Gangnam Style: Social Media & Athletic Recruiting

    The distribution of information made possible by social media can be highly influential in aiding in the course of a person’s professional career, especially as an amateur athlete. Instantaneous transmission of visual information may be the means by which many athletic opportunities arise.  Exposure creates the highest possibility in landing a place to play at the next level whether it be at the collegiate or professional level.  Social networks such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter have created unobstructed pathways for providing vital visual information to scouts and professional organizations looking for quality athletes. 

    My athletic career may have been very different if Social Media had been available.  In my personal experience, the downfall to attending a small 2A high school in Texas was the lack of exposure.  If you were good and made the daily newspaper week-to-week during season, your success was visible to everyone in the town who read the paper; in my case, approximately 4,000 people.  Yet, when searching for a place to play collegiate ball, the coaches would ask for a highlight video so that they could see you in action.  Providing video to the college coaches required making a disc with a compilation of playing time and “snail-mailing” it, instead of simply recording an adequate amount of good performance and pushing the “upload” button.  The social networks were not as prevalent then as they are today. If smart-phones had been readily available and synced with Social Media networks during my stint in high school, I feel that my collegiate career would have been greatly enhanced.    

    Although my collegiate baseball career is coming to an end, a crucial turning point regarding my professional career is right around the corner.  Baseball is a cut-throat business; utilizing social networks will optimize my chances of landing a position on a professional roster.  If scouts are able to see consistency in my athletic performance then they may be more likely to make me a part of their program. Uploading my highlight videos on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other social networks may have a tremendous positive impact on my future; however, nothing will replace the necessity to perform with excellence on a daily basis.

    Technology has made it possible for many athletes to achieve desired goals via ease of information through social networks.  With the right information in front of the right individual, the possibilities of career advancement may become endless.  May this blog topic be a reminder to use the tools that are readily available to assist you in your ongoing pursuit of excellence.