Coaches and Scouts
How old were you in 2016? Do you remember the biggest sports event of that year, when Leicester City won the English Premier League title for the first time in its history -- the strongest and most famous league in the world of football? What Leicester City achieved was practically a miracle at the time, because no one expected a recently promoted club, which had been playing in England's second and third divisions in previous seasons, to pull off that achievement and outshine football giants like Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester City. Leicester City made history that year, not just for winning the league title, but more importantly for pulling off that miracle with a group of unknown young players who had no reputation in the sport at the time -- players their club's scouts had brought in from obscure clubs around the world. But let's pause for a moment: who are these scouts who bring players to teams? And what exactly does a scout do? A scout is someone with extensive knowledge of football who works for a specific club or on their own account, traveling the world to watch talented young players in local leagues and small tournaments like school and indoor competitions. They're looking for the best talent to bring to their team or pitch to clubs -- heading to Africa where there are strong, fast young Black players, or to South America where there's skill and dribbling ability. Even Lionel Messi himself was brought to Barcelona by a scout. Scouts don't just work in football -- they work across different sports, searching for talented players in obscure clubs in any sport to bring them to well-known, prestigious teams, whether in football, basketball, volleyball, swimming, running, or anything else.
Meet the Writer: Waleed Abo Omiraa
What You'll Actually Do
The core tasks and responsibilities that fill a typical day.
- Plan, organize, and conduct practice sessions.
- Plan strategies and choose team members for individual games or sports seasons.
- Adjust coaching techniques, based on the strengths and weaknesses of athletes.
- Instruct individuals or groups in sports rules, game strategies, and performance principles, such as specific ways of moving the body, hands, or feet, to achieve desired results.
- Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of opposing teams to develop game strategies.
- Evaluate athletes' skills and review performance records to determine their fitness and potential in a particular area of athletics.
- Keep abreast of changing rules, techniques, technologies, and philosophies relevant to their sport.
- Monitor athletes' use of equipment to ensure safe and proper use.
- Explain and enforce safety rules and regulations.
- Explain and demonstrate the use of sports and training equipment, such as trampolines or weights.
- Arrange and conduct sports-related activities, such as training camps, skill-improvement courses, clinics, and pre-season try-outs.
- Provide training direction, encouragement, motivation, and nutritional advice to prepare athletes for games, competitive events, or tours.
- Contact the parents of players to provide information and answer questions.
- Coordinate travel arrangements and travel with team to away contests.
- Counsel student athletes on academic, athletic, and personal issues.
- Perform activities that support a team or a specific sport, such as participating in community outreach activities, meeting with media representatives, and appearing at fundraising events.
- Monitor the academic eligibility of student athletes.