How do you become a soccer scout?

What qualities or skills are essential for being a successful soccer scout?

Do you need to take a course to become a football scout?

These are all great questions, and our guest James Doolan has the answers! I love James's story and we had an amazing chat on Episode 33 of the Because Football Podcast. James has forged his own path as a scout, initially reaching out to over 70 clubs via LinkedIn, until he finally got a response from a club in the 6th tier of English football.

Fast forward a few years and he's now a local scout for the academy of Premier League club Everton, as well as performing opposition scouting and performance analysis for other professional clubs. I really admire James's tenacity and how he didn't wait for anyone's permission to become a scout. He also didn't wait to get courses and qualifications - he just did it - and his career is reaping the rewards!

Not only do we discuss his personal path, but also his freelance scouting work of players from West Africa, how he prepares his reports and data, and the opportunities that are coming from that venture. We also get into the details of what he looks for as an academy scout vs opposition scouting, how he works with coaches to identify the type of players they want to sign, and how he creates his reports.

I loved getting to know James and appreciated his transparency and passion - and I know you will, too!

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Federico Diaz is a Uruguayan-American central defender who has played professionally in 3 different (4 depending on how you count!) continents over the course of his career. Never quick to take no for an answer, he has paved his own path in the soccer world and his passion has sustained him through all the ups and downs.

In Episode 32 of the Because Football Podcast, we discuss the origins of his love for the game - his Uruguayan heritage, along with the requisite associated themes of mate, Penarol and Nacional (the country's two most dominant clubs), and how his parents, and especially his late grandfather, fostered his dreams of becoming a pro.

Federico's tenacity and simple determination really impressed me in this episode. From the story of his first international soccer trial in England, to playing in the Champions League of Oceania for a team in Samoa, I found myself laughing, shaking my head, and nodding in agreement at the journey he's taken.

If you are an aspiring soccer player without a clear path, without someone in your corner, scraping for trials and paid tryouts that you don't have full faith in, this could be the episode for you!

Connect with Federico:

LinkedIn

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Imagine getting to tour your favorite soccer team's stadium everyday, bump into superstar players and legendary coaches in the hallway and nod hello as colleagues, then tell a group of passionate fans all about the history and fascinating secrets of the club?

If that sounds like a dream to you, then you want Gareth Houston's job! Gareth, originally from Belfast, is a stadium tour guide of the BayArena, Bayer Leverkusen's home ground. And not only does he get to share the magic of the club with visitors, he also follows the club around the country and continent as a dedicated fan himself.

Gareth is a lively, articulate guest who made a great impression on Episode 31 of the Because Football Podcast. An avid football fan and co-host of the England B Team Pod, he is full of knowledge about German football culture and shares why it's arguably one of the strongest, most influential groups of football fans in the world. Even if you already know a bit about the Bundesliga and Bayer Leverkusen's dream undefeated title run last season (their first EVER Bundesliga title as a club!), you'll walk away with a deeper understanding of what makes German football tick!

An, for an music (specifically flute lovers), be sure to check out Gareth's In Line G Flute Podcast, too!

Learn More about Gareth

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England B Team Pod

Inline G Flute Podcast

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What does a sporting director do? What is the USL Championship all about? What skills do you need to be a successful professional soccer coach and leader?

Thanks to our guest Dan Visser, Sporting Director of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the USL Championship, Episode 30 of the Because Football Podcast answers all these questions and more.

We talk about Dan's journey from a three-time NCAA National Champion at Messiah College to his various college coaching roles, to ultimately making the jump to the professional level as the assistant coach of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds for 7 years. Dan is currently serving as Sporting Director of the club, bringing together the vision of the first team and the academy, seeking to develop a club that not only competes (and wins) USL titles but also develops elite players from within the club academy.

