Frequently Asked Questions
Much of what you want to know is below in our FAQ... If you can't find what you're looking for pertaining to ViewMySport, its benefits or collegiate recruiting basics, please contact us directly and we'll have our team of Recruiting Specialists and Advisors ready to assist! EMail Us At: info@viewmysport.com
Primarily, to give student-athletes a place to organize and update their information and create their sports resumes, which includes stats, uploaded highlight video, photos, transcripts and listed accomplishments, basically, everything a college coach or recruiter wants to see. Then, be smart and proactive by sending these resumes to colleges in order to get exposure for possible scholarships, starting relationships with the coaches and recruiters. Also, for college coaches and recruiters to be able to locate prospects by using the VMS search function, browsing our athlete resumes in our recruit database and matching them to their needs!
- Is it important to send my resume to colleges?
YES, this is very important! The main goal is to make sure that as many colleges and universities know you exist! You may already have several recruiters checking you out, but give yourself more options. Be proactive and send your resume to as many schools, clubs or associations as YOU want (directly from your resume page on VMS). The more that know about you, the more offers you may potentially get to choose from.
Colleges start looking at athletic talent very early on. It is not unheard of for them to keep track of grade school and middle school student- athletes that are already showing promise. Although colleges are bound by regulations that keep them from contacting student-athletes too soon in their careers, YOU, however, can make contact with any college at any time you choose. DON’T WAIT UNTIL YOUR SENIOR YEAR! We recommend that you start sending your resume out to as many colleges as you want as early as your freshman year. In some cases, you can even send it earlier in order to get information from the colleges about sports camps that they sponsor. This way, you start communication very early and they will know who you are throughout your high school years. Any coach following your resume on VMS will receive automatic updates every time you update your News Feed. This is a great way to keep those interested up-to-date at all times. The more frequently you communicate with them, the better the chance they remember who you are! Of course, you can send special personal messages at any time to any college coach or recruiter, right from your resume page!
- How do I know if a coach or college representative actually sees my resume when I send it to them?
As with any electronic form of communication, the recipient of that communication can always elect to “not” read or view it. Our recommendation is that you “call” that coach or representative’s office to make sure they received it. With a follow-up phone call, it gives you the opportunity to introduce yourself, get more attention to you and your resume and to establish initial contact at that particular school.
ALWAYS make a note of who you spoke to and their phone number, etc.
- Can I just e-mail a coach my resume link if I want to?
Yes, if you decide that you want to attach your profile link and send it to a coach, you can do so. Of course, we have our site set up so that you can select to automatically send your resume link in an e-mail format. In addition, you can share your resume directly on any social media page!
- How do I get my resume set up?
Easy! Simply click on any one of the several areas on the home page or the navigation bar at the top of the page that directs you to “sign up” or “get started”, etc. You will be taken to a screen to complete some basic information and to create your Username and Password. KEEP YOUR “USERNAME” AND “PASSWORD” SOMEWHERE SAFE! YOU WILL NEED IT TO LOG INTO YOUR RESUME PAGE! Once you have saved this information, the site will automatically take you to choose which membership type you want. We have different levels of memberships that are perfect for every level of need! Once you have chosen your membership and benefits, you can go right to the beginning to start completing your resume information. If you are not ready to create a resume yet, no problem, just log in at a later date and you will be taken back to your resume area to continue, change or add more information.
- What if I forget my Username or Password?
Once you create your account, be sure to keep both your Username and Password somewhere safe! Your UserName is going to be whatever email address you listed at the beginning of the sign-up process. If you forget your Username, then simply call our toll-free number on the site or message us through “Contact Us” on our site menu. We will verify your Username for you. If you know your Username, but have forgotten your Password, simply click on the “Forgot Password?” line in the Member Log-In area. You will be given a replacement password that will give you access back into your account. You can then change the password back to something you would like. Again, KEEP YOUR “USERNAME” AND “PASSWORD” SAFE!
- Can anyone set up a resume for me?
You, as the athlete or your parents can set up your resume.
- Is my information secure? I don’t want just anyone seeing it...
