Sports Agents
A sports agents’ financial success is dependent largely on the number of clients willing to sign with the agent. In many cases, agents seek clients in college and even high school. For those athletes attending college in the United States, taking any financial rewards from an agent is in violation of the NCAA or college sports governing body regulations. An agent must be willing to adapt to the every changing world and technology. Their services are always in demand and they must be on call 24/7. Review the following website information on the roles of sports agents: http://www.sportsnetworker.com/2010/04/28/all-about-sports-agents/ Role of a Sports Agent Every professional athlete is associated with a sports agent. The agent plays an integral part of the athlete’s image and overall worth. Qualifications There is no minimum qualifications to be a Sports Agent, however without a degree (often a law degree) agents are overlooked by bigger companies and athletes who want the full package in a sports agent. Every professional league will have their own Agent licencing requirements. Aside from educational requirements, sports agents, should possess networking skills, a strong backbone, thick skin and solid work ethic. Sports agents always need to be available to their athletes. Contract Negotiator Athletes will require contracts for their sport, team and league as well as endorsement contracts. All of these contracts are organized and approved by an agent before the athlete agrees to them. Agents are paid a percentage of every contract they get an athlete to sign. The percentage is usually between 3-10%. However for endorsements they may charge a fee of 10-25%. Mentor Many athletes have never negotiated a contract before entering the pro leagues. Sports Agents help to decrease the stress related to contracts and work to get the athlete the best deal possible. Legal Muscle If the athlete does find himself in trouble with the law, the sports agent works to lessen the charges or get the charges dropped completely. Sports agents do not need to be lawyers but many do have a law degree to better understand and work contracts and legal issues. Voice Sports agents often take the spotlight off of the athlete during controversial moments and attempt to keep the image of the athlete as pure as possible. The agent is trained to handle media and press especially when the athlete is caught up in embarrassing or awkward media related issues. The sports agent will also advise the athlete how to handle media and press when necessary. Recruiting Athletes Sports agents are often responsible for finding their own talent and it is in their best interest to find the highest level of talent that will bring in the best contracts. Agents often receive referrals from colleagues and sports associations once they have proven they are a quality agent. Agents have to balance their time and commitment between their current clients and finding new clients. Managing Images It is becoming increasingly important in the media age to protect athletes and avoid any unnecessary controversy. Sports agents work to get the right endorsements to create an image for their athlete and work hard to keep their athlete out of the spotlight if anything negative arises. Sports agents downplay negative issues and attempt to draw attention to positive attributes and charitable donations/deeds. |
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