The best time is when the player has something to show ... solid mechanics and metrics. Post soph summer is for remaining major D1 recruits and the beginning for mid major D1. Post junior summer is for remaining D1 mid majors and everyone else. But if a player has something to show he can get on the radar screen.
A recruiting video should be about mechanics, not highlights. Keep is under three minutes. Impose metrics on the screen. Don’t bother with music.
The best use of a video is having the travel coach make contact with college coaches and presell the player. Then send a link to the video via email. The other option is a blind emailer to target markets. It’s a nothing to lose approach.
Include a link to the travel team’s schedule. If it’s not available provide it later.
Create a data base or purchase a sales prospect contact program to track all contacts and interactions both ways.