11 Questions with Scott Martin

The pursuit of wisdom in any walk of life quickly reveals that what you think you know is not nearly enough to get you to where you want to go. As I'm starting out in my football journey I challenged myself to reach out to those already working in various roles in football to answer a short list of questions. My goal wasn't to get answers but relevant perspectives on the game within the game.

Here is Scott Martin:

How did your first opportunity in football come about?

Near the end of my graduate program in philosophy and theology, a classmate of mine started working at a local high school. They needed a coach for the girls’ team, so she connected me with the school’s athletic director. I haven’t turned back since then. That high school job led to academy and university coaching roles here in the United States.

I’ve always been a very studious person, actively engaging my interests and developing new skills. While tactical understanding was one of my strengths on the pitch, both as a player and coach, I wasn’t satisfied. Around Easter of 2019, I discovered Total Football Analysis. Reading their content and seeing the ads for new writers sparked an application almost exactly a year ago to the day. Since joining TFA, I’ve benefitted from David Seymour’s mentoring, as well as an

incredible community of analysts. They’ve really pushed me to enhance my eye for detail and pick up new skills, especially related to programming, data visualization, and data structures.

Nearly a year into the project, I’ve contributed to recruitment analysis reports for clubs competing in the world’s top leagues. It’s been quite the ride.

What attracted you to coaching/data/scouting? What’s more intriguing now names or

numbers?

Coaching and tactical analysis were and still are my passions. Interacting with players, helping them along their journey both as a player and a person, brings me a lot of joy. The tactical component of the game is also deeply satisfying. I really enjoy developing systems, identifying problems, and working towards solutions.

That said, my role with Total Football Analysis has given me more insight and a greater appreciation for the role of data. Starting with data refines the process and helps an analyst avoid the pitfalls of bias. Systematically structuring and interpreting the data is critical to analysis. It

informs the process, ensuring nothing escapes notice. From there, an in-depth eye test refines the details, ensuring a thorough assessment.

What type of player fascinates you? What caught your eye?

Two types of players come to mind. First, players who manage space really well, especially from an attacking perspective. In particular, midfielders who manage the more compact space of the central channel and half spaces, as well as forwards who excel at disconnecting their markers from the opponent’s defensive structure or manipulating large swathes of the opposition’s structure, make for an excellent study.

The second type of player is the type that initiates play from defense. Their spatial and threat awareness really separates these players from the pack. Think of a player like Casemiro. He’s incredible and, in my opinion, the most important player on Real Madrid. His performance allows those around him to utilize their strengths in attack more freely, so he’s benefitting both

the individuals and the team as a whole.

What is the biggest misconception you’ve found in this space?

I think there’s still a prevailing notion, much like in the corporate world, that experience equals competence, even if that experience is in a totally different capacity to the current role. The upside is that more and more clubs that go against the grain are achieving unprecedented levels

of success, both in football and other sports. My hope is that, much like the Moneyball revolution in baseball, we will see a diversification of skillsets within organizations and that they’ll look beyond the shallows in the talent recruitment process.

If you could start over what skill would you build on first?

Programming, data visualization, and data structures. The COVID-19 shutdowns seemed to bring all the data visualization specialists out of the woodwork, so we’ve seen some really incredible presentations and ideas coming out of the data community. Seeing their impact and appealing presentation of data has sparked my interest. Learning R and Tableau has been really helpful.

Continuing to study those programs, as well as mastering Excel, are current projects.

What is more important domain knowledge or curiosity?

I don’t view these as mutually exclusive qualities. In fact, I’d argue that curiosity serves as the vehicle of development. Without a curious mind, development is extremely limited. A growth mindset necessitates curiosity, helping us analyze strengths and weakness, limitations and possibilities, and theory versus the concrete. 

It’s the developmental process sparked by curiosity that builds domain knowledge. That view reframes the context of domain knowledge. Rather than viewing it as an endpoint, it’s now seen as a process of continual development. Intellectual

humility and curiosity are key to growing domain knowledge, whereas arrogance and pride are the enemies of development.

What is your favorite sports moment? Why?

As a teenager growing up in central California, the late-game heroics of Scott Hatteberg and Miguel Tejeda in the Oakland A’s famed 20-game win streak, then an American League record, was really special. The A’s legendary broadcasters, Bill King and Ken Korach, made it all the more special. The way they shared my joy and excitement really made the moment.

Overall though, it has to be Eder’s extra-time winner against France and the hobbled Cristiano Ronaldo lifting Portugal’s first senior-level trophy. My heritage is entirely Portuguese and I grew up in a Portuguese community, so seeing the suffering come to an end and joy come to the nation

and her descendants will live with me forever.

What coach or player would you give a lifetime contract to? Why?

Zinedine Zidane can coach my team as long as he wants. He’s not only an exceptional, yet

underrated, tactical mind, but his squad management is impeccable. Add in the fact that he’s found the balance of level-headedness and competitive fire and you’ve got a perennial winner.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into this space?

Embrace the fear, chaos, and messiness of personal development. Growing up, my pride and fear of mistakes kept me for taking on more public roles and responsibilities. Studying the philosophy of the ancient Greeks and stoics has taught me that courage isn’t the absence of fear, but the acknowledgment of it. 

If your fear of criticism or public error are holding you back, identify those fears and contemplate whether they make the task impossible or mere difficult. It the latter,

embrace that difficulty and the challenges that accompany it.

I think too many people let fear or intellectual pride dictate their actions. Rather than running from those obstacles, identify them and see them for what they are. In most instances, temporary embarrassment is the most significant threat. Know that we’re all embarrassed from time-to-time. The people I admire most don’t let that possibility of embarrassment limit their growth.

Reach out to established analysts, put your work out there, and don’t be afraid to engage the future you want.

Who is your favorite athlete? Why?

Cristiano Ronaldo. Between my Portuguese heritage, love of Sporting Portugal and Real Madrid, and his exceptional skill, longevity, and dedication, he’s the easy #1. His generosity is another thing I really admire.

What is your favorite quote or saying?

I couldn’t narrow the list (my apologies), so here are my top three.

1) “He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two

commandments.’” (Matthew 22:37-40)

2) “The things we love tell us what we are.” Dr. Peter Kreeft paraphrasing St. Thomas Aquinas

(Summa Theologica I-II, 34, a4)

3) Q: “What’s wrong with the world today?”

A: “Dear Sir,

I am.

Yours,

G.K. Chesterton.”