Being a sports agent is more than negotiation and working with the media. You work in a partnership for your client based on trust, genuine care, and understanding for your client’s wellbeing. Services an agent provides can go beyond negotiations and contract agreements. Sometimes just listening and being there for your client is your main job for that day. That could be offering advice, locating and sending resources for your client, providing emotional support after a adversity-strict season, or being someone there to listen.
Becoming a sports agent is not an overnight process. Years of experience, passion, and effort go into becoming a successful sports agent that can positively impact their clients and work. Here are six things I believe one must do in order to call to become the best agent they can possibly be:
- Obtain a degree
- Graduate programs in sports management, sports business or something similar can help aspiring agents gain experience and make new connections. Students are also able to see the inner workings of a collegiate sports environment, especially if they choose a program at a university where the athletics are well-known. Future agents can learn from the athletics programs’ successes and observe how the programs are managed, how recruiting and developing athletes work, interact with the media, and more.
- Gain experience
- Obviously, the chances of one being a successful sports agent with no success is just about impossible. Knowing about a sport is not enough; you need to understand the business and legal principles that go into the sport. With the experience you’ll gain, you’ll be able to add new, and meaningful connections to your network, which is essential to this industry.
- Know the sport(s) inside and out
- Part of an agent’s job is to place their client at a club that will pay top dollar for their talent and ability. In order to do this, one must know how to assess a “team’s strategic outlook, their current roster’s skillset and whether or not your client can fill an unmet need at the club.” (Ede, 2022)
- Consider obtaining legal experience
- Having a law degree is NOT required to become a sports agent, but not having a law degree doesn’t excuse one from not understanding all the appropriate terminology and conventions of sports contracts. If you’re not a lawyer, you cannot give any legal advice, meaning that you’ll work with qualified professionals during negotiations.
- Obtain a license, certification or registration
- Every association has its own requirements for registering for a license, certification or registration. For example, the MLB requires a $2000 fee and exam on the league’s many rules and regulations.
- Continue to network and get in the game
- An agent needs clients, so any lead on a good prospect can be valuable. Any and every connection matters. Agents must be able to maintain strong relationships with team executives, sponsors, and other agents. It doesn’t hurt to extend your network into related industries i.e. the media, PR agencies, legal professionals, nonprofit organizations and similar industries.
