<p>I am currently a junior, class of 2012, and I would first like to explain that my high school is unique because it is a new school that opened 3 years ago. The class of 2012 is the 1st graduating class.</p>
<p>I've been a 3 year starter for the football team but only this past year have we actually competed at the varsity level. I was injured with a severe sprained ankle and missed almost half the season, but the games I did play in I contributed to my team and received All League 1st team all conference.</p>
<p>I play runningback/fullback but I had no huge highlights or touchdown runs worthy of a highlight tape partly because our offensive line struggled a bit due to the fact that we are building a new program. I made a few key blocks throughout the season and a few good runs but the problem is there aren't enough highlights for me to make a junior year highlight tape. This may come from me being injured half the season or our overall team struggles-that I am not sure of. </p>
<p>I heard it is recommended you send in your junior year highlight tape and I was wondering if anyone had any advice what I should do.</p>
<p>FYI: I am not a highly recruited high school athlete but I excel in academics and was hoping to play at an Ivy League School. I attended the Brown Football Camp the summer before my junior year and am planning to attend the Princeton Football Camp this summer. I am currently ranked number 1 in my class and have numerous ECs that demonstrate leadership qualities.</p>
<p>Well without a highlight tape you’re kind of stuck. Your going to have to try and make some sort of tape and have your coach maybe make some calls for you explaining the situation. E-mail coaches letting them know know your situation (don’t mention a bad o-line…just say a developing program), and mention the injury.</p>
<p>Either way they’re going to need to see tape. Hopefully they like you enough to watch you a little at their camp. And then pretty much have a monster senior year. I doubt an offer will come without them seeing a good amount of tape. So yea, </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Get some kind of tape together, talk to coaches about situation</p></li>
<li><p>Take some visits, make sure they know who you are before going to their camp (you will not even be glanced at if they don’t know you and have interest…only the d3’s will watch you), especially at RB.</p></li>
<li><p>Have a big camp</p></li>
<li><p>Have a big senior year</p></li>
<li><p>Keep up the grades (get some test scores taken before you contact them, this will get them aware of you’re academic capabilities) and hopefully they’ll take you as a 4th bander or offer some kind of tip in the admissions process.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Good luck</p>
<p>Did you also play on the defensive side of the ball? Just wondering how you were all-league first team all-conference playing only half the season on a bad team and without any highlight-type long runs. You must be an insane blocker. If you made all-league/conference you must have done something noteworthy that you could put on a highlight reel.</p>
<p>Is it possible that I send in some sophomore year and junior year highlights mixed together and explain my injury situation?</p>
<p>Our team only won 3 games this season and I made some crucial blocks to win those but to answer your question, no I do not play defense. However, I started outside linebacker freshman and part of sophomore year until they made us choose offense or defense.</p>
<p>As much as player love highlight tapes, coaches want game film. These are professionals who know that anyone can string some good plays together and make a highlight film. Coaches want to see a complete player and how they handle the game, without the music, if you want a highlight film, put it on youtube. </p>
<p>I would fill out the info forms on MANY schools websites, you will need to fill out the GPA and scores to get some interest. Then send 2 game films. You can always supplement with Senior tape. You need the academic scores to get interest, unless you are a superstar. I agree with the email to coaches and explain your program and the injury, but also let them know you are completely recovered. </p>
<p>I know camps can sometimes be good for visibility, but 2 years ago, the Princeton camp had over 700 kids attend. Boys from our school didnt stay as they knew they wouldnt get a look. Try to attend camps for the schools where you want to go, but also ask the coaches what other camps they would be at that summer. You might find one that isnt as crowded where you can really get a look. You mentioned Brown’s camp, have you thought about any of the NEscac or showcase camps. PM me if you want some specific names from previous years.</p>
<p>Most important, unless money is NO issue, remember the IVY’s only give need based aid, not merit and not athletic.</p>
