Orlando City Soccer Club (OCSC) assistant coach Ian Fuller has been active this offseason, visiting universities in the Central Florida area to scout for potential players that could one day join the Lions professional or U23 team. Orlandocitysoccer.com recently caught up with Fuller in an attempt to gain more insight on the scouting process and what he looks for in a player.

OCSC: What universities are you visiting during your scouting trip?

Fuller: This off-season I’ll be visiting mainly local schools such as USF, UCF, Stetson and Rollins - but I am also planning on going to the College of Charleston game against Maryland.

OCSC: Are you looking for anything in particular positional wise?

Fuller: No, nothing in particular, age isn’t a big factor either because we hope to find potential players for the U-23 squad also.

OCSC: Is this something that you do every off-season?

Fuller: Yes, we did this last season but this year we’ll definitely be a bit more active in the scouting process.

OCSC: How important is this trip for the club?

Fuller: It’s very important and I think as our club continues to grow it will just continue to get bigger and bigger. These kinds of trips allow us to develop good relationships with college coaches and players not only locally but all over the country.

OCSC: What do you hope to gain by the end of your trip?

Fuller: Knowledge of players so that we can continue to keep an eye on them not only for the remainder of this season, but also for the rest of their career.