Recruiting Video for Women's Lacrosse: A Family Guide | RosterWise™

Why the video matters more than families often realize

Per USA Lacrosse magazine’s published “Inside the Recruiting Funnel” guidance:

College coaches typically begin the recruiting process with a large group of athletes — sometimes hundreds, sometimes thousands. Through evaluations, video review, and direct contact, they narrow that list to the smaller group they’ll ultimately recruit seriously. Video is one of the central tools in this narrowing process.

This matters because:

• Coaches don’t have unlimited time to attend every recruiting event
• Coaches don’t have unlimited budgets for travel
• Coaches need an efficient way to identify which recruits to invest serious time in
• Video is often the first impression — sometimes the only impression before coaches make decisions about whether to keep recruiting an athlete

For families with women’s lacrosse recruits, this means the recruiting video is not a checkbox to complete — it’s a primary marketing tool that can substantially affect which programs decide to recruit your daughter seriously.

How long should the video be?

This is one of the most common questions families ask, and the honest answer is that coaches’ preferences vary. Different coaches have publicly shared different length preferences:

• Dartmouth Women’s Lacrosse Coach Danielle Spencer has stated that families should keep videos to “1-2 minutes max” per coaching guidance she shared with 2aDays
• Other industry guidance suggests 3-4 minutes with 20-30 well-selected clips
• Some published recommendations land at 3-5 minutes depending on the recruit’s position and the type of footage being shared

The honest framing for families: err on the shorter side. A 1-2 minute video that shows your daughter’s best plays clearly is almost always more effective than a 5-minute video that includes filler clips. Coaches who want more will ask for more. Coaches who get less but see strong content will request additional footage. Coaches who watch a 5-minute video and lose interest at minute 2 will rarely tell you.

A practical guideline: front-load your best plays in the first 30 seconds. If a coach is going to stop watching after a minute, that minute needs to be your strongest material.

What college coaches actually want to see — by position

Different positions have different evaluation criteria. Per published coaching guidance and what college coaches have shared publicly:

Attack

College coaches evaluating attackers want to see:

• Scoring ability in competitive game situations
• Two-handed stick skills (this matters enormously — see below)
• Vision and feeding ability — making the play that creates the goal, not just the goal itself
• Change of direction and dodging skills that get past defenders
• Ride and pressure ability — defensive contribution from offensive players matters at the women’s level
• Quick decision-making under defensive pressure

Midfield

College coaches evaluating midfielders want to see:

• Two-way play — both offensive and defensive contributions
• Draw control work — for athletes who play the draw, this is often the single most evaluated skill
• Transition play — running the field, finishing breaks, defending in transition
• Ground ball play — possessing the 50/50 ball wins games and coaches notice
• Stamina and athleticism — the midfield demands the highest fitness level in the game

Defense

College coaches evaluating defenders want to see:

• One-versus-one defensive technique — body position, footwork, stick discipline
• Stick skills under pressure — clearing the ball, making outlet passes after caused turnovers
• Ground ball play in transition — particularly converting turnovers into offense
• Communication on team defense — coaches watch for verbal leadership even in highlight clips
• Caused turnovers — the defensive equivalent of goals scored

Goalie

College coaches evaluating goalies want to see:

• Big saves — and not just the highlight-reel save, but the consistent save technique
• Clear-game ability — outlet passes that create fast-break offense
• Athletic positioning — both in the cage and outside it
• Communication and leadership — coaches want vocal leaders; highlight video should capture this
• Body and foot positioning that demonstrates fundamentals

Direct coach guidance on what to include

Coaches who have publicly shared their video preferences offer specific guidance worth taking seriously:

On qualities coaches want to see:

“Two-way play (not just being good at one thing), energy, hustle, athleticism, and good sportsmanship. Being a good teammate and a team leader.”

— Duquesne University Women’s Head Coach Corinne Desrosiers (via 2aDays)

“Intensity (how hard they go), competitive drive, fundamentals, and type of teammate.”

— Quinnipiac Women’s Head Coach Tanya Kotowicz (via 2aDays)

On the two-handed player consideration (this applies to both women’s and men’s lacrosse):

“A two-handed player will always have a big edge on a player that is one-handed.”

— Bryant University Men’s Head Coach Mike Pressler (via 2aDays)

While Coach Pressler’s quote was about men’s lacrosse, the principle applies equally to women’s lacrosse. Two-handed dexterity — the ability to receive, carry, dodge, shoot, and feed with both hands — is a meaningful differentiator for coaches evaluating film. Highlight video that demonstrates two-handed competence stands out.

Game footage vs. skills footage

The clearest published consensus across coaching guidance is this: game footage is the primary content; skills footage is secondary at best.

Why coaches prefer game footage:

• Game footage shows how your athlete performs under pressure against real opponents
• Game footage demonstrates lacrosse IQ — the decisions made in the flow of competition
• Game footage shows how the athlete handles adversity, mistakes, and competitive situations
• Skills footage shows what an athlete can do in a controlled environment, but coaches need to see what she does in real competition

That said, skills footage has a limited role for some positions and circumstances:

• Goalies may include some controlled-environment save technique footage
• New positions or transferred positions may need skills footage to demonstrate fundamentals
• Specific specialized skills (draw control technique, for example) can be supplemented with controlled-environment footage

The honest reality: a highlight video that’s 80%+ game footage with optional supplementary skills clips is almost always stronger than a video built primarily from drills and individual workouts.

