The Emergence Of The New Billion Dollar Opportunity
A growing number of high school students seek to take their talent to the next level. They understand that the college sports recruitment process is fiercely competitive. In fact, according to the NCAA, around eight million students participate in high school athletics, yet only about 480,000 will make it onto a college team.[1]
Sports recruiting has long been a fractured industry and one that has evolved rather slowly. Until recently, recruitment activities have been behind the curtain. But like most industries, technology now plays a prominent role. Access to recruitment information gives today’s athletes the tools to get seen by coaches. In addition, with big data applications popping up everywhere, player-related data can now be analyzed and tracked. All these trends are creating a democratized process.
Technology Gives Athletes New Way to Get in Front of Coaches
Athletics is, after all, a series of competitions, the first of which is securing a recruitment. For decades, traditional scouting and in-person reviews were the name of the game. In contrast, the model of the future leverages more tools, analytics, and apps that were never available before. Recruiters can now expand their network by watching highlights from top athletes in the biggest schools or the smallest towns without even leaving their offices.
As a result, athletes now have opportunities to be seen by those scouts. Using software like Hudl, athletes can create highlight reels and share stats. A platform like this makes recruiting more accessible to those not at the largest schools or who may otherwise not be pursued by the best teams.
Big Data and Recruiting
Big data is enhancing and changing the recruitment process. From the data, insights are extracted and compared. While actually viewing the player in action is important, data around his/her capabilities is, too. Statistical solutions help coaches find the right players that best fit their teams.
The software platform Zcruit is offering these tools to recruiters that streamline efforts in accessing player information. Their real-time data is updated when athletes receive offers. These tools help coaches determine which players are likely to commit. On the Zcruit platform, coaches can analyze players and teams and view comparisons of other schools.
With these new capabilities, coaches have the insight to help determine which players will make the most effect on the team and are most likely to accept an offer.
Athletes Have New Means to Target Recruiters
Another popular recruiting technology feature is access to platforms that allow athletes to build their profiles and see which coaches are interested in their talents. The application Sports Recruits empowers athletes to align their recruiting efforts with their personal desires. They can create profiles that share not only their stats and videos but also their academic records. Then athletes can communicate with coaches and broach interest. When schools view a profile, the athlete receives a notification.
The Role of Social Media
College athletes may also get some help from social media in gaining attention from coaches. Social media is another channel for players to promote their talents. For example, when a performance goes viral on these networks, it creates great opportunities.
These viral videos get noticed by the media, generating even more exposure. If there is a buzz around an athlete’s skills, then coaches and recruiters will be compelled to take a look. Social media really breaks down the barriers for the demographic of those talented athletes not attending top high schools with stellar sports programs. Social media audiences’ choosing which athletes deserve their likes and shares is leveling the playing field.
Technology Is Now Central to Sports Recruiting
In the modern world, sports recruiting is embracing technology. From software that creates special highlight reels to the power of viral social media posts, recruiting for college sports has been transformed. This change is a good one, offering many excellent athletes the college level opportunities they would otherwise not have had. It’s a new world for recruiting, with innovative technology tools solving the mysteries and simplifying the complexities of the game.
[1] http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/research/estimated-probability-competing-college-athletics
