How to Become a Soccer Scout — Soccer Scouting Course | SMWW

Soccer Management & Scouting Course

Learn How to Become a Soccer Scout

Become a Professional Soccer (Football) Scout or Club Executive in 8 Weeks

If you want to work in professional soccer—as a scout, sporting director, front office executive, or player personnel specialist—you need more than passion for the game. You need a deep understanding of talent evaluation, roster construction, scouting systems, global recruitment, and the business structure of modern clubs.

SMWW’s 8-week online Soccer Management & Scouting Course is designed to help you build those skills and position yourself for soccer jobs worldwide.

Taught by Gordon Kljestan, Vice President of Soccer Operations for the LA Galaxy, and Andrew Gregor, Soccer Scouting expert with years of experience across Europe and the US, this course delivers elite-level insight into how successful soccer organizations are built.

Whether your goal is MLS, NWSL, USL, the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, or international football, this course gives you a foundation in professional scouting and soccer management.

NEXT START DATE: December 7

NEXT START DATE:
December 7

Weekly Live Interactive Zoom Chats With Andrew Gregor
WEDNESDAY 5 pm PT 8 pm ET THURSDAY 1 am GMT
Weekly Live Interactive Zoom Chats With Gordon Kljestan
TUESDAYS 5:30pm PT 8:30pm ET WEDNESDAYS 1:30am GMT
8-week online course
Access to SMWW network
Resume enhancement
Ongoing career advice
Class size limited to 20 students

 

Mentors

  • Andrew GregorAndrew Gregor
    • Pro Football Consultants VP of Recruitment
    • MLS and European Scouting Expert
  • Dr Lynn LashbrookDr Lynn Lashbrook
    • SMWW President & Founder
    • Certified NFL Agent
    • Former NCAA Athletic Director

TAKE THE FIRST STEP

Learn More About Becoming a Soccer Management & Scouting Student

We want to help you find the right course for your career. Fill out the form below and an SMWW Career Counselor will follow up directly with you.

Why This Soccer Scouting & Management Course Is Different

Global soccer continues to expand at every level—men’s and women’s professional leagues, international competitions, and youth academies. With that growth comes increased competition for front office and scouting positions.

Clubs today require staff who understand:

  • Global talent identification

  • Opposition analysis and match preparation

  • Data-informed decision-making

  • Salary cap and financial compliance structures

  • Academy development pathways

  • International transfer systems

This course prepares you for the realities of modern soccer operations—both on the technical and executive side of the game.

You will finish this program with a diversified, professional skill set in:

  • Evaluating soccer talent at elite and developmental levels

  • Scouting opposing teams and preparing tactical reports

  • Understanding roster construction and salary structures

  • Managing player personnel departments

  • Navigating the business side of global football

The Soccer Management and Scouting course mentors will educate you by utilizing their vast experiences playing the game, managing the game, coaching the game, and scouting at all levels of soccer worldwide.

You'll also build lasting relationships with the course mentors and guest speakers working in professional soccer around the world. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to build lasting relationships with the course mentors and guest speakers in professional soccer worldwide.

What You’ll Learn in This Soccer Management Course

Throughout this 8-week online program, you will study:

  • The four corners of elite player development

  • Opposition team analysis

  • Assessing and analyzing individual players

  • Writing professional soccer scouting reports

  • Pre-game scouting preparation

  • Utilizing data and external resources

  • Understanding team formations and tactical systems

  • Constructing effective team units

  • International player transfers and regulations

  • The role of academies in player development

  • Club structure and front office operations

  • The responsibilities of a Sporting Director, Head Coach, and Chief Scout

  • Salary cap management and UEFA financial sustainability rules (formerly Financial Fair Play)

  • The role of agents and player representation

  • The business of professional soccer

This curriculum reflects how real clubs operate—combining performance, recruitment, compliance, and long-term sporting vision.

Why Now Is the Time to Enter Professional Soccer

The global expansion of MLS, NWSL, USL, European leagues, and international competitions has increased demand for knowledgeable soccer professionals.

Organizations are looking for individuals who understand talent identification, performance evaluation, regulatory compliance, and long-term sporting strategy.

