The videotape primarily serves as your introduction to a college coach. Members of NCAA Division III are not allowed to give any athletic scholarships. Most do offer excellent academic scholarships as well as need-based financial aid. In NCAA Division I & II and the NAIA there are a few athletic scholarships available and coaches do not give scholarships based on the videotape alone. However, in many cases, your first impression dictates if, and how hard, the coach recruits you. Videotapes help the coach decide which players they want to see in person and recruit further.
Put your name, address, phone number, date the tape was made, and grade in school, on the outside of the tape.
The tape should be brief (not longer than 15 minutes plus the match footage) and contain as much action in as short a period of time as possible. The match footage should include a complete game that has not been edited.
The tape should begin with a 30-60 second introduction. Introduce yourself; mention which high school and club team you play for, what position you play and your uniform color and number. Also tell them what you think you want to study and any other information that will help them learn about you (e.g., hobbies, interests, achievements).
The second segment should show you jumping up against a stationary object, preferably a backboard with a basketball rim. This objectively illustrates your vertical jump. This segment should be no more than one minute in length.
The third segment should include a variety of volleyball skills: blocking, spiking, passing, serving and setting.
The blocking segment should include blocking footwork. You should block jump along the net at all three positions (left, middle and right). When finished, do the same footwork drill, but against an attacker. Blocking against a live hitter is preferred versus a stationary attack (e.g., coach hitting from box).
Both a front and rear view of the athlete during this segment is desired. For the front view, place the camera on the opposite end line so the coach has a full, front view of the athlete. Do the same from behind the athlete, placing the camera on the end line.
Whether you are an outside or middle hitter, coaches are looking for the following when they evaluate a hitter:
· Your approach/footwork.
· Your jumping ability and quickness.
· Where you contact the ball.
· Your arm swing.
· What types of angles you can hit.
If you are an outside hitter, you should hit out of the left side and right side. Also, coaches would like to observe how you hit other specialty sets (e.g., "2" ball, slide).
If you are a middle hitter, you should start with a "2" ball, a quick attack and then a variety of attacks (e.g., shoot, slide, back sets). Also coaches would like to see how you hit outside sets.
In all instances, it is better to have someone setting the ball to you instead of the attack coming off a toss. If you do not have a setter who is capable of setting play sets, a tossed ball will be fine.
When filming a hitter on the left side, three different angles need to be included. First, place the camera at the 10 -- foot line along the right sideline to get an angle view. Second, place the camera at the baseline along the left sideline to get a view from behind the attacker. Finally, place the camera at the opponent's end line to get a front view. These three angles are necessary to effectively evaluate the athlete.
When filming a middle hitter, two different angles need to be included. First, place the camera in the center of the end line behind the middle hitter to get a view from behind the attacker. Second, place the camera in the middle of the net to get a front view. Be sure the camera angle includes both the hitter and setter. These are the two best camera angles necessary to effectively evaluate the athlete.
Coaches are generally looking for the following when they evaluate a setter (if you are not a setter, they still want to see you set):
· Ability to set a variety of sets.
· Ability to attack.
· Footwork, balance and accuracy of delivery of sets both on and off the net.
The segment should start with you setting as many different sets as possible. These should include a high set to the left sideline, a backset, any play set (e.g., shoot, slide) and a quick set to a middle hitter. If you are not a setter, they would still like to see you set the high set to the left sideline, a back set and a “2” ball in the middle.
The second setting segment should illustrate how you attack the ball, both as a traditional hitter and as a second-contact hitter (e.g., dump). Throughout these segments, your footwork, balance and accuracy of delivery will be observed. Your ability to move forward, back up and track down balls off the net is a critical part of the evaluation. To help illustrate these characteristics, you should react to live passes as opposed to stationary tosses.
Place the camera at the end line on the same side of the net as the setter. Be sure that they have a complete view of the setter, the intended target (hitter) and the source of the pass (tosser or passer).
Passing is appropriate to include. No more than 10 reps off a live serve. This will illustrate basic form and technique.
Place the camera so that they have a full, front view of the passer/digger during this segment.
Serving is appropriate to include. No more than 10 reps of each type of serve that you have (e.g. floater, topspin, jump serve).
Place the camera so that they have a full view of the athlete from behind the athlete as well as being able to observe the ball crossing the net.
Two minutes of pepper will usually suffice. This will give the coach an idea of your basic ball handling skills.
Place the camera so that they have a full view of the athlete during this segment.
When selecting match footage, remember it does not have to be a segment where your team wins. Quite the contrary, it can be a game where your team loses as long as it is a high quality match in terms of level of play.
The best way to do this is to introduce the footage by stating whom your team is playing and the date (month and year) of the match. Be sure you are clearly identified, including uniform number and color. Also, be sure to indicate what your starting position is on the tape (which side of the net and where in the rotation) and what position you will normally be playing.
Place the camera directly behind the team with your team closest to the camera. Most coaches prefer this angle coming from behind the end line. Second choice is for the angle to come from a corner behind the end line. The camera position that they like least is a camera right along the net (because the camera must move left to right to include all the action. (This does not allow the coach to watch what you do while your opponents have the ball).