ABSTRACT
This chapter concerns about zeroing in on players' roles, in some instances athletes' own perceptions of and expectations about them and in other cases coaches' judgments, whether effective or ineffective. It focuses on the recruitment stage in organized sports, analyzing how this critical moment involves small-group interaction between a player and one or more coaches and/or scouts. The chapter considers settings where for various reasons some fine players were initially excluded from college or pro teams. It examines the impact of coaching on young prospects’ success, analyzing contexts in which the idea of cultural fit seems applicable in two senses, that the coaches, like the Patriots contingent, are searching for players who can effectively move into their schemes and contribute to team performance and that the players, in turn, are making a maximum effort to provide a positive fit, contributing to those units.
