Which Scout Do You See?

After reading “Don’t Press Send” by Marcus Sloan, I enjoyed the scope of his communication. Please. Please think about it before you press send. While reading Don’t Press Send, the wheels began to turn inside as I wondered:

For those that have been in the gym for many years, let’s be honest with each other……how many times have you seen a SCOUT enter a gym, say hello to friends, parents, coaches, and then commence to have some hardcore conversations and laughs about various topics while the game is going on?

I’m asking this to the fan that is watching as: TJ splits the trap, spins on the next defender, attacks the defending big man, raises up for the layup as the defender jumps to block the shot, then softly wraps the ball behind his back to his teammate, Herb, who takes one dribble and SLAMS A THUNDEROUS DUNK as the crowd goes wild!!!

You look down at the scouts on the wall and they are screaming about Herb’s DUNK! They are looking into their programs to see who this big rumbling 6’9 sophomore is. You smile. As a fan/spectator/coach you search social media after the game and throughout the next week. You see tons of clips and retweets everywhere. You like young Herb’s game but you were seeing if anyone noticed TJ’s slicey ball handling, crafty moves, and Angel Soft passes that he was making throughout the game. They must have missed it. As you look back, you remember that while all the leadership and showtime passes was being displayed, the scouts were all against the wall laughing and enjoying the fellowship with each other. They missed it again.

How can one call himself a Scout or Evaluator yet miss TJ’s eight game changing assists? When you look at the box score or write ups the next day, TJ gets his credit of assists but nothing more. His talent has become silenced because he didn’t dunk the ball like Herb. Social media is quiet on TJ’s talents.

Now, ask yourself this: How many times have you seen a SCOUT enter a gym, say hello to friends, parents, coaches, etc, and then walk to an upper corner or table alone and simply do his job – Evaluate Teams and Players (on both sides)?

Are those the true scouts? The ones who find diamonds in the rough. The ones that can tell you why the stats don’t define the IT Factor that TJ has on a game without scoring. They are the ones that notice how Herb has gotten 5 consecutive rebounds “out of his area” and has a soft jump shot that translates to the Division 1 collegiate level. They are also the ones that noticed how Ben, on the opposite team, defended Herb better than any other opponent. The scout writes a note next to Ben’s name: slides his feet well. Boxes out. Contests shots. Need to see more!

Which scout do you want to see more of?

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