Keep it to 1-2 minutes
A short video is easier to watch and easier to forward. Use the best clips, not every decent clip. If the coach wants more, they can ask for a full game or longer reel.
Start with the best 10-15 seconds
Do not build slowly. Put the strongest, clearest clips first. Show the player’s number or mark the player briefly before the play starts so the coach knows who to watch.
Skip the music
Music can make a clip feel polished, but it usually does not help a coach evaluate hockey. Clean game audio or no audio is better. Let the play, pace, communication, and rink context carry the video.
Show game context, not just slow motion
Slow motion can be useful for one quick moment, but coaches need to see timing, skating pace, pressure, spacing, reads, and what happens before and after the play. Avoid cutting so tight that the clip hides the situation.
Choose clips by position
For forwards, include skating pace, puck decisions, forecheck, wall work, passing, scoring chances, and backcheck. For defense, include retrievals, gaps, exits, defensive reads, puck movement, and battles. For goalies, include tracking, rebound control, movement, traffic, recovery, and game-pressure saves.
Include simple information
At the beginning or in the email, include the player name, graduation year if relevant, position, current team, height/weight only if appropriate for the level, contact information, and a link to a full game if available. Keep it factual.
What not to include
Avoid long intros, graphics-heavy edits, hype music, repeated angles of the same play, clips where the player is hard to identify, poor-quality video, or plays against unclear competition that make the player look better than the real context.
Sample coach email
Coach [Last Name], my name is [Player Name]. I am a [position] with [team/level]. I am interested in learning whether my current level and style could be a fit for your program. Here is a 1-2 minute video link and, if helpful, a full-game link. Thank you for taking a look.
Follow up without pressure
If you do not hear back, one polite follow-up after a reasonable window is fine. Do not flood a coach with repeated messages. If there is no response, use that as information and keep building the right fit list.
Before paying for exposure help
If someone wants money to make, send, or “place” the video, run the spend through Before You Pay first. A video can help, but no edit should promise coach attention.
Check the exposure spend