Free Scouting/Recruiting Exposure Tips Vol 1
Here at Prep Dig we strive to get every player as much exposure as possible. We provide expert analysis on our platform for players that we think have the potential to play at the next level. There are many different levels to playing beyond high school. NCAA has three different divisions such as Division I, Division II, and Division III. There is also NAIA and Junior College who provide playing opportunities beyond high school. There are hundreds of college coaches on these staffs and a lot of them are subscribers to our platform. We will help players to the best of our abilities get extra exposure to all of these levels with our coverage of matches, tournaments and analyzing game film/highlight reels online. We spend hours and hours watching players to make sure our lists are as accurate as possible.
I often get asked “What can I do to help my daughter get more exposure?” and “How can I get my player on the Watch List or Rankings List?” I decided to write another article in the hopes that it would reach the masses on what has been working for hundreds of players who have gone through this journey. I have been the scouting director for Prep Dig Texas since our inception and over the course of the past two and a half years I have seen some best practices in this state. Here I will share a few that have worked like a charm so that you all get the help you need.
Game Film
This is how recruiting is done. College coaches will watch athletes in person to make their decisions, but it all starts with watching a teaser to get them interested. It doesn’t have to look super professional or be edited like a Hollywood movie in order to get the job done. You can even do it with your cell phone that I am sure you are reading this article on. If you would like to get your player seen, in person tournaments are not the only avenue you need to use. Clubs will take you to big tournaments that will have college coaches in attendance 1-3 times a year on average, but wouldn’t you want more exposure than that. Imagine yourself like a business and try to get as much advertisement as possible. I am sure most of you currently have lots of film and are uploading it like you should which is great. But what are you doing for other players that aren’t doing this? Please do your part and help others just by telling them to do the same as you. One conversation to a parent, sibling, or friend of a volleyball player can help jump start the recruiting journey for someone else. You can even share your film with them and they can edit their own highlight reel from it. In the 23 years I have been doing this, I have also seen parents go in together on camera or editing equipment and split the cost. There is always a way. Your club is not going to market your player like this. You will have to spend some time doing it. It also doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg to do it either. You have a phone and internet. Record, edit and upload it from your phone onto a free site.
Social Media
I know I know. Handling a social media account can be a daunting and scary task for many reasons. But those who use it well understand the many benefits of posting updates to the hundreds of college coaches/recruiters who are logged on. It really isn’t as hard as you think. If you don’t want to have to update multiple social media sites, I totally understand. If you have to pick one to use…I STRONGLY SUGGEST you use Twitter. Almost every college in the country has one and recruiting is HUGE on this platform. While I don’t suggest you post every thought you have in your head on your favorite volleyball player or team, I do suggest you, at the very least, post updates to your schedules and game film. and TAG US while you post it so that we are aware of the update!!!! Twitter is FREE. It is also quick and super user friendly. We post our articles on Twitter for everyone to read and we tag players, teams, schools and coaches for them to read about who we are highlighting. We also RETWEET the information you post about your player so that it reaches our massive audience of college coaches who follow us. If you need any help and get overwhelmed, you can even message me and I will help you as much as I can. You can reach me on Twitter by searching and adding one of the following @CoachMikeDZ (that is my personal one) @PrepDigTexas @PrepDigOK @PrepDigCA. In two short years, we have grown our Texas Twitter site to over 4,500 followers and are working on the other sites. Our main @PrepDig site has over 7,500 followers and it is still growing daily. Come join the fun on there and get your player more exposure. We also have Twitter accounts for every state that we are in currently.
Wow that sounded like a plug for Twitter. I wonder if they will pay me for that advertisement. Just kidding. The main reason for writing this article and discussing this topic is to answer the most asked question I get on a daily basis. We all need help. I appreciate those that do reach out for the help and answer as many messages as I can. Our overall goal is very simple. It is to help as many athletes get extra exposure and get recruited as we can. I have been in this wonderful sport for 23 years as a club director/owner, coach, recruiting director and Prep Dig Scout. The early part of my career was about winning championships. This part of my career is about using what I have learned over the course of this long journey to help as many people as I can get what they want out of this amazing sport. The volleyball community is very special to us and we are trying to do our part for everyone.
Do your part and help one player who could use the help. At the very least, just start the conversation with another family to see if they understand the importance of advertising and marketing their favorite v-baller. This is an easy way for recruiters and scouts to see players and determine if they will see them in person. If you need any help, just send me a message by email or on social media.
If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at nov8vb@yahoo.com. Also don’t forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends. Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook. Thanks for following Prep Dig Family!