What to include alongside the clips

A complete recruiting video should include more than just the highlight clips:

• Your name and class year clearly displayed at the start and end
• Contact information — your email address and phone number, plus your high school coach’s and club coach’s contact information
• Your position(s) clearly identified
• Jersey number identified in each clip so coaches can find you immediately
• Height, weight, and key athletic measurables if appropriate
• High school and club team affiliations
• An identifier in each clip (an arrow, a circle, or a brief highlight) that shows the coach exactly who to watch — this is especially important for defenders and field players where it can be hard to identify the recruit in the action

What to avoid

Several common mistakes weaken otherwise strong recruiting videos:

• Excessive slow-motion — coaches want to see the play at full speed. Limited slow-motion replays can be useful, but heavy use signals inexperience
• Inappropriate music — if the video has audio, keep it professional. Coaches don’t want to hear lyrics they wouldn’t want their own kids hearing
• Heavy editing effects — flashy transitions, color filters, and overproduced graphics make videos look amateur. Clean, simple edits perform better
• Long career retrospectives — coaches don’t need to see your evolution from 8th grade to senior year. Recent, current footage matters most
• Out-of-date material — coaches care about what you can do now, not what you did three years ago
• Filler clips — any clip that doesn’t actively showcase a strength is detracting from the video. Cut anything that’s not your best
• Mistakes that aren’t acknowledged — a missed shot or a turnover in the middle of a video raises questions. Either don’t include the clip, or be sure the rest of the play demonstrates strength

When to update the video

College coaches’ preferences on update frequency vary, but practical guidance:

• End of high school season: Update with the strongest plays from the recent season
• End of summer club season: Add any standout clips from elite tournaments
• Before fall recruiting events: Refresh with the most recent material to send to coaches you’ll see at fall events
• Whenever you have meaningful new footage: If you have 1-2 minutes of new content that’s stronger than what’s in your current video, refresh

Per Wesley College Men’s Head Coach Bill Gorrow (coaching guidance via 2aDays): coaches generally prefer “the end of the season and then one from their summer club season that can be updated with fall recruiting club tournaments as well.” While Coach Gorrow coaches men’s lacrosse, the seasonal update cadence applies equally to women’s lacrosse.

Technical considerations

A few practical notes:

• Resolution: Shoot in 1080p or 4K if possible. Coaches watching on phones, tablets, and computers want clear footage
• Frame rate: 60fps is the modern standard for sports footage; it captures fast action better than 30fps
• Camera position: Elevated views from midfield provide the best perspective for coaches to see the field
• Avoid heavy zoom: Wide-angle shots that show the full field context are usually more useful than tight-zoom shots that lose context
• Audio quality: If you’re including audio, ensure it’s clear. Background noise from spectators is generally acceptable, but avoid clips with disruptive sound

The pre-September 1 reality

A critical context for women’s lacrosse recruiting videos: per the 2025-26 NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Recruiting Calendar (published directly by the NCAA at ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com) and discussed in detail in The September 1 Junior Year Rule, D1 college coaches cannot initiate substantive recruiting communication before September 1 of an athlete’s junior year. This includes responding substantively to athlete-initiated outreach.

What this means for recruiting video:

• Pre-September 1: You can still send videos to coaches. Coaches can watch them, save them, and add the athlete to their tracking. Coaches cannot respond substantively beyond limited communication.
• The video should be ready by August before junior year: Coaches who watch your video in the lead-up to September 1 are evaluating whether you’ll be a priority on the day communication opens.
• The video matters most in the September 1 through fall of senior year window: This is the period when active recruiting decisions are being made. A strong video at this point can be transformative.

How to share the video

Practical sharing guidance:

• Hosting platform: Hudl is the industry standard for college coaches. YouTube is acceptable. Privacy settings should allow direct link access (unlisted or password-protected — not public, and not strictly invitation-only)
• Sharing format: A direct link in your email outreach is ideal. Don’t attach the video file — coaches won’t open attachments
• One link, easily found: Don’t make coaches search for the video. Include the direct link in your email outreach and your recruiting profile
• Coach’s email subject line should include the link or reference: “2027 Attacker, [Name], MVP — Highlights Inside” is more effective than a generic introduction

Every recruit’s video journey is different

The recruiting video is a tool, not a guarantee. Some recruits with average video work create exceptional outcomes through tournament play, direct outreach, and program-fit matching. Some recruits with exceptional video work struggle to find the right program fit. The video is one piece of a recruiting puzzle that also includes academic performance, athletic development, character, communication skills, family financial situation, and dozens of other factors. Use this guide as context. Build a video that honestly represents your daughter’s current ability. And remember that coaches who are interested in your daughter will work to see her play in person — the video’s primary job is to get her on coaches’ lists, not to substitute for everything else in the recruiting process.

Coach preferences on video length, format, and content vary. Families should verify specific program preferences directly with the coaches at programs they’re considering and treat published guidance as context rather than rigid rules.