13 IMPORTANT THINGS Every Basketball Highlight Video Needs [Get Recruited in 2021]
You could be the best player in your region but if no one outside of your area knows who you are, it will be tough to get recruited.
Luckily:
In today’s game, getting noticed is easier than ever.
Enter Basketball Highlight Videos.
Whether you’re at the high school, university or pro level, basketball mixtape videos will be one of the most CRUCIAL factors in determining when - and if - coaches and clubs will take a chance on you.
So I’ll show you how I’ve helped tens of players land their next job/opportunity with one of the most powerful tools in basketball recruitment - highlight videos.
Let’s begin.
What is a highlight video?
Highlight videos are a series of a player’s best plays and accomplishments from a season, game, career - or all the above - in order for coaches and teams to quickly evaluate a player’s athleticism, size, skill set, competition level, movement patterns and overall ability.
It is one of the fastest and easiest ways for clubs to evaluate talent so it is an absolute critical part of the equation if you are looking to play at the highest level.
Now understand something:
Even though what I am about to teach refers to the professional level, 99 PERCENT of what I am about to say applies to every level of basketball highlight videos.
So if you are:
In high school looking to get recruited to university/college
In college looking to transfer/upgrade schools
In a gap year looking to play semi-professional
In your senior year of university looking to get into overseas basketball
…it applies.
So read on.
I’ve likely made over 50 highlight videos for players throughout the world - ranging from high schoolers to established overseas veterans.
And from what I’ve learned there is one simple truth:
HIGHLIGHT VIDEOS ARE YOURS TO SCREW UP. KEEP IT SIMPLE. KEEP IT BASIC. USE COMMON SENSE AND YOU’LL BE FINE.
If you feel overwhelmed with the idea of editing your own film because it’s:
Very time consuming
Has a learning curve
You may not have the suitable software
…then you can easily find someone online.
In fact:
You could even reach out to me if you’d like.
How to make a basketball mixtape of yourself
But if you want complete control over your video/destiny (recommended) then follow along with this FREE 13-STEP GUIDE on HOW TO MAKE A BASKETBALL MIXTAPE OF YOURSELF.
Use film from games; not practices or workouts
First things first:
What film will you use and what is considered acceptable?
Whenever you can, always use film from competitive, respectable and organized settings for your basketball highlight videos. That way, coaches can get a great idea of the playing environment and competition level you’re playing in.
Some examples include:
College/university game (high school games if you’re looking to play college ball)
Exposure camp footage
Semi-pro games
Pro tour games
National team tournaments
High-level tournaments (e.g. Drew League, TBT, FIBA 3x3 etc.)
Avoid:
Local men’s league
Recreational ball
Street ball
Individual workouts
…etc.
No matter how great you look in that gym shooting alone, nothing will compare to actual real game highlights.
Here’s an example of what NOT TO USE as a basketball highlight video.
In terms of cameras and recordings.
Avoid:
Floor-level recordings
Hand-held camera recordings with no tripod (very shaky)
Cell phone recordings
Recordings from the top-level/bleacher (too far)
Instead, try to get:
Cameras on tripods
Sideline views
HD Cameras
Almost all playing environments today have some form of video recording going on.
If not:
Ask your coach/management to invest in something.
If that doesn’t work:
You may have to pool your money together with a few teammates to buy a decent camera.
THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR GOOD GAME FILM.
Coaches can’t evaluate you if they can’t even see the entire court or who you’re up against.
So don’t shoot yourself in the foot before this process has even begun by getting some garbage film.
2. Pick a Video Editor
After you have recorded your video then the next step is to begin editing that film.
But we can’t do that without picking a video editor.
What is the best program to make a basketball highlight video?
If you are willing to spend money then two of the best video editors for basketball highlights are Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro X. I’ve personally used both and each program has made me exponentially more efficient in making highlight videos.
But they can get a little pricey.
So if you are only using them for highlight videos and have no other purpose then I’d probably recommend something cheaper.
how to make a basketball highlight video for free
If money is an issue then iMovie (Mac users) and Windows Movie Maker (PC) are two free video editing softwares that can also get the job done for the purposes of a simple basketball highlight video. But beware: these won’t be as efficient or have nearly as many features as the paid video editor programs.
Whatever program you choose, remember:
There will be a bit of a learning curve so don’t get frustrated.
Understand something:
This is a life-long skill that will not only serve you well in your basketball career, but can also transfer over to other jobs post-playing.
3. Open highlight video with your Play of the Year
Once you have your film and video editor picked, get straight to the point.
Coaches and clubs don’t have time to wait for your best stuff.
If you’re lucky a coach may watch 1 minute (no exaggeration).
