Advice on Getting Scouted from a Professional

The last 10 years have been defining times for the Ecuadorian soccer club, Independiente del Valle (IDV).  Once they achieved the Ecuadorian Seria A in 2010, they have begun a steady climb toward being one of the best clubs not only in Ecuador, but in the entirety of South America.  This was confirmed by their performance in the 2016 Copa Liberatores, where they made it to the finals.  

A contributing factor toward IDV’s continued advancement is its dedication to the recruitment of talent throughout the country.  Jorge Cartagena, who has been IDV’s Coordinator of Recruitment for the past three years, recently took some time to speak with us about his work scouting players to support the club’s continued development.  Cartagena brought years of experience as a coach to the position and has been fundamental in bringing a steady stream of talented players to IDV’s academy, which is located in Sangolquí, a suburb of the capital city of Quito.  

Under Cartagena’s leadership, IDV brings in an impressive 3,000 players each year to tryout for the club.  Through connections with the country’s many soccer academies and coaches, IDV recruits players based on the club’s player profile.  

“The player’s technique is the first thing we see,” says Cartagena when asked to describe the player profile in more detail.  “We want to see that they are aggressive and make good decisions in the moment they have the ball at their feet.”

While the player’s field position also plays a role, Cartagena is also looking for a competitive mentality and resiliency.  Once in the club, the players are in a constant high-pressure environment that requires a fighting spirit.  IDV is very dedicated to the players’ mental health once they join the club, with psychologists and professors on staff, but to arrive at this level of play requires that the player already possesses this resilient and competitive mentality.

Another equally important quality the scouts are looking for is the player’s coachability.  To be a contributing part of the club, players need to be capable of putting into practice what they are taught.  Raw talent only takes a player so far - the coaching staff needs to be able to form the players to help them reach their full potential.  

Once a player is recruited to join IDV, they are only beginning their journey to the 1st Division.  “Usually, it takes a player about 5 years to work his way up to Division 1,” says Cartagena. “Its very rare that a player moves through the program faster than that.”  

After a series of tryouts, the player is placed in the category that corresponds with their abilities and what follows from that placement is a lot of hard work and dedication to reach the highest level of play.  In his three years at IDV, Cartagena has seen 2 of his recruits reach the 1st division: Fricson Borja, a midfielder for the B team, and Leonardo Realpe, a center back who plays for the A team.  

Cartagena shared three pieces of advice for players who aspire to be scouted to play professionally:

1. Start training early.  From the age of 8 or 9 years old, children should be enrolled in a program to support their development as a player.  

2. Be willing to make sacrifices. “Sometimes you have to make sacrifices in life to achieve great things,” says Cartagena.  

3. Dream big.  To be the best you can be, you have to set the goal for yourself to compete against the best in the world. Don’t settle for competing against the best team in your town or your state or even your country.  Dream on a global scale.

Cartagena’s advice is uniquely IDV, as evidenced by the club’s slogan: “Nunca dejes de soñar.” 

Never stop dreaming.