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Matt Meiners: "As soon as I step into a gym, I forget about the cancer"
by HoopsHype / February 25, 2009

To be battling cancer and still working in a job that demands so much physically, what drives you aside from the passion and love for the sport? How do you make it work with your environment as well as inspire those around you?

Matt Meiners: That’s a tough question. I think my passion and love for basketball are two of the biggest things that drive me to continue to scout while undergoing treatment. I kind of touched on this in my blog Scouting with Cancer.

Watching games and being involved in the scouting process is an escape for me. There are many mornings that I wake up feeling lousy and don’t know how I’ll be able to make it through the day. But, as soon as I step into a gym, it’s like I am a new person. I instantly feel a little stronger and I forget about the cancer. For two hours or so, basketball negates my cancer and overrides any feelings of illness.

As far as inspiring people, I still have a hard time believing that I’m inspirational to some people. I guess the key for me is to accept who I am, that I have cancer, and I have some limitations that others may not have to deal with. But, I try my best to not let the cancer identify who I am. It’s hard to do and I am far from perfecting this, but I try my best.

Plus, I recognize how fortunate I am to have a supportive wife, family, and a great job. Their support helps me get through the tough days.

There are so many more people in worse situations than myself... those are the people that are truly inspirational. Not everyone is fortunate to have the support network that I have yet they go on fighting their battle. Those are the true inspirational people.

When I was in the hospital, I will never forget the little girl who was a couple doors down from me. She was only about 5 years old, with cancer (not sure what type). Every single day she sat in bed, completely alone. Neither her parents nor any other family members ever visited her. Her only contact was with the nurses. I felt so bad for her. I felt that if she could fight this alone then I could surely fight with a strong support group.

Thinking of that little girl, all alone, still brings me to tears. My wife and I wanted to spend time with her, but the hospital policies wouldn’t allow it.

Another thing that drives me is my competitiveness. I see this as a competition, me vs. the cancer. I thrive on being the underdog. I don’t like to lose at ANYTHING or to ANYONE. I will beat this thing.

Are there times when you feel weak and are not able to do any scouting?

MN: Of course there are times when I feel like I am not at full strength, but for the most part, I try to push through it. Even when I was fully healthy, there were times when I was tired and wondered how I’d get through the day/night. I think most people go through this, no matter what their profession is.  

Having cancer, I just have to fight through these feelings harder than most people. I have more obstacles than the average scout. For games, I use a rollator (like a walker) to help me walk, because I am still regaining my strength and balance due to neuropathy (a nerve disorder) caused by the chemo.

With continued rehab and physical therapy, I’m hoping I’ll gain back my full mobility. Right now, it can be hard getting around stadiums. Many times I've had to climb flights of stairs to get to my seat. This can be difficult with the lack of balance and strength in my legs. Plus, I usually have to carry my rollator as I walk up and down the steps. I get a good workout just going to games and finding my seat! It also takes me longer to shower, get dressed, and do the other necessary things before going to a game.

These simple tasks are easy for most people but for those of us suffering from the effects of chemotherapy, we need a little assistance. My wife, Amy, usually helps me out. She also administers my medicine and has been a chauffeur ”for me. With the unpredictable winters in the Midwest, she usually drives me to games. I’m at a point where I feel comfortable driving solo, but I figure I’ll wait for better weather to drive on my own.

Of course, none of these things keep me from doing my job. It just means we have to put in extra effort. But, it is something we are happy and willing to do because I love my job and frankly, I’m blessed to be alive today. I’m fortunate my wife has been able to support me and we are lucky she works for a great company (Cumberland Consulting Group) which has allowed her the flexibility to balance her own job while at the same time being there for me.

I’m confident that my continued rehabilitation will allow me to be completely independent in the near future. I consider this chapter just another hurdle.

Do you think the Clippers will be in the mix for the 2010 free agent bonanza? Marcus Camby's contract will have expired and I imagine they'll have a ton of cap room... You think they'll try to sign someone huge?  

MN: Sorry, I am unable to talk specifically about the Clipper’s present or future plans. I can only comment on my job. My job is to give the decision makers as much information as I can, but ultimately they make the final decisions. But the goal is to always look for ways to improve the team.

Hope you are feeling better and kick some cancer arse. I find it amazing how you are able to continue with such an extensive job and fight cancer. I have a question that never seems to get answered... How would someone go about trying to gain a position for an NBA position such as a scout?  

