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As an avid football fan, I was always interested in how companies like Opta and Football Manager collected such in-depth statistics about football players, so I set out to do some research into their process. I found that they predominantly used their own tools, like a PS4 controller connected to a custom-built application.
I originally started trying this technique out. I used the Lightweight Java Gaming Library (LWJGL) to map keypresses on a PS4 controller to a custom Java app I had written. However, during this process I thought about how this sort of product could be more accessible for everyone, and not require them to own a PS4 controller. From there, I decided to make this into an Android application. I tried some different control mechanisms for data capture, and landed on a game-controller-like digital interface, where actions were laid out similarly to a game of FIFA or PES.
I decided to use Kotlin to build the application as I wanted to gain proficiency in it and thought a personal project would provide me with a good opportunity to do so. I eventually also took advantage of Kotlin's interoperability with Java, and built an Object-Oriented architecture which would hold the details about the players.
To date, Mobile Scout Pro is being used by amateur football scouts in over 11 different countries, with a large proportion of those coming from Brazil and the United Kingdom - two of the biggest footballing nations in the world.