What are the benefits of being listed in the Rivals, Scout, or ESPN football or basketball databases?

Over the next few days, I will talk once again about how you can get listed in the databases of Rivals.com, Scout.com, and ESPN Scouts Inc.  This is very important to think about as a recruit for a variety of reasons.

The first reason and it is rather obvious is exposure.  While college coaches won’t offer a scholarship to an athletic recruit based on a great profile with a sharp picture on one of these sites, getting your name out there is essential in the recruiting process.  These sites are frequently used by college coaches so there is no reason not to try and get listed in each of the three.

Coaches at all levels, from Division I to Division III, sometimes use these databases to help themselves build their own database of athletes to recruit.  One of the main features that they use on sites like Rivals and Scout is the video option.  While they are somewhat picky as to whose video they cut, these sites add video footage from recruits across the country.

As a recruit, it is really a cool thing to have a profile with video highlights included.  But the advantage of having that video there is that it allows college coaches to see the footage online quickly.  If they think you can play, they may start recruiting you and request to see a game tape.  If they don’t like how you play, chances are small that they would have been interested in you in the first place.

Because coaches throughout the country have subscriptions to these sites, you can email them the link to your video with an update on how the spring or summer is going.  Again, that is far from a guarantee that they will watch it but I have heard first hand from Division I coaches that they prefer to see video of recruits on the computer.  They can click a link and watch a portion of it.  Then they can make the decision one way or the other as to what they want to do.

I know for a fact that sending out video links to college coaches, even if you haven’t been in contact with them before, will have a better chance of being watched than sending out highlight tapes.  Not only does it save you time and money preparing the videos, it gives the coaches a quicker option than opening the package, learning about someone they were not recruiting, and watching the video.  If you send your recruiting profile and the link in an email, it makes the process much easier for the coaches.

While ESPN Scouts Inc does not have much video footage available online, you can send it in to them and have them review it.  Their staff appears to be very small (And hard to get in touch with for that matter) but they do a solid job ranking the recruits.  I am unsure of the time and effort it takes for them to review the video but it definitely could not hurt an athlete during the recruiting process.

When you get listed in the database, these sites also have databases that are only available to administrators of the sites on the network.  These databases are the ones that hold your contact information, email address, contact information for your coach, and anything else of interest.

It may not seem important but unless you are a major recruit, you want these sites to have the ability to call you for a story.  Again, the reason is so recognition.  For example, say State University does an article about you receiving interest from them.  While you may not end up there, a Division I-AA powerhouse near you may see the article and become interest in you.  He may look at your profile and check your video highlights.  You may be someone that they recruit if State University doesn’t offer.  If you take that path, the advantage obviously is to increase your options in the recruiting process.

I have mentioned this before but I still think that it is vital for you to make sure schools on those networks are aware that their programs are recruiting you and offering scholarships.  The reason why it is so important is because offers breed more attention and possibly other scholarships.  While smaller schools may want you to keep quiet about an offer, the more people that know, the better for you and the recruiting process.  While some may consider it bragging, this is actually helping yourself in the recruiting process.

What that means is that you should keep up your profile.  Find someone with the access to make changes and additions and then go from there.

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