ViewMySport.com does not make any private information available for viewing, nor do we sell the information to any other companies. You will notice that only basic information shows up for resume viewing on the site, items that are typical for colleges to recognize and communicate with you and your school should they be interested. ONLY registered and confirmed college coaches can see the "personal info" and contact information on your resume! We take your security very seriously!
- This is all fantastic! It must cost a fortune. What if I can’t afford to pay for this service?
This is the BEST part of ViewMySport.com! IT IS 100% AFFORDABLE!!! We have different levels of membership, with something beneficial for everyone, depending on what your needs are! Unlike so many services in the recruiting industry today, looking to simply take advantage of the “hype” and lack of knowledge, we have our product priced so that everyone can take advantage! Just because a company CAN charge ridiculously high fees, doesn’t mean that they SHOULD! That’s simple greed and VMS doesn’t operate that way!
- If I make my resume on ViewMySport.com, can recruiters see me by visiting the site?
Yes, we have a special search feature for anyone to use (especially college recruiters). This allows viewers to sort through the resumes and find the athletes that best fit their college’s program. We still recommend that you forward your athlete resume directly to colleges yourself. This way, you CONTROL the communication with and which colleges that show interest.
- How many athlete resumes can I create?
That’s what is great about ViewMySport.com! You can make as many resumes as you want! We encourage you to make separate resumes for each sport you play and keep them up-to-date season to season.
- What if I don’t know the statistics I need?
No worries! ViewMySport.com automatically selects the proper stat categories that you’ll need. When you are getting ready to create your athlete resume, you will select the sport and position or event from a list. Whatever your selection, the matching statistic categories will automatically pop up for you to fill in. It’s that easy! If you don’t know your personal stats, it would be best to talk to your coach or athletic department in order to get that information.
- What if I made a mistake on the stats or other information, or if I want to make changes to my resume?
All very easy! Once you are a member of the site and have created resumes, you simply log in and you will be taken to your own screen. You click on the resume that you want to make changes to. Once you make any changes or updates you need, just “save” and you’re all set. The most recent changes will now show up on your resume for viewing.
- What if I have an old resume that I don’t want anymore?
Although we encourage athletes to keep ALL of their resumes on the site, it is quite easy. Just enter into your resume page and select the “Delete” button for that particular resume. Make sure it is the correct one, once it is deleted, it’s gone.
- How will I know if a college is interested in me?
Once you have sent your resume to a college, when they respond, it will come directly “online” to the offices of ViewMySport.com, as well as directly to your contact e-mail address. VMS also forwards the response directly to the athlete’s e-mail address. Of course, at the choice of the college you sent the resume to, they can also contact you or your high school directly by phone to inquire about you. In addition, all resumes have a “view counter”. If a college coach happens to view your resume online, you will have a notification of that view, the coach and their contact information to respond to.
- How do I get my highlight film on my resume?
You have several different ways to get your highlight film uploaded to your resume. 1) If it has been saved in a file on your personal computer, you will simply follow the “uploading” directions in the Video section of your resume. 2) If you have the videos already showing up on a third-party location like YouTube, Hudl or any other site, you can simply “copy & paste” the EMBED code from that site to the location provided in the Videos section of your resume. You will see the space designed by ViewMySport.com to copy this code into. Again, very simple. 3) You can also “copy & paste” your video page link (URL) to the designated space in the Videos section and it will automatically show your video on your resume.
- What if I have more than one video to upload?
No problem! We allow up to 6 video uploads “per resume” and plenty of file space. Believe us, it will be more than enough!
- Which video type is better?
While some athletes spend hundreds of dollars on a fancy video with music and special effects (which can be purchased thru professional video companies), the bottom line is that you MUST BE clearly identified in the video. Regular home video shot by a family member or friend is more than adequate, as long as you can be seen and your abilities recognized. Make sure that if you are one of many athletes in the video, be sure you are highlighted by some “arrow, circle” or other graphic. Coaches don’t have time to try and figure out who they’re looking at. Also, no music or special effects! This is a big turnoff for coaches. Save that stuff for your personal copies if needed, but keep it professional when dealing with coaches and recruiters. Lastly, coaches only look at several minutes of film, so make it count. These are highlights, so if they need to see longer, they’ll ask (i.e. - basketball or soccer, etc. for viewing how you transition from offense to defense, etc.)
