Panasonic HC-V180 or something in that realm. Easy to use; no problem shooting a full game. Just make sure the battery is charged and you have a big enough SD card, probably 128G. Also practice a bit. If hand holding the camera will take some getting use to framing the action right and zooming, panning, etc. If using a tripod then that will also take getting used to. I'd recommend a tripod with a smooth action.
I have a 64Gig card and can fit ~6 hours of recording time on my camera's highest quality setting (1080, not 4k). I don't think you need to spend over $300 for a camera. Again, the important qualities are: * 1080 video * OPTICAL zoom * External media (with internal backup) * Good battery
I was just re-reading the thread and wanted to throw an update out. DS got a personalized email from a D3 coach who had watched him play in the first week of NL games. Basically saying he was impressed, and could be a good fit at the the school, he knows DS is just starting to look at colleges, but keep the school in mind, fill out the recruiting questionnaire, keep in touch, etc. So yes, coaches will reach out. I did check the rules and D3 is not under the "June 15 following Sophomore year" rule. FWIW, the game the coach attended we lost 3-1 and DS is a CB.