So waste no time.
Grab their attention right away.
If you caught a lob and dunked it over 2 guys - that’s your opening clip (assuming you don’t have any better plays).
My 30-foot buzzer beater opened up my highlight film from a few years back (video below).
Basketball highlight videos should always open up with the best play possible.
4. Show a few close-ups of you at the beginning
Basketball Highlight Videos should have a few close-ups of you to begin.
After your Play of the Year let the coach see who you are and how you look with a few quick close-ups (zoomed in).
These can be video close-ups (preferred) or a still image if you don’t have any closeup footage of you.
But regardless these shouldn’t take up more than 5-7 seconds MAX.
Essentially, this is just a way for coaches to get a quick idea of your:
Build (height, weight, posture)
Size (muscle definition)
Face (potential marketability)
Here’s a video I did for a client that gives a basic idea (he signed in Morocco shortly after).
Watch the opening 15 seconds and notice the close-ups.
Basketball highlight videos should have close-ups at the beginning.
5. put your BEST PLAYS at the start regardless of skill
So now after your:
Play of the Year (3-10 seconds)
Close-ups (5-7 seconds)
Put your BEST OVERALL PLAYS regardless of what skill it is (e.g. defense, shooting, play-making etc.) right after.
Again:
Coaches will spend very little time watching your basketball highlight videos so your video always has to be front-loaded, meaning the best plays are at the start with your not-as-impressive stuff towards the end.
For instance, watch the opening minute of the highlight tape below:
Basketball highlight videos should have the best plays at the beginning of the video.
Notice at the beginning there are:
Dunks
Put-back dunks (i.e. tip dunks)
Coast-to-coast plays
Three-point shooting
…etc.
Point is:
It doesn’t matter what skill he was showing.
I just wanted the most impressive clips to keep the coach’s attention.
Sure enough:
This client actually landed in Iran’s SuperLeague and then the national team shortly after this.
Did the highlight tape help?
I’ll let you decide.
6. After opening minute, organize highlights by skill
At this point your highlight film should be looking something like this:
Play of the Year (3-10 seconds)
Close-ups (5-7 seconds)
Best plays regardless of skill (1min - 1:30)
Afterwards:
Begin to organize your highlight tape by skill set.
Here’s a random example:
Shooting off screens (40 seconds consecutively; 10 total clips)
Blocked shots (20 seconds consecutively; 5 total clips)
Lockdown defense (15 seconds consecutively; 4 total clips)
Obviously you’ll have to work with what YOU got.
If you only have one or two good clips of you on defense then your defense section will be shorter.
But it’s still important to put it in.
Show your entire skill set.
But remember the overarching principle:
PUT YOUR MOST IMPRESSIVE STUFF AT THE START AND THE LEAST IMPRESSIVE AT THE END. THIS APPLIES TO THE SKILLSET SECTION AS WELL.
So in this example, if you only had 2 good clips on defense that would be towards the end.
Instead:
Maybe you had 30 seconds of nice catch-and-shoot clips.
That would be the first skillset I would highlight after my best plays.
Hit the 1:30 mark of this video and notice how it is a bunch of in-traffic rebounding clips.
Then it goes to defense, passing etc.
Having a few catch-and-shoot jumpers sprinkled in here and there is less impressive than having 5-15 clips of you consecutively draining it from all over the place.
We really want to drive home the point that this is a skill you are fully capable of.
Basketball highlight videos should be organized into skillsets after the opening few minutes.
7. MAKE THE EDITS SHORT AND SNAPPY (3-4 SECS per play)
You’ve got to make the video pop.
Don’t:
Show the entire possession
Replay every highlight (only those that are very note-worthy; 1-3 times per video is good)
Slow down and speed up highlights
Wait for the roar of the crowd
Wait for the In-Game Announcer to call your name after a bucket
Just cut to the part that’s relevant to you, show the highlight and move on.
In this video I made for a client in Spain, I counted 12 clips in the opening minute alone.
Basketball highlight videos have to have short and snappy edits.
SHOULD I USE AN ARROW/SPOTLIGHT CIRCLE IN MY HIGHLIGHT VIDEO?
You want to cram in as many highlights as possible within your video so every second counts! For that reason I always encourage people NOT to use arrows/spotlight circles whenever possible because it simply slows down the watching experience too much.
Basketball highlight videos shouldn’t have a spotlight circle or arrow, if possible.
Now I understand:
Sometimes that just isn’t possible because the video quality isn’t good enough to recognize the player otherwise.
But if you can get away without using them, don’t use it.
Personally I’ve never used arrows or spotlight circles.
Use your best judgement.