- What kind of comments should I write on my resume?
The Comments / Achievements segment of your resume is set up so that you can tell people (coaches and recruiters) about yourself. List out special accomplishments, awards, records, etc. State the reasons why you would be a great fit in a college athletic program. Also, list some of the community service projects you have been involved with. Remember, this is a chance to promote yourself beyond just sports, so make sure you look good! Coaches want to know the type of “person” they’re dealing with and the character within that individual.
- What if I don’t know what college I should send my resume to?
That’s easy! There are so many great colleges and universities that exist. Although we can’t tell you exactly which ones would be best for you, as only YOU will know what you want and if you’ll be happy there, we can help you research the different schools so that you will understand what they have to offer and can look into them to see if they truly will be a good fit for you. Visit the College Directory within ViewMySport.com. You can get there by visiting the “Colleges” segment on the navigation bar at the top of any page.
- What does the College Directory help with?
Our College Directory has every college and university listed out “alphabetically”. Once you are on that page, you can sort the list of schools by state, by their division (For U.S. Colleges: NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, NCCAA, & USCAA and For Canada: CCAA & U Sports). What is really great is that you can “click” on any of the schools that are listed and their information page will automatically open so you can check out what their program offers in the way of sports. Find out coaches names and contact information so you know “where” to send your resumes to! See if there are any special messages or content posted directly from the coaches, etc. You can also click links directly to that college or university’s website to do further research on what majors they offer, etc.
- How do I know who the coaches are to send my resume to?
Our College Coach Search Function gives you the ability to find all coaches for a particular sport, representing their college’s program! If you "click" on any college name from the list, that college's complete Coaching Staff will pop up with their e-mail addresses and phone numbers, etc. Every college, every coach for every sport! So, if you're not sure "who" to send your resume to at a particular college, problem solved!
- How do I become your “Athlete of The Week”?
ViewMySport.com recognizes ALL athletes that have worked hard and now want to share the results with college recruiters. We randomly pick an athlete from well maintained and up-to-date resumes and feature them on our home page, as well on all of our social media pages. This gives you “exclusive” exposure during that week and links viewers directly to your athlete resume. In addition, we will notify you by e-mail, as well as contact your coach, athletic director and principle so that you get the full recognition you deserve.
- How do I get “Featured Athlete” status?
A Featured Athlete will appear in all searches and may appear on the home page. Featured resumes are public and may be viewed by anyone. They also will appear “first” before other prospect searches.
Each resume comes with a “blog-type” feature, similar to social network pages. You can update your news feed with results from events, season schedules, performance, etc. This is a great way to keep coaches that are following you up-to-date!
- What if I’m not an athlete/member, but a sports fan and just want to check out the athlete resumes and site benefits?
That’s fine, as we open ViewMySport.com to everyone around the world. You can view all athlete resumes (personal information excluded), utilize the College Directory, our Sports Blog and have access to all of the athletic and scholastic resources shown on the site.
- As an athlete, what if I want to “upgrade” my membership to a higher level?
That’s easy! Simply login to your account and click on “UPGRADE” in the site menu. Follow the instructions from there!
- What if I have an article that I would like to submit to your "Sports Blog" feature?
We encourage all viewers to contribute to this feature! All you have to do is e-mail your article and information to: corporate@viewmysport.com “Attention: Sports Blog”
Please understand that ViewMySport.com reserves the right to edit or refuse information for this feature.
- What if I want to be the exclusive Corporate Sponsor for “Athlete of The Week” or participate as a Corporate Partner?
Very easy! Simply communicate with us by e-mail at: corporate@viewmysport.com “Attention: Marketing”
- What makes ViewMySport better/puts ViewMySport above any other company offering the similar things?
