Guide to Sports Agencies and Management Basics

Learn what athletes are looking for in sports agencies and management companies

By Andrea Buginsky, Freelance Writer

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find sports management agencies for high profile athletes

Professional athletes, especially high profile ones, need sports management agencies to take care of their endorsements, legal matters, insurance and finances. Sports management agencies can provide all of the legal, financial, advertising and other business services the athlete will need so the athlete can focus on the game.

I recommend: Pro Star Sports Agency handles contract negotiations, financial and legal services, endorsements and insurance matters. Reynolds Sports Management offers contract negotiations, financial services, endorsement and career management.

Find athlete representation companies

Sports agencies not only provide legal and financial matters for their athletes. They also represent the athletes' best interests and promote them. Whether the athlete needs a contract negotiated, an endorsement secured, or more marketing, these companies can handle all of the details. They also provide marketing opportunities for their athletes, making their identity well known.

I recommend: Goal Marketing is a full-service marketing agency that supplies secure endorsements and commercial marketing for athletes. Beckman Weil Shepardson represents professional athletes throughout the nation in contract negotiations, endorsements and creates charitable foundations for their athletes.

Find the top sports marketing agencies

For every matter athletes need representation for, they will want to use the best sports agencies and management. Many different sports management companies can offer many different services to athletes. New athletes looking for representation may choose to use a search engine to help them narrow their search for representation by location, services provided, cost or type of athlete.

I recommend: TouchLocal.com allows you to find local sports management and promotion agencies. Sports Management Worldwide allows athletes looking for an agent to register their specific needs.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Companies offering sports representation may want to offer personal services to their clients as well as business, such as counseling and physical fitness.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Hire a contract specialist as part of your sports agency team

A major duty in athlete representation is negotiating the contract. In addition to the give-and-take about money and incentives, the negotiations include buyout clauses, tax shelters and other complicated elements. Your agency will need broad, in-house expertise or access to experienced consultants.

I recommend: Contract Consultants will give you a leg up on creating specialized contracts. Engage their services, which range from contract templates to individual consultations. Francis L. Dean specializes in insurance for professional athletes. Check the website for information on the specifics for your client or ask for a consultation.

Equip your sports management company with an image consultant

Often endorsements, even playing services contracts, are strongly influenced by a player's image. Prepare your client for public situations such as interviews, speeches and media events. Include an 'image consultant' on your sports management company's team.

I recommend: Find an image consultant in your area on the Association of Image Consultants International website. Gloria Starr specializes in image consulting for professional athletes and offers a "finishing school" just for them.

Finding clients for your sports management business

Now that your company knows what to do in the sports management business, you need clients. Enroll your recruiters in a course offered by sports management agencies. Stress the importance of approaching the recruiting task in the 'right' way, with respect for the athlete and an honest appraisal of your firm's services.

I recommend: The professionals at Sports Management Worldwide offer a wealth of practical information about the sports agent business. Enroll in their Athlete Management Course to learn methods for finding and signing clients. The online course at Become a Sports Agent includes a discussion of recruiting rules, including unethical behavior. Study the other topics they offer.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Sports marketing and management agencies aren't limited to representing just athletes. Some also represent individuals from other sectors, such as entertainment and media.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Visit seminars to garner knowledge from other top sports marketing agencies

Seminars and workshops are a great way to become knowledgeable about changes in the sports management business. Whether the seminar is one day or an entire week, whatever knowledge you take away can be applied to your own team.

I recommend: Courtside PR & Management provides seminars for athlete representation and numerous athletes all over the United States and Australia. The Coastal Georgia Center hosts the annual sports management conference. Check out the schedule and see if it's an event that you want to attend.

Affiliate yourself with the top sports agencies

Becoming a member of sports agencies or associations gives you a chance to network or find information unavailable to the public. This can give you an added advantage, allowing you to get that extra edge above other sports agents.

I recommend: Sign up to be a member of the All Sports Directory. From here, you can locate more than 4,000 sports marketing agencies, sports team addresses and sports medicine clinics. Check out Sports-Management.com and determine if you want to become a member. If you do, then you can have access to information about becoming a sports agent.

Take classes to become a better sports agent

Whether through a college, university or even through an agency, taking classes to know about changes in the sports marketing profession is essential to be one of the best sports agents. Knowledge of changes to the profession or even improvements in the athlete's performance can help with negotiating and make athlete representation better.

I recommend: Sign up for courses offered by Sports Management Worldwide. The company accredits you in numerous sports, allowing you an advantage in the sports representation profession. Check the list of colleges provided by the North American Society for Sport Management. There you can check out the bachelor's, master's and doctoral sports management programs that colleges and universities in the United States offer.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you don't have time during normal business hours to research sports management training tips, check for online courses offered from the comforts of your home. Many colleges and universities now offer online classes so you don't need to physically be in a classroom to learn.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Sports agencies and agents

Sports agencies offer a wide variety of services to their clients, and they are often tailor made for the athletes' needs. By taking courses, career aspirants can jump start their career with online courses and internships. Sports agencies often hire agents once they have completed courses and become certified.

I recommend: Become A Sports Agent describes the various roles and responsibilities of a sports agent.

Sports agent certification

Sports agent certification is a process that has been developed by some sports management agencies. They want to ensure that agents who procure and negotiate employment and endorsement contracts for athletes have the appropriate training and education to do so effectively.

I recommend: Sports Management Worldwide outlines what you need to know to become certified.

Contract negotiation

Contract negotiation is a major part of what sports management agencies offer their clients. It consists of discussing and arranging the terms of a contract between an athlete and team management. Since a contract is a legal agreement, it is important that the athlete be represented by an experienced professional agent.

I recommend: Reynolds Sports Management has a good overview of the process.

Athlete endorsements

Athletes often supplement their player salaries with endorsement deals from sponsors. Sports agencies can be instrumental in assisting athletes with getting these endorsement deals because they have contacts in the industry and knowledge of the negotiation process.

I recommend: AthletePromotions.com explains “the deal,” as well as the various endorsement mediums.

Sabermetrics

Sabermetrics is the analysis of baseball statistics. The Society for American Baseball Research, SABR, keeps track of these statistics. Sports management agencies utilize sabermetrics in their analysis of a baseball athlete's earning potential during contract negotiation.

I recommend: The SABR is where you will find a lot more information on this topic.

Sport scouts

Sport scouts are professionally trained talent evaluators whose main responsibility is to observe athletes while they play and determine whether their skills and talents are sufficient for professional sports. Many scouts are retired players or former coaches. Sports agencies network with sport scouts to identify potential clients.

I recommend: Scout.com is a good resource where you can learn a lot more about this field, from high school all the way to professional sports. Scouts usually specialize in either working with prospects, younger players who need more development, or polished professionals who are immediately ready to play.