The primary responsibility of sports agents is to represent their clients (athletes) in contract negotiations with their respective teams. Agents usually have a love and deep understanding of the particular sports they specialize in and a good knowledge of the drafting and recruitment processes.
In return for their services, sports agents earn a percentage of the annual salary of their clients. For many agents, these percentages accrue to millions due to the high salaries of many athletes. However, becoming a sports agent and building a successful career is not easy. It requires going through a number of necessary steps.
The first is completing a bachelor’s degree program. Although a few sports organizations allow entry-level agents without college degrees, most employers recruit agents with a bachelor’s degree in sports management or a similar field. Some of the courses in sports management programs include sports law and management, marketing, finance, economics, sports ethics, player management and, sports sponsorship relationships.
Degree programs may include internship requirements to help aspiring agents gain a foundational understanding of sports business and gain experience.
An agent’s job is to ensure their clients have a fair contractual relationship with their teams. Therefore, they must have a good knowledge of reading, understanding, and drawing up contracts, and this requires them to be conversant with relevant laws.
Aspiring agents can apply to law schools after completing their bachelor’s, but they must sit for the Law School Admittance Test (LSAT) before being admitted. They learn to understand and write contracts for their future clients at this stage. They also learn to negotiate contracts and handle legal accusations against their clients.
Prospective agents can still fulfill the legal degree requirements without earning a law degree by working as paralegals, law interns, or entry-level jobs in law firms.
After becoming familiar with the relevant laws, agents can scout for their clients or apply for jobs at sports agencies. This is perhaps the most challenging stage of the entire process. Agents need to work very hard and smart to land their first clients, which usually serve as a stepping stone. Sports agents can go after upcoming athletes as they would be easier to attract. Those who successfully represent their first clients can build their resumes and profile to increase their chances of attracting new clients.
Agents can also apply for jobs using different methods like reaching out to other agents, searching online job boards, and emailing sports agencies their well-written resumes. An impressive resume may increase the chances of getting hired, so prospective agents must ensure they correctly highlight their skills and strength.
The final step would be to get licensed and registered as required by some states like Florida and California. The process includes agreeing to background checks, filling out application forms revealing any criminal history, and paying registration fees. It may also have exams as it varies from one state to another.
The players association of sports leagues like the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), and National Hockey League (NHL) also require agents to be certified by their respective leagues.
These leagues each have their own agent’s certification procedures but are all generally similar as they all require background checks and all have certification fees ranging from $1500 to $2000.
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