Softball Stories

College Videos:
Are They Worth It?

Recently, Fastpitch World posted on the Newsday blog that we shoot College videos. We also posted the price and what we offered. What we noticed in some responses was that it seems people are not aware of how important having a skills video is.

We thought it important to put out there the importance of videos and how many individuals are misinformed on the subject. Of course as a business, we would want everyone to get their video done with us and we used the blog to get that information out. However this is not the basis of this article. The fact is that if you do not have a video your chances of ever being seen are really slim to none. Now, if you are a superstar or the top player on your team, local coaches may find you. As a former College coach that recruited from all over the world, as well as others on our staff, we can tell you that 90% of my team came via the video.

Most coaches have very limited recruiting budgets so the video is really what they count on. Players send letters to coaches to show their interest in their program. Most of the time coaches will respond by asking if they have a video they can see. The reason they need the video is to see if the player has the skills they are looking for. If they do, the coach will then try to find a tournament where they can sit back and watch the player in person.

We asked Susan Cassidy, Head Coach at Molloy College and Jay Nelson, Head Coach at Rutgers University if videos are important to their programs.

Sue:
Skills videos are very important to us as a D2 program with part time coaches. It is not always that simple to get to a game with practice and game schedules. The video provides us with a glimpse of the athlete and whether or not they are what we might be looking for, thereby eliminating a visit. Skills videos are what we want to see not highlight films or game tapes. I can send pitching skill videos right to my pitching coach who can evaluate the pitcher right away.
Jay:
Videos are part of the process. They get our attention. If you look like you have skills in the video, we will come watch you in a tournament.

Coaches select the tournament they are going to attend based on the amount of players they can see at that one location. The way they choose who they want to see is by watching videos. Coaches generally do not just go to a tournament hoping to find a random player; they do not just pick a game and drop down their chair. When coaches go to tourneys they have a schedule, they know where the players are that they want to see. At 9am they are at field 1 at 10:30 they move to field 3, after game 2 they are in their car and moving over to another field where another player is playing. The whole time they spend there, they know where they have to be and when.

Tony Ciccarello, Head Coach at Geneseo College:
We are a D3 program and have a very limited budget. I am only the only one out in the summer recruiting. It is almost impossible to see every player that contacts me. I would like a video from all players I recruit to help assist me in evaluating their skills.

Margie Knight, Head Coach at Salisbury:
DVD's are a critical part of my recruiting. With a very limited recruiting budget and the large number of softball players interested in Salisbury Softball, it is the best way a player can introduce me to their playing abilities.

Sometimes a player on the other team has sent a video out and you just might stand out in that game and open the eyes of a coach that has never seen you before. That does happen, but again it was because someone else did the work and brought the coach to you through their video. Is that the chance you want to take?

You can go to a clinic that a school runs, heck you can go to five of them, but at $200-300 each, how many can you really afford to attend? With a video once you get the product in your hands it cost about $2.00 to mail each one out.

Having a video will also help you choose the school you might want to attend. For example, you might have five schools in mind that you would consider attending so you send each program a video. Three schools get back to you and tell you that at the moment you are not what they are looking for. The other two programs contact you back and say that they really like your video and that they will be at so and so tournament to watch you play. What a video can do besides everything we have written about is that a video can help you locate a program that fits all of your needs. Videos also help you eliminate programs.

As a softball player with the schedules that are played and the money that is spent traveling and such, a video is definitely worth the investment. It's something that can even return the favor in the right coach's hands. Why not give your child every advantage that you can. In this day and age where we have so many talented athletes competing for a programs attention, it just does not make any sense to not have a video.

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College Videos: Are They Worth It? Recently, Fastpitch World posted on the Newsday blog that we shoot College videos. We also posted the price and what we offered. What we noticed in some responses was that it seems people are not aware of how important having a skills video is. We thought it important to put out there the importance of videos and how many individuals are misinformed on the subject. Of course as a business, we would want everyone to get their video done with us and we used the blog to get that information out. However this is not the basis of this article. The fact is that if you do not have a video your chances of ever being seen are really slim to none. Now, if you are a superstar or the top player on your team, local coaches may find you. As a former College coach that recruited from all over the world, as well as others on our staff, we can tell you that 90% of my team came via the video. Most coaches have very limited recruiting budgets so the video is really what they count on. Players send letters to coaches to show their interest in their program. Most of the time coaches will respond by asking if they have a video they can see. The reason they need the video is to see if the player has the skills they are looking for. If they do, the coach will then try to find a tournament where they can sit back and watch the player in person. We asked Susan Cassidy, Head Coach at Molloy College and Jay Nelson, Head Coach at Rutgers University if videos are important to their programs. Sue: Skills videos are very important to us as a D2 program with part time coaches. It is not always that simple to get to a game with practice and game schedules. The video provides us with a glimpse of the athlete and whether or not they are what we might be looking for, thereby eliminating a visit. Skills videos are what we want to see not highlight films or game tapes. I can send pitching skill videos right to my pitching coach who can evaluate the pitcher right away. Jay: Videos are part of the process. They get our attention. If you look like you have skills in the video, we will come watch you in a tournament. Coaches select the tournament they are going to attend based on the amount of players they can see at that one location. The way they choose who they want to see is by watching videos. Coaches generally do not just go to a tournament hoping to find a random player; they do not just pick a game and drop down their chair. When coaches go to tourneys they have a schedule, they know where the players are that they want to see. At 9am they are at field 1 at 10:30 they move to field 3, after game 2 they are in their car and moving over to another field where another player is playing. The whole time they spend there, they know where they have to be and when. Tony Ciccarello, Head Coach at Geneseo College: We are a D3 program and have a very limited budget. I am only the only one out in the summer recruiting. It is almost impossible to see every player that contacts me. I would like a video from all players I recruit to help assist me in evaluating their skills. Margie Knight, Head Coach at Salisbury: DVD's are a critical part of my recruiting. With a very limited recruiting budget and the large number of softball players interested in Salisbury Softball, it is the best way a player can introduce me to their playing abilities. Sometimes a player on the other team has sent a video out and you just might stand out in that game and open the eyes of a coach that has never seen you before. That does happen, but again it was because someone else did the work and brought the coach to you through their video. Is that the chance you want to take? You can go to a clinic that a school runs, heck you can go to five of them, but at $200-300 each, how many can you really afford to attend? With a video once you get the product in your hands it cost about $2.00 to mail each one out. Having a video will also help you choose the school you might want to attend. For example, you might have five schools in mind that you would consider attending so you send each program a video. Three schools get back to you and tell you that at the moment you are not what they are looking for. The other two programs contact you back and say that they really like your video and that they will be at so and so tournament to watch you play. What a video can do besides everything we have written about is that a video can help you locate a program that fits all of your needs. Videos also help you eliminate programs. As a softball player with the schedules that are played and the money that is spent traveling and such, a video is definitely worth the investment. It's something that can even return the favor in the right coach's hands. Why not give your child every advantage that you can. In this day and age where we have so many talented athletes competing for a programs attention, it just does not make any sense to not have a video.