Version Control for Highlight Film Updates

Film gets updated all season, but the link in the coach's inbox does not. A family sends a new cut, an old link stays in a spreadsheet, and two coaches watch different games while discussing the same athlete.

Version control is not a technical problem. It is a naming and sharing decision made once, then followed every time the film changes.

Decide what counts as a new version

A new version is any change that alters what a coach would evaluate: new footage, different order, updated title cards, corrected jersey numbers, or a new season.

Fixing a typo in the intro card is not a new version. Rebuilding the whole tape with a different music track is, because the link changes and the old link should stop being used.

Write the rule down. "Major update means new URL" prevents the argument later.

Name files with a date and a version

Use the same pattern every time:

`Lastname_Firstname_Position_GradYear_Highlight_2026-10-22_v3.mp4`

The date and version tell a coach at a glance whether they are looking at the latest cut. Avoid "final", "final2", and "latest" in filenames; they are true for about a week.

Keep the source project file separate from the exported video. The export is for sharing; the project is for editing.

Keep one canonical link

Decide which link is official: a video platform page, a hosted file, or a profile page that embeds the film. Put that link in one place and give it to coaches.

When the film updates, replace the file behind the same link if the platform allows it. If it does not, create a new link and tell the coaches who received the old one.

Do not rely on a coach to notice a new upload. A short message with the new link and a one-line description of what changed is the reliable path.

Retire the old versions

Do not delete old film immediately. Keep the previous version for at least one recruiting cycle in case a coach asks about a specific game.

Mark retired versions clearly in the folder, for example `_archive`. Remove public access to them so search results do not surface an outdated tape.

Record which version went where

Keep a short log: date, version, link, and the programs or coaches who received it. This prevents the awkward conversation about which cut a coach actually watched.

The log also helps when a coach asks for a specific play. The family can point to a timestamp in a known version rather than hunting through three exports.

Review before each send

Before sending film to a new coach, open the link on a phone and a computer. Check that it plays without a login, that the audio is not muted by default, and that the first ten seconds show the athlete clearly.

A broken or outdated link costs more than a missed email. It tells the coach the family is not paying attention.