Why It Takes More Than a Recruit Reel To Take The Lead

“I remember when I was first recruited..”

I remember it was the summer of my sophomore year in high school. My father and I stood near his truck under the lights in the parking lot of our high school baseball field. I was becoming a stand-out pitcher, and we were talking to a college scout for the first time. I would learn first-hand all about getting coaches attention over the next two years as I looked to land a scholarship before graduation.

An ever-growing number of scouts began appearing behind home plate when I’d take the mound, guns raised and scribbling notes between pitches.  After the game they’d introduce themselves and tell me more about the school they came from. They would always ask me to send over any game footage or a highlight reel that I might have.

I started participating in college showcases, where coaches from all over the country would be represented with their eyes out for talent.  They too wanted me to send over video of my pitching.  Fact is, even if a coach sees you play in person, recruiting decisions are usually a joint decision between more than one coach.  A recruiting reel is a way to make it easy for any coach to see you play,  no matter how far away that school is.

My father and I put together a video and shared it to every school that was interested, and even reached out to a few universities on our own.

“Time-out and fast-forward, right here is Fueled Creative and 'The Lead' are changing the game, but more on that in a bit..”

I watched my prospect ranking climb in my state, and found my way onto the roster of a NCAA school, competing against teams in the SEC and ACC and going as far as the NCAA Tournament my junior year of college.  

It was a dream come true, and the culmination of countless hours of dedication and hard work since childhood.  I will never forget how grateful I was to have my father to help me successfully navigate all that goes into becoming a college athlete.

“Getting to the next level is the dream for all serious high-school athletes and their parents."  My father was a huge support, looking for any way he could to help make my dreams a reality..”

The way colleges recruit has changed with the times.  Social media and the internet have created a platform to get players noticed all across the country without coaches even hearing of them before that.  

It seems standard that every player worth their shot at the next level has their own recruiting reel.  Sites like MaxPreps.com have changed the way coaches find top talent to fill their rosters.

“But there are so many different sides to a player a coach considers when filling a team’s roster..”

Going into college,  I would have just assumed that the players with the strongest arms, the fastest legs, or the monster stats would be all that a coach cared about when choosing how to fill the scholarships for his team.  Boy, was I wrong..

Although most next-level players have massive stats, and that definitely gets the coaches attention.

...I’ll let you in on a little secret.. 

I got onto the team and watched the coaches recruit the next class of freshmen from the inside. I realized that the coaches were looking at tons of players with monster stats, but the guys that made it onto the team were able to convince the coaches that they were going to contribute to the team overall.  

That  “X factor” definitely made a difference.

More often than not, there were two players that were dead even talented on the field battling for each position on the recruiting board.

So how do you stand out in an age where it seems every player has their own recruit reel?

That’s where Fueled Creative comes in with The Lead.  

Fueled Creative has been solidifying their spot as a top-caliber production company rooted in Seattle, WA for over seventeen years.  A true one stop, full-service production team helping all of their clients mold their visual ideas to life from conception to finish.

In fact founder Bret Nielsen is no stranger to the intricacies the sports world, being himself a former semi-professional motorcycle racer.  After catching his first breakout moment with a well-acclaimed Indie film about the Northwest motorcycle racing scene, Bret pushed on to found Fueled Creative.  

So it was only natural with the marriage of the sports and video-production worlds that The Lead is here to help represent today’s athletes to coaches  and show them why they are a can’t miss prospect.

We’ve all been scrolling through videos on our feed, taken on the sideline with a camera phone, shaky, unfocused. How many times have you moved on to another video, regardless of how talented the player is, because the video quality itself was distracting you from watching?

Now, Imagine being in a recruiting office, and spending the bulk of your work day watching highlight reel after highlight reel.  Evaluating athlete after athlete, looking for something to stand out.

“It takes more than a recruiting reel to take The Lead.”

The Lead brings the creative direction, high-caliber cinematography, and cutting-edge post solutions that can showcase a student athlete as an undeniable prospect.

“Each player has a unique story.”

Whether it be dominant physical stats, a family history of greatness, a true “spark in the dark” talent, or an unparalleled work ethic, each player has a story.  

The Lead is tailored to each athlete, showcasing both their skills and dedication on the field, and  everything that makes them a special player and personality off-the-field as well.  A creative team will learn your story, and from there our staff goes to work translating goals into a full production around your schedule.  

From conception to finish, only the best in the industry.

From cameras and equipment, to stages, lighting, even visual effects and post-shoot solutions, our whole goal is to showcase both the player and the person as the promising prospect that they are.

Talent demands investment.

Parents of student-athlete’s know how much goes into growing a talent to excellence.  Where most see an athlete standing before them, parents see the countless hours of practices and leagues starting when they were just a child.  The travel, the heartbreaks and the victories.  

Parents want to give their children every opportunity and advantage for success.  When you’ve given them the best equipment and the best coaches, why not give them the best representation of what all that hard work has created?  

“The Lead gives players the tools they need to stand out in a crowd, and on a coaches desk.”

With The Lead and Fueled Creative, our team will execute the vision from start to finish. Showcasing the talent, character, confidence, and personality that can set a student-athlete apart, propelling them to the next level.

Let our top level production team maximize “The Hype”, giving you a video you’ll be proud to share with family and friends as well.  The quality speaks for itself, ensuring that once people see what an athlete is capable of, they’ll have no choice but to share.

“In today’s media driven world, The Lead is an athlete’s secret weapon.”

Let us go to work showing coaches why they don’t need to look any further for the perfect fit for their squad.  Our professional and creative staff, equipment, story-telling process, and product give us the power to transform an athlete into a can’t miss video talent.

“The hard work has been done, now it’s time to share that with the world.”

There are few things more rewarding than seeing hard work pay off.  Being able to support that hard work and talent is a gift any parent with a student about to graduate wants to give.  With The Lead, you are giving them the gift of opportunity, and maximizing their potential on recruiting boards across the nation.

More than a recruit reel.

Whether you are thinking of the perfect graduation gift for a student-athlete, or are starting to think about recruiting and the next level in today’s world, let The Lead take you there.

With over two decades of experience and a portfolio ranging from super bowl commercials to showcasing top athletes and all the sports they play, Fueled Creative has what it takes to help you achieve your vision and show the world why they should remember the name.