Tiger Woods Foundation

Job Description

If you love sports, are highly competitive and can easily negotiate agreements with others, this may be your dream career. Sports agents handle the business side of professional athletes' careers so their clients can focus on their sport. Agents have become key players in the world of professional sports, as many athletes have come to command multi-million dollar salaries.

Sports agents scout teams and organizations looking for athletes to hire, and they work hard to seal the most attractive deals for the jocks they represent. Agents receive a percentage of their players' final earnings; no deal means no pay, so agents have to stay current on every aspect of the world of sports. While athletes are thinking win/lose, agents are thinking win/win, working hard to maintain solid relationships with both the athletes they've signed and the parties doing the hiring or drafting. A passion for sports is the place to start on your way to a winning career as a sports agent.

Top 10

EYES ON THE PRIZE: The world of professional sports agents is every bit as competitive as the world of professional sports! An agent's job is a balance of offense and defense, action and reaction, spontaneity and experience. Here's a list of 10 priorities an agent must keep in mind to get the job done right.

RISING STARS: Keeping an eye on the brightest sports stars of the future is one of the most important aspects of an agent's success. They must be constantly aware of the amateur ranks and maintain relationships with college and sport-camp coaches to prepare attractive career options for the stars of tomorrow. Agents track the athletes that look the most promising, but they are forbidden from discussing professional opportunities with them until their amateur careers come to an end.

BY THE RULES: Agents need to keep up on the latest regulations from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The NCAA decides the rules of play, grade requirements, age, citizenship and other eligibility standards, and spending allowances for college-level American sports and players. The penalties for breaking these rules can seriously damage the reputations and career choices available to athletes. Agents work hard so star amateurs don't slip up; they keep on top of every case and do what they can to guide new clients into the major leagues.

WHO'S THE BOSS: Agents must be familiar with their clients' priorities and long-term goals. When speaking on a player's behalf to potential employers, they must predict what will sound attractive and anticipate whether an incoming offer falls within the "ballpark" of a player's hopes. An agent must also keep in mind the athlete's preferences -- the city in which he or she would have to live, the position being offered, the duration of the contract and, of course, the proposed salary.

ON THE RECORD: Agents' understanding of typical practices in the sports world allows them to find the best deals and happiest homes for their clients. Agents must level with athletes about realistic expectations and prepare to push for each athlete's realistically highest hopes. They must predict the range of options a player can expect based on certain considerations: performance record, team attitude, training history, team position, age and health. All of these elements affect how many teams may compete for a single player and the types of offers that may be made.

FACE FACTS: Sports agents know professional teams aren't the only parties willing to shell out big bucks for the work of talented athletes. Companies looking to attach famous faces to their products and services will pay steep prices for a few supportive words on TV or over the radio waves. Agents also realize that image can be as critical as pay to a player's career when considering a commercial deal. If a player backs an unpopular product, it may have a terrible effect on how much the athlete can earn for future corporate work.

MONEY MATTERS: For many athletes, professional-level salaries can be unexpectedly overwhelming. The money is easy to spend, but athletes need to be prepared to retire due to sudden injury or age. Agents often understand this better than the athletes who are new to the professional scene. Therefore, agents often assist their clients in planning their spending and investments. Agents know that clients thrive at work when their personal lives are secure, so good agents offer financial guidance based on lessons they've learned watching other pro players.

LEGAL EASE: The world of professional sports is full of legal issues that may be confusing to people with little or no previous experience. Agents lend their experience and advice to ensure that their clients' rights are preserved during contract and other negotiations. Without expert advice, clients may lose their rights to money, job opportunities or even the freedom to wear certain clothes in public, because they didn't know which questions to ask or terms to demand before signing a contract.

WELL-SEASONED: For every professional sport, there is a time span of activity known as a season. Part of an agent's job is to secure paid playing opportunities for clients between each pro season. Players have to keep their skills sharp in the offseason in order to return to their league events ready to win. Foreign leagues run different season schedules and offer players the chance to keep sharp while experiencing new cultures. Pre-professional camps are also highly competitive sites for offseason players to hone their skills. Professional coaches scout these offseason centers, so agents make sure to get their clients in, keeping them in view even during their "downtime."

HEALTHY HELPINGS: The most valuable asset an athlete has is good health. For many players this is also the asset most difficult to preserve, as professional sports involve brutal play and place heavy strains on both body and mind. The pressure to win goes beyond the personal when millions of fans and dollars hang on a player's every move. Agents prioritize the best in training services, health insurance, counseling and rehabilitation for their athletes' contracts and keep a close watch on their clients' mental and physical states.

