Our Story
My name is Gerry McGovern. I'm a coach, a parent, and a software engineer based in Ontario.
As a coach, one of the biggest challenges I faced was selecting players with limited visibility into their true abilities. Whether it's on the pitch, the court, or the ice, tryouts can be short, crowded, and intense. Some players shine immediately—others don't, even though they may have just as much talent.
I saw firsthand how tough the typical scouting process can be on young athletes:
- Some get nervous in a tryout setting and don't perform at their best.
- In small-sided games, players who already know each other often stick together, potentially leaving a new teammate with very few chances to get on the ball.
- Many players simply don't suit one-off evaluation days or short-sided formats.
- Players in remote areas often go unseen simply because scouts and managers can't always make the trip to see them play in person.
At the same time, I spoke with parents who were investing huge amounts of time, money, and effort—driving long distances, attending multiple trials etc, hoping their child would get noticed.
Drawing on decades of experience as a software engineer, I built a platform that lets athletes highlight their skills on their own terms, and allows coaches and team managers to evaluate players thoughtfully—not in rushed, high-pressure settings.
I founded ScoutLocal to make sure that a player's opportunity isn't limited to a single tryout, and that coaches have the tools they need to find talent in any sport.