The difference between a high-cost service (NCSA, FieldLevel) that does outreach for you and a lower-cost platform (Lightning) that gives you the tools to do it yourself.
"Recruiting service" and "recruiting platform" both appear in marketing copy, but they describe meaningfully different products in the recruiting ecosystem.
A high-cost product where a paid staff member (often called a "recruiting coordinator") manages the athlete\'s recruiting process — sending emails to coaches on behalf of the athlete, reviewing the highlight video, advising on which schools to target. Examples: NCSA, FieldLevel premium tiers. Annual cost typically $1,000–$3,500.
Pro: hand-holding for families who don\'t want to do the work. Con: expensive, often pushes volume over personalization, less effective than personalized outreach the athlete sends themselves.
A lower-cost product where the athlete builds their own profile, accesses a coach-search database, sends their own outreach using provided templates and tools. The platform is infrastructure; the athlete provides the labor. Examples: Lightning (this product), basic BeRecruited, SportsRecruits self-serve. Annual cost typically $25–$500.
Pro: lower cost, personalized outreach is more effective, athlete develops habits that help in college. Con: requires the athlete and family to actually do the work.
Most families pay for recruiting services and still end up doing most of the work themselves. The service\'s value-add is often more emotional than operational. A motivated athlete on a $25 platform routinely outperforms a passive athlete on a $3,000 service.