<p>^^Don’t fully agree with the game tape thing. A coach will not look at your game tape at all if you don’t have a good highlight tape, they don’t have that kind of time. Coaches aren’t going to request game tape until they’re interested, if they want game tape from you, they’ll ask for it. Game tape is mostly sent senior year.</p>
<p>The reason you e-mail and send tape and go on visits is so you are one of those kids who the coach knows before goign to the camp. If they know you and are interested, they will want you. However, if they don’t even know who you are and you havent been in contact with them…don’t go to the camp.</p>
<p>And yes, you can put plays from different years…I wouldn’t take long explaining your situation, just send it to them as your highlight tape and follow it up with an e-mail introducing yourself with stats/score/gpa.</p>
<p>Highlight film for sure though! Some coaches don’t even watch the whole 5 minute highlight film (put best plays in front), they won’t watch your whole game without knowing your capabilities before hand. Obviously sooner or later they’ll probably ask for a game tape…but not necessarily. </p>
<p>I say all this stuff from having experience with my older brother and former teammates. I’m currently a junior as well. Also, fill out the online forms, but don’t expect much a response from them…if they’re interested soon they’ll send you one in the mail. Or maybe even skip over that stage.</p>
<p>Good luck</p>
<p>Here is a great how to recruiting guide for Bowdoin. Coach Caputi put together a great guide and MaryOC found it. Seems this coach wants both a highlight and 2 game films sent together… Hope this helps. I would take what the coach says as an example of what most coaches want. This is the same as I was told by no less than 5 other coaches, but most of those were NESCAC’s or equivalent. Maybe other leagues coaches look for different things. But i would definately register on as many schools websites as I was interested in, and maybe some I wasnt so sure about just in case.</p>
<p>[Bowdoin</a> Athletics](<a href=“http://athletics.bowdoin.edu/sports/fball/collegefootballguide.pdf]Bowdoin”>http://athletics.bowdoin.edu/sports/fball/collegefootballguide.pdf)</p>
<p>Disclaimer: I’m not a football player, or the mom of one, but I AM friends with a top-ten DI football recruiter. He says sending your academic and athletic profile by email with a link to a youtube highlight video under 10 minutes in length is often enough for them to know if they want more information/film from you. He also says he’s not impressed by, and is often turned off by slick, overproduced packages with way too much film to watch. He also says to put a short intro at the beginning, of you talking into the camera. He wants to see what the player looks like so he can recognize him off the field, and also get a sense of the person behind the helmet. Good news for you, since 10 minutes is probably sounding like an awfully long time! Just get your foot in the door everywhere you can.</p>
<p>Linebacker, class of 2012 (HS in Houston), 5" 11" 198 lb,s 1st team All district, 1st Team All Northwest Houston football team, All District Academic team:</p>
<p>Sounds like great advice (Cardinal16). I do have some concerns though of sincerity from the coaches though on attending summer camps and need further advise. I have sent out my 2010 highlight video to all ivy and patriot league teams and got back responses from three requesting jr game films. One reviewed and suggested to attend a summer camp, the other two have not viewed the films yet (only highlight) and have extended an invite to a summer camp. How do I know if itÂ’s real, or just to get more kids in their summer camps? It will be expensive attending from Texas and would like to think that itÂ’s an investment, and not just camp filler.</p>
<p>We are not a football family, but involved with two Ss in Ivy League recruitment. Cardinal16 is accurate. Because of their academic requirements, the Ivies and to a lesser extent the Patriot League cast a wide net. At the early stages of recruitment, they may be involved or tracking 500 to 1000 kids at a high level. They have two primary considerations. First, is the athlete admittable. If they can’t say yes to this, everything else stops. I understand football has bands and there is some flexibility where they trade off academic performance and athletic desirability. Search on this site for Academic Index and determine where you stand. If you have very high AI, it will significantly increase your attractiveness to these schools.</p>
<p>Once they know you can be admitted, their camps are the price of admission for serious look. Given the number of kids on their radar, the camps are often where the cut is made unless you have a major national level ranking. As Cardinal16 noted, well done highlight video, whole game videos, an athletic resume, contact between your high school coach and your target Ivy coaches, and personal contact and followup by you set the stage and positions you as one of the campers they are teed up to give a serious look.</p>
<p>Good luck!!</p>
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