What is an evaluation?
The NCAA defines an evaluation as any activity by a coach to evaluate a prospective student athlete’s athletic or academic abilities. Examples of an evaluation include visiting the prospect’s high school or watching a practice or competition.
Before signing on an athlete, college coaches want to be able to see the athlete perform in person so they can verify their abilities and talents. This kind of evaluation usually occurs during the evaluation period, which is the time a college coach is allowed to makes those evaluations. When a coach is evaluating you, make sure that you don’t let it distract you from your play. Keep focused, try your best, and demonstrate the characteristics that a college coach wants in an athlete.
When coaches are not able to do an evaluation on a student-athlete in person, they’ll rely heavily on highlight tapes and game tapes, so it’s important to have plenty of footage to show them. What you put on your recruiting video is the first impression that most student-athletes make on college coaches, so it’s crucial that it’s clear, informative, and that you can be easily identified.