SPORT REPORT: Most professional athletes quickly adapt to being watched by millions of people, and not just when they're competing. Like movie stars and other celebrities, athletes' professional and private lives make headlines. The public's response to such media reports affects a player's performance, popularity, reputation and success. Agents find opportunities for players to contribute in their communities, alert the media to their clients' good news and attempt to protect clients' private matters from the press.

How to Get There

Be a Good Sport

• Play and play fair. An effective agent knows the language of the sports their clients compete in, so start playing on these teams now. Trust plays a major role in an agent's ability to find and keep clients. Build a reputation of fairness and trust on the field or court that will follow you into adulthood.
• Get down to business. Sports agents are professionals who use many of the same skills that are required in a broad range of business professions. Starting to work at a young age will help prepare you for the bigger leagues. Take on a paper route, help your folks throw a garage sale, find a babysitting gig or volunteer for jobs at school. Learning to be reliable is key to an agent's success.
• Think win-win. Learning how to strike a deal is the primary focus of an agent's work. Give and take is the name of the game. When you find yourself at odds with someone, work out a fair agreement. This is the best practice you can get for effective negotiating, and it's a critical skill for any career.
• Watch and read. Don't just listen to your coaches; watch how they manage, motivate and guide their players. Read sports magazines and sports sites on the Web and keep up on sports news. Go to games and watch the players and coaches interact on and off the field or court. The more you actively observe the world of professional sports, the better your instincts will be when you arrive on the scene.
• Keep your grades up. Don't make the mistake of thinking a successful career in sports means you don't need a solid academic background. Agents deal with money, statistics, language arts, health and more. Well-rounded agents have an edge over their competition!
• Search the Web for sports opportunities. Using the keywords "SPORTS FOR KIDS," "SPORTS CAMPS FOR KIDS," "SPORTS CENTERS FOR KIDS" and "SPORTS PROGRAMS FOR KIDS," you can obtain great ideas for extracurricular and vacation opportunities to keep your sports knowledge tuned and improving.

Activity

In the Trades:

You will need:

• Hat
• Paper & pencil
• Scissors
• A friend

Preparation: Sit down with your friend, paper and pencil and think of 18 names of mutual friends or classmates and write them down in a column with two lines between each name.

• John Adams
• Abraham Lincoln
• Susan B. Anthony

It's important to choose only friends or classmates that both of you know. Once you've completed your list, cut up the paper so that each name is on its own strip. Put all of the names into a hat and shake them up.

Now, taking turns, pick the names from the hat until the hat is empty and each of you has nine names.

Trade: Next, come up with names for your teams. On a new sheet of paper, make two columns by drawing a vertical line down the center of the page. At the top of each column, place a team name, yours on one side and your friend's on the other.

Pretend that you're putting together teams to compete in two matches: a baseball game and a spelling bee. The winner is the team who performs best overall. The object of the trade is to end up with a winning team.

You each are allowed to trade five names to come up with your final list of competitors. The trick is figuring out which names you are willing to surrender and which names you must guard. Tape all the names you intend to keep under the name of your team until you are done trading and your roster is final. Remember, you want a team that is both athletic and brainy, or you'll score big in one match but lose in the other. Go for it!

Q & A

Q. What about your job do you think is most surprising to someone on the outside?

Philadelphia-based Jim S., who has been a football agent for more than 30 years, says:

I think few people understand how competitive the world of sports agency really is. There are far more agents than players. Because professional athletes are paid very handsomely, agents stand to make a lot of money if they do their jobs well. Like in any other industry, when a particular service becomes lucrative, it attracts a great many people.

So, it's very difficult to become a successful agent. Like other jobs that pay big bucks, many people are fighting to get a few available positions. And once you're in, it's hard to stay there. You've got to have talent, but more importantly, you need to be educated. An agent needs at least an undergraduate degree, and many go on to achieve advanced degrees to gain an edge over their competitors. The most important part of the business to master is the financial part of the game, as each player can be a multi-million dollar industry.

Because becoming an agent is such a popular dream, it isn't uncommon to find some rotten apples in the sports-agent barrel. A minority of agents are unskilled and dishonest people who cut corners and bend rules in their attempts to attract clients. The majority are competent, honest professionals who do an excellent job serving their clients. Like in any profession, a few can (and in some cases do) spoil the reputation for the rest.

These days, the best agents are available to assist their clients around the clock. They tend to be older than their clients, and often act as protector, guardian and confidant. In my opinion, the biggest responsibility I have to a client is to remind him that he is constantly under a spotlight and a microscope. Everything he does in his life is reported by the press and scrutinized by millions. It's an easy thing to deny or forget, and I can't let him or her do that -- even for a moment.