MN: Well... you have to be VERY motivated and willing to make many sacrifices. Often the best way to get a start is working as an unpaid intern. That’s how I started. Persistence is important too, but be careful…there is a fine line between persistence and annoyance. Most likely, you will get a lot of rejections because it is such a competitive field. If you’re one of the blessed to have an “in” or close contact that could help you land a position, you’re in even better shape.

Unfortunately, in this business, as well as other sectors of the entertainment field, many times it’s who you know, not what you know. It also takes a lot of luck and just being in the right place at the right time. If you’re a former player, that helps tremendously as well because you've made a lot of contacts. But, by no means do you have to be a former NBA player to get into this industry or be successful in it.

How did the Clippers react upon learning of your illness?

MN: They have been supportive. They’ve allowed me to work at my own pace and gave me the time and space I needed to get my treatment. At no point have I felt pressure from them to do “this or that”. I think they know how hard I work and the devotion I bring to the table so they may feel more comfortable in allowing me my time to heal. I think (or at least I hope) they know I’m a fighter and I’ve tried to help the Clippers organization however I can – be it from a hospital bed watching a DVD or scouting at a basketball game.

A number of my colleagues have sent me messages of support and encouragement. That’s helped me a lot too. I’m looking forward to healthier upcoming seasons for me and the rest of the Clippers.

I was wondering how you were able to break into the competitive field of scouting and what do you think has helped you the most to succeed in this field? Also, I am an Accounting Major and a Sports Management Major at Rutgers University and I was wondering if Accounting is a useful major in this type of work.

MN: As I mentioned before, I started as an unpaid intern. I did a couple of different internships with sports agents and spent part of one summer helping out the San Antonio Spurs during Summer League. Then, I did my internship with the Clippers. I just kept trying to build on my experiences and learn as much about the business as I could. I did all of this while in law school. Usually, you aren’t allowed to work during the first 2 years of law school (at least this was true at my school, and I was warned). I think the school’s fear is that you won’t be able to concentrate on your academics while also working. I obviously ignored this rule.

I knew I needed a leg up at graduation and the real work experience was best for my resume. But, again, you have to be motivated to do things like that and be willing to make sacrifices. I had no social life and got very little sleep but I had gained great work experience and still ended up graduating as part of an honors program with a little bit of scholarship money.

Accounting is a great background for this business. We deal a lot with numbers on a regular basis so being good with numbers would be very helpful. Our team President, Andy Roeser, has a background in Accounting and I think he'd tell you it's a great area of expertise for this business.

Who is the best scout in the NBA?

MN: There are a lot of great scouts in the NBA. I think the best ones are the ones that find the late first round/second round gems that other teams slept on or ignored. Also, the scouts that scour the minor leagues and European leagues for players who can come in and play right away on a minimum contract. Those are the best scouts in my opinion.

I think it’s a lot easier to pick someone at the top of the draft. The great scouts are those that recognize the late first round/second round bargains or Free Agent bargains. But again, that is just my opinion.

Do the scouts share information about players?

MN: I can’t speak for other scouts, but personally, I don’t speak about prospects with anyone but my team. Personally, I don’t like to read too much about a player or listen to the media or mock draft boards before seeing the player for myself. I don’t want to develop any preconceived notions about how good a player is or not. I judge for myself.

Then after I make my own judgment, I do my research on the player (watch extra video, read up on the player, etc.) and see what other people think of him. As far as I’m concerned, every player has a clean slate before I see them and I try to ignore outsiders’ information from entering into my opinion. After I form my own opinion, then I do my due diligence in researching the player thoroughly and take others’ opinions into account.

It’s kind of like making a pie. I start with an empty pie crust. The first and most important ingredient that goes in is my own judgment. That fills most of the pie and then research, etc. fills the rest of the pie. Sometimes I might hear what someone has to say after I’ve made my judgment and I find myself agreeing with them.

Then the main ingredient (my opinion) may change but not without due diligence. One thing I never do is base my judgment strictly based on what others’ think or say. I have enough faith in my own judgment and gut feelings that I feel comfortable evaluating a certain player even if my opinion goes against the grain.

Can you talk about the software you use when scouting players?

MN: We have a great system that we call PES (Player Evaluation System). It’s where we enter our scouting reports (both online and offline capability), track player stats (updated automatically each night), track character issues, injury history, player bios, etc.

We also have a custom rating system developed from a mathematical formula in which each player is assigned a rating. We can rank players by just about any stat, including our own rating system. It also allows each user to create their own mock drafts, depth charts, etc.

In addition to the above, it contains each scouts’ schedule as well as a general schedule of all games played in each league. It covers the NBA, College, the D-League, CBA, and European leagues. The system is custom built from the ground up, specific to our needs. The design and development was a big endeavor for us.

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