Recruiting
CREATING
YOUR BRAND
Every recruit has a brand — most just aren't controlling it. Here's how to shape the narrative coaches see when they look at you.
Your Highlight Film
This is the most important piece of your brand. Keep it under 3 minutes. Lead with your best 30 seconds — coaches stop watching after that if they're not hooked. Show game skill, not just highlights. A made shot off a dribble drive tells more than a dunk in transition.
Your Academic Profile
GPA, test scores, and course rigor are part of your brand whether you think of them that way or not. Coaches at every level check academic standing before committing time to a recruit. A strong academic profile opens doors. A weak one closes them — quietly.
Your Social Media Presence
Coaches look you up. What they find matters. Clean up anything you wouldn't want a head coach seeing. Post your training, your growth, your character. Your social media is a 24/7 audition — act accordingly.
Your Reputation in the Gym
How you compete at AAU tournaments, showcases, and open gyms travels. Coaches talk. Your compete level, your coachability, your attitude when things go wrong — these things get reported back. Your brand isn't only digital.
Your Communication
How you email coaches, respond to texts, and follow up after visits is part of your brand. Professional, timely, specific communication signals maturity. Generic or slow responses signal the opposite.
Your Body Language
When coaches watch film or see you in person, they read more than your stats. Hanging your head after a mistake, arguing with officials, or not sprinting back on defense — all of it is evaluated. Champions compete in both directions.
“Coaches aren't just evaluating your game. They're evaluating you.”