VMS puts the control of the recruiting process in the members’ hands. Thru the website resources and with the guidance (if needed) of our knowledgable Recruiting Specialists, we educate the member-athletes and their parents to have a working knowledge of the recruiting process. Not only will they understand what they’re in for, but they’ll understand what to do, how to do it and when to do it! All of this comes at a price that is nominal compared to other services, which can cost in the thousands. VMS gives a superior product, a tailorable menu, allowing each member to select exactly what is going to work for them, at a price that is comfortable for all. Our people involved have the “members first” mentality that isn’t clouded with focus on financial gain.
- What can ViewMySport do for my child that we can't just do ourselves?
VMS has researched and developed resources in an organized format, making it a parent’s dream when it comes time to assist their child in starting the recruiting process. We’ve removed all the guesswork and given clear direction that is easy to get familiar with before and during the recruiting process. We provide an editable resume format that encompasses everything a college coach needs in considering a student-athlete as a legitimate prospect, making it easy to not only have up-to-date information at the constant ready, but the ability to share it with college coaches all over. In addition, we’ve made the direct communication with college coaches and recruiting coordinators direct in real time, all thru automated controls within their resume page on ViewMySport.com. All of this, coupled with the search and sort directories for researching different levels of colleges and contact information for those colleges’ coaches, makes our resources a “must have” for any parent or student-athlete. Not to mention, having the ability to have one of our Recruiting Specialists always available to help walk them thru any issues or questions, in itself, is priceless.
- What is the likelihood of my child getting some sort of scholarship if we sign up for ViewMySport?
VMS, like any recruiting resource, has absolutely no control over a college coach’s decision process when considering recruit prospects. Regardless of how much money you spend on recruiting assistance, it ALWAYS comes down to the level of skill the individual has in his/her sport, their academic success and the character they show by what they do outside of school, such as their community service efforts. VMS guarantees the best organized format for presenting a student-athlete’s persona, as well as success in connecting with the college coaches that make the scholarship decisions. VMS offers every resource to make the recruiting process successful, but the final outcome will always come down to the student-athlete themselves.
- What is the best way to increase my child's visibility to coaches/colleges?
Once the needed information is organized on a VMS sports resume, it’s all about getting that information in front of college coaches and recruiters. Of course, it doesn’t stop there. More importantly is the follow up phone calls that a student-athlete MUST make in order to make sure that the coach not only received their information, but actually looked at it. Also, it is a great opportunity to make that all-important FIRST IMPRESSION! The key is to very early start the process of getting familiar with how the recruiting process works, what needs to be known and how to then utilize that knowledge. VMS covers it all! The key is to research and know what colleges appear to be a good fit for the student-athlete. There are so many colleges out there, but not all are a good fit. Once you understand which colleges you want to target, it’s a matter of communicating with those coaches early and often. If you follow our lead, then it’s a matter of being patient and proactive, making sure you are well prepared and keeping the coaches current.
- Is there any kind of reimbursement if my child does not get a scholarship?
No, VMS has a very nominal fee structure and the quality of resources and assistance is obvious right from the start. Again, we cover the education of the recruiting process, the exposure and communication facets of the process with 100% quality and accuracy. Once you have followed our path and instructions, the final results of a scholarship offer comes down to the skill level of the athlete, the grades and community involvement. Only a college coach truly knows what they want when it comes time to make that final choice.
- Why should (my athlete and I) do all the work for a scholarship? Isn’t it the job of his/her coach?
