What Is Scouting a Player?

Players can be scouted for a variety of sports, including football, baseball, basketball and hockey. Scouting a player is when a professional scout from a specific organization visits teams --- usually high school or college teams --- to judge player potential see if any are ready for the next level. High school sports players are scouted for college teams, and college players are scouted for professional teams.

  1. Scout's Role

    • A scout typically has one goal and function when observing players --- to observe and uncover hidden or potential talent in a specific sports player. Scouts are employed either by a specific team or sports league, and are required to report back to general managers, team managers and coaches with information about a player's skill set. Scouts are considered the eyes and ears of a team, and are responsible for finding up-and-coming, and sometimes unknown, talent for the team.

    Scout Duties

    • In order to be a successful scout, a person must have a variety of attributes. The two most important attributes a scout must have are an eye for player ability and an eye for player potential. According to The Hockey Source, scout responsibilities include creating a player profile, writing assessments of players' skills, interviewing parents and obtaining feedback from coaches. When observing an athlete, a scout should sit alone and undisturbed in the stands, so that he can form his own opinions about a player. A scout should seek feedback on a player from coaches, parents and teachers; however, a scout should form his own opinions on an athlete and not simply rely on feedback received from others.

    Potential Players

    • Scouts look for a variety of attributes in potential athletes for a team. First and foremost, a scout will observe a player's general attitude --- the way he treats his coach, the way he treats his teammates and the way he plays the game. Also, scouts will look for a player's ability and basic skills, as well as at a player's actions and how skills are used in particular situations. A scout will also note what he feels is the best position for the athlete, as well as observe general strengths and weaknesses. Scouts are typically asked to rate players, either on a number or letter grade system. This rating system should be clearly defined and outlined ahead of time. A scout's ratings must be descriptive and specific, and a scout should keep the game situations in mind when making a final rating of a player.

    Impressing Scouts

    • Players can focus on a variety of tasks in order to impress a scout. However, it is important that a player not try too hard to please the scout, as this could come across negatively in a scout's review. One of the most impressive things to a scout is when an athlete makes a great decision during a key play of the game, proving not only athletic skills but the ability to think on his feet. In addition, a player that shows patience and that he is in control will also catch the attention of a scout.