Producing a basketball recruiting tape.

Because of all the recruiting regulations, college coaches are forced to find alternative methods of discovering and evaluating athletic talent. Videotapes offer an extremely effective method of doing this.

Who is the logical person to handle this? The high school coach. Who knows more about the performer and the needs of the spectator?

The high school coach can do it himself, if he chooses. Or he can bring in a person or a service to do it for him. (Many schools have the equipment and know-how to handle this.)

As a former graduate assistant and videotape coordinator, I would like to offer a few suggestions on how to put together a tape for prospective recruiters.

First, since most college coaches won't look at a videotape sent in at random, the high school coach should make sure to send the tape only to the people who have requested it. He and the athlete may draw up a list of the colleges that the athlete is interested in and/or are best suited to his talent.

The coach may then send a note to the college coach to let him know who is sending him a tape.

Although the athlete's coach is the logical person to contact the college, it is not uncommon for the athlete's parents or even the athlete himself to initiate contact.

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If you (high school coach) are advising the boy on how to do this, you should advise him to be patient. Scholarships are precious objects that require a lot of processing, and neither the athlete nor his parents should become discouraged if the college coach doesn't express a lot of enthusiasm. College coaches have a lot on their minds, especially during recruiting periods. They do not like to be rushed or overwhelmed into any sort of commitment.

If the college coach agrees to view the tape, the high school coach should include all the essential information that the college will want to know: the student-athlete's age, address, phone number, uniform number and color, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, statistical information, etc., all of which should be photocopied or scanned on a clean sheet of paper.

If you are going to want the tape and paperwork returned, you should also include a prepaid, self-addressed envelope or packet.

TAPE CONTENTS

The tape should begin with the student-athlete introducing him/herself. He may talk about the position he plays and his goals for the future. He should keep it brief, about a minute in length. It will also be helpful to flash the athlete's name and number along with his face to make him easier to identify on the tape.

The next section to include on the tape is two or three minutes of edited highlights that accentuate the athlete's strengths--rebounding ability, shooting range, power game, ballhandling, defense, and clutch plays.

A play-by-play sheet should go along with the edits to accent the time and score of some of the situations. Local television footage can be a big help in providing a little extra pizzazz to the tape.

Game footage should follow the edited highlights. This should consist of 10 to 15 minutes of unedited continuous play. Cutting out the dead spots in the tape such as throws, time-outs, moments when the athlete isn't in the game, is also necessary to include as much of the action as possible on the tape.

The game footage should be against good competition. It does not do the college-bound athlete any good to be shown putting 30 points up against a junior varsity team. A college coach will be able to tell within minutes whether the opposition amounts to anything. Against a well-respected opponent, a 15-point outing is far superior to a 30-point barrage against a bad basketball team.

If you have to include a few plays against a poor team, use that footage in the edited highlights.

The point you want to make to the college coaches is that your athlete has the ability to make the plays against the kind of players he will face on the next level.

I remember viewing a video tape of a kid scoring 24 points from the post position and the kid telling me that he was a 1,000 point scorer, an all-conference player, and that he was interested in getting a chance as a walk-on.

A walk-on? That made me take a second look, and I saw that he was about 5-foot-11 and obviously couldn't make it at any scholarship school.

Some college coaches like to see the prospect doing training such as lifting in the weight room or participating in conditioning drills.

If your student-athlete is a workout machine, show that to the college coaches. Show that 300-lb. bench press and 30+-inch vertical jump. This kind of footage can help sell the lesser skilled players. Coaches like natural ability and a willingness to work. It's the kind of footage that can be placed in the introduction or at the end of the tape.

HELPFUL HINTS

The videotape itself should be of the highest quality. If the school you work for doesn't have the equipment you need, you may rent or borrow quality equipment. You might also be able to hire a local company to assist you in making the tape.

As a college coach, you will flinch at a videotape that is angled poorly, blurry, or jumpy. This kind of footage will discourage college coaches from watching the tape.

You can also do yourself a favor by showing up early and setting up your camera on a level tripod. The camera should be positioned in the middle of the floor as high up as possible to prevent the need for constant panning of the court. It will also give the college coach the same view of the court as he gets in practices and games.

Once the tape and its edits are completed, you should hold on to that master tape. Never send it to anyone. College coaches are not known for their tender, loving care of borrowed tapes. The master tape is your highest quality tape from which all the copies are made. Don't risk losing it.

If you don't think you have the capability to produce this video tape yourself, you should hire a professional service. There are plenty of good ones out there with experience in the production of quality recruiting tapes.

This option is more expensive than the alternative, but you might want to look at it as an investment into your athlete's future.

Finally, you should contact the person you sent the tape to within a few weeks to gauge their interest. Is he interested in the athlete? Is any additional information needed?

The recruiting process is complicated and not always friendly, but the videotapes provide great opportunity for your athlete to introduce himself to the college coaching staffs. A well-done videotape can help your athlete get a foot into that important door ... and maybe wind up with a career.

Isn't it worth a try?

BY CHAD SEIFRIED

Ph.D. Student in Sports Management

Columbus, Ohio