This course is designed to help you take a meaningful step toward working in professional soccer—equipped with practical knowledge from leaders who operate at the highest levels of the game.

If you’re serious about launching your career in soccer management or scouting, this program provides a structured, realistic path forward.

Apply today to secure your place in the next course session.

Meet Your Soccer Management & Scouting Mentors:

Andrew Gregor - Pro Football Consultants VP of Recruitment

Andrew Gregor has studied the game from every seat that matters — on the field as a professional in MLS and the USL, on the touchline as a head coach, and now from the front office as a head scout and recruitment executive who has shaped player evaluation for clubs across the U.S. and Europe. He has run a club’s entire recruitment engine — building the scouting philosophy, directing domestic and international scouts, and turning data and film into signings — so he knows exactly what separates a prospect who earns a contract from one who doesn’t.

That full arc is what makes him rare. Gregor has spent years developing talent inside a top MLS academy pipeline, elevating 20+ players into first-team and professional contracts, advised at the executive level for a European first-division club, and built a global network of clubs and sporting directors as a VP of Recruitment. In Soccer Management and Scouting, he teaches the craft as it’s actually practiced at the professional level — how to evaluate players, build a recruitment philosophy, work the transfer market, and make decisions with data and film that hold up when a contract is on the line. You won’t just study scouting in theory; you’ll learn it from someone who makes these calls for a living

Gordon Kljestan - LA Galaxy Vice President of Soccer Operations

Gordon Kljestan is the LA Galaxy's Vice President of Soccer Operations. A Huntington Beach, California native, he earned his Sports Management degree from Seton Hall University and was drafted by the LA Galaxy in the 2007 MLS draft. He has worked in the Galaxy front office since 2011, a run that includes MLS Cup titles in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2024. His day-to-day work covers salary cap and roster compliance, player contracts and immigration. Gordon holds a USSF B coaching license and has completed the FIFA Diploma in Club Management.

 

 

Soccer Jobs This Course Prepares You For

Professional soccer organizations require versatile leaders who understand both performance and operations.

This course prepares you for roles such as:

  • Soccer Scout

  • Director of Player Personnel

  • Soccer General Manager

  • Sporting Director Support Roles

  • Soccer Agent

  • Soccer Operations

  • Front Office Executive

  • Game Operations

  • Sports Marketing & Media Relations

  • Player Recruitment Analyst

  • Soccer Internships

 

Why our Soccer Management and Scouting Course is Your Perfect Match

The popularity of Soccer shows no sign of slowing down as professional leagues continue to expand around the world. As the competition to sign the best global talent increases and the importance of winning intensifies, opportunities to work in professional soccer have expanded.

Teams are constantly searching for fresh ways to discover and evaluate players, gain a competitive edge when evaluating the opposition, and increase the skills within their front office.  

At SMWW, you'll learn the exact skills soccer teams around the globe need!

Led by LA Galaxy Sr. Director of Player Personnel Gordon Kljestan, and Pro Football Consultants VP, Andrew Gregor,  our 8-week online course is a one-of-a-kind experience to learn the inner workings of the soccer industry.   

Unlike most online classes, we focus our program on interactive Zoom video chats directly with your course mentors, which allows you the opportunity to build personal relationships and rapport with these successful soccer industry leaders. After completing our Soccer Management & Scouting course, we will help you redesign your resume to highlight your new skills and include that you have been taught first-hand by Gordon Kljestan and Andrew Gregor. Now that is powerful!

Where do Soccer Management & Scouting graduates work?

The entire 2015 MLS champion Portland Timbers scouting staff were graduates of this course. Now that is SUCCESS! In addition to our many graduates working in MLS, we have alumni working in the EPL and other major soccer leagues around the globe. 

Course Details

Weekly Interactive Zoom Video Chats - A unique aspect of each 8-week course is the opportunity for students to participate in weekly, interactive live Zoom video chats with fellow students, Andrew Gregor, Gordon Kljestan, and guest speakers. This is a tremendous opportunity to learn from your course facilitators. In addition, the chat allows you to network within the international soccer industry and build lasting relationships with your course facilitators and fellow students. If you are unable to attend the chat they are recorded and archived and you can listen at a more convenient time.

