Tips and Trends: Watch Yourself Like a Coach

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Film is one of the best tools an athlete has, but only if you know what to look for.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It is easy to watch your own highlights and focus on the big moments. Kills look great. Blocks look great. Digs look great. However, those moments only show one small piece of your game. If a coach is watching your film, they want to see much more than your best three minutes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Think about your film like a coach would.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Show More Than Your Best Plays</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A good highlight reel should show what makes you valuable. That does not mean filling it with every big play you have ever made. Instead, show the different ways you can impact a match.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you are a middle, do not make three minutes of blocking clips. Show the big block, but also include strong block touches, defensive rallies, transition swings, and moments where you stay involved after the first contact. Show that you can do more than stand at the net.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pins should think the same way. Show your kills, but do not make every clip look identical. Include different attack zones, shots around the block, deep corners, line shots, and out of system swings. Coaches want to see your hitting toolbox!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Show How You Move</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Your movement tells a coach a lot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Are you getting into transition quickly? Are you covering your teammates? Do you move with purpose when you are not getting the ball? Those moments can show athleticism, awareness, and effort even when you are not the player finishing the point.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For setters, this can mean showing your movement after the first contact. For liberos, it can mean showing your starting position and how you adjust before the ball crosses the net. Every position has details that matter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Show That You Are Well Rounded</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The goal is not to make yourself look perfect. The goal is to give coaches a real picture of your game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you can attack, defend, serve, block, transition, communicate, and make smart decisions, your film should show it. A coach should be able to finish your film with a clear understanding of how you can help a team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That is when film becomes more than a collection of highlights. It becomes a scouting tool.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So before you send out your next film, watch it one more time from a coach's perspective. Look beyond the biggest plays and make sure you are showing the complete player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Because the best film does not just show what you can do. It shows why a coach should want you on the court!&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For more recruiting content, don't forget to follow @prepdigcolorado!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->