Do you have a baseball skills video yet? Well, if you don’t and want to have an opportunity to play baseball in college, it’s the one critical tool in the process that will help you get there! In recent years, for most college coaches, it’s become a requirement because it helps them decide whether or not to come see you play live.
Here are 5 commonly asked questions, answered to help you start the skills video process…
1) When should I make a skills video? In high school, the best time to film your skills video is between your sophomore and junior years.
2) Should I have a skills video AND a highlight video? Ideally, it’s the perfect package to present to a coach. The skills video focuses on the skills that you play at your specific position. The highlight video then shows these same skills applied in real game situations.
3) How do I know what skills to film for my position? The skills that you show in your video are basically the same skills you utilize in practice when you are working one-on-one with your coach. A couple of examples: A catcher will film blocking, framing and throw downs, while a shortstop will film themselves fielding slow rollers and executing 6-4-3 double plays to name a few.
4) In general, what are the components that make up a skills video? For baseball and softball, typically you would create a 3 to 5 minute tightly edited video that includes:
- An introduction
- A timed 60 yard dash
- Hitting (softball and baseball differ slightly)
- Softball requires hitting off the tee, soft toss and front pitch
- Baseball doesn’t necessarily require hitting off the tee or soft toss
- Bunting can be included for either softball or baseball
- Drills specific to your position
- A quick “thank you” to the coach
- A still page with a photo, contact info, age, weight, height and position
5) Should I have more than one skills video? If you have a skills video filmed during your sophomore year, it is recommended to have a new one filmed in your junior year. My son actually filmed his twice in his junior year—the first time in the spring and once again at the end of the summer before his senior year. There was enough significant improvement, so it warranted sharing again with college coaches he had previously contacted.
A skills video is your VISUAL resume. When applying for a job, you’d never walk in without a resume. The same protocol applies to you as a baseball recruit. If you found this information valuable and would like to learn more about how to film a baseball skills video, please be sure to contact us!