This is a great question, and very often, misunderstood. By that, I mean that most parents and student-athletes assume that their coaches will take care of everything regarding the recruiting process, from gaining proper exposure, all the way up to arranging college campus visits. THIS, however, is not the case. Simply put, it is YOUR (or your child’s) future and if you want college, or a collegiate sports scholarship, then YOU have to take control and go after it. While some coaches do get involved in the recruitment of their athletes, there is such a wide variety of said involvement. Some do a lot, some do very little, if any. Some do it for the good of their athlete, and some do it to make themselves look good or for the purpose of their other agenda. If you want to be truly successful and KNOW what is going on during the recruiting process, be organized, follow-up, be proactive and do it yourself. It is the coaches’ primary job to be there to provide stats or other information the college coaches and recruiters may need, to validate that information if the need arises. THAT is it! Remember, most of the high school coaches out there are also teachers and have other responsibilities. Also, in the case of large rosters, like football, that is a lot of student-athletes to try and get the proper attention for. It simply cannot be done, or at least, not for every athlete that wants it. So, parents, be the leader and organizer of the process. Control and education of how recruiting works should be one of your primary tasks. Make sure your child is also educated and spearheading most of the effort. They cannot be made or pushed into the process. Either they want it or not. Forcing them into it will only spell disaster down the road. VMS and the specialists on staff are there to help you get off on the right foot and stay on track, every step of the way. If you are needing assistance from your coach, then by doing your part well, you’re helping the coaches help you!
- VMS only charges a max fee of $399, the other services charge so much more - do the other services work harder for my child? Is that why they charge more?
The recruiting industry is a multi-billion dollar business and there are many out there who, like in other business environments, try to capitalize on it. Unfortunately, when dealing with kids, parents and others who want something really bad, as with a sports scholarship, individuals can be blinded by that “want” and can be easily mislead. There are those out there who feed egos and dreams and push athletes and parents into a direction that is not always what is best, but it excites the parents and athletes and very often gets them to pay for services that are either not what they were supposed to be, or they simply aren’t needed, all at a very high price. They charge the high fees because they can! They use the enticement, “What’s a few thousand dollars compared to the money gained in a college scholarship?”.... The fact that many parents and their athletes aren’t educated in recruiting or the process involved, mixed with collegiate research needed, they are very easy to persuade into doing things that are not necessary. Again, like in other industries, there are those out there to take advantage of these individuals and at a very high dollar profit. They do it because they can and are not worried about the kids, but about the money. Some of the biggest services that have been around for awhile have gotten away with it because they were the “only game in town” and there were very few other options. Today, with VMS, there is not only a better option from a benefits perspective, but from a financial one as well. Although successful, VMS does not place primary focus on the almighty dollar, but rather, the success and betterment of the young student-athlete. It is obvious from the very beginning of your first experience with VMS, all the way throughout the process.
- Most recruiting websites are geared toward the popular sports. Is VMS effective for the athletes who participate in ALL sports?
YES, all sports get the exact same resources and attention as do the more exposed sports. With VMS, the equestrian athlete can get the same ability to gain exposure and communicate with college coaches, research colleges that are the best fit and gain education in their sport’s recruiting regulations, etc. The football player and the water polo player now have the same stage to perform on when it comes to their recruiting journey!
- Can I contact VMS anytime I have a question?
YES, not only do we have top-notch web-based resources at your fingertips, but a 24 Hour "CONTACT US" feature where you can ask questions and communicate with any one of our Recruiting Specialist team members. We realize that everyone is unique and sometimes, what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for another, so we are here to LISTEN and come up with the BEST answer for YOU! Just click the "CONTACT US" in our site menu!
- How many kids have gotten scholarships through VMS?
The focus for VMS has always been the student-athlete. With that said, when we first started out, we were not tracking all of the numbers associated with scholarships. It seems odd for a company whose primary purpose is to help kids get sports scholarships, but we were putting more effort and time into the user experience and improving resources. There are hundreds of student-athletes that used VMS and went on to achieve collegiate sports scholarships and with newly acquired technology, we will be going back to follow-up on every past member we’ve had in order to update their outcome. Our numbers for that result will continue to be tracked going forward and we will have a dedicated section of our website to show all of those members who went on to college in their respective sport. Just to add, at VMS, we don’t feel that “taking credit” for our members’ success is something to focus on. We certainly see a member’s success as a result of their own dedication, commitment and focus, investing in their future, and applaud them as the one who deserves the credit. If our resources and guidance helped in any small way, that works for us, but THEY are the true heroes! We feel that it would be like the inventor of the pen and paper trying to take credit for every book that was written..... Yes, while important as part of the process, the one who actually wrote the book should get the true credit! Also, our target is to get exposure for the student-athletes and give them the proper resources and process to educate themselves and to follow. In that light, we have put thousands on the right path and gave them the ability to pursue the recruiting process successfully. Success, in our eyes, is to proactively navigate the process intelligently and come to a point with a college where they can render a final well informed decision regarding a sports scholarship for you. Beyond that, it us up to a student-athlete’s sports skill, grades and as we’ve said previously, their character and position in their community.
