Every season, athletes train, work out, and practice for their one chance to play for their favorite college team and for some, even the Pros.

There is only one way to make their dream a reality and that is to be signed by a college scout.

A scout’s job is to look for players they would like to represent their school’s team. Most college scouts are just the coaches of the specific sport’s team that the athlete is involved in.

“It is everyday recruiting,” Lindenwood University Men’s soccer coach Carl Hutter said. “It’s twelve months a year of scouting talent. I am constantly looking for people who perform physically and emotionally well under pressure.”

To get a hold of players, scouts send out applications asking sport specific questions. They want to get every bit of information about each athlete they are interested in.

“I think it is a ‘feel-good’ thing for athletes that scouts are interested in them,” Hutter said.

Some scouts simply send business cards with numbers to high school coaches.

Coach Bob Dunahue pulls out his whole stack of cards of scouts who have contacted him about players in the past such as the Seattle Mariners, Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Texas Rangers.

Once a scout has heard of a player, they look into the player’s character.

“There first question to me is always ‘what kind of kid are they?’” Activities Director Mike Janes said. “Then, they ask about a player’s grades. Then, finally they get sport specific.”

Scouts don’t want to take any chances on a failing student or a student they have to fight to keep eligible to play on their roster.
They look at an athlete’s record with the law, suspensions, and grades to keep that worry far away from their team.

“In high school, one hundred kids come out, sixty percent make it,” Dunahue said. “In college, thirty percent of the kids make it. In the Pros, five percent make it and of that five percent one percent make it as a Major League player. That goes to show how big of a crap shoot it is.”

Hutter would like to remind all athletes that someone is always watching even when they do not know it.

“We are always looking for good character, attitude, and work ethic,” Hutter said.