In this episode, Dan often mentions the importance of leadership, the absolute necessity of people skills and soft skills in leadership roles, and how he was influenced by mentors like Dave Brandt (former Messiah and current Bucknell University coach) and Bob Lilley (current Riverhounds coach).

He explains the position of USL Championship within US and world soccer and how the league has become a "selling league" with players fetching 6 and 7 figure transfer fees. Dan also gives rare insight into the culture of his club, such as requiring players to give 20 minutes post-game to signing autographs and meeting with fans... no matter the result.

He also shares what his day-to-day role looks like as Sporting Director, and what some necessary experience and skills are for the role.

We hope you enjoy this episode! Please like, subscribe, and leave a rating for us!

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Have you ever wondered about how to get soccer tickets for matches in the UK and other parts of Europe? Maybe you've been watching your favorite adopted team for years on TV, have seen them on preseason tours to the US, but haven't quite had the nerve to brave all the logistics and hop over the Atlantic to go see them live and in person? Want to know how to get tickets? Which soccer stadium is overrated? Or underrated? And what games and clubs you REALLY NEED to see? And then once you figure that out, how do you get to the stadium, the hotel, etc? It's a lot to sift through. Well, let our guest Paul Gerald of Groundhopper Soccer Guides inform and encourage you on Episode 29 of the Because Football Podcast! The story of Groundhopper Soccer Guides started when Paul Gerald was visiting friends in London and they took him to a game. He had played soccer as a kid and always admired the passion of the English game, but he always considered it some far-off dream, like normal Americans visiting England couldn’t just go to a game. Once he figured out how easy it really was, and how incredibly fun, and once he saw fans celebrating goals in person, he was HOOKED! In this episode, we talk about Paul's personal story from watching the drudgery of NASL's Memphis Rogues in the 1970s, catching German soccer highlights on TV, and eventually being a season ticket holder of the Portland Timbers. This line from the Groundhopper Soccer Guides website shows how Paul and his crew are truly kindred spirits of our team here at Because Football: "We believe that sports aren’t just about watching a game — although that can be tons of fun. We think it’s really about connecting with people and communities, expanding your horizons, and just maybe experiencing a moment that they’ll talk about for generations. Oh, and we wish a lot more people would get past the “big six” Premier League clubs and get out on the terraces of the lower leagues." Our conversation in this episode revolves around that theme, as well as the fantastic ways that Paul and his team can make your European soccer dream a reality! Find out more about Groundhopper Soccer Guides: Website YouTube

Buy Paul's Groundhopper Guide for 2023-24 book on Amazon! Buy the book on Amazon Find out more about Because Football:

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If you are a diehard football fan and have ever thought about doing something MORE with that passion, this episode is a great listen for you! In Episode 28 of the Because Football Podcast, we sit down with two of the founding members of the Ale and the Vale Podcast, Jonny Hancock and Stu Kerby. The Ale and the Vale Podcast is a fan-driven project about Port Vale FC, a football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, that is currently in League Two, the fourth tier of professional English football. Self-described as "3 fans talking absolutely relatable rubbish that you will have heard at any game at Vale Park", the podcast was named League One podcast of the year by ‘TheRealEFL’ awards in 2023, outperforming the team's on-field performance by some length! The podcast has also led and participated in numerous fundraisers for the community, fostering more concrete benefits other than serving as a rallying voice for what's in the head of many Vale supporters from week to week. What began as a way to stay connected with each other and with their club during the pandemic has now grown into a weekly (sometimes more frequent) podcast that not only gives a voice to local supporters of Port Vale, but has managed to foster a close alliance with the club itself. This relationship has allowed the podcast to authentically bridge both groups, interview club personnel such as the club owner, Carol Shanahan, and even players and managers. It's the type of access and interconnectedness that is difficult to find among the mainstream modern football of today, and is a reminder of how important clubs are to their local communities, not only on the pitch, but off of it. During this chat, Jonny and Stu explain us to the different types of match day experiences for English football fans, from home to pub to stadium experiences, the magic of away days, and their criteria for what makes a "big club". It's the type of conversation that goes beyond a simple man on the street post-match interview you may have seen on other fan-driven social media channels. We hope it offers more insight into what draws people to "smaller" clubs at lower tiers of football, away from the spotlight of today's mega-clubs and untouchable superstar players. They also give their opinions on the Wrexham project by American owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, offering a perspective from a smaller club without the miraculous cash injection that has led to the Welsh club's "fairytale" story. And, finally, we end the pod with a discussion about what football has meant to their lives, and they offer their "Because Football...." answers. We thank Jonny and Stu for their time and sharing their story with us at Because Football. UTV! Listen to Ale and the Vale Podcast here: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1dp6OIcDldPSjAS3VAPEHs Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ale-and-the-vale-a-port-vale-podcast/id1515835229 Follow Ale and the Vale on Social Media: X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/AleAndValePod?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AleAndValePod/ Find out more about Because Football: https://www.linkedin.com/in/baggaleyandrew/ https://www.instagram.com/becausefootball_/ https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/btWKtmp7dBb https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/because-football/id1695450256 For more about our Tranform Soccer training programs in the USA: https://transformsoccertraining.com/philadelphia-soccer-training/ https://www.instagram.com/transformsoccer_/

