How To Be a Sports Scout
Do you dream of working for Major League Baseball or other professional teams? Have you ever wondered how to become a sports scout? If you want to become a sports scout, you will need to have a specific skill set that enables you to discover talent wherever it may be. Those who don’t mind spending time in small towns, spending nights in cramped hotel rooms and spending time away from their families in search of the next superstar player could be the best candidates for the role once they learn how to become a professional scout.
You Have to Love Sports
The life of an athletic scout is not glamourous. Typically, the player is given credit for making the play, the coach is given credit for putting him on the field and the general managers are given credit for acquiring the player. While athletic scouts are important to the success of the team, they are usually an afterthought or paid lip service by fans of the teams that they root for. Therefore, you have to do you job because you love it as opposed to the pay or the glory the position provides, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Most Scouts Start as Interns
Athletic scouts will get noticed the same way as many others in the sports industry get noticed. They will start as an intern for a local sports team or work for their alma mater as a graduate assistant in their athletic department and learn how to be a scout. Once they have paid their dues as an unpaid intern, they will be given positions as either regional scouts or assistants to regional scouts. Interns can learn how to become a sports recruiter. Attending sporting events is a key part of the job for sports scouts. From there, you can become a head athletic scout for a region or become the head scout for entire professional sports teams who oversees all the other scouts on the team payroll.
It’s All About Who You Know
It is easier to break into the world of scouting if you have connections within the industry. This is why it is important to spend time during your high school or college years working with pro or college sports teams in their athletic department. Even if you just spend a summer or two fetching coffee for a coach or another scout, you will gain contacts that can be useful when you want a job later on. That could help you learn how to become a college scout. Professional athletes also share with others about with whom they have had positive interactions.
Do You Need Formal Education?
When you know how to become a pro scout, do you need a formal education? While most scouts do have a formal degree (not necessarily a sports scouting degree), it may not be necessary to have a college education to become a scout. If you have played a sport for many years in college or as a professional, that sports experience may be enough to get you a job. If your father was a coach and you spent many years breaking down film with him, that experience may be enough to earn you an entry level position as a scout. However, those who feel that a college degree will help them should consider a sport studies degree or something similar. Important skills include:
- having a keen eye
- building relationships
- finding new talent
- working with talented players
Salary
Professional sports scouts have a varied average salary. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average annual pay for coaches and scouts is $38,970. However, part time work as a coach and sports scout is also common. Full time positions will make more than part time, generally speaking.
Conclusion
How do you become a scout? Now that you know how to how to become a scout, you will need to have a passion for the game, be willing to spend time as an intern and possibly get a college degree. Those who are good enough at their scouting jobs can eventually land roles as personnel directors or team presidents.
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