Why young athletes need a robust social media presence

I hear it over and over again, whenever I’m talking to college coaches or people involved in the recruiting process.

High school athletes benefit from having a robust social media presence.

Whether that’s on TikTok or X, Instagram or some recruiting website, having a well-organized, strategic social media account can bolster your chances of getting that coveted scholarship or place on a team at the next level.

Is it the most important part of the recruiting process? Oh heck no. Obviously performance on the field, court, or in the pool and the kind of teammate you are rank among the highest priorities.

However …

It’s common for college coaches and recruiters to be scouring various social media channels looking for … you.

Let’s say you attend a high-level skills camp attended by dozens of college coaches, and while there, you make an impression on one of them.

They meet you. They chat with you. You think there’s real possibility of earning a spot on their squad.

And then … they check out your Instagram or TikTok account.

What does it say about you? The kind of player you are? The kind of teammate you are?

And, perhaps most importantly, what kind of person you are.

I can tell you that you can lose the interest of a coach or recruiter in the snap of a finger if you have a social media page full of anything that undermines your reputation.

And yeah, even at high school age, you have an online reputation.

But here’s the thing I want you to remember - You also have the opportunity to build that reputation, to create a vibrant, don’t-miss-me athlete brand that’s going to make a coach or recruiter want to know more about you.

Or, if you make a great impression during a game/competition or during a skills camp, and they check out your social media account, what you post can reinforce that coach’s impression.

We haven’t even mentioned sending out DMs or emails to coaches and schools for whom you want to play. And I know you’ve been pushed to send those DMs or emails.

I also have heard from coaches who say when a young, ambitious athlete has hired a professional photographer or videographer to build a robust social media account, it’s a signal to them how invested that young athlete is about reaching the next level.

So … how bad do you want it?

How bad do you want to make that don’t-miss-me impression on the coach or school for whom you want to play?

I want you to take a look at your social media account(s). What three things do they say about you as an ambitious young athlete? Does it say anything?

Now, what do you want it to say?

That’s how we begin to build your high school athlete online reputation.

Dave Pidgeon is the owner/chief image maker of Creative Sports Photography, the premier athlete portrait service for amateur and professional athletes in Central and Southeast PA, and available anywhere. He’s based out of Lancaster, Pa., where he lives with his three sons. To begin an elite athlete portrait experience like no other, you can contact Dave here.