They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I’m not exactly sure who “they” are, but I can tell you that some pictures are worth much more than a thousand words. In fact, some pictures tell a full story, in which the viewer then interprets this into his or her own version of what they believe it truly means.
But what about other variables, such as numbers for instance? When most people look at a number, or a piece of data, they see a concrete answer, a definitive figure that identifies an answer to a problem. “If Tom has four apples to start, and picks up six more, how many apples does Tom have now?” Most people would read that question and answer “ten” and be satisfied with their definitive solution using simple math. But there are those select few who will think to themselves questions such as, “What steps did Tom take to obtain those four apples in the first place? “Why did Tom want more apples and what will he do with them now?”
Sometimes it’s not about the number itself, but the process in how that number came to be, and the story behind it. Now of course this is metaphorically speaking. But the reasoning behind these questions proves to be a much bigger, open-ended response.
Located in Sandhausen, Germany, Global Soccer Network (GSN) is an up and coming company for scouting athletes and provides a database and index that shows how well a player performs currently, and how well they could perform in the future. By collecting data from every available source at their disposal (Internet, newspapers, TV, social media, etc.), GSN uses their influence and data index to cover almost every relevant professional, semi-professional and youth-league soccer program worldwide.
By tracking these players and their development in performance, GSN is able to calculate real-time data and use specific numbers to show the progression, as well as educated future calculations of just how essential an athlete may be. Founder and CEO of Global Soccer Network, Mr. Dustin Böttger, discusses what he believes to be some key techniques and strategies that will help revolutionize modern day scouting.
“Our system makes it possible to compare and rate over 340,000 players worldwide with the same standards (different leagues, countries or age groups) and it also tells you how good a player is right now, and how good he could be in the future. We are able to provide really in depth information for our clients that include different top league clubs around the globe,” Böttger explains.
“Our system also makes it possible to show over or underrated players, and we have created a price performance ratio which is essential for clubs to optimize their scouting departments.”
Influenced by “Moneyball”, an international bestseller written by author Michael Lewis, GSN uses numbers and indexes to identify underrated and rather unknown athletes, and show franchises the potential of an athlete if they decide to take the risk.
In summation, and to once again digest the aforementioned example of Tom and his apples, GSN invented this comparative index as well as some other tools, which aims to show clubs and federations exactly how good a player is, and just how good he can be. By just analyzing numbers, GSN shows if an athlete is worth his money, while identifying ratings based on current demonstrations and possible future performance.
Based on this data, it is a lot easier to find the right players and be more successful. And just like any CEO should be, Böttger is fully invested in the reliability of GSN’s potential.
“We want to revolutionize modern day scouting. Make it smarter and easier to find the right players worldwide, based on objective data and not on subjective opinions”.
GSN shows those who aim to look more closely at the data that it’s not about the quantity you currently have, but more so about the potential you have to increase that number in the future.
