Monday, October 5, 2020
Inside a Scout’s Notebook
Get a peek at what recruiters are jotting down as they watch a game.
It started with simple curiosity.
What are college coaches scribbling in their notebooks while they scout prospective student-athletes?
College Hockey Inc. pondered that question with former Cornell assistant coach Topher Scott of The Hockey Think Tank. Together, we turned to a dozen current assistant coaches to get a behind-the-scenes look at their scouting process.
They shared the notes they take – the good and the bad, the attributes they value and those that get a prospect crossed off their list.
The result is the graphic below, which features a fictitious team and was designed to give prospective student-athletes some insight into exactly what those recruiters are looking for.
“It’s always nice to have more perspective, and for a prospect, this will help them understand the mindset of college recruiters,” said Scott. “It will help them understand the process and what they may need to work on to catch the attention of these scouts.”
What’s most noteworthy might be the sheer breadth of information that these coaches are tracking. Their notebooks have everything from a prospect’s compete level to their academic standing, and from their physical attributes to their body language.
