Scouts

The NetScouts Basketball/SMWW apprenticeship program is a great opportunity for anyone with an interest in pursuing a career in basketball. Being a credentialed member on press row was a dream come true for me. You are given the tools to hone your skills of talent evaluation and get feedback on your reports about how to improve. Mr. Berman is hands on with his feedback and has a great deal of  respect and experience in this business.  While in the program, I attended several SOCON basketball games in my area and two years later I am now coaching in the same conference. Take advantage of this position by forming genuine relationships with as many people as you can

With work and school every day, I found it difficult to expand my knowledge in the sports field and fit a class with a fixed time into my busy schedule.The online Basketball GM course was a great fit for me; I was able to learn and complete my assignments at my own pace and on my own schedule. This course has also been a great tool for networking with individuals across the country that possess the same interests and career goals as I. The information I have obtained and the teachings that this course provides have been invaluable for my growth in the 'sports world' and I strongly recommend it to all those who would like to get a behind the scenes look at how an NBA Front Office functions.

Chris Denker, Basketball GM & Scouting graduate, is a 14 year veteran of NCAA Division I basketball coaching. He was a highly successful Head Coach of the Santa Clara University and Colorado State University. Chris has coached professionally and internationally, serving as Head Coach and Director of Operations for the IBL Eugene Chargers. Chris spent the 2008 season abroad as Consulting Director and Coach of the Barnet BBC, London. After completing the course, Chris started his own company, NetScouts, the International Basketball Connection. Chris has helped players find jobs in countries such as Japan, Finland, Norway, Luxembourg, Holland, and in various domestic minor leagues.

SMWW served as a springboard for my sports business education and experience that I hope will translate to a career one day. They provide students with great mentors from the industry, a lot is learned and there's a respect factor too.

The SMWW/NetScouts Basketball Scout Apprenticeship Program was an excellent opportunity to kickstart my scouting growth and development. I gained invaluable in-person scouting experience at DePaul and Northwestern and established a strong fundamental understanding of the international youth basketball landscape through FIBA U16 and U18 video-scouting projects. While there is no tried-and-true path into a career in scouting and basketball operations, this program certainly served as a nice springboard in bolstering my scouting chops and broadening my basketball network.

This course gave me the information that NBA General Managers and Scouts should have in order to properly do their job. We also had the opportunity each week to speak with a professional GM and Scout to get an understanding of their career. SMWW has opened the door for me to be educationally competitive in the sports world. 

The Basketball GM and Scouting course was a huge help in me getting started at the Boston Celtics. I had several interviews, and in each case, after my resume was reviewed I was asked to discuss my training through the Basketball GM & Scouting Course. I believe the Celtics knew I was serious when they saw I had taken this course on my own, outside of my regular college courses. The course showed me ways to view the game from different levels beyond a fan's perspective. Each week during the chats, I spoke with influential members of the basketball world, and these conversations taught me how to handle myself in an NBA environment.

These courses excel the natural mind to accomplish untold things. I have accomplished personal goals that will pave the path for the rest of my life. Thanks to Sports Management Worldwide my dreams have became possibe.

 

Through writing scouting reports and working with Synergy, this course gave me good overall knowledge of what it takes to break into the operations side of the NBA.