SportsRecruits can help you professionalize your highlight reel! We have an in-house production team that specializes in building highlight reels. You can review some of their work here! We’ll add a title card, isolation effects, smooth transitions, and music if you’d like! This article will show you the steps to building a professional highlight reel with SportsRecruits. 

1) Redeem a Professional Highlight Reel Credit

I already have a professional highlight reel credit through my Pro Account or Club/High School Membership.

If you have either a Pro SportsRecruits Account or a SportsRecruits membership through your club/high school, then you already have a Professional Highlight Reel Credit to redeem at no additional cost. You can jump to Step 2 below! (Interested in learning more about this Membership option? Click here.) If you've already used your professional highlight reel credit this year, you always have the option to purchase additional credits here. *Credits renew every new calendar year.

I do not have a Pro Account or Club/High School Membership with SportsRecruits.

If you do not have a Pro Account or membership through your club/high school, then you will need to purchase a professional highlight reel credit before you can complete and submit the reel form (Step 2).

• You can purchase a highlight reel credit with any event package, or by itself here.
• Highlight reel credits do not expire and can be used at any time once they are purchased.
• Highlight reel credits can only be refunded within 30 days of purchase should you decide not to use them.

2) Upload Your video to SportsRecruits

You can use any video that is uploaded to your SportsRecruits profile in your Professional Highlight Reel.

**Note: Video that is embedded via Hudl, YouTube, or Vimeo cannot be used in your reel.

What if my footage is already posted to my SportsRecruits profile?

If all of your video is already posted to your student-athlete profile, you are all set!

How do I upload video to my profile?

You can upload an unlimited amount of video to your SportsRecruits account. There is no maximum file size. For step-by-step instructions, check out the help article below
Uploading Video to your Profile

What if I want to use video from Hudl, YouTube, or Vimeo in my reel?

If you’d like to include clips in your highlight reel from videos hosted on Hudl, YouTube, or Vimeo you’ll have to first download the source footage to your computer, then upload it to your profile.

**Note: It is not possible to include clips from video files that are simply embedded into your profile. For more information on this, check out this help article:

How Can I Add Clips from YouTube or Hudl Videos to My Highlight Reel?

3) Trim Your Clips in the Built-In Editor

How do I trim my clips in the editor?

Once you’ve uploaded the source footage to your profile, you can begin organizing your clips using the "Highlight Reel Editor."

• Add your clips to the reel in the order that you’d like them to appear.

• Add a description to each clip detailing what the clip highlights & what jersey number the student-athlete is wearing.

• Refrain from adding more than 20 clips to your reel.

• Publish your reel.

For step-by-step instructions on how to build a highlight reel using the built-in editor, refer to the help below.

How to Use the Highlight Reel Editor

Your purchased professional highlight reel credit lets you add up to 20 clips.

If you would like more than 20 clips included in your highlight reel, you can fill out a second highlight reel form after you fill out the first with the remaining clips and information. Adding more than 20 clips comes at an additional cost. We will reach out to you for payment.

• We cap your reel at 20 clips because it usually results in a 3-4 minute highlight reel.

• We’ve discovered that coaches spend an average of 3:15 watching a single video. You don’t want to scare coaches off with a long highlight reel!

• If you would like any additional editing services such as extra title cards and clips it is $100 per hour of work.

How do I select my best plays for my highlight reel?

While a lot of plays is good to have, we recommend a mix of plays included in your reel, starting with your most stellar plays in case of coaches only have a minute or two to watch your highlight video.

Here’s an article we’ve created that can help you decide which plays are best to include:
"Best Practices on How to Build a Highlight Reel"

4) Complete the Highlight Reel Form

What is the highlight reel form?

Our online highlight reel form provides you with an easy way to submit your information to our post-production team so that they can begin professionalizing your reel.

How do I fill out my highlight reel form?

To fill out the form first select the reel you built by trimming your clips from the dropdown. Then, detail the student-athletes relevant information for the title card. Finally, click the “Submit Reel” button and you are all set!

Where can I find my highlight reel form?

Your highlight reel form can be found under the “Videos” tab on your athlete profile. In the sidebar on the left-hand side, right below "Video Library" you will see a tab for "Professional Reel."

5) Highlight Reel Production

How long will it take SportsRecruits to professionalize my highlight reel?

Our post-production team will upload your initial draft within 10 business days of you successfully submitting your form. Please keep in mind that business days do not include holidays or weekends.

What if I want an additional title card in my highlight reel?

We generally recommend limiting the highlight reel to just the opening title card – the rest of the information is already on your profile! You can also list any additional information in the “Description” section of the highlight reel, which you will have access to after it’s live on your profile.

If you’d like to list information in your highlight reel other than what’s included on the opening screen we will have to fit this information on a second title card. Additional editing services such as extra title cards and clips cost $100 per hour of work.

Will I be able to see my highlight reel before you make it live on my profile?

Yes, you will have a 2-week editing window to work with us on any edits you’d like to make. We’d be happy to arrange your clips, adjust your isolation effects, and cut down or increase the length of your plays.

An extra fee may occur if you decide to replace existing clips with new ones once a draft of your reel has been built. We will go back and forth with you until you’re pleased with the final product.

How do I make my video live on my profile?

Once you’re ready to display your highlight reel on your profile, you can send us an email at editor@sportsrecruits.com during regular business hours! We will make your reel live for you as soon as possible. 

6) Send Your Highlight Reel To Coaches and Future Edits

Now that my highlight reel is live on my profile, what do I do?

You’re ready to send your reel out to college coaches! Now is the perfect time to use the SportsRecruits built-in messaging system to distribute your reel to your target list of schools.

• Here’s a sample introduction letter to a coach from our Help Desk.

How do I download my video?

Once your highlight reel is live in your video library, you can download this video by clicking the "Blue Gear" icon in the bottom left corner of the video, followed by the “Download” button. It will take a few minutes to download and will save to your computer.

What if I want to make edits to my finalized highlight reel after I get more footage from my season?

We can help you out! If you would like any additional editing services such as extra title cards and clips it is $100 per hour of work. If you would like additional editing for your highlight reel, please email this information to us at editor@sportsrecruits.com so we can get started.

How do I upload my highlight reel to YouTube or Vimeo?

Your highlight reel is already live on your SportsRecruits profile, so uploading it to YouTube, Vimeo, or any other site you use is secondary. You can download this video by clicking the "Blue Gear" icon in the bottom left corner of the video, followed by the “Download” button. It will take a few minutes to download and will save to your computer and then upload it to the site of your choice.

If you still want to learn more about the do’s and don’ts of building a highlight reel, check out this blog post!

Why SportsRecruits?

SportsRecruits is a platform that empowers high school student-athletes in the college athletic recruiting process. Student-athletes can build an online profile with their athletic and academic stats, highlight reels, and contact college coaches. With SportsRecruits, our Messaging system has all the updated contact information of college coaches. No more wasting precious time searching for an updated email address.

You also receive real-time notifications when a college coach looks at your profile, watches your highlights, and downloads your transcript. We believe in transparency when it comes to the college recruiting process. Click here to learn more about receiving instant text messages and email notifications.

Get started today with a free SportsRecruits profile here!