I am often asked about exposure. “How can I get my son or athletes more exposure?” A simple question with an answer that needs to be understood and not just heard. ‘Exposure’ is the wrong word. The more operative word is attention. You don’t want to just walk the red carpet, but have people call your name, snap photos and ask for your John Hancock. That’s attention. So how does this happen? I will give you my opinion.
“A Player…”
It doesn’t matter how you put it, slice it or dice it, your athlete has to be “A Player”! College programs don’t look for kids to fill their bench and take up roster space. They are looking for impact players that can play early and contribute as freshmen in addition to competing for a starting position as sophomores.
Start Early…
No matter how the athletes themselves, the parents or the coaches feel, the recruiting process starts early. College coaches are verbally offering athletic scholarships to players as freshmen and sophomores. Hit the exposure events and camps at an early age in an attempt to get your name out there.
Choose the Right Events…
There are plenty of exposure events and camps around the nation, including our own. But which ones are the right ones? Do your homework and register your athlete for exposure events that focus on “the unknowns” instead of the “well-knowns”. Register for camps where the fundamentals will be stressed. Your child will compete against the best and learn new techniques which will develop his overall game.
Size and speed are two things that cannot be taught. The smaller you are, the faster you had better be. There are certain measurement requirements that schools look for. 6-ft offensive lineman will not get much attention. A 5’11 QB, will get overlooked. The more you are on the “bad side” of the measurement scale, the more dominant player you’re required to be on the electrical side of things.
Produce a Good Hilite (highlight) Film…
Your 1st five plays should be your best! You want the “wow” factor at the very beginning. This is a hilite film, not games. Get the clip from the beginning of the snap to a few seconds after you make the play that you are hiliting. Make sure that before each snap or during the play, the athlete is spot lighted, highlighted so the recruiter knows who and where to look during each play. I’d save the music, but if you want to add music, please make sure it is appropiate and will not offend the listener.
Market To the Right Schools…
This may be the most difficult concept for athletes and parents to grasp. Though Division 1 Football is where most young men dream of playing, there is only a small fraction of kids who will play D-1 ball. An athletes size, speed and ability can be a factor to why he will not play D-1 ball. He may be the right size and speed however and be talented enough to play anywhere from Division 1-AA to NAIA football. Be truthful with yourself and compare your ability to those who are projected as D-1 athletes at your position. A high school coach can’t offer a 6-ft offensive tackle to Florida State’s Coaching Staff, but he can send off film to plenty of the multiple levels lower programs who would be interested.
Use of Social Media…
What may turn out to be one of the most underrated, yet most used resource in the future college coaches view Social Media pages all the time to get a jump on which way a potential prospect is leaning during the recruiting process. Keep your social media sites tasteful and informative. Place hilites and accolades on them. Post game stats and summeries of performances. Link articles where you are mentioned either for athletics or academics.
Hopefully this helps some. Though high school football is big business, it’s still played by great youngmen who want to noticed and appreciated. The work is long and hard! And only a few will taste the sensation of becoming a collegiate athlete. But, never loose sight and never leave out the fun of the sport and the excitement of improving.