With summer events winding down, many players are beginning to put together their highlight tapes.

We've watched a lot of recruiting film this summer. There are plenty of great highlight tapes out there. There is not one magic structure, but there are a few things worth noting as you consider pulling yours together we want to share.

Before we dive in, it’s worth noting that this advice is meant as a guideline. The highlight tape structure is not nearly as important as the player making the highlights. That being said, a good tape can help to highlight the abilities you show on a regular basis.

Read on below for some quick thoughts as you work on this summer’s highlight tape.

If you want more resources, we put together a blog on creating highlight tapes here.

Some of the content coming out of tournaments, showcases, and high school programs is genuinely great. It makes the game look exciting, and it's built for social media.

But if the goal is getting recruited, remember who you're making the video for.

Sideline footage usually follows one player too closely. College coaches prefer a wider angle because it lets them evaluate more than just the kid with the ball. Spacing, off-ball movement, decision-making, defensive positioning, relative athleticism.

Sideline footage has its place. It's just not meant to dominate your recruiting film. If you're choosing between a cinematic sideline clip and a clean wide-angle game clip, take the wide angle. Make a separate social edit if you want one. Keep the recruiting tape simple.

This is another trend we've seen recently.

Many highlight tapes now begin with a 20-30 second cinematic intro featuring slow-motion clips, music, and accolades fading in and out across the screen.

It looks great.

The problem is that those first 20-30 seconds are some of the most valuable real estate in your entire highlight tape.

College coaches aren't watching your film to be entertained. They're watching to evaluate you. Every second spent on slow motion or replay is one less second they're spending watching you play. Remember, these coaches watch a lot of film.

Keep your opening short and direct.

A simple title slide with your name, graduation year, position, club team, school, and GPA is often more effective than an extended introduction. Make sure the colors are easy to read and the information is digestible at a glance.

The same goes for replays. While they may look cool, coaches would almost always rather spend that time watching another live rep.

A quick tip most players miss. Coaches might catch a highlight on social media, but when they're actually sitting down to evaluate you, IMLCA/IWLCA SportsRecruits is where many go looking.

Make sure your most current tape is front and center on those profiles, with a link that's easy to find and easy to share in an email.

Include your contact information early, on the same slide as your personal info or right after it. Leave it on screen long enough that a coach can pause without rewinding. Then repeat it in the video description.

Coaches will evaluate the plays, but context can be helpful to them. Use the description to help them understand the play they are watching:

The play still has to hold up. But context like this helps, particularly when film isn’t always the highest quality.

Your highlight tape has one job. Make it as easy as possible for a college coach to evaluate you. That should drive every editing decision.

Keep it simple. Front-load your best plays. Make sure it's where coaches are actually looking. Give context where it helps. Show as much quality film as you can in the shortest time possible.

Coach Class and Coach Dunn

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