Applying for sports scholarships was a complex process. If you were lucky, a scout would notice you. And then recruit you to play for a college team. Or you could apply for college and go for preliminaries and try to get a scholarship.
The problem with that approach is that it has a significant limitation. You would need connections or a well-placed pitch to get a scholarship. The digital age gives you new opportunities.
Now, you can collect almost the entire digital library and contact several recruiters at once. And, they can get a clear idea of your skills and performance, helping you get a scholarship.
Applying for College in the Digital Age
If you ever watched movies from the 90s, there is one peculiarity about young people in sports. They have to go through an excruciating selection process to get into college. While the hero of the movies always goes to college, that wasn’t the case for many students.
They had to practice and bring their highest performance and take a risk to enroll in college. Like with anything else, there is no secure way to know if you got into college.
Another problem was that of your geolocation. For example, there was more risk if the college was far away from your location. Then, you would need to invest money and time to go out and take your chance.
For students with lower earnings, this was quite an issue. While it seems it is easier to get a scholarship through sports, the reality was somewhat different. Luckily, that changed with the advent of the digital age.
Instead of waiting to go through the process, be proactive. You can contact the recruiters and apply for multiple colleges at once. That raises your chances of entering college and getting a higher education.
What Recruiters Want
Now, the crucial thing is to know what recruiters want. Well, recruiters are simple people. To avoid any insult, that means that they want to know your performance and see it on video.
You want to send media that showcases your skills and abilities. Depending on the sport you do, the requirements may vary. However, you can get by with a video that is not too much like an actual movie.
While the idea of making a movie sounds appealing, tone it down a bit. You can get a YouTube video quality. Leave the crazy editing and transitions aside, and focus on showing what matters to the recruiters.
That is how you play, how you train, and some valuable info about you. With that, you can give recruiters an idea of who you are and what you can do.
Collecting Digital Documentation
To collect digital documentation, you first need to film the material. There are two ways to get the material.
The first is to film the video raw, compile it and send the video to recruiters. While this is a faster way to collect the documentation, avoid it at all costs. If you do that, recruiters will see it as a lazy effort and discard it as such.
The second way to do it is to film the material and professionally edit the video. For this, you need a video editor or a videographer. Then, they can film the whole thing and put it to montage and video editing.
Videographers have a clear idea about the format of the video and can make it fast. With that, you can send the documentation to recruiters.
Now, you may want to add a few things to your video to make it perfect.
Performance
You want to show your best performance. That includes videos from games, best plays, and even training.
Try to pick the moment where you were doing something extraordinary. Avoid mundane moments where you do the usual things you would do anyway. That is not something that could interest recruiters at all.
Of course, try to find the right measure between polished skills and rare movements. And avoid a video that consists only of such moves.
Best Skills
Polished skills are the part of the video that showcases your technique. While performance looks stunning, some recruiters may consider it a fluke. The thing is that you can't always bring your best game.
But, you can always count on your technique. Depending on the sport, show elementary techniques and how you perform them.
After all, they want to discern how you can do these things that make you an excellent player. And with that comes another valuable trait.
Team Player
Include team plays. If you perform in a team sport, you want recruiters to know how you fare as a team player.
When you include these plays, ensure that they lead to action. For example, add materials where you pass a ball for another player to score.
Now that you have all that material, it is time to complete the showcase.
Completing the Showcase
All that is left is to compile the media into a showcase. Take a look at videos of previous applicants and check the format. Inquire about the size and resolution, and of course, the length of the video.
You can upload it to your Google Drive or even on YouTube. Make it available for people to view at any time.
Now all that is left is to compile it with other documents and send it to recruiters. With that, you have a higher chance to enter college.
Aesthetic Recommendation
Finally, you want to work on developing a clear and concise piece of content. While you may fall into the temptation to create a dramatic biopic, take a moment. Think about your viewers or the recruiters.
Recruiters have to sift through dozens of applications and schedule a meeting with potential new players. The worst thing you can do is to create a dramatization and make the watch that content.
Instead, create content that they can watch in minutes and get the whole idea of your abilities. Give them an idea of how you play and what you can do as a player. Then, the recruiters may call you and give you a chance to join their team.
Try UniHighlights
All that is left is to create a recruitment movie. For that, you may hire video editors that work with sports highlights.
Luckily, they can compile your highlights and make a short movie out of them. Use it as your pitch for the recruiters. Have fun and improve your sports career.