- Does VMS have any contract requirements to sign?
VMS gives you the ability to choose what you need and what's best for you. Pay the "one-time" amount thru our secure payment process page, pay automatically from your credit or debit card. There is no time-driven contract to handcuff you, so you only pay once.
- How often do College Coaches check VMS resumes?
College Coaches are on VMS every day! Every college coach is different, though, and some are more active than others. It truly depends on the coach. At VMS, we have an open search resource for the coaches to go into our complete database and not only review our members’ resumes, but they can also select which ones they want to follow. By following an athlete’s resume, they will get auto-notifications when an athlete updates their resume information. They can follow the athlete’s newsfeed updates, very similar to the way an individual can follow updates on Facebook today. The format at VMS is designed for 24/7/365 operation for not only coaches to perform searches and reviews, but the student-athletes (and their parents) have the same ability to search and review colleges and “favorite” certain ones to communicate with. VMS is a “win-win” for all parties involved with the recruiting process!
- What can I put on my resume that will jump out at recruiters?
VMS has created resume segments designed specifically with College Coaches’ input and suggestions. Things that are critical across the board are like your grades transcripts, which is one of the first things coaches look at. If you’re not a good student, most don’t go any further. We also have everything organized, making it easy for the college coaches to get a good representation of who you are, not just as an athlete, but as a student and a community presence. Certain things about you as a “person” can stand out to a coach, the same way they watch to see how you are on the sidelines, while not playing, they will look into what you do in your community. That type of involvement can weigh big for some coaches. Also, how persistent you are in the recruiting process stands out. Are you just sending your information to them as “one of many” or are you truly interested in their program. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT and communicate that to the coach. Let them know your are serious about being part of the college they represent, not just the sports team. Do your research and be prepared to ask the important questions. This will not only provide you with much needed information, but the coaches will see you as someone who is a serious prospect and has the level of maturity they are looking for. One last thing, CALL THEM ON THE PHONE and speak with respect, for both the coach and yourself. Be prepared to leave a good message in case you have to leave a voice mail. Continuing to call until you finally get to talk is key. Coaches love persistency! All of these little things seem like “no fun”, but they are critical in standing out to a coach and those that can do it well, proactively, and on a regular basis will have much greater success with discussing future scholarship potential with a college coach. The final key is to BE TRUTHFUL! Make sure that the information you list on your resume is 100% correct and the truth. Coaches check EVERYTHING, so start out on the right foot!
- Can you recommend a good highlight editing program?
First off, understand that you only need about 3-5 minutes of good highlight video. Coaches know that you are showing yourself at your best, so they put guarded value in what you are showing them. They DO NOT want to see 30 minutes of a game or competition or you simply working out. That’s critical, make sure your highlights are of you in “game time” situations, not in the gym lifting or doing drills. Also, DO NOT have special effects (i.e. - slow motion or visual distortions) or music in the background. Most coaches immediately mute the video for fear of music coming on. Just don’t have it, period, as it adds zero value. If your school cannot or does not use a company such as HUDL to set up your videos, then you can teach yourself to use one of the video editors that may come with your computer or even something like YouTube. It can save you some time and money to do it yourself, but be sure to follow the suggestions we’ve shared here. In addition, be sure to identify yourself in the video, especially in a team sport where you aren’t so obvious on the field, court, etc. A coach immediately has to be able to see who he is looking at. Most video editors give you a way to highlight yourself in the video. Making sure the coach knows what number you are helps. A college coach doesn’t have time to try to figure out what he’s looking at, so the easier and more obvious you can make it, the better.