Let’s Talk Scouting and Development

Below is a conversation with manager Pernaug (2417480), a fixture in the USA Hattrick community. Read on to gain perspectives on youth development, U21 scouting, and the Hattrick ecosystem. (This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity)

Thank you for your time and willingness to answer some questions. To start, how long have you been playing Hattrick? How has your relationship with the game evolved during this time?

I started Hattrick in 2005, so it's almost 20 years. If my math is correct, around season 25. As almost everyone else, I joined the game completely clueless. Regardless, I managed to win the Div VI series in season 25. I can't remember, but I probably played only bots. Then it took 10 seasons to win Div V and five more to win Div IV. All was going smoothly so far, but then my team maxed out. I had no clue how to further improve my team and that stayed like that for quite some time. Then in season 75 (35 seasons later!!) I won Div III for the first time. I know. Embarrassing. What has changed you may ask? Well, I somehow managed to have two great youth players that were of interest for the U21 and that changed everything.

You’re known in the USA community as a dedicated Head Scout for the U21 squad, spanning many generations and staffs. Could you describe some of your general responsibilities in this role?

I am entering my 18th season as head scout and 13th season as assistant coach. Already early on I was wondering why the US did not win any medals recently (here is that opining Hattrick Press article: (20799). Fast forward the answer is two-fold: 1. Consistency in the scouting management and 2. Engagement with the trainers. Since then the US U21 has won 2 bronze, 1 silver, and 3 gold medals.

What are some tips for managers who wish to train U21 caliber players?

It's OK if you don't know how to train a U21 talent. The only thing you need is some basic club infrastructure. When you are ready, reach out to me or any of the scouts and we'll guide you through the process. The most important tip: Trust the scout, do as they ask and learn.

How else can managers get involved with the USA U21 apparatus?

If you want to help, then reach out to the current coach. The best thing for newcomers is usually listening in and learning in the beginning.

You’ve been very successful in the Sydney Hunt competition (17608307.1), a USA community contest where users compare the skills and potential of their promoted youth players. What’s the recipe to your success?

Great opportunity to brag! Much appreciated. Of the last 10 Sydney Hunt competitions I won 6. Most importantly it helps to have 4 teams in the US. Other than that it is following the tips and tricks generally known or easily searchable (check Hattrick Press and forum). The most important are: Only hire 15 year olds, focus your training on your best talents and adjust training if needed every week.

You’ve also developed a CHPP product: hattrack (https://www.pernaug.com/hattrack/). I gather that it’s popular in U21/NT circles. What inspired you to develop these tools?

Honestly, my own laziness. I developed several online tools for the national teams - all predominantly to reduce my work. Hattrack is the only CHPP program that connects with Hattrick to gather data. TS (team spirit) and TC (team confidence) data are vital information to predict what your opponent may do in the next match and to predict their lineup ratings. I was tracking those by hand (as everyone else) in a big excel sheet. Hattrack is certainly more convenient. You just click and look it up. Then I coded a match simulator. U21 teams can be quite similar in strength, so what lineup choices you make and to know how they would fare against all the possible lineups from your opponents is critical for success. Just imagine that you have 5 lineups and want to know how they simulate against 5 of the opponent. That's 25 simulations, and every time you have to enter the same data again and again, and when you are at the tenth simulation you forget what the results of the first were...so you start all over. So, I needed a match simulator that is connected to a database that stores lineups and results. Since nobody had something like that, I had to invent it. It did have a nice side effect. Guess what, if you want to code a reliable and accurate simulator you really need to understand all the mathematics behind the match engine. Lastly, knowing your opponent and your own (U21) players is important. Even more important is to have those data readily accessible and searchable. Hattrick doesn't provide a feature like that and Hattrick Portal, although a great tool, has availability issues, not even mentioning the amount of advertisement you have to endure. So, I coded an online tool that allows me to easily import the data and bring it into a format that can be filtered and tracked reliably.

You’ve trained or scouted innumerable Hattrick players. Could you name a couple players that left an indelible memory? What made them special?

I have to mention three players here. Alex 'Preying' Mathis (418474570) and Jimbo 'Jumbo Jet' Sutphin (418528915) are the two players that started it all. Homegrown, together they played 38 matches for the U21 and 105 matches for the national team. But they did not win a medal. That was my third homegrown, Mitchell Alexander (471400212). He played 23 matches for the U21 and won Bronze and Gold. Thinking about it, I do have another homegrown player currently on my first team who won a U21 medal.

If you could change one aspect of the Hattrick game (feasibility is not a concern in this hypothetical), what would you like to see?

OK. I limit myself to just one. Change the training system in the youth academy so that competing in a league system is feasible. The current league system is completely obsolete, since you have to field your youth players in positions to maximize training. But that means you are not fielding the players in their best position. I don't even look up league tables. Such a missed opportunity.

Let’s end with some levity! What are you currently watching and reading in the real world outside Hattrick?

I am a huge Brandon Sanderson fan. Stormlight Archive is the best book series I know. In terms of TV series I really enjoy watching Survivor. No spoilers please, I wait until I can watch all episodes of the new season in a few days.

სტატიის პირდაპირი ბმული (HT-ML, ფორუმისთვის): [ArticleID=23750]