8. no music lyrics (instrumental beat or no music)
This is a tough one for younger players to swallow.
They want their basketball mixtape to:
Look cool
Be widely shared on social media
Have the latest HOT BEAT
Gain him/her some clout in their circles
But want to know a secret?
Coaches aren’t clicking your basketball highlight video to hear your favorite rappers. They’re clicking to see whether you’re a good fit for their team. So skip the music and lyrics altogether.
If you want to impress your friends by making a Hoop Mixtape-style video then go ahead.
But if you want to actually get a job in overseas basketball then you’ll make the sacrifice.
Remove any reason for a coach to click away.
While your favorite musician may be a staple in your community, he/she may not be as well received in other parts of the world.
So just get rid of it and stick with a simple up-tempo beat (or no music at all).
This is something I, myself, had to learn as my earlier mixtapes were littered with cuss words.
If you want to be a professional then you have to represent yourself as such.
Basketball highlight videos should avoid lyrics and music with cuss words at all times.
9. Keep the highlight film to 3-5 minutes
With many of the logistics now out of the way, there’s one key factor that remains:
The length.
how long should basketball highlight videos be?
In general coaches and team managers seem to prefer a 3 - 5 minutes length for a basketball highlight video. Anything shorter is too small of a sample size to leave a lasting impression while anything above 5 minutes is unlikely to be watched in its entirety.
Again, use common sense here:
If you only have two minutes of good clips.
Then you guessed it: Your highlight tape is 2 minutes.
Don’t just start putting in filler clips (e.g. free throws) to make it reach the “ideal length.”
Coaches seem to want basketball highlight videos in 3-5 minutes in length.
10. Always use YouTube to host highlight film
YouTube is:
A universal platform everyone is familiar with
Easily accessible (simple link share with no download)
Easily viewed (random coaches could stumble on your film)
Don’t insist on:
Emailing your video to coaches
Asking coaches to download your video
Have your video in only MP4 format
Have someone else host your video on their YouTube account (less power/control)
Keep it simple, make it easy for coaches.
If you don’t have a YouTube account - get one today.
11. Include contact information and call to action
So what happens if you’ve followed all the steps and a coach actually likes your video but he/she has no way to get in touch with you?
Believe it or not, this happens all the time.
And chances are, unless you made a HUGE impression then the coach will skip over you and head to the next player.
Trust me: rarely will he/she chase.
Overseas basketball is just that competitive.
But there is a simple solution.
Put all of your relevant contact information in the description of the YouTube video alongside a Call-to-Action for basketball coaches to follow.
How would you like them to reach you?
Email?
Agent?
Cell?
Let it be known clearly.
Other key things you can include are:
Official stats
Body measurements (height, weight, wingspan)
Previous playing experience (semi-pro, university, national team)
Basketball Highlight Videos should always include a call to action and contact information.
12. Use an engaging title
If you had 10 words or less to WOW an overseas coach, what would you say?
Are you a:
Stat-stuffer?
Former league champion?
50-40-90 (field goal - three-point - free throw percentages) shooter?
Whatever that is, TRY to fit that into your title if you can.
Now obviously not everyone will have something like this to promote.
So if you don’t then just stick to a basic format with some variation of:
YOUR NAME: TYPE OF HIGHLIGHTS (COUNTRY/TEAM - YEAR)
Here’s a few examples:
But if you can, try to spice it.
What’s more compelling of a title for coaches to click?
José Colorado: Season Highlights (LMB 2019)
OR
José Colorado: Pro Bucket Getter! (4x National Scoring Champion/2x Three-Point Champion) (LMB 2019)
Basketball Highlight Videos should have a compelling title.
13. Use an engaging thumbnail
Finally:
If you have the technical skills then try and make an engaging thumbnail to go hand-in-hand with the video title.
Since YouTube is obviously a very visual platform, this will be the first thing viewers will see.
And if you have a powerful thumbnail then coaches will be more inclined to watch.
This is not something unique to coaches.
This is human psychology.
If you don’t have the technical skills on Photoshop then this will be difficult but Canva is a great source for beginners.
Not necessary but it will help.
Basketball highlight videos should have compelling thumbnails.
CONCLUSION
So there you have it.
Whether in high school, university or professional, follow these steps in your next basketball highlight video and I guarantee your chances of being recruited will increase.
Basketball mixtapes don’t have to be complicated or over the top.
Ultimately it’s about getting you a look and interest in whatever level you want to pursue next.
From there it’s on you to perform.
What mistakes were you making in your basketball highlight video before?
Let me know in the comments below and let’s discuss how to improve.
Jose Colorado is a five-year professional basketball player helping others achieve their goals of pro basketball through a proven, research-based approach.
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