Episode 27 of the Because Football Podcast takes us into a part of the football world that we haven't touched on too deeply so far: fan engagement for professional clubs, specifically through developing local football programs as a tool for community development.

Our guest is Peter Woolcock, a Sport Consultant whose CV boasts experience leading volunteer operations for the 2012 London Olympics, as well as being a Director of Gameday Operations and Fan Experience for Chattanooga Football Club, an NPSL club in the USA. Over a 20 year career, Pete has served in various community sports roles in China, India, the UK and the United States. Early on in the podcast, Pete talks about the importance of his local club, Exeter City FC of England's League One, and how match day experiences at the club were an important part of his childhood. After an elite water polo career, Pete's openness to adventure and pushing his comfort zone led him to work experiences in places like Namibia and Australia. But the core of Pete's expertise has come through developing community sports programs that make an impact on local communities. It is this power transformative potential of sport, and soccer in particular, that forms the core of our conversation. I love this episode because it combines the extraordinary power of soccer with ordinary people who truly need its presence in their lives. And, further, Pete shares how professional clubs can leverage these types of programs to grow their fan base and strengthen their financial sustainability long-term. It's a fascinating chat and Pete even shares about his family's unique experience traveling the world and building a Youtube channel of their own (check out @StephandPete for all the tips about traveling the world with a toddler!). And if you are in a leadership role with a professional football club, or building community programs through sport, be sure to get in touch with Pete: How to Connect with Peter Woolcock:

LinkedIn

peterwoolcock (@) gmail.com

Steph and Pete Youtube Channel

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Welcome to Episode 26 of the Because Football Podcast! We welcome back Ivorian journalist Jaures Droghba to review the incredible feast of football that his country hosted.

AFCON Champions Cote D'Ivoire hosted a legendary tournament this year! Not only was it the most organized and safest tournament ever, but also one of the most dramatic!

The host Elephants just barely qualified for the knockout stages thanks to a fortunate result from their new best friends Morocco. The host country fired their head coach, Jean Louis Gasset, after their three group matches and installed assistant coach Emerse Fae as the new manager.

Coupled with their lucky advance into the knockout round and a fresh team spirit fostered by the new coach, the Elephants surged through the knockouts and eventually defeated Nigeria in the final.

For all the heroics on the field, the real story here is the up and down rollercoaster ride that the people of the Cote D'Ivoire went on!

Jaures gave us the perspective of the people and the impact the tournament made on the Ivorian community.

We thank Jaures for his time and insight!

To learn more about Ivorian football and connect with him, follow these links:

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⁠⁠Transform Soccer Website⁠⁠

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