Online Education - This innovative academic course is facilitated through a web-based educational delivery system. You will enjoy the live interactive Zoom video chats in addition to the online discussion boards, weekly readings, weekly quizzes, course projects, and interaction amongst fellow sports business-minded students and faculty. The course content is the foundation of a successful career on the business side of professional soccer!

Global Participation - SMWW students participate from over 164 countries. Courses have an international influence and instructors will cater assignments to specific countries or leagues.

University Credit Available: For additional fees to Fort Hays State University in Kansas, you may receive graduate or undergraduate university credit for Sports Management Worldwide's courses. Click here for more information.

Sports Career Conferences - Throughout the year, Sports Management Worldwide hosts Sports Career Conferences at a variety of sporting events. These are fabulous networking events that put SMWW alumni in the heart of the action. Opportunities to meet executives at all levels of sport are facilitated. Visit SMWW Sports Career Conferences to learn more. 

Advanced Certificates: Want to take your career to the next level? Our Advanced Certificates have been hand-selected by our team of sports industry experts to put you on a path to success. These bundles allow you to take advantage of our biggest discount available, by bundling multiple courses and becoming an expert in that field. Learn more about our Advanced Certificates here.

Military Discount - For those individuals who represent their country in military service, (active, reserve, or retired) we offer a discount. Thank you for serving your country! For more information on the Military Discount please Click Here.

Tax Write Off - (For USA Citizens) SMWW course tuition, books, and supplies can be used for education tax credits. Save your receipts and consult with your tax advisor on how this applies to you.

What Happens After You Complete the Course?

Become an SMWW Scout

Graduates may apply to join SMWWScouts.com, where they can showcase scouting reports and advertise themselves as trained talent evaluators.

Work for a Team

Our goal is to prepare you for real soccer job opportunities. Through SMWW’s global network, we help graduates position themselves when the right opportunities arise.

Course Certificate

Upon completion, you will receive an SMWW Certificate of Accomplishment, demonstrating your commitment to professional development in soccer management and scouting.

Resume Redesign Service

We help you redesign your resume to highlight your new soccer management and scouting skills—including your mentorship under Andrew Gregor and Gordon Kljestan—so you stand out to hiring managers searching for qualified candidates.

 

THREE MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF $650

Or a single payment of $1,950

Includes all course textbooks and access to a web-based classroom. Shipping is additional.

Exact pricing including the discount is shown before you complete checkout. Payment plan options are provided during checkout.

PAYMENT METHODS:
Prerequisites: Must be 18 or older to participate and have a passion for sports.
CALL TODAY: 1-877-SMWW-NOW
(In the UK: 087 12884799)

SMWW’s Industry Leading Courses Featured In:

 

8-Week Courses & Certificates (Alphabetical):

  • FIFA Agent Prep
    FIFA Agent Prep Course, in just eight weeks, you will be fully prepared to ace the 2027 FIFA Certification Exam. Experienced ...
    March1CourseStart Date
    Starts March 1
    FIFA Agent Prep Course, in just eight weeks, you will be fully prepared to ace the 2027 FIFA Certification Exam. Experienced FIFA Agents will guide you through the process so you can pass and begin your career as a soccer agent!
  • Soccer Agent
    Learn how to represent men & women soccer players around the world with 2 successful FIFA Agents. Launch your career as a ...
    November30CourseStart Date
    Starts November 30
    Learn how to represent men & women soccer players around the world with 2 successful FIFA Agents. Launch your career as a Soccer Agent here!
  • Soccer Analytics
    8 week online Soccer Analytics course with a Soccer Analytics expert. Hands on learning.
    January11CourseStart Date
    Starts January 11
    8 week online Soccer Analytics course with a Soccer Analytics expert. Hands on learning.
  • Soccer Player Development
    Learn from a MLS Executive how to discover & grow the rising soccer stars of tomorrow! The growth of Soccer Academies = ...
    May3CourseStart Date
    Starts May 3
    Learn from a MLS Executive how to discover & grow the rising soccer stars of tomorrow! The growth of Soccer Academies = talent identification, player analysis, academy structures